More DPFE Sensor information (updated with photos)

[SuperFlea]

hem,?!?! it does sound like it could be your DPFE, maybe too much exhuast is flowing into your engine?. Mine doeas the same, but i get like a BOG at first then it starts going really slow like if i as pulling something heavy.

[Nells]

Originally Posted by GapBoyPCS

Not necessarily. There have been a bunch of us who have had symptoms of a DPFE sensor malfunction, yet no Check Engine Light. A few days later, the light MAY come on, but it's not guaranteed.

This is what always messes me up, I think I have had a CEL once (and I had an 02 sensor bad at the same time) but I have replaced something like 3 DPFE sensors in 32,000 miles and I'm just about to get number 4.

Where is the cheapest place to pick one of these up? Dealership wants $113.00

[Jibberish18]

Get in the zone! Auto-zone!

DPFE/EGR Valve Pressure Sensor for a
2000 Ford Focus
Normal Stock Special Order Not Available


Item Part
No.
Warranty Core
Value Unit
Price Availability Store Web WELLS SU2108
$48.99

[Nells]

Originally Posted by ax0n

They won't replace it under warranty until the CEL comes on and the OBD-II code specifically says "Insufficient EGR Flow" or something to that effect. That takes a LONG time from the time it starts to fail. That means you go a long time with a lot of crappy mileage and driveability before they'll replace it free. If you feel like waiting it out, be my guest. Not to rain on your parade, but you'll probably be well out of warranty by the time that happens.

This isn't true at all. I had it replaced 3 times all under warranty and it only threw a code one time.

I went to AutoZone today and picked one up. Didn't realize until I got home that it was the wrong one

[Jibberish18]

I went to AutoZone today and picked one up. Didn't realize until I got home that it was the wrong one [IMG]../images/smilies/frown.gif[/IMG]

Sorry Nells. $130 is pretty ridiculous. I know different DPFE sensors cost different amounts. Last time I checked, the dealership carried a DPFE for my car for $70 or $80. Big difference from $130.

Maybe you can check around at other automotive stores. If not see if Steve from Tousley can get you one. He'll give it to ya for 10% over cost!

[ax0n]

Originally Posted by Nells

This isn't true at all. I had it replaced 3 times all under warranty and it only threw a code one time.

I went to AutoZone today and picked one up. Didn't realize until I got home that it was the wrong one

You're the first one then, because almost all the KC Zetec guys (there's more than 12 of us) tried to get it replaced under warranty to no avail. And that sucks, because from my experience, the original DPFE started showing symptoms as soon as 9,000 miles, but didn't actually throw a code till after 30,000. Only then did they replace mine, despite my request to change it every time I had it in the shop for a recall.

Some people's CEL doesn't come on till after 36,000 miles and they're SOL if they didn't have the extended warranty.

After they finally replaced mine, I blocked the vac line to the EGR valve, and later got it fixed with the SCT.

Anyhow, mad props to whatever dealership you went to. the 4 or 5 out here that I tried weren't buying my "faulty DPFE" story.

[Nells]

Originally Posted by ax0n

You're the first one then, because almost all the KC Zetec guys (there's more than 12 of us) tried to get it replaced under warranty to no avail. And that sucks, because from my experience, the original DPFE started showing symptoms as soon as 9,000 miles, but didn't actually throw a code till after 30,000. Only then did they replace mine, despite my request to change it every time I had it in the shop for a recall.

Some people's CEL doesn't come on till after 36,000 miles and they're SOL if they didn't have the extended warranty.

After they finally replaced mine, I blocked the vac line to the EGR valve, and later got it fixed with the SCT.

Anyhow, mad props to whatever dealership you went to. the 4 or 5 out here that I tried weren't buying my "faulty DPFE" story.

All I did was complained that my car was stumbling. I left it up to them to figure out it was the DPFE sensor I'm pretty sure it was replaced twice at one dealership and once at another, although it was throwing quite a few codes for the second dealership. I was kind of a pain in the butt though, maybe that's why they fixed it My car only has 33,000 miles on it right now.

Jibberish, I didn't pay the $113 my dealership wanted for it, I picked it up from Autozone for $32 (although I have to go back and get the other style-silly me for not checking before I left).

[Jibberish18]

Jibberish, I didn't pay the $113 my dealership wanted for it, I picked it up from Autozone for $32 (although I have to go back and get the other style-silly me for not checking before I left). __________________

Oh I see. I thought Autozone only had one type and that type wasn't made for your car. Well rock on then good lady.

