I have an 2004 mk1 st170. I'm having a number of issues and nothing I do seems to be making any difference a X I can't seem to find the exact issue. From the start, EML light is on, codes came up are p0135, p0141, p1131 and p1132. I have changed both lambda sensors with genuine sensors from euro car parts (as far as I'm aware they are genuine as they come from euro car parts) no change in EML light. A little while later like a few weeks the battery light come on on the dash and the alternator and packed up, changed that with again a genuine alternator from euro car part. Few hundred miles down the line battery light comes on again and the new alternator is not charging? So take that back change it for a new one and that's been in since. Since then we found the aircon was draining the battery making it look like the alternator wasn't charging, 200 miles down the line this alternator has an intermittent wine, lights flicker on the dash cluster, and the headlights flicker. I'm having lacking power problems like something is holding the car back. Now I'm lost on how to solve my issues. The current codes are the ones I've mentioned plus I've got a brand new alternator (done 200+ miles) which wines and it seems to be over fueling/running rich! If anyone can help id be over the moon! This has been doing my head in and bank balance for a while!

 

ECP does not supply genuine car parts only a ford parts dealer does hence wy ECP are cheaper, but in theory their parts should still work fine, lack of power and eml light on is tending me to think your IMRC is not working as it causes these issues, dash flicker is normal on the 170 and normally is corrected by dimming down the brightness a tad, but as for other electrical issues my best advice would be to contact a quality auto electrics technician/company

 

Would there not be a code come up on diagnostics to do with the imrc? Oh I didn't know that was a normal thing for the st170 with a flickering dash, my old st170 never did it from what I can remember? But yes I turn the brightness down and it solves that. I think I'm going to look into auto electricians. This problem is starting to wind me up. The car has really low miles and is really good condition for its age, nice car but I wish it wasn't causing me problems

 

If its not imrc it could be sticky flaps, GEt a can of Wyns carb cleaner, clean your throttle body and spray the carb cleaner down into the inlet manifold, car will struggle to start at 1st but it will fire up, and should help clean any gunk from inside,

Its also a cheap fix, so worth trying,

 

Il give that ago when the weather is better. I have noticed the car has had an issue with starting, it use to start straight away now it takes longer to start. I'm also wondering could the maf sensor be an issue? When I unplug the maf sensor the car stutters but it still runs, shouldn't the engine turn off when I unplug it? When I've done it before the engine switches off and now it doesn't?

 

I would suggest a Rolling Road diagnosis. They should be able to see what the engine is doing with regards to mixture and power and this can then start you off in the right direction for diagnosis. My friend had an ST170 and I fixed a few things which leads me on to:

As others have said, these are very sensitive to Lambda sensors but what can also happen is the IMRC (inlet Manifold Runner Control) unit can play up, as it had done on my friends:
* The gears inside can break up
* The gears inside can simply need greasing
* There is a switch inside (This was the problem with my friends - there is a switch inside the unit which can fur up, I got a nail file and cleaned the connections which fixed a lazy unit)
* The cable can snap so the secondary flaps are not activated
* The flaps in the manifold can be sticky and not return to closed

Sounds like your IMRC is not working and the ECU is expecting them to be open and therefore fuelling as if they are. This then causes the mixture to be too rich and for the shuddering you are experiencing. If you look down by the coilpack with the engine on, if you rev the engine you should see a little arm move. IF this moves the IMRC is working but, like what happened on my friends, it can be lazy.

Whereabouts are you

 

I live in Suffolk currently, I wouldn't know where to find a place with a rolling road, but I've never looked into it so it might be worth it. I would have thought a code would have come up saying about imrc? All my issues have started from EML light being on and changing the lambdas, then the alternator broke, then it's continued to cause problems. Completely fallen out of love with this car

 

sticky flaps dont always bring up a EML, also split breathers could be a cause, so check the rbeather pipes, theres a common one under the maf area,

 

Today I have checked the imrc, when I start the car the cable moves and stays there, when I Rev the car past 5k revs the cable doesn't move, is it suppose to?? I think my MAF sensor is causing a problem to. I don't know if there is any newer codes but then I push the accelerator it takes a moment then the revs rise and drop slowly?? I forgot to mention that the post cat lambda sensor is not in the cat, a mechanic friend of mine said to test the cat we should take the rear lambda out and if one of the codes disappeared then we knew the cat was broken? With the rear lambda out I gained power back but I've soon lost it?

