Rick's Free Auto Repair Advice » Windstar

P1506 – Idle Air Control System Over speed Error

Rick — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:58:49 +0000

If you get this code on a Ford vehicle with the Duratec engine, don’t start with an idle air controller valve (IAC) replacement. This vehicle has a LOT of vacuum leaks and that can cause serious idle problems. Air leaks into the engine AFTER the MAF has already metered the incoming air. So the oxygen sensor sees a very lean exhaust. Since the vehicle is at idle, the computer tries to reduce incoming air by shutting down the IAC. Once it commands less air and stills sees an idle that’s too high, it sets a P1506 trouble code.

One of the common air leaks is in the rubber hose

PCV valve elbow

going to the PCV valve. The hose has a 90 degree bend in it and it tends to crack there. So START your diagnosis by replacing both the PCV AND the hose. Many readers report that Ford doesn’t stop this hose. If you can’t find it, check the link below. Since this part has such a huge failure rate, Dorman has stepped into the market with a replacement. Install the elbow, clear the code and then see if it returns.

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P1151, P1131, P0174, or P0171 on Ford Duratec

Rick — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:52:00 +0000

All four of these codes indicate a problem with a lean condition. This engine is known for vacuum leaks, so before you start throwing oxygen sensors at the problem, it pays to perform some diagnostics.

Start by cleaning the MAF sensor. Spray the sensor with CRC MAF sensor cleaner (even though Ford tells you to replace it because it can’t be cleaned). Next, check the plastic vacuum lines, especially where they meet with rubber boots. If they are cracked or the rubber is swollen, replace the line. Then check the rubber elbow that holds the PCV valve. That elbow is a know failure point. In fact, the entire PCV tubing is a trouble spot on these engines. (thanks Ford).

After you’ve checked for vacuum leaks, check the operation of the oxygen sensors. The easiest way to do that is to disconnect the sensor from the harness. Connect one lead of your digital voltmeter to the black wire on the sensor and the other lead to battery negative. Then start the engine and add fuel (either propane, starting fluid, or carb cleaner) into the throttle body to force the mixture to rich. You should see a corresponding increase in voltage as you add fuel (from 0 volts to slightly less than 1 volt). Start and stop the fuel enrichment and watch the meter to see if the volts drop as you stop adding fuel. If you see no change, the sensor is dead. Replace it.

You can also use the fuel enrichment procedure to locate intake gasket leaks.

P1131 Lack of Upstream Heated Oxygen Sensor Switch – Sensor Indicates Lean – Bank No. 1

P1151P1151 Lack of Upstream Heated Oxygen Sensor Switch – Sensor Indicates Lean – Bank No. 2

P0174 system lean bank 2
P0171 system lean bank 1

For more information on this repair or any others for your vehicle, buy an online subscription to either Alldatadiy.com or eautorepair.net. Click on this link to compare the two services: Compare Alldata and Eautorepair.

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Hover your mouse over the REPAIR ARTICLES tab at the top of the page. The click on DIAGNOSTICS to search by SYMPTOM, TROUBLE CODE, or read TECH TIPS on how to diagnose a problem

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Click on REPAIR TOPICS to read individual articles written for specific automotive systems

If you’ve had your car scanned and know the trouble code go to TROUBLE CODES

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ABS issues, how to bleed ABS brakes

Airbag issues or SRS light on

Alternator issues or how to test

Belt diagram or serpentine belt issues

Blower motor

Blower motor resistor

Brakes, brake issues, what kind of brake parts to buy, ABS issues

Car Alarms or Antitheft systems

Cooling system, Water pump, What type of coolant to use

Engine flush

Firing order, cylinder layout, finding #1 cylinder

MAF or MAP sensor

Oxygen sensors, How they work, How to change, How to test

PassLock or Passkey

Thermostat issues

Transmission flush

Serpentine belt diagrams

Window issues, power window motor, replace window regulator, glass adhesive

Zillions of ABS Codes—What’s going on here?

Rick — Thu, 29 May 2008 00:10:00 +0000

Car makers should know better than to install an ABS module under the vehicle where road salt, water, and debris can attack it. But you guessed it, that’s where they are. In the case of a Ford Windstar (and other Ford vehicles), getting a whole mess of codes usually means that the connector to the module is corroded. Here’s an example of what you might find after a trouble code scan:

C1155-lf speed sensor circuit failure
C1145-rf speed sensor circuit failure
C1185-power relay output ckt failure
C1198-lf iso valve ckt failure
C1194-lf dump valve ckt failure
C1254-rr iso valve ckt failure
C1246-rr dump valve ckt failure
C1250-lr iso valve ckt failure
C1242-lr dump valve ckt failure
C1214-rf iso valve ckt failure
C1210-rf dump valve ckt failure

Before you even conduct any tests on wheel sensors or the Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU), locate the ABS module (under the battery tray), disconnect the harness and inspect it for corrosion. If you see any water or green corrosion, clean both the connector harness and the pins with electrical contact cleaner (battery disconnected) and wipe a light coat of dielectric grease around the connector and the silicone gasket. Then clear the codes and see if the problems re-appear. If they do, then you can start conducting pin-point tests.