[Nells]

Originally Posted by Jibberish18

Oh I see. I thought Autozone only had one type and that type wasn't made for your car. Well rock on then good lady.

Well no luck with the Autozone one. The correct one for my car ended up costing $100, a far cry from the $33 they originally charged

Who is Steve from Tousley? Can you put me in contact with him please? Thanks!

[ax0n]

Here's a post he made that has his info's in it.

Originally Posted by FORDSVTPARTS

Hey guys, I am offering all OEM Ford, Lincoln and Mercury car and truck parts to forum members for 10% over cost.

This is the same as employee cost and amounts to about 30-40% off list on Ford and 40-50% off list on Motorcraft parts.

We carry a 2.5 million dollar inventory spanning approximately 40,000 part numbers.

This offer is for any and all OEM Ford parts you need, Freight is billed at cost with a $6.50 minimum for UPS ground.

We ship UPS daily with the last pick up being at 6:00 pm central time.

I do not charge extra for special orders and I will accept returns on unused parts providing you pay the freight coming back to me.

I can be reached from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm Mon-Fri at 1-800-328-9552 ask for Steve or Mike M.

I will also respond to PM's as quickly as possible.

You can also E-mail me at FORDSVTPARTS@HOTMAIL.COM

If you have an AOL E-mail address, use PM's or Phone. For some reason AOL won't accept E-mail from a Hotmail address.


We will only be able to quote prices during business hours so please be patient, We will get back to you as soon as possible.

[Nells]

Thanks Axon. I ordered it yesterday afternoon and it came on the UPS truck today. Wonderful and fast service!

[blackgrrl23]

Originally Posted by krick

I have a 2001 Focus ZX3. My Check Engine Light came on about 2 weeks ago, shortly after exhibiting the "fluttering throttle" problem around 45mph. I had no idea what the problem was so I took the car to my mechanic for service. They claimed to have replaced some kind of "EGR Switch". I haven't actually popped the hood and looked to see what they did but they must have done something because the CEL is no longer lit. However, the fluttering is still there, it's just less pronounced and moved up to the 50 - 60mph range so I'm guessing that they didn't actually replace the DPFE sensor.

I googled a bit today and found the part number for the new sensor...

4U7Z-9J460-AA

...and a place that sells them for $28.29 + $7.50 shipping...

http://www.worldpartsexpress.com/


I saw some talk in the forums about the connector on the new sensors being different (as well as some of the 01 models having the non-firewall mounted versions) so I'm hoping this will fit. Or at the very least, I can make it fit by modifying the connector if it is different.

I ordered that and got the newer style sensor. I don't have money to go back and swap for the old so I will have to rig this new one to fit (the electrical connectors are different). The dealer quoted me $141 for the classic style sensor!!! ANyone have instructions on how to "rig" the newer sensor to fit the old connectors? The one on the car is the firewall-mounted one and I got the one that hooks up by the EGR. Thanks!

[ax0n]

eek... I wouldn't know how to rig it without having my eyes and multimeter on it.

[blackgrrl23]

Originally Posted by ax0n

eek... I wouldn't know how to rig it without having my eyes and multimeter on it.

Thanks for trying...I might just have to break down and go to the dealer...I am calling around now to see who has it in stock. My tags expired yesterday and it would be the time I need to pass emissions :|

[Giveen]

What are the effects of a bad DPFE sensor on the car? Is it just the fluttering or is there a posible extreme negative effect on the car? Can I still drive the car safely or should I stop driving and wait for a brand new sensor?

[Nells]

Originally Posted by blackgrrl23

I ordered that and got the newer style sensor. I don't have money to go back and swap for the old so I will have to rig this new one to fit (the electrical connectors are different). The dealer quoted me $141 for the classic style sensor!!! ANyone have instructions on how to "rig" the newer sensor to fit the old connectors? The one on the car is the firewall-mounted one and I got the one that hooks up by the EGR. Thanks!

Steve from Tousley Ford gave me one for $60ish. It literally showed up 24 hours after I ordered it too. Can you return the new style sensor so you can buy the proper one?

[SuperFlea]

You might be able to. Unless it looks used or even misused.

[dmich]

My '01 ZX3 has been stumbling like crazy at lower RPM when the throttle is held constant. I had the CEL come on tonight. I pray it's the DPFE, simple and cheap to fix. