HELP! 98 Tour problem No Idea!

[breezd]

Ok... since my mechanic is either trying to screw us over, or he's just an idiot...

I bought my Tour less than a month ago. 3 or 4 days after I bought it, the CEL came on. Brought it to Autozone first to just have them check the codes. Catalytic Converter Efficiency.... somethin like that. They said (at Autozone) it was either O2 sensors or EGR valve.

Next, we brought it to our mechanic. Old guy, workin outta his own shop... anyways... he ran the codes... same thing. Said he'd order the o2 sensors and replace them first.

Waited a couple days for the parts to come in... while waiting, the CEL starts flashing while i'm driving. According to the Owners Manual, this means there is a misfire. So when i brought the tour in for its o2 sensors, i told him. he didnt really seem to care about it.

So i got the car back, new o2 sensors, CEL stayed off for a day. Came back on, brought it to Lenny (my mechanic) and he ran the codes. Catalytic Converter Bank 1. I guess this is the one closest to the firewall and therefore the hardest to access. He ordered the part... week later it came in

This brings me to yesterday... car was finished, new Catalytic converter (bank 1). The CEL is off, but my acceleration is really kinda crappy. And while I'm accelerating heavily, like in 3rd or 4th gear, the CEL will come on and flash, and then turn off when the car is at normal RPMS.

I know this is long winded, but I figured if i give as much info as i can, hopefully it would help. Thanks... Dan

 

[projectSHO89]

First off, ALWAYS post the codes....

Bank 1 precat is a $600 part and a PITA to replace. Is that what he replaced?

O2 sensors don't cause cat efficiency codes or misfires.

You still have a misfire. Most common causes are plugs and wires, sometimes the coilpack or engine mechanical faults. Since your CEL came on during the misfire event, the PCM will have stored approriate misfire codes so you can go directly to the faulty cylinder(s). Go scan your codes, then come back for advice.

Oh, and NEVER ask anyone at any auto parts store (especially AutoZone) to diagnose the fault. Just get the code(s), tell them you need to do some research, and and then you'll pick up the nedded parts.

Steve

 

[Tony2005]

Ok... since my mechanic is either trying to screw us over, or he's just an idiot...
.......This brings me to yesterday... car was finished, new Catalytic converter (bank 1). The CEL is off, but my acceleration is really kinda crappy. And while I'm accelerating heavily, like in 3rd or 4th gear, the CEL will come on and flash, and then turn off when the car is at normal RPMS.
...

Send the car to Autozone or Advance to get the codes read again. Post the exact codes here.

If I had to make a guess, the main catalytic converter is probably clogged up.

Edit. How many miles? And what is the build date on the car (should be listed on the door jam)?

 

[breezd]

Send the car to Autozone or Advance to get the codes read again. Post the exact codes here.

If I had to make a guess, the main catalytic converter is probably clogged up.

Edit. How many miles? And what is the build date on the car (should be listed on the door jam)?

I will get the codes when I get a chance.

When the mechanic checked the codes, it NEVER came up with a misfire code. I asked him about it, but he said the only code was the Converter Efficency.

I had the first cat replaced. He said it was the closest one to the firewall (Bank 1). That ran me $750... plus he replace all 4 o2 sensors before doing the cat and those ran about $400 for all four.

The car has 109k miles on it. It was built 04/98

Its a 98 Contour SE, 2.5 v6, 5spd... Mobil1 its whole life, just bought it less than a month ago from the original owner.

 

[Tony2005]

Also check the spark plug wiring order.

Duratec V6 Spark Plug wiring order. Note the 4-6-5 for the coil pack near the firewall side.

Firewall side
4- 6 -5 <--coil pack
3-2-1

1-2-3 <--engine
4-5-6
Radiator side

Spark Plug gap 0.054 inch

 

[dogturd21]

You got off cheap.

You got off cheap.

Looks like your guy only charged you about $100-200 for labor, so you got a really good deal on the cat replacement. However, you should go to the Ford Dealer and have your ECM reprogrammed with the latest version. There is a known issue with ECM bugs that cause error codes regarding cat. converter efficiency. There is a TSB out on this problem. What happens is that the code will be tripped much earlier than it should be, so the new ECM code relaxes the standards that are used to check the cat.
Once that is done, you still might have other issues, but you need to get that done to rule it out. Figure $80-100 charge for this service, or about .8 to 1.0 hour labor. If you are doing that at a dealer, have them print out a chart of the O2 sensors etc. and ask the mechanic for an opinion. Dont talk to the service writer, ask to talk with the mechanic.