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Check engine light coolant res


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theryan
New User

Jul 15, 2022, 8:51 PM

Post #1 of 13 (1167 views)
post icon Check engine light coolant res Sign In

Check engine light came on. code p0171, p1444a, p1450. I got a canister purge valve assembly /R&R canister purge valve assembly as suggested by mechanic. Car runs better, but not like it used to. Check engine light still comes on. No one can tell me why.

Today I was adding coolant and the check engine light went off.

Could the air pressure in coolant reservoir be what triggered the check engine light? Maybe the release of the pressure?? Could this point me in the right direction of the real problem?

2015 Ford Focus SE. 136k miles. I've kept up with maintenance as instructed throughout the life of the car. Bought new.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 16, 2022, 3:46 AM

Post #2 of 13 (1148 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In

For the moment some ideas and guesses + things to do:
Strong clue here is you added coolant so question is why? I trust it was low so why was it low is the clue.

Pressure check this car's cooling system bet it doesn't hold heat expansion hence it could boil coolant = hot spots inside engine confuses the whole show.

Great you have a history since new it helps a lot + you've kept up things will happen care or not thou.

Check gas cap or just replace it too it's imperative it work properly for evap emissions items like that canister with Summer upon us think how fuel expands more than coolant mix and shrinks also with temp changes nothing to do with use of the car - just sitting there.

So integrity of cooling system that must hold pressure or boil inside unseen but could lose coolant without a leak (unknown for now) see if from tank thru radiator, engine is holding.

Hope it is some plastic tanks are the issue or hoses, sensors and on should leave evidence if it doesn't hold do that test cold you can also test the pressure cap or toss it your choice it's mandatory that, that stuff work properly,

T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 16, 2022, 3:52 AM

Post #3 of 13 (1144 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In

The P1444 and P1450 have nothing at all to do with engine performance. They are emission only codes.

The issue you have to deal with is the P0171. That means the system is too lean.

The most common cause is a vacuum leak but it can also be many other things like low fuel pressure, injector problems or even a bad 0/2 sensor (least likely).



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



theryan
New User

Jul 17, 2022, 4:21 PM

Post #4 of 13 (1112 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In


In Reply To
For the moment some ideas and guesses + things to do:
Strong clue here is you added coolant so question is why? I trust it was low so why was it low is the clue.

Pressure check this car's cooling system bet it doesn't hold heat expansion hence it could boil coolant = hot spots inside engine confuses the whole show.

Great you have a history since new it helps a lot + you've kept up things will happen care or not thou.

Check gas cap or just replace it too it's imperative it work properly for evap emissions items like that canister with Summer upon us think how fuel expands more than coolant mix and shrinks also with temp changes nothing to do with use of the car - just sitting there.

So integrity of cooling system that must hold pressure or boil inside unseen but could lose coolant without a leak (unknown for now) see if from tank thru radiator, engine is holding.

Hope it is some plastic tanks are the issue or hoses, sensors and on should leave evidence if it doesn't hold do that test cold you can also test the pressure cap or toss it your choice it's mandatory that, that stuff work properly,

T


I was adding coolant because there was a small leak in the reservoir. Small like it would "bubble out", not run or drip. Coolant has always been just under max. I have since replaced that reservoir.

The cooling system holding pressure feels right for some reason. Is this something I can google?

I bought the car new. 13 miles. Didn't come with a gas cap. Am I a dumby?

Thank you for your response.


theryan
New User

Jul 17, 2022, 4:45 PM

Post #5 of 13 (1110 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In

Live at idle reads as
Fuel Sys 1: CL
Fuel Sys 2: N/A
Calc Load: 30.6%
ECT: 210 (°F)
STFT B1: -0.8(%)
LTFT B1 -6.3(%)
ENG RPM: 798
VEH SPEED: 0 (MPH)
Spark Adv: 6.5(°)
IAT: 109 (°F)
MAF: 0.29 (LB/MIN)
TPS: 9.8 (%)
O2SLOC: O2S11 O2S12
O2S B1 S2:
STFT B1S2: 99.2(%)
OBDSup: OBD
Run Time: 261 (sec)
MIL DIS: 0 (Miles)
Fuel Pressure (302 PSI)
Command EVAP: 28.6 (%)
Fuel Level: 59.2 (%)
Warm-up DTC Clr: 1
Clr Dist: 4 (miles)
EVAP_VP: -0.5(InH2O)
BARO: 29 (inHg)
LAMBDA B1 S1: 0.995
02S B1S1: -0.04 (mA)
CAT Te 11: 814 (°F)
ECU Volts: 12.881 (V)
LOAD Value: 18.4 (%)
EQ Ratio: 0.982
Rel TPS: 12(%)
Ambient: 108 (°F)
TPS B: 10.2 (%)
ACC Pedal D: 15.3 (%)
ACC Pedal E: 7.8 (%)
Command TAC: 1.6(%)
Fuel Type ETH
ALCH PCT: 9.8 (%)


