NHTSA Complaint #10243236 — 2001 FORD WINDSTAR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. HAD THE DIAGNOSTIC CODE READ AND THE CODES WERE PO171 AND PO174 WHERE THE RESULT (BANK 1 AND BANK 2 SYSTEM TOO LEAN). DID RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND TSB 03-16-1 CONCERNING REPAIRS REQUIRED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE TSB STATES THAT FORD USED A LH VALVE COVER THAT CONTAINED A 1/8 HOLE ALLOWING OIL TO GET ON THE RUBBER GROMMETS OF THE ISOLATOR BOLTS WHICH CONTAMINATED THEM. THIS RESULTED IN BREAKDOWN OF THE RUBBER GROMMETS AND A VACUUM LEAK TO OCCUR IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE TSB ALSO RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE LH VALVE COVER GASKET, PORT SEALS, ISOLATOR BOLTS U-SHAPED VACUUM LINE, AND UPPER INTAKE HALVES SEAL TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES. THIS PROBLEM IS A RESULT OF FAULTY PARTS USED IN THE ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED WITH PROPER PARTS. THE INTERNET IS FILLED WITH PROBLEMS THE OWNER OF WINDSTARS FROM 1999-2003 HAVE HAD. EVENTUALLY, THE ENGINE WILL RUN VERY ROUGH AND CAN STALL CAUSING AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHILE DRIVING. *TR