I am trying one last time to get this damn van running normally before I just decide to drive it off a cliff and walk away!

I have three recurring DTC codes that have been the source of much stress. P2196 Front HO2S signal stuck rich, P0132 Sensor Circuit High Voltage (Bank I Sensor 1), and P0340 Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Malfunction. My Freestar is a 2006 SEL with a 4.9l

Since the appearance of the first code, I have replaced the plugs, wires, coil pack, camshaft position sensor, and the bank 1 sensor 1 O2 sensor. So far nothing has helped and I still have all 3 codes.

I am tired of putting time and parts in this damn thing with no results. I am thinking that I will next need to check and/or replace the camshaft synchronizer?
Does anyone have any ideas or opinions on what I should be looking at next?
Would a full diagnostic test be worth the time and money at this point?

When I first started replacing parts, I checked out the PCM for any signs of water damage and found no indications. I was reading that this was a pretty common problem with the Freestar.

Also, to make matters worse, I now have a parasitic draw that is draining my battery every other day... any ideas on that one?

any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Suspect it's a typeo (4.9l), you have a 4.2L.

Anyways as far as the parasitic draw goes, the easiest way to locate it, is to pop the hood and remove the cover for the main fuse block. Place an amp clamp on the positive battery lead going to the main fuse block next to the battery. With everything shut off and doors closed, you should read about .3-.4 amps with the vehicle in its "SLEEP" mode as I call it. If anything higher, then you need to start pulling fuses. Pull one fuse at a time and re-insert before going to the next one until you see the parasitic draw go way. That will be the circuit you need to look at and trace.

As far as the codes your getting...

1. How does the engine run with the codes active?
2. Did you verify correct plug gapping?
3. Verify all connectors are on tight?
4. How did you replace the, coil pack, plugs and wires for the rear bank? Did you remove the intake, or the upper and lower cowl?

 

Sorry, yes it is a 4.2l. I was reading someone elses repair stories on their F150 with a 4.9l.

Right after my post I did find a very helpful step-by-step on finding the draw and it is exactly how you described. I will be attempting this later today.

now for your other questions...
1. my engine runs very rough under load. for the most part it idles fairly normal, but I can hear the occasional stumble even when idling. when I put it in gear, even before the van moves an inch, it starts to idle rough, surge, buck, whatever descriptions you wana give it. i am sure you know what i am describing. once the van hits 40+ mph, it seems to smooth out a bit again, it wont stumble quite so much.
2. the plugs were pre-gapped within range (.052-.056) so I just verified that they were all the same, I think I settled on .054 since most of them were exactly that anyway.
3. No, not at the time of the initial tune up (plugs, wires, coil pack, filters, fluids) but I did go through it top to bottom once the lights came back. I cant say that I didnt miss anything, as I stated before I am not an auto mechanic by any means, but I like to think that I am pretty thorough. I checked all electrical connections and vacuum lines that I could see.
4. I removed the cowl. I thought that this would be far less obtrusive than tearing down parts of the engine.

 

Sounds like you covered all bases and did everything the way I would have done it. It's possible that you have a flakey crankshaft position sensor. I believe that the CKP and the CMP work hand-in-hand with the CKP providing the basic timing requirements and the CMP providing the rest.

But that's just a guess on my part.

My van lives in some pretty crappy weather. You know...Western NY -20 to 100+, snow, slush, slop, rain, humidity and everything else in between. It has never had any water/moisture issue with the ECU, Sensors, GEM modules or anything esle. Maybe I'm just luck or it's the fack that I disconnected every external connection I could find and applies dielectrical grease to the connections.

 

I would be interested in knowing the details of your 2004 Freestar Water Injection system. Many years ago ( around 1948 or 1949) I had occasion to see the effects of running a water carburetor on a inline 6 cylinder Dodge Truck gasoline engine. It was actually nothing more than a venturi with a float valve that attached above the stock carburetor and injected water spray into the intake when an electric pump was turned on. With the water spray turned off the engine would operate in the California desert at or near the boiling point. Upon activating the water injection the engine operating temperature would drop to or near the temperature controlled by the engine thermostat. If I remember right the device was called a Rochester Water Carburetor.
When the engine was disassembled the pistons and valves were as shiny as new with no carbon deposits at all.
I can't help but wonder if water injection would help with many of the exhaust system control problems caused by interior carbon buildup. Also Could it be effective in curing some of the effects of carbon buildup in an engine with around 60,000 miles, as this seems to be approximately when these PCM and/or ECM problems begin to surface?
Fred

 

The water injection system I'm runnning is an "AquaTune" system. This is a PASSIVE system that runs off of vacuum. I am currenty working on building an ACTIVE system that listens to the fuel injectors and injects water based on the time duration that the injectors are open injecting fuel. The water turns to steam in the combustion chamber so basically steam cleanes the piston dome and upper sylinder area. It also lowers combustion chamber temperatures. I have had NO pinging from my 4.2 since using water injection. I put this system on in 2006 and have had no issues with my engine eating water.

 

Thanks for the info on the water injection system. I'll check it out on the web.
( I read your reply thee times before I realized that the phrase "eating water" was probably a typo with the h left out)

 

Nope, not a typo. "Eating" water as in ingesting it with the water injection. So many people think that injecting water into the cylinders will cause the engine to rust (wives tale). Not so, the engine ingests water all the time. Such as when it's foggy out, raining, humid days and such. Ever look at a tail pipe on a vehicle when it's first fired up? Yep, water dripping out of the pipe. Where did it come from? You got it, thru the intake. I also run 25/75 mix of 99% Isopropyl alcohol/Distilled water during the winter time. The engine actually runs better and nets a little more MPG when running windshield washer fluid with METHANOL in it. I uded the Xtreme BLUE brand with 27.9% Methanol. However, I noticed that it did rust up the back side of my throttle plate since methanol is corrosive, so I stopped using it. Other than that, I've had no adverse affects. I may go back to it once I finish designing my multiport injection system and move the injection site away from the throttle.