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Hover your mouse over the REPAIR ARTICLES tab at the top of the page. The click on DIAGNOSTICS to search by SYMPTOM, TROUBLE CODE, or read TECH TIPS on how to diagnose a problem

Click on MAKE an MODEL to see all the articles I’ve written for your vehicle
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If you’ve had your car scanned and know the trouble code go to TROUBLE CODES

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ABS issues, how to bleed ABS brakes

Airbag issues or SRS light on

Alternator issues or how to test

Belt diagram or serpentine belt issues

Blower motor

Blower motor resistor

Brakes, brake issues, what kind of brake parts to buy, ABS issues

Car Alarms or Antitheft systems

Cooling system, Water pump, What type of coolant to use

Engine flush

Firing order, cylinder layout, finding #1 cylinder

MAF or MAP sensor

Oxygen sensors, How they work, How to change, How to test

PassLock or Passkey

Thermostat issues

Transmission flush

Serpentine belt diagrams

Window issues, power window motor, replace window regulator, glass adhesive

Ford door switches—a known problem

Rick — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:21:00 +0000

Remember the pin/plunger switches that car makers used to install in the door jamb? Well, you won’t find them in Fords—some brilliant engineer had a “better idea.” They decided to place the switches inside the door right under the latch mechanism. When the door latches, a lever deactivates the switch and the body control module turns off the interior lights. Good so far….. The problem is that the switches gum up with grease from the latch mechanism or corrosion. That’s when interior lights stay on.

Some shops have reported success by saturating the latch mechanism with a rust penetrant and opening and closing the door about 20 or 30 times. That works the penetrant into the mechanism and some of it finds its way to the lever and switch. You really don’t have much to lose by trying this method because the only alternative is to remove the door trim panel and replace the switch.

I’ve tried this on a few Ford vehicles and had success. However, it’s not a long term fix. You will have to do it about twice a year.

Find a replacement ford door lock switch here

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Hover your mouse over the REPAIR ARTICLES tab at the top of the page. The click on DIAGNOSTICS to search by SYMPTOM, TROUBLE CODE, or read TECH TIPS on how to diagnose a problem

Click on MAKE an MODEL to see all the articles I’ve written for your vehicle
Click on REPAIR TOPICS to read individual articles written for specific automotive systems

If you’ve had your car scanned and know the trouble code go to TROUBLE CODES

Here are some quick links to speed up your research

Click on the link below for speedy navigation:

ABS issues, how to bleed ABS brakes

Airbag issues or SRS light on

Alternator issues or how to test

Belt diagram or serpentine belt issues

Blower motor

Blower motor resistor

Brakes, brake issues, what kind of brake parts to buy, ABS issues

Car Alarms or Antitheft systems

Cooling system, Water pump, What type of coolant to use

Engine flush

Firing order, cylinder layout, finding #1 cylinder

MAF or MAP sensor

Oxygen sensors, How they work, How to change, How to test

PassLock or Passkey

Thermostat issues

Transmission flush

Serpentine belt diagrams

Window issues, power window motor, replace window regulator, glass adhesive

Battery Light On – Windstar

Rick — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:17:00 +0000

Alternator rebuilders report a problem with ’98 Ford Windstars with battery light on. Do not automatically replace the alternator. First check for a corroded wire located below the brake vacuum booster. The wire can rub through against the heater hose. If you find a frayed or corroded wire, repair it first and then recheck the charging system.

Alldatadiy.com

eautorepair.net

Both Alldata and Eautorepair offer professional grade shop manuals at a price you can afford. Check them out!.

