Just failed Emmissions

[CP]

P0401 - Exhaust Gas Recirculation Flow Insufficient

Looks like I get to spend some quality time under the hood.

 

[Woodchuck]

Ford? or Honda v-6?

[CP]

Ford 4.6 - Looks like I'm heading here:

[Woodchuck]

DPFE well over 90% of the time. Easy swap.

[CP]

Thanks, I'll check that first.

[Woodchuck]

In all seriousness, just grab one and toss it on, they are relatively cheap and easy. Be sure to clear the code when done.

[Caretaker]

Or do a $150 best effort fix at any certified emissions repair shop, they give you a certificate then you pass emissions whether its fixed or not. 

[whacker1]

My 4.6 was EGR valve and valve body needed cleaning when I threw that code a few years ago.

follow woodchuck's advice first and then see where you need to go.  I picked up fuel economy when I got that valve body cleaned and fully functioning EGR valve operational

[Buckmark]

When do your tabs expire?

And woodchuck is right on with DPFE over the EGR valve 90% of the time.....

[CP]

When do your tabs expire?

And woodchuck is right on with DPFE over the EGR valve 90% of the time.....

I'm good through June.  Sounds like I should just pick up a DPFE on the way home. 

[jackelope]

DPFE well over 90% of the time. Easy swap.

[CP]

Well that was easy.  One of the hoses on the DPFE was loose.  Cleaned them up, put them back, cleared the code and all is well.  All except for the P1000 code, now I have to drive that away and then get it re-inspected.
 

[Woodchuck]

P1000 Is the readiness code. I think you are ok. 

[CP]

Yep, readiness code, but they won't inspect it until that clears.  Been there done that before.

[Buckmark]

And unless you have the ability to run an egr system test or monitor the DPFE while driving you wont know till your ECM runs it's test if "all is good" 

[DOUBLELUNG]

When I fail emissions my wife makes me sleep on the couch.

[dscubame]

Another reason to buy a Tesla?

[seth30]

When I fail emissions my wife makes me sleep on the couch.

[coachcw]

typically when one dpfe hose is off the exhaust flows through the sensor and kills it . aswell I'd puta piece of vacuum tube on the egr valve and suck on it while idling . the engine should stumble hard if not you have a carbon build up or bad valve.

[Woodchuck]

Any word on how this turned out?

[Buzz2401]

Get a scanner clear code right before you go in.  It will pass.  Then go try and figure out how to pass.

[jackelope]

Get a scanner clear code right before you go in.  It will pass.  Then go try and figure out how to pass.

You can try that, but without the PCM being ready for testing(it won't have enough drive cycles on it), it won't pass.

[Caretaker]

$150 bucks and a certification at any authorized emissions specialist will save a lot of heartache and buy you some time :-)

[CP]

Any word on how this turned out?

Ongoing saga – the fault code came back, took its sweet time about it too.  I guess I’ll find someone to give $150 to and appease the state.

[Woodchuck]

Did you put a DPFE in it?

[CP]

Did you put a DPFE in it?

Yes, didn't help.

[Woodchuck]

Wow, I am surprised. Welcome to the 10% I guess. Sorry dude.

[Todd_ID]

Did you put a DPFE in it?

Yes, didn't help.

Time to sleep on the couch. 

[follow maggie]

I had an F150 with the 4.6 and got that code. What made it go away was taking the throttl body off. In th very back, in line with wh the hose drom the exhaust manifold connects, there are two holes that allow th exhaust gases to flow into the intake. On mine, these two holes were very restricted. It took anout 2 hours and almost an entire can of carb cleaner to clean the carbon out, but when I put it back together, the code cleared itself and didn't come back.

[whacker1]

I had an F150 with the 4.6 and got that code. What made it go away was taking the throttl body off. In th very back, in line with wh the hose drom the exhaust manifold connects, there are two holes that allow th exhaust gases to flow into the intake. On mine, these two holes were very restricted. It took anout 2 hours and almost an entire can of carb cleaner to clean the carbon out, but when I put it back together, the code cleared itself and didn't come back.

This sounds like the EGR valve body, which is the same issue I had.  Changed EGR valve, but the valve body was still plugged. 

[jackelope]

Did you put a DPFE in it?

Yes, didn't help.

Did you replace the actual DPFE sensor?

[CP]

Yes, I replace this, no help.  I checked the EGR valve by pulling a vacuum with the truck idling.  The engine stammered a bit but not much – makes me think that I have blockage restricting the flow. 


I considered spraying sea foam into the exhaust side DPFE hose while pulling the vacuum on the EGR valve.  I figured it would be sucked through the orifice and ERG valve and clean out any carbon that might be restricting things.  But then I decided to take the easy way out – it goes in to the shop tomorrow.

[Buckmark]

If there was very little change to the idle when you opened the valve at idle, then yep you have a restriction..