96 Ford T Bird ( 4.6 L ) Check engine light and code HELP.

[oiler]

Guys the check engine light came on my car. It's up for emission check ( yearly ) . I just did a complete tune up on this car to try to get the light to go out /corrected. I replaced the spark plugs, & plug wires. Also the PCV and EGR valve. Air filter and oil change. I serviced the transmission ( oil & filter change also ).
The code that won't go away is P-1443 . I was told by the guy that pulled the code it was the evaporative Emission Control system valve . *** !!!!!!!!!!! He told me to check the O ring on the gas tank. And also asked if the gas cap is on real good. I have always had a locking cap on it but I came home and put the Factory cap I saved back on. Maybe the Stant cap started leaking some what ??? But anyhow any help yall can give me is appreciated. TIA Oiler.

 

[RH+G]

Yeah have a shop check the gas cap. That will throw a evap code. Normally that throws a evap leak code but that depends on the scanner. THe Evap valve might be bad . It is in the back of car by the gas tank on the rubber lines. Check the cap first.

 

[cousincletus]

I had a recent evap code on my Dodge p/u and a section of vac hose had come off. Check all the carbon cans and hoses running to them as well as your purge valve. If it is a o-ring on your fuel tank (which I doubt), I would put a piece of black tape over the light unless you smell gas or have to replace the fuel pump anyway.

 

[punisher]

My info shows a hard fault for the purge valve. I would seriously check the valve and the purge flow sensor as well. The purge flow sensors were notorious for malfunctioning due to residual carbon powder pulled from the evap cannister. When you pull the purge sensor, blow through it to see what garbage comes out of it.

 

[Gary Allan]

Punisher appears to be correct.

The power of google ...


L@@K

This is for an Escort ..but the code's the same ..probably the hardware too ..just placed differently.

 

[oiler]

Thanks guys. Is the valve a part I would need to et at the dealership ? If it was bad. Or is it something I can flush out ? The deal is I have to go get my car emmssion tested for my county and I have to get it fixed to have it pass. Thanks Oiler.

 

[punisher]

The more I think about it I might be wrong as far as what components are on that vehicle. I have been out of the business for too long. Look behind/under the passenger headlight and see if you see the valve, as pictured above in purple. It (valve) will be a gold color and the purge sensor, black plastic, will be right next to it as pictured. I know the 3.8L had this setup for sure, and I think the 4.6 did but I am not 100% sure. The 4.6 might have had the purge valve under the hood near the firewall and used a pressure transducer to check purge flow.

Look for a light green cap on a hard plastic vac line under the hood. This is the evap test port and you can follow the line to the evap components.

 

[Gary Allan]

That may be old enough to be a NAPA part. Look at the thing. If it's just vacuum hoses ...it may be stuck/gummed/whatever ...but is probably servicible only by replacement.

You've got nothing to lose with it. Go ahead and spray 'er up and see if it fixes it.

Get a cheap scanner. It won't go to waste. All your friends and family will have a code sooner or later. I have 4 OBDII cars in the fleet. It's been used a few times.

I'm assuming that the sensor has it's own codes to tell you if the problem is with the sensor itself. I don't know if it's a simple pressure/vacuum transducer that merely detects vacuum at the prescribed time/function/cycle. It may use a diaphram or whatnot. Usually they have a set of codes that will direct you to the sensor instead of the system that it's monitoring if it's malfunctioning.

 

[punisher]

Gary makes a point. As a rule of thumb (with it's share of exceptions) whenever a code description contains the word "circuit" you can move directly to testing the sensor/actuator/circuit indicated. "Circuit" indicates an electrical fault in the circuit, be it harness or the component. A code indicating "above/below range/threshold" is another candidate for a specific sensor.

Code descriptions that lack the word "circuit/threshold/range" in the description are not really component specific. You can have multiple causes, ie. p0401- insufficient EGR flow. It can be caused by bad EGR valve, Bad EVR, plugged EVR filter,broken/clogged EGR tube, clogged EGR ports, broken/clogged EVR vac, faulty PFE/DPFE etc. Now if you have an "EVR circuit fault", thats as specific as it gets, similar to a "DPFE sensor out of range". You know that the fault is with that specific sensor/actuator or it's circuit. You can skip to the DVOM and check the electrical part of that system first.

Oiler, test the valve first. Pull it off, try to blow through it, you shouldn't be able to. Apply 12V to the terminals, and that should open it up. Don't go laying cash down on parts just yet. It runs 10-1 against it being the valve as the flow sensors are the problem child on that model.

 

[oiler]

LOL. I bought the purge vavle yesterday and installed it. What I did do was try to clen the old one. It was clogged up really bad with carbon looking crap. I then blew through it and it would leak or pass through it. put the new one on ($73 from a FORD dealership. No body else had one ij inventory . The light finally went out after a few miles of driveing. I have my fingers crossed that it stays out. Thanks guys for the imput. Oiler.

 

[oiler]

Well the dern light came back on after 20 or so more miles. The Flow sensor you speak of is the sensor that in line with the purge valve right in front of the purge valve ? It's getting close to claymore time on this car. LOL.... Oiler