MAF sensor related to any of these? It seemed less clean than I thought it should be.

I don't know at all, but these all seem to be related. Should I just replace injectors and O/2 or start with vacuum leak?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 17, 2022, 4:58 PM

Post #6 of 13 (1106 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In


Quote
Should I just replace injectors and O/2 or start with vacuum leak?


Don't replace anything until you look very hard for a vacuum leak and forget about the injectors. I would suggest a smoke test.

That data list doesn't mean much. It's just a snapshot at idle and doesn't tell you too much.

You might want to clear all the codes and drive it some more and see what comes back.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jul 17, 2022, 4:59 PM)


theryan
New User

Jul 17, 2022, 6:49 PM

Post #7 of 13 (1096 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In

I don't see any obvious signs of a vacuum leak. Seemed too easy. Will a smoke test check everything or do I need to do some more reading on what details to look for and where?

Cars running "lean" is new to me, but from what I've read the math adds up with the way the car drives. It has never stalled or failed to start. It does feel like performance is "less" while the car is trying harder.

Start with smoke check and what else?

Thank you for your help.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 17, 2022, 6:55 PM

Post #8 of 13 (1091 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In

A good smoke test will find any vacuum leaks. A vacuum leak is the most likely cause of this code.

I don't expect fuel pressure to be an issue with this car as it is a module controlled, variable pressure system that would set codes if there was a problem there.

The injectors are super high pressure and very dangerous to work on so don't mess with them.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jul 17, 2022, 7:00 PM)


Tom Greenleaf
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Jul 17, 2022, 7:18 PM

Post #9 of 13 (1078 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In

Back a few post here - "It's bubbling coolant out of the reservoir?" THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS FOR THE FIRST THING!

That could be plain overheat, exhaust gasses getting into coolant a real bad thing.

Pressure check this with plugs out if it wasn't overheating you may need a head gasket job or find a crack or could be it just isn't holding pressure is why I asked.

Testers can be rented if you don't have one so at least ask.

Look for cap working at proper pressure and system holding pressure best done all cold IMO so not fooled by shrinkage of coolant just cooling down naturally.

Engine off - forget codes if overheating no telling what's really wrong yet.

They can overheat for simply a cap that doesn't hold it needs pressure to not boil if this was a new car,

T



Hammer Time
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Jul 17, 2022, 7:25 PM

Post #10 of 13 (1072 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In

Tom, he had a leaking reservoir and that is now fixed. We are looking for a lean code now, not overheating.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 17, 2022, 7:50 PM

Post #11 of 13 (1066 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In

Top post: He replaced the (evap?) canister not the reservoir for coolant. Asked if that could be the problem was adding coolant? So I asked WHY - so did OP,

Tom

OP - Please clear up what's going on with coolant now. Also please don't change top post is what I read again and again......I take it canister you meant the charcoal one for evaporative emissions?



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 17, 2022, 7:54 PM

Post #12 of 13 (1062 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In


Quote
I was adding coolant because there was a small leak in the reservoir. Small like it would "bubble out", not run or drip. Coolant has always been just under max. I have since replaced that reservoir.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jul 17, 2022, 8:13 PM

Post #13 of 13 (1056 views)
Re: Check engine light coolant res Sign In

I see that, what damage was done over lack of coolant before all this since that fix, if really fixed?

Canister: Most of US uses ground fuel tanks - note that. Buried station tanks if overnight go cold it put in warm to full can puke fuel out canisters - all mine can 80s up.

It does that gotta know not to overfill even gas cans this time of year,

Tom







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