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OBD Codes

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olds

olds

Elite Member
2002 F150 with a 5.4 is in the shop. It had a miss at idle and under load. They called me and told me the codes that set were 502 and 318. Claimed that there was water in cavity for the #2 plug causing the misfire. I asked if it was coolant and they said that it was plain water.

Checking online it looks like the codes format is P1***.
Anyone know what the codes they gave me are for?

I am curious how the water got there. I haven't driven through any puddles but I did just have it at another shop for a misfire that they claimed it was coil related. I took it to a different shop this time.

EDIT
Went down and picked up the truck. I asked about the codes, he couldn't find them listed and he mumbled something about manufacturer codes.
 
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Thanks. I saw that but the P1502 code isn't consistent with what they are telling me and there is no P1318 code.
 
It could a Ford specific code. If there's an AutoZone nearby ask them to scan for codes and see what they come up with.
 
Kaervak said:
It could a Ford specific code. If there's an AutoZone nearby ask them to scan for codes and see what they come up with.
Click to expand...

I went there before I went to the shop. They told me it was illegal for them to read codes and that they didn't loan or rent code readers. They only sold them. They did say they could look up the code if I knew it.
 
Kaervak said:
It could a Ford specific code. If there's an AutoZone nearby ask them to scan for codes and see what they come up with.
Click to expand...

It's OBDII so it'll be an OBDII code. You can't flash the CEL like you use to. Well, you can but it's limited to cluster issues afaik. I've never seen one that can flash OBDII codes, which contains ECM errors etc.

And Olds as far as water in the cavity, I'm guessing they more ment moisture. Much of any volume of water and your going to be cracking a piston, bending valves etc - water doesn't compress so well. More than a tablespoon or so and you're definitely going to have a major problem, and likely will with much less even less than that. The combustion chamber isn't very big at TDC.

Some moisture isn't uncommon when a cold engine is warming up. That's why if you store a vehicle for winter in a cold climate and want to start it up occassionally, you need to let it get to full operating temperature, so the condensation that forms from an ice cold engine block warming doesn't sit in the oil. Once a vehicle fully warms up, as in the oil temp reaching normal operating temp, not just the coolant, the water will evaporate. They probably had it sitting outside and it was a "cold" engine, started it up and pulled it in the shop and shut it off again right and pulled the plug. In a case like that it's not uncommon to see some moisture in a cylinder.

If you have an oil catch can on the PCV line during the winter and do a lot of short distance travel, it'll fill up with milky looking oil that looks like you blew a head gasket and have coolant in the oil. It's just the moisture from short cycling the engine.

And sorry, as you know I like to write books. :awe: Also, not implying you don't know any of this, I just like to fully explain myself lol.
 
The water wasn't in the block. It was on top of the head where the spark plug threads through.

head.jpg
 
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Ahh ok, I misunderstood.

I've heard of some issues with the 4.6 & 5.4 tritons used in the late 90's/early 2000's Ford trucks. 1. They like to pop spark plugs, along with the threads in the head 2. Intake manifold leaks - which actually is common on a lot of different vehicles, Ford or otherwise. In the case of the tritons though I heard was the actual manifold that would start to leak and not just a gasket.

The second one could be a problem given the unorthodox location of the plugs on those motors. It'd be near impossible for it to come from a puddle unless the liner on the underside of the hood is soaked as well as a bunch of other stuff. I know these guys said it was regular water, but seems more plausible the coolant-crossover in the intake manifold is leaking and pooling up around the plug, which is on the topside of the head right next to the manifold. The crossover is normally located in the center of the manifold, and on Ford's the #2 cylinder the second one back on the passenger side (aka right next to the coolant-crossover.) I'm normally a GM guy though and Ford's always seem backwards to me so the cross-over may be elsewhere, but I'm gonna assume it's in the center like normal.

I'd watch the top of the engine for the next week or two and see if you see any new pools forming.
 
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5.4 in the F150 is well known for this. With it getting cooler, it's probably condensation that pools up over time, seeps in, and is unable to evaporate.

I don't know how the SOHCs in the trucks are but the DOHCs have a coil pack cover with a rubber seal, and a rubber grommet at the back where the ignition harness enters. If that grommet isn't seated right, condensation builds up over time, but can't escape.
 
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oldsmoboat said:
I've read that #4 has issues with coolant leaking down into it's well.
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If it starts leaking again they can put some UV dye in the coolant and check it a few days later to see where it's coming from. Or if it really isn't coolant that would be apparent as well. It's cheap and easy to boot. The possible issues/fixes, not so much.
 
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