2001 Escort SE TPS help desperately needed - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

bousmama · 01-27-2010, 08:29

Been having issues with idle speed in my Escort. When driving it keeps making the torque converter kick in and out. Put a new trans filter in and changed fluid. Pretty sure it's not a vacuum issue, computer reads "lean bank 1". Am thinking it's the TPS but don't know where to find that. Can you please help?> Thanks.

**Bert** · 01-27-2010, 08:39

Lean bank 1 means only one side of the engine is lean. Could be a vacuum leak that side or various other rasons. The TPS is the throttle position sensor. It's mounted on the throttle body. It would cause a problem on both banks. Where did you get the lean code? Are there any others? What engine?

bousmama · 01-27-2010, 08:55

got the lean code at the shop where they put new tie rods in. That's the only code that showed up. The guy there said to put a new filter in it....didn't help. Put brake cleaner on the hoses, don't see any leaks...another friend said he thought it might be the TPS. It's a 2.0 L single cam engine.

**Bert** · 01-27-2010, 09:18

See if they'll tell you the exact code they pulled. It's probably P0171. Has the fuel filter been replaced lately? Try cleaning the MAF with MAF cleaner.

bousmama · 01-27-2010, 09:28

OK, we'll try that. We took the car in a couple weeks ago and don't remember the exact code and don't have the extra $ to hook it up again ($50 a pop just to get codes). :( So, you don't think it's the throttle sensor then? I just know I have been without a car for a couple weeks and as a family of 4 with one vehicle and 2 high school kids, this is not good. Trying to fix it ourselves, but my husband was at a loss after the vacuum hoses showed no leaks. Thanks for your input...we REALLY appreciate it.

**Bert** · 01-27-2010, 11:00

Autozone will check the codes at no cost.

bousmama · 01-27-2010, 12:02

Thanks for the tip. The closest AutoZone is almost 80 miles from there though...the downside of living in the boonies.

**Bert** · 01-27-2010, 13:47

Won't the place that checked it tell you what code they found?

bousmama · 01-28-2010, 07:23

I just called them and they don't keep a record of that and don't remember. We had already decided not to go back to them too, by the way, because they failed to see the ball joint was shot when they put the tie rod in, same side, same tire. So we ended up taking it back to have that done and another alignment plus new struts in the back. Now we're sitting here, almost $2000 later trying to figure out what we can do ourselves.

bousmama · 01-29-2010, 10:47

can you please tell me where the fuel filter is on this engine?