intake

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ice man

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today my check engine light came on for the firtst time since I bought the car 18 months ago. the code 1537 intake runner stuck open if anyone can help please do.
 
Time for a Seafoam treatment. Well, at least that usually does the trick :)

The intake has short and long runners (paths for the air to travel). The engine switches between them. This way you keep low and high end power. Really cool design when you think about it.

Anyway, they carbon up and get stuck. Especially if you like to drive under 3k RPM a lot. They need to be opened up and they do so at about 3k RPM. When they do you might actually feel a kick in power.

But when they get stuck things dont work so well. Each bank is controlled by a vacuum or electric box with cables. Depends on the year. Odds are you have a 96+?

If you do a search for "Seafoam" you should get some results on how to use it.
 
Most auto parts stores have it. About $5 a can. Many of us here do this as a once a year sorta thing anyway. It seems to work well to clean out a lot of carbon.
 
if you have a 96 try the seafoam first but if it doesnt fix it you are in for a huge suprise if one of your imrc runner actuators is bad. 96 was the only year that used the this style of vacuum/electric actuator and finding them is very very hard now.
 
Well you can go pre 96, but if you do you will always have a CE light. The electric part monitors the position of the actuator. This is why assume you have a 96 or up since ODB I does not have codes for the IMRCs, right?
 
no no no

yes it is a 96 bad news tried the seafoam twice thru the intake vac and cleared the code drove it up to 125mph no ce light stop cut the car off cranked back up and ce light again
 
Did you disconnect the battery? How long did you let it sit when you "flooded" it with Seafoam?
 
You did not search for the directions on here? The engine must be up to full operating temp. This is critical. Then with it running and finger on throttle cable to pull you start adding it. The car may want to die, hence the need for the throttle cable access. Plus you want to peek 3k to open the other IMRC. As the can is about to empty you flood the engine with it (dont go crazy here), just enough to stall it out. Then go find something to do for 20 minutes. Come back, start it up and freak out the neighbors with all the white smoke. Get on the highway if you can, you will produce smoke for some time though.
 
The code should tell you which side. As mentioned, you can move one of them my hand. Not easy though. The other actuator is under the intake tube so its hard to get to.

But if you follow the air-lines from the actuators they lead to a solenoid. If you unplug that, they should open. They are held by vacuum, when the car is off they open up (hence another reason they stick open).

So you could play with the solenoid connector and see which one is stuck then try getting it open THEN do the Seafoam.

In the end removal and cleaning is the best option, but its an afternoon project. Usually the Seafoam does the trick for a some time.
 
ok I will try that in the morning i did the seafoam again and it produce more smoke than last time so far so good got it up to 100 mph came back home no more smoke and I hope when I leave again the ce light wont return if so you know what I will be doing tomorrow thanks again and will up load some pics
 
I really hope you don't have to purchase a control. They are $470, list price from ford. I had to purchase 2, from Maxx for $271 a piece. They are expensive.
 
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