01Pathy3.5LE Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 Just want to Autozone and had some codes read on my Pathy. Here's what I got. 2 different codes. OBDII (Alpha) P Code P0171 Fuel system for bank 1 was too lean. OBDII (Aplha) P Code P0174 Fuel System for bank 2 was too lean. Any thoughts on where to start with these codes and how to remidy the problem? I can smell fuel slightly when the truck is running back by the tail pipe. Also, a very slight carbon deposit is starting to build up on the inside top part of the tail pipe (and I do mean slight.) Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navygz19 Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 (edited) I would start with unplugging the negative battery terminal for a while and seeing if that will clear the codes. It's probably a lot more than that, but it's a good starting point. MAF sensor? o2 sensor? Edited December 19, 2006 by navygz19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5523Pathfinder Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 Ive seen this before. Check your airl flow meter for any debris. If you have the wire screen before the sensor, and there is stuff on it, replace the air flow meter. Now if there isnt anything on it, it may still be bad. What is happening is, the air flow meter is not reading the amount of air coming in properly. If its off just a little bit, it will throw everything else off. Ok, the bad part is that its not cheap. There is one other possibility, the cam timing sensors like to go out. There are two of them, one on each side. I would lean toward the airflow meter. Oh, there is also a issue with the fuel pump at times. I have only seen this once. This is from our ASIST computer.... "Customer Symptom: Engine bucks and skips while driving. Incident Description: Same. DTC P0171 (RIGHT, -B1), Fuel Injection System Function (Lean) stored in Engine Self-Diagnosis. Root Cause: Fuel pump. Service Procedure: Checked fuel pressure duringincident, system had low pressure. Checked harness connectors for loose fit. Electrical circuit to pump OK. Replaced fuel pump and cleared DTC codes to resolve." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navygz19 Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 The filament inside can also be cleaned **carefully** with a Q tip and some rubbing alcohol, very very gently. I had to do this in my Sentra numerous times because I had a crummy cold air intake. I must emphasize carefully, though. If that filament breaks so does your Pathy's driveability. Do you have a CAI? K&N drop-in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathy3.5LE Posted December 19, 2006 Author Share Posted December 19, 2006 No K&N or any other oiled filters, just the plain paper ones. The truck seems to drive just fine. No bucking or spurts, idle is smooth. Only symptoms is the slight gas smell and a little bit of carbon on the tail pipe. I think I am going to try to clean the MAF sensor, being very carefull along the way. Any other thoughts out there in Pathy land? I appreciate the feedback everyone. Tis the season to avoid dropping a lot of cash fixing your Pathy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathy3.5LE Posted December 19, 2006 Author Share Posted December 19, 2006 Just cleaned the MAF sensor. Looking at the post fro 88 on cleaning a MAF, mine looked nothing like it. I pulled the only thing that even apeared to look like a MAF, but when it was pulled, it had a flat metal plate, not a wire. I tried (ever so gently) to see if it broke down any more, thinking this was the housing and the filament was inside, but no luck. I just cleaned the metal plate (by plate I mean a small piece that looked like stainless steel about half the size of my pinky nail) Is this the new maf sensor? It was right next to the filter box in-line between the filter box and engine. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navygz19 Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 I'll take a look at mine, the 3.5's are probably (well definately) different. However, it's dark now and I'm staring at a 6 pack of St. Pauli Girl Gonna have to wait till tomorrow! Did anything change after your procedure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathy3.5LE Posted December 20, 2006 Author Share Posted December 20, 2006 Just took my first ride in the truck since cleaning the MAF sensor. At about 2500 RPM's it shakes like a hooker with a $50 in her hand. :furious: RPM's will NOT go above 3000. Question is, does it take time for the computer to adjust to it being clean, or is it shot? Idles fine, starts fine. I did not break anything, promise. Swiped the sensor a few times with the swab and alcohol, waited for it to dry before the re-install and did not start it for about 3 hours. Another question, if the MAFS is shot, what relevance is the mesh screen inside the air cleaner box? That was brought up in an earlier post. Should I try to clean that with the swab and alcohol? Does that need replaced if I replace the MAFS? Do they work independently? I'm very new at this...and broke. Looking to get it running right. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Sounds like your MAF wiring isn't plugged in all the way. It'll go into fail-safe mode and won't let you rev it above 3K or so if there's a problem with the MAF or several other important sensors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathy3.5LE Posted December 20, 2006 Author Share Posted December 20, 2006 OK. Reading some other forums :secret: (sorry, I didn't mean to cheat), they recommend cleaning the MAFS with electrical/contact cleaner or brake cleaner. Any thoughts on this? Brake cleaner too harsh? Also recommended taking the air filter box off and cleaning it out to get out the dust and debris. Can I clean that mesh screen inside the box, or will I damage it? It looks pretty gritty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathy3.5LE Posted December 20, 2006 Author Share Posted December 20, 2006 88, I checked the harness, it was tight. Just for good measure, I removed it again and re-applied it. No luck. Great suggestion though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5523Pathfinder Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 If you accidentially damaged the MAF when you cleaned it, it will create a open and go into failsafe. Brake clean is too harsh to clean it with. A good electrical parts/contact cleaner would work best. Otherwise, its MAF time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Also, plain rubbing alchohol seems to work just fine for cleaning MAF's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathy3.5LE Posted December 20, 2006 Author Share Posted December 20, 2006 How do I reset the ECM once I clean it/replace it? Also, I'm concerned about the mesh screen inside the air box. Do I need to be aware of anything? Can I clean it with the contact cleaner also? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5523Pathfinder Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Well, the best way to clean the airbox is either with a vacuum or remove it and blow it out. If you clean the screen, clean it backward so you dont push stuff toward the intake. You can disconnect the battery to clear the codes, but it may take up to 24 hours. If its fixed, it may clear itself after driving a couple of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navygz19 Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 That's what cleared codes in my Pathy, the one time (knock on wood) I had an SES light. I only left it for 15 mins. though. I'd leave it overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathy3.5LE Posted December 20, 2006 Author Share Posted December 20, 2006 Thanks everyone for the help. I guess I know what I'm doing tonight. I'll let you know how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathy3.5LE Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 Cleaned it with electronic contact cleaner. Cleaned the air box and it's still spitting and kicking at 2500 rpm. I guess it's time to replace. :sniff: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now