In need of an automotive detective

[Squisher]

I was working on my son's 2003 Mercury Sable with 3.0 DOHC. I wanted to clean the MAF and IAC so to take off the snorkel from the air box to the throttle body I had to remove 3 medium sized vacuum lines that come out right after the MAF. Facing the engine bay the one on the left goes off to the the valve cover, one of the ones on the right goes off to what I assume is the purge valve for the EVAP, but when I went to take off the third one the hard plastic hose came off without being attached to anything. The hard plastic hose runs by the throttle body then turns and goes down below the throttle body and then attached to the end that goes nowhere is a small piece of soft vacuum line that seems to turn left toward the passenger front. For the life of me I can't find where the heck this vacuum line went to. Help!


Mystery hose is the one on top:

A look at the mystery hose:

A look at the end that seems to turn left:

Better look at the purge valve on the firewall:

 

[jlee]

Is this helpful?

 

[Squisher]

Not really, most of the links for pictures are broken. I've scoured over the Autozone website before I ever posted.

 

[Bartman39]

I would say it goes down behind the manifold to something that requires high Vac...? Is everything working correctly...? Wait is that for the PCV or is that the front one...?

There has to be something under the intake area that it connects to...?

 

[PottedMeat]

is there a sticker on the bottom of the hood that maps out the vacuum lines?

 

[Squisher]

is there a sticker on the bottom of the hood that maps out the vacuum lines?

No, they couldn't make it easy on me like that.


The more time I spend looking at the situation the more I think that the hose that got ripped off was fairly long and maybe even come from the bottom of the car. IDK

 

[jlee]

Not really, most of the links for pictures are broken. I've scoured over the Autozone website before I ever posted.

Yeah, I noticed that...was hoping the top two pictures would show you something you didn't already know.

Anyone you can think of who has that motor so you could compare? Looks like it's in quite a few vehicles-

1996-2005 Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable
2001-2005 Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner/Mazda Tribute
2005-2006 Ford Five Hundred, Mercury Montego and Ford Freestyle

 

[Squisher]

I just ordered a used Haynes manual off of Amazon for $3. Usually someone out there has posted something out of the online shop manuals, but no such luck for me.

Worst case I'll take it up to a mechanic and it can't cost more than $50 for research and repair.

 

[Squisher]

I would say it goes down behind the manifold to something that requires high Vac...? Is everything working correctly...? Wait is that for the PCV or is that the front one...?

There has to be something under the intake area that it connects to...?

Idle speed was high and reluctant to come down on deceleration, threw a code for TPS, BUT all seems fine now that I plugged that vacuum leak and cleaned the MAF and IAC.

It's probably not a bad idea to clear any codes he had and see what pops up now.

 

[leper84]

Looks like a breather tube for the back valve cover. At the intake tube air isn't moving fast enough to use for any sort of vacuum, so rule that out. You'll probably find the rest of that rubber elbow still attached to wherever it goes.

 

[Squisher]

Looks like a breather tube for the back valve cover. At the intake tube air isn't moving fast enough to use for any sort of vacuum, so rule that out. You'll probably find the rest of that rubber elbow still attached to wherever it goes.

Interesting. That back valve cover is sure covered up by a lot of stuff. Are there usually two breather tubes, one for each valve cover?


EDIT: Ah, the one that goes to the PVC itself. Search shows a rubber elbow that looks just like that rubber that is cut off in the pic. Says it is often broken off.

Eureka! I think we have it.

 

[Bartman39]

Wait is that for the PCV or is that the front one...?

Hummm...? :hmm:...:thumbsup: