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Hello, this is my first post. I have done a lot of research and obtained some great info.
I was hoping someone might have a minute to look at this video and tell me where you think my leak is coming from.
I made a smoke machine and pumped some smoke in with a siphon hand pump. I have lean banks 1 & 2 codes. Smoke is coming from the driver side below and behind the intake manifold? I’m not sure what’s down there (or how to get to it for that matter).
It was recalled because initially did not have clamps . Nasty area to work in . How about using camera probe for android phone to check it out , bought one on amazon . See rear of intake bottom left 90 degree long rubber fitting below irmc linkage . Intake gaskets on this engine have not been a problem I'm told .
Thanks redfish. I bet you are right. I took off the air intake to see if I could feel around back there and could not reach it. I finally threw my hands up and took it to a mechanic today. I hope it’s something as easy as that. It runs like crap under load, sputtering and loosing power. I was too scared to try and pull of the manifold myself. It may be easy for all I know, but with my luck I’d mess something up and then have to pay for a tow AND the repairs. I’ll post what the problem was after I get it back.
Mechanic said he smoked it and didn’t see any smoke, so no vac leak. He said it is misfiring and he is going to pull the #2 plug to see what it looks like. I may need new coils and new plugs. The misfire is causing the lean codes. He also cleaned the MAF. Now, I just cleaned the MAF not too long ago (stock air filter btw).
Now I just had it in the shop for new control arms and ball joints and they insisted that the obd did not show any misfires. Is it possible to have misfires that do not show up on a scanner?
Not sure what to believe anymore and am completely out of money.
If if I replace all the plugs and coils and still have lean codes.....you will see me on the news.
I don't think that's right. Misfires cause misfire codes, lean causes lean codes.
Running the engines with lean codes doesn't really hurt anything. A small amount of unfiltered air is entering the intake system from after the MAF. The engine is not really running lean, the injectors are just staying open longer to get the mixture right. So you're not damaging the engine by running "lean", the mixture is actually fine. That's why the lean codes don't cause misfires.
So take some time to consider solutions. Do you trust your own eyes or what the mechanic says he saw?
Are there any other codes besides the PO171 and PO174 codes?
I don't think that's right. Misfires cause misfire codes, lean causes lean codes.
Running the engines with lean codes doesn't really hurt anything. A small amount of unfiltered air is entering the intake system from after the MAF. The engine is not really running lean, the injectors are just staying open longer to get the mixture right. So you're not damaging the engine by running "lean", the mixture is actually fine. That's why the lean codes don't cause misfires.
Erroneous information, if the air is entering the engine after the MAF then it's unmetered air the pcm does not know about and does not compensate for there by causing a lean condition as shown by the O2 sensors. A Missfire can and often does cause a lean code to be set due to all the unburned oxygen in the exhaust stream. Remember they are oxygen sensors they do not measure the unburned gas.
Any time an engine is running lean enough to cause a missfire it CAN cause engine and or catalyst damage.
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Thanks redfish. I bet you are right. I took off the air intake to see if I could feel around back there and could not reach it. I finally threw my hands up and took it to a mechanic today. I hope it’s something as easy as that. It runs like crap under load, sputtering and loosing power. I was too scared to try and pull of the manifold myself. It may be easy for all I know, but with my luck I’d mess something up and then have to pay for a tow AND the repairs. I’ll post what the problem was after I get it back.
I think a slight lean condition, like from an intake manifold gasket or cracked vacuum line, although causing rough idling, does not show up when under load as the throttle body plate opens up sending lots of air into the intake manifold and dropping the vacuum. Running bad/missing when under load is more likely caused by ignition issues such as plugs or coils, or not enough fuel such as plugged fuel filter or poor injection.
Smoke test help (video)