 

at 5k yes the cable is meant to tug the flaps open to let the horses through, and if the rear sensor is taken out whats in the hole it was in ? very odd way to test a cat it has to be said

 

Well when I started the car the cable pulls open and stays open, then I got the car to 5k+ revs and the cable didn't move? A lambda plug was put in. My mechanic friend said because the rear lambda is suppose to read clean air it would outside the exhaust, so if the cat was broken the code would be gone for the bank 1 sensor 2?? I have no idea about mechanics, I'm a welder by trade so I'm learning as I go along. The car has done just over 70k miles so it's a fairly good car except this f"""ing electrical issue haha

 

well there is something defo up with the flaps either they are full of crap which needs cleaning or you have a faulty IMRC as at 5k them flaps should be open and movement on the cable for sure

 

I think the flaps are open as I see when I start the car the cable pulls but it stays open even at high revs until o turn the engine off, then the cable releases?

 

Think you need to change mechanics. The reason the light is still on and the car is running badly is because the second lambda isnt reading any emmisions at all. The second lambda is used to determine the efficiency of the cat and to validate the first lambda to some degree.

As for over 5k, it may not open at a constant 5k as it may be trying to save fuel. To test, give the throttle a flick to simulate acceleration and see if it opens. Does sound like the ecu isnt able to determine whether it is under load.

My advice really is to go somewhere with a rolling road and a diagnosis computer to see what is going on. Shouldnt cost much.

 

Also, i cant remember if the flaps default to an open position and when you start the car it closes the flaps. When you get to 5k the imrc effectively releases the cable and the spring tension then open the flaps.

 

When the EML first came on I got the code read and it was the 2 lambdas. Bank1 sensor 1 and bank1 sensor 2, both relating to the oxygen sensors and heaters. Codes p0135 and p0141. I got 2 new lambdas from euro car parts and fitted them and the EML light was still on and still the same codes came up. The car didn't run correctly when the rear lambda was in and was over fueling we think and you could tell the car was running rich. When the rear lambda was removed the car livened up and there was throttle response again but that has soon come and gone. Now more codes have come up saying about over fueling. Codes p1131 and code p1132 if I remember correctly. Since the first time the EML came on its just been problem after problem. I've had 2 garages local to me check the car and they can't find any obvious faults. When I start the car the inlet manifold opens and stays open. I can Rev the car to 5-6k revs and the inlet manifold says open, there is no movement in the cable other than when I start the car and it opens.

 

if code is for both lambdas have you checked the lambda fuse, fuse 18, I think, mine blew before and that brings up a code for both lambdas,

 

Probably a stupid question but where is the fuse for the lambdas?

 

What was the make of lambda, ecp sell some real cheap rubbish which could be the issue here.

You really need to get it plugged in to a diagnosis machine, something that can read the sensors as you drive along to see what's going on. Codes are only a small part of the diagnosis. This could be something like the maf not registering the air correctly etc

 

fuse for lambdas is under the bonnet at the front on the right,

 

its a 10Amp fuse and is number 18, defo worth checking

 

Well I checked for the fuse and found the fuse and for sure it was fucked, changed the fuse and touch would I think you have just fixed all my issues haha had a code read on the car and no codes can be found! Result!!!!

 

just shows you mechanic aint worth a wank if thats the case

 

3 mechanics didn't know the lambdas had a fuse 😂

 

Glad we helped you mate. Hopefully now you can enjoy it.

I would go back and show the garage where they went wrong.

 

You really don't understand my appreciation! Thanks for the help! I will keep you all updated if there is any issues, touch would it's solved it and don't worry I will! 😂😂

 

any decent mechanic would have checked the obvious as pitbull pointed out so I think we assumed that, I break 170s all the time so see them in all states of undress and my own daily runner is a 170 so I have a soft spot for them

 

Yeah I get that, I asked Google and a few mechanics and they had no idea about a lambda sensor fuse 😂 well nothing I could find but saying that I had no idea what I was looking for, I mean even on the fuse box the icon is of a triangle sign and open book, who knew that was for the lambdas! 😂😂 would be happy if they done a Haynes manual for the st170. Yeah I have a soft spot for them to, my one before this one was amazing haha