Check Engine Light, 97 Ford Explorer

The Check Engine Light on my '97 Ford Explorer SOHC has been on for quite some time. It is 10 years old and has 177K miles. The problem is that, here in Southern California, of course, you must pass a Smog Check and obtain a Smog Certificate in order to obtain Registration. I know that it will not pass the check as is. I had the problem diagnosed, and the DTC's were several, P1715, P1762, P0455, P0171 and P0174. I read up enough on these codes to know that a couple of them are possible transmission problems, an evaporation control system problem (leak), and two system too lean problems. This vehicle does not have much more life in it, but it runs well. At this point, I just want to get my Registration and Tags and replace the car in two years or less. I know that fixing all of the problems will, more than likely, be very expensive. I'm not sure if my '97 Explorer has an EEC- IV or EEC-V system, but I have read some articles that say that it can be reset by disconnecting the red battery cable for 5 minutes or more, or by using a scan tool to complete the reset. The question I have is, even if I reset the EEC-IV or EEC-V system, will it clear out the codes long enough for me to drive to the nearest testing center and obtain a Smog Certification. Can anyone help?

Reply to
lblion
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The Check Engine Light on my '97 Ford Explorer SOHC has been on for quite some time. It is 10 years old and has 177K miles. The problem is that, here in Southern California, of course, you must pass a Smog Check and obtain a Smog Certificate in order to obtain Registration. I know that it will not pass the check as is. I had the problem diagnosed, and the DTC's were several, P1715, P1762, P0455, P0171 and P0174. I read up enough on these codes to know that a couple of them are possible transmission problems, an evaporation control system problem (leak), and two system too lean problems. This vehicle does not have much more life in it, but it runs well. At this point, I just want to get my Registration and Tags and replace the car in two years or less. I know that fixing all of the problems will, more than likely, be very expensive. I'm not sure if my '97 Explorer has an EEC- IV or EEC-V system, but I have read some articles that say that it can be reset by disconnecting the red battery cable for 5 minutes or more, or by using a scan tool to complete the reset. The question I have is, even if I reset the EEC-IV or EEC-V system, will it clear out the codes long enough for me to drive to the nearest testing center and obtain a Smog Certification. Can anyone help?

Reply to
lblion

No, it won't do it. Your vehicle is OBDII. Clearing the codes also sets the so-called 'monitors' to 'incomplete' status. The monitors are read out when checking for codes, and you will fail (in fact, there is a code, P1000 if I am not mistaken, for incomplete monitors). They take a long drive cycle (city, highway, etc) that can last hours -- perhaps even days -- without any emission-related issues to complete. Even assuming that all monitors will be OK (probably not, especially if you have an evaporative system leak), by that time some of the codes will return. Sorry, this is intentional, designed exactly to prevent what you are thinking of doing. Your reward will be breathing cleaner air.

Reply to
Happy Traveler

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond. I appreciate the help. I was told that it will cost an additional $200 to diagnose the 5 codes, hopefully to narrow it down to what is ultimately causing the problem. Of course, my fear is that there are multiple problems that need to be addressed, and with the 177K miles, it may be very expensive to solve the problem (if indeed it can be resolved). In your estimation, do you think I am spinning my wheels (no pun intended) here, or should I look at cutting my losses and consider buying or leasing a vehicle at this point. June 24th is just around the corner (tag expiration), so I am struggling with which way to go.

Reply to
lblion

I appreciate the trust -- incidentally bestowed upon someone who is not an in the trade at all. What I know about auto repair comes from tinkering with my own vehicles over the years -- somewhat assisted by a large pile of books and a couple engineering degrees (neither in the automotive field). As my own '98 Expy has the 5.0L engine and the 4R70W transmission, no direct experience here. Take what I say with a large grain of salt. If you get lucky and someone like Jim or Tom respond, follow their advice and ignore what I say...

First, it's worth verifying that all those codes are systematic and not something random. Not sure what you mean by 'diagnosed'. I am assuming that they ran on-demand diagnostics, and not just retrieved stored codes. I will also assume that the vehicle has no significant drivability issues, though you did not say anything to this effect. So here is the best I can say about your list of trouble codes:

1) Believe it or not, the most common reason for the 'gross evaporative leak' code P0455 is a loose or poorly sealing gas cap. Take a look -- nothing to loose there and you may get lucky. 2) You told us nothing about the history of your vehicle so this is a wild guess. The 4.0L SOHC had a common problem with intake manifolds, resulting in 'unmetered air' (vacuum leaks). Those could explain the 'lean' codes P0171 and P0174. Unless you know that the problem has been taken care of, it's worth checking. Google the archives of this group for details. This stuff could also be as simple as a open vacuum hose somewhere or a faulty fuel pressure regulator - hardly a big deal. 3) I will be on a very shaky ground even trying to say anything about your transmission-related codes. Assuming that yours is the 5R55E, my book says that P1715 indicates a 'mechanical' shift solenoid failure. P1762 could be either a solenoid or a band failure. It should result in losing 2nd or 5th gear - something that you should have noticed.

I can't really answer your question about dumping the vehicle. It's a matter of philosophy more than anything else -- I keep a 22 year old LTD with 200K and it still passes emissions with flying colors. My philosophy is that if the body is sound, the rest is worth repairing. As I do most of the work myself (and enjoy it), this philosophy may not suit you. With the possible exception of P1762, which could (or could not) be a band failure, I don't see anything here that would require a major teardown of either the engine or the transmission, though the bill could easily reach $1000 and beyond - depending on the shop and what exactly they find. Yet it's an 11 year old vehicle approaching the end of life for its major components, especially if they have not been meticulously maintained; and you may be faced with bigger expenses in the not-so-distant future. The choice is yours. If you decide to go for it and don't have oodles of money to spend, stay away from the dealer. For the engine-related issues find an independent that has not been asleep for the last 20 years, understands OBDII and has a decent scanner - not too much to ask for. I can't believe that California cares about your transmission selecting gears properly or not. If they do, find an independent transmission shop that your friends were happy with. Not every transmission shop is a scam operation. I once had a problem with erratic shifting that produced no codes. The owner of a small shop told me that he was too busy to work on my vehicle for the next week, but "get a good look at the EPC solenoid yourself" - and it was right on. You know who gets my business next time...

Good Luck!

Reply to
Happy Traveler

I believe the State of California will pay you $500 for your running 10+ year old vehicle that won't pass the smog test. You might consider this. Use the $500 towards another explorer, with the resale value so low on explorers you can get a good one for not too much money.

Otherwise I'd try a few inexpensive repairs first. Find a place where if you don't pass the test there's no charge. I'd be real hesitant to spend more than a few hundred to make it pass.

Reply to
Bob

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