Occasional lack of power / hesitation at low revs, hard to start and plenty of error codes

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danihxh

New member
Joined
Apr 30, 2012
Messages
19
Location
Barcelona, Spain
Hi everyone! I'm having quite a long list of issues with my Puma and I hope I can get some advice here.

So around the beginning of 2020 my Puma started showing some occasional hesitation at low revs and when accelerating hard and then releasing the accelerator to maintain the speed (after overtaking someone, for example). Sometimes it would get completely stuck at around 2500 rpm and even fully depressing the accelerator in first or second gear wouldn't do much for a few seconds (same feeling as if you try to start it in third or fourth gear by mistake), then it will suddenly launch as normal. I cleaned the MAF and looked for vacuum leaks, as this had already happened to me in the past, but I couldn't find anything this time.

That kept happening occasionally, but then (March/April) COVID-19 came and I stopped using it, so I would start it for a few minutes 2-3 times a month. At some point, it became harder to start, but it would eventually do it. I tried to start it more often and go for a quick ride around town, but the problems persisted and even got worse.

Around June I started doing some checks and I found these error codes (but no check engine light):

  • P0113: Intake air temperature sensor 1 circuit high input.
  • P0443: EVAP System Purge Control Valve Circuit – Malfunction.
  • P0135: Ox Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 1).
  • P1304: EGR Calibration High.
  • P1000: On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) Systems Readiness Test Not Complete.
  • C1301: The OBD tool I use says "ABS operation timed out" but online I found "Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit Low Input.
    The reason of C1301 OBD-II Engine Trouble Code is Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch A Circuit Intermittent": http://c1301.enginetroublecode.com
  • C0301: Same description: http://c0301.enginetroublecode.com
  • P3553: Not sure about this one. Some sites say "Exhaust Gas Recirculation Sensor B Circuit High" (http://p3553.enginetroublecode.com/) and some others say it might be an issue with the VCT solenoid (http://p3553-ford.autotroublecode.com/).

I did some checks and the heater circuit on the lambda is definitely gone, swapping the MAF with a different one didn't change anything and the pressure of the catalytic converter is around 4 psi when revving the engine a bit, so that seems to be gone as well.

As I wasn't sure about all those errors codes, I decided to leave the Puma on a Ford dealership while I was abroad, as I thought they would know better, but after 2 months they didn't even finish the quote and were just able to give me some error codes (which I initially told them about, anyway):

  • P0113: Same as above, but they said this is IAT sensor or PCM.
  • P0135: Same as above, but they say it's the catalytic converter (didn't verify, but I did, so I'm gonna trust them on this one).
  • P0443: Same as above, EVAP.

I decided to take the car back as I actually needed it for a few days and didn't have too much confidence in this dealership after this and after finding quite a few bad reviews on Google Maps.

So, for some of these I think I know what to do (but it would be great if someone knows how to verify them):

  • P0113: Change IAT sensor. Maybe ICV and TPS sensors as well, as it looks like they are not too expensive?
  • P0443 + P1304: Change EVAP and PCV valves.
  • P0135: Change lambda and catalytic converter (going for a full mild-steel system from Allison Automotive).
  • P1000: I hope it goes away after fixing the other issues and resetting the ECU.

But I don't know what to do about these:

  • C1301: I'm confused here with the "ABS operation timed out" vs "Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit Low Input"...
  • C0301: ...but as this one is also related to the Crankshaft Position Sensor, maybe that's actually the case?
  • P3553: Might just be related to P0443 and P1304, but could it really be the VCT solenoid getting occasionally stuck?

Also, the dealership said P0113 could also be the PCM, which considering C1301 also points to an ABS issue... Don't know, it sounds scary and expensive... It's worth pointing out that the aircon drain pipe was clogged last year, and water was leaking into the footwell, which is why I think the PCM issue might actually be true if it got wet, but I don't know if it's actually possible for water from the aircon to get there?

Any advice on what to do or how to verify these, one by one?
 
It sounds like you need to find a wiring manual to figure out what all of those circuits have in common, and to do some circuit checks to see if its a wiring problem.

The free and fast check is to check all of the big connectors on the wiring harnesses attached to the PCM to see if anything is loose, damaged, or dirty. You might just luck into the problem.
 

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