Hover your mouse over the REPAIR ARTICLES tab at the top of the page. The click on DIAGNOSTICS to search by SYMPTOM, TROUBLE CODE, or read TECH TIPS on how to diagnose a problem

Click on MAKE an MODEL to see all the articles I’ve written for your vehicle
Click on REPAIR TOPICS to read individual articles written for specific automotive systems

If you’ve had your car scanned and know the trouble code go to TROUBLE CODES

Here are some quick links to speed up your research

Click on the link below for speedy navigation:

ABS issues, how to bleed ABS brakes

Airbag issues or SRS light on

Alternator issues or how to test

Belt diagram or serpentine belt issues

Blower motor

Blower motor resistor

Brakes, brake issues, what kind of brake parts to buy, ABS issues

Car Alarms or Antitheft systems

Cooling system, Water pump, What type of coolant to use

Engine flush

Firing order, cylinder layout, finding #1 cylinder

MAF or MAP sensor

Oxygen sensors, How they work, How to change, How to test

PassLock or Passkey

Thermostat issues

Transmission flush

Serpentine belt diagrams

Window issues, power window motor, replace window regulator, glass adhesive

Windstar blows warm air

Rick — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 19:57:00 +0000

This is a fairly common problem on these vehicles and is most often the result of a crack in the vacuum line that powers the blend air door actuator. Any lack of vacuum will result in the actuator defaulting to the warm position. You can crank you’re A/C up all the way and it still won’t get cool in the vehicle. Get under the dash and check the plastic vacuum line all the way to it’s source under the hood. They have a tendency to crack near the firewall. If the vacuum line checks out good, then check the actuator. With the heater control in the full cold position, remove the vacuum line from the blend door actuator and watch it’s operation. It should retract to the full heat position. Also, disconnect the actuator and check the condition of the door and shaft. If it’s binding, that could be part of the problem. Dorman Products makes a replacement blend door for the Taurus, but not for the Windstar. If the door is broken, you have to replace the entire heater box. Yikes!$$$$$$.

Alldatadiy.com

eautorepair.net

Both Alldata and Eautorepair offer professional grade shop manuals at a price you can afford. Check them out!.

Hover your mouse over the REPAIR ARTICLES tab at the top of the page. The click on DIAGNOSTICS to search by SYMPTOM, TROUBLE CODE, or read TECH TIPS on how to diagnose a problem

Click on MAKE an MODEL to see all the articles I’ve written for your vehicle
Click on REPAIR TOPICS to read individual articles written for specific automotive systems

If you’ve had your car scanned and know the trouble code go to TROUBLE CODES

Here are some quick links to speed up your research

Click on the link below for speedy navigation:

ABS issues, how to bleed ABS brakes

Airbag issues or SRS light on

Alternator issues or how to test

Belt diagram or serpentine belt issues

Blower motor

Blower motor resistor

Brakes, brake issues, what kind of brake parts to buy, ABS issues

Car Alarms or Antitheft systems

Cooling system, Water pump, What type of coolant to use

Engine flush

Firing order, cylinder layout, finding #1 cylinder

MAF or MAP sensor

Oxygen sensors, How they work, How to change, How to test

PassLock or Passkey

Thermostat issues

Transmission flush

Serpentine belt diagrams

Window issues, power window motor, replace window regulator, glass adhesive

Windstar lean codes

Rick — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 20:03:00 +0000

As if this vehicle didn’t have enough air leaks in it, some technicians have reported finding yet another location for an air leak. If you’ve fixed the lower intake manifold and are still getting lean codes, check the IMRC where it enters the intake manifold. Apparently the “O” ring that seals the actuator shaft can leak. To test it out, apply some white lithium grease around the seal. If the lean condition stops, you’ve found the leak source.

Technicians report that they have been able to replace the O ring without removing the manifold by fabricating a small tool to fit into the intake port and follow the IMRC shaft out of the manifold. They suggest using a piece of steel brake line as the tool. You will have to locate an O ring from your auto parts supplier since Ford does not sell it separately. You will have to remove the screws that hold the throttle plates in place. Use a drop of loctite when you reinstall them.

Alldatadiy.com

eautorepair.net

Both Alldata and Eautorepair offer professional grade shop manuals at a price you can afford. Check them out!.

Hover your mouse over the REPAIR ARTICLES tab at the top of the page. The click on DIAGNOSTICS to search by SYMPTOM, TROUBLE CODE, or read TECH TIPS on how to diagnose a problem

Click on MAKE an MODEL to see all the articles I’ve written for your vehicle
Click on REPAIR TOPICS to read individual articles written for specific automotive systems

If you’ve had your car scanned and know the trouble code go to TROUBLE CODES

Here are some quick links to speed up your research

Click on the link below for speedy navigation:

ABS issues, how to bleed ABS brakes

Airbag issues or SRS light on

Alternator issues or how to test

Belt diagram or serpentine belt issues

Blower motor

Blower motor resistor

Brakes, brake issues, what kind of brake parts to buy, ABS issues

Car Alarms or Antitheft systems

Cooling system, Water pump, What type of coolant to use

Engine flush

Firing order, cylinder layout, finding #1 cylinder

MAF or MAP sensor

Oxygen sensors, How they work, How to change, How to test

PassLock or Passkey

Thermostat issues

Transmission flush

Serpentine belt diagrams

Window issues, power window motor, replace window regulator, glass adhesive

Wipers won’t shut off — Ford – The problem and the fix.

