So I capped off my timing/oil pump job with a new/updated pair of Ford VCTs earlier this week. '05 SCrew Lariat, 5.4 4WD, 213,5xx miles. Started out great, then the VCTs started rattling some just off idle. Not as bad as the Chinese ones they replaced, but annoying nonetheless. So today I cleaned the throttle body & MAF sensor, put everything back together, and did a battery re-learn to hopefully quiet down the VCTs again.

Well everything was going smooth & uneventful, then I went for the 10-mile drive. Once I left the driveway though, the engine stumbled badly and the display beeped & showed "engine failsafe mode". Scared me, but I went on thinking maybe it's part of the re-learn process. It never recovered, never drove right. I just stammered & sputtered my way up the road & back home. Then I popped the hood to try and find what might've happened.

I forgot to reconnect the MAF. 🤦‍♂️

I plugged the MAF back up, re-did the re-learn process, and all is well once again. Also did the pedal re-learn/diamondbird mod for good measure. Moral of the story - check your work, yall.

 

Been there done that too.

 

Yeahhhh. Sucks in the moment, but it's good for a laugh later on, right? 😁