1.9 1994 escort wagon lx check engine light

Hey folks,
I have the above vehicle, and for the past few weeks, the check engine light has been giving me grief. when i accelerate, the light comes on, then normally goes off when i brake. i took it to get a tranny flush and fill and that didnt fix it. i had the error codes read and got a redout of 181 and 186. i found out they are some sort of fuel mix errors, but dont know what needs to be fixed. can anyone help!? dont fancy taking it to a garage and have them rip me off!!

thanks!

ps..its an auto, not manual

Often point to dirty air filter, fuel filter, or both.

Are you sure about the codes? There's usually a letter "P" or "B" before the number.

Might be worth a trip to Autozone (or local equivalent) to get the codes read (should be free).

hey Mirth,
Thats where i got the codes from. she ran the obd1 machine, and those are the codes that came back.
cheers!

Heres some info I found about it. One post indicates that the Mass Air Flow Sensor is a common problem with escorts.

Autozone shows they cost between $60-$100.

Here is another one discussing the Mass Air Flow.
www.thedieselstop.com...


Best of Luck
makeitso

thanks for that info! I'm going to see if i can pick up a MAF and probably an 02 sensor and get them both changed at the same time. might be a wise idea. do you know of any national chain auto shops that will just do an install, if i buy the parts??

Thanks!

Before you spend your money, there is a test that can be performed to check the MAP sensor.

Anyone with a digital multimeter should be able to do this. Hopefully you have a backyard mechanic buddy to help with this.

makeitso

Do you mean MAF sensor?? or is it definitely MAP? if its MAP, then i guess thats a whole different ball game, as i have no knowledge of the MAP sensor!!

MAF= Mass Air Flow Sensor

MAP= Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor

MAF relies on temperature across a "hot wire" to determine how much fuel to mix.

MAP relies on pressure inside the intake to make the proper fuel mixture.

Okay,
I'm going to fork out for a new o2 sensor, but the trouble is, i know nothing about component locations. With my vehicle, is there any way if i can know if the o2 sensor is before, or after the cat? Also, i might shell out for a MAF sensor, rather than cleaning it. 3rdly, when the car is cold started, i notice that there is a lot of exahust fumes spewing from a large metal pipe that seems to be int he back of the engine block, and the fumes are spewing from around this pipe. is this a gasket on the manifold that needs replacing also? when the car is warmed, then the fumes dont come out!

Cheers for any help again!

Okay, well, i have now replaced the o2 sensor, and the spark plugs. idles a lot smoother, but i still get a chattering or woodpecker sound from the engine under accel. Also, now the those items have been replaced, i have noticed that, when the car gets to around 70mph, it starts to sputter as if there isnt enough gas getting to the engine, but it works fine at lower speeds. i didnt clear the error codes. could not resetting these cause this issue?
thanks!