Rick — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 00:53:00 +0000

If you own one of the Ford vehicles listed below and you can’t get your wipers to shut off, here’s the fix. Ford wiper systems are controlled by the turn signal stalk on the “multi-function” switch. As you rotate the knob to activate the wipers, the resistance changes and the Wiper Control Module (WCM) reads the changing voltage and commands the wipers to a new speed or on/off. The problem of perpetual wipers is due to a poorly designed multi-function switch, not a bad WCM or a defective Generic Electronic Module (GEM). Ford has changed the part to correct the problem and now has a newer multi function switch. Before changing out the switch, make sure all the connections from the switch to the GEM and WCM module are fully seated. If they are, you will need to install the newer switch. Make sure you disable the air bag system before disassembling the cowling around the switch. An electrical mishap while working on the switch could pop off the air bag. The affected vehicles are:

1999 Taurus • 1999–2000 Mustang, Explorer, F150, F250, Ranger and Windstar •
2000 Excursion • 1999 Sable • 1999–2000 Mountainee

Alldatadiy.com

eautorepair.net

Both Alldata and Eautorepair offer professional grade shop manuals at a price you can afford. Check them out!.

Hover your mouse over the REPAIR ARTICLES tab at the top of the page. The click on DIAGNOSTICS to search by SYMPTOM, TROUBLE CODE, or read TECH TIPS on how to diagnose a problem

Click on MAKE an MODEL to see all the articles I’ve written for your vehicle
Click on REPAIR TOPICS to read individual articles written for specific automotive systems

If you’ve had your car scanned and know the trouble code go to TROUBLE CODES

Here are some quick links to speed up your research

Click on the link below for speedy navigation:

ABS issues, how to bleed ABS brakes

Airbag issues or SRS light on

Alternator issues or how to test

Belt diagram or serpentine belt issues

Blower motor

Blower motor resistor

Brakes, brake issues, what kind of brake parts to buy, ABS issues

Car Alarms or Antitheft systems

Cooling system, Water pump, What type of coolant to use

Engine flush

Firing order, cylinder layout, finding #1 cylinder

MAF or MAP sensor

Oxygen sensors, How they work, How to change, How to test

PassLock or Passkey

Thermostat issues

Transmission flush

Serpentine belt diagrams

Window issues, power window motor, replace window regulator, glass adhesive

Erratic transmission fluid level— Taurus, Windstar, Freestar, Sable, Monterey

Rick — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:35:00 +0000

You may notice an erratic fluid level reading on the dipstick or possible leaks around the filler tube and grommet on the following vehicles: 2000-07 Taurus • 2000-03 Windstar • 2004-07 Freestar • 2000-05 Sable • 2004-07 Monterey.

The affected transmissions are the F50N, AX4N and AX4S. The problem is caused by a restricted transaxle vent. The fix requires replacing the transaxle vent with a 90° vent on the transaxle back to the cowl area next to the brake master cylinder and tie wrapped in place with the end of the hose facing down.

The new vent is Part # 1C3Z-7034-AA. If you need more information on how to make the repair, see Technical Service Bulletin 06-18-13.

Alldatadiy.com

eautorepair.net

Both Alldata and Eautorepair offer professional grade shop manuals at a price you can afford. Check them out!.

Hover your mouse over the REPAIR ARTICLES tab at the top of the page. The click on DIAGNOSTICS to search by SYMPTOM, TROUBLE CODE, or read TECH TIPS on how to diagnose a problem

Click on MAKE an MODEL to see all the articles I’ve written for your vehicle
Click on REPAIR TOPICS to read individual articles written for specific automotive systems

If you’ve had your car scanned and know the trouble code go to TROUBLE CODES

Here are some quick links to speed up your research

Click on the link below for speedy navigation:

ABS issues, how to bleed ABS brakes

Airbag issues or SRS light on

Alternator issues or how to test

Belt diagram or serpentine belt issues

Blower motor

Blower motor resistor

Brakes, brake issues, what kind of brake parts to buy, ABS issues

Car Alarms or Antitheft systems

Cooling system, Water pump, What type of coolant to use