Check engine light

[EMSjunkie]

One of the Ladies that works in our business office came to me witha question today.
She has a 2002 Ford Escape with a V-6
she tells me that the "check engine light" comes on when she fills the tank, and at about 1/4 tank the light goes off.
I know that fords are notorious for turning on the "check engine" if the gas cap goes bad. so I had her replace the gas cap. didn't work.
she takes it to AutoZone and has it scanned. shows an error code for the EGR valve.

my question is....has anybody else experienced this?
is the EGR valve going bad?
I looked on the AutoZone web site, it mentioned something about a sensor that could possibly be the problem.

I know little to nothing about this fuel injection/computer controlled stuff.

any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Vance

[sirstude]

There are 2 pressure sensors, one on the enging and one in the tank that will set codes.  I have one bad on my 2001 GMC.  Every so often at about 1/4 full on the tank it will turn on the light and it will stay on for a week or two, sometimes even a couple of fill ups, then goes out.  In my case, it is the tank sensor, and I am not pulling that tank for a light that goes on and off.

Doug

[kb426]

I'm no help. That's too new for me. I'm stuck in eec iv land.

[wayne petty]

seems autozone cannot even help ...  ford has had them remove FORD data from the repair pages...   seems their lawyers are at work again...

i agree that there may be a problem with the pressure sensor... but it takes a scan tool that reads live data to see exactly what is happening..

it is really not a great idea to run fuel injected cars below a quarter tank... that problem may have been fixed with the fuel modules...  so the system dumps the fuel return into the housing around the fuel pump to cool it...
many cars have this.. but i don't know about every car...


but it still has to lift the fuel off the bottom of the tank...  so if the tank level is low... and the pump picks up air as the fuel is sloshed to the side... it will shorten the life of the fuel pump....     which cost hundreds of dollars to replace..

see if she knows which code it is..... not just the description

[reborn55]

Got any idea what code number was flashed--could go to some stuff I have a t work or even on line and find out some particulars.  Depending on Mileage may jsut have some carbon build up on the EGR valve--common with Fords.

[58 Yeoman]

My wife's Subaru had the light come on, and autozone said it could be the gas cap.  We didn't change it, as the light went out after AZ disconnected the tester.  Later on, it came on again, and we replaced the cap.  The light stayed on for a couple days, then went out.  It comes on once in a while, but doesn't stay on long.

[papastoyss]

One of the Ladies that works in our business office came to me witha question today.
She has a 2002 Ford Escape with a V-6
she tells me that the "check engine light" comes on when she fills the tank, and at about 1/4 tank the light goes off.
I know that fords are notorious for turning on the "check engine" if the gas cap goes bad. so I had her replace the gas cap. didn't work.
she takes it to AutoZone and has it scanned. shows an error code for the EGR valve.

my question is....has anybody else experienced this?
is the EGR valve going bad?
I looked on the AutoZone web site, it mentioned something about a sensor that could possibly be the problem.

I know little to nothing about this fuel injection/computer controlled stuff.

any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Vance

Something doesn't add up here. EGR stands for exhaust gas recirculation . that system takes exhaust & sends it back thru the intake to be reburnt. The most common problem is carbon/crud buildup where the passage joins the intake manifold. Fuel tank vent codes are referred to as EVAP system errors. It is possible to set a EVAP code if you do not shut your engine off while refueling, this system does a self check at times for a vaccum leak & if it happens to do so while you have gas cap off w/engine running , bingo, ck engine lite comes on.This is general stuff , I service Japanese imports mainly, so I am not familar w/ Ford specific malfunctions.

[Glen]

The 3.0L escape frequently had a DPFE sensor fail (which is tied to the egr system)  They were so frequent that Ford actually offered extended coverage on them.

Depending what code was in there, It would be the first place to start.  It takes about 10 minutes to replace one.  An honest Ford dealer will not charge you a full 1.5 diag time for a DPFE.  If you had a 0401 everyone knows that is the first place to look.  My shop would charge a .5 hour diag.

I doubt her extended coverage is good after 5 years, but it wouldnt hurt to call a dealer they can run the vin at no charge.  ( I can run it too, if you want to email it to me)

as for the gas cap concern being tied to the C/E light, it is no more common than any other make of vehicle.  Most of the newer designs have gone to a specific gas cap light tied to the vapor management system.

total repair should be something less than $200.00

[EMSjunkie]

Thanks for all the info guys, I really appreciate it.
she did not save the slip from AutoZone showing what code.
her main concern is that its going to ruin her engine.

once again, Thanks for the replies/info.  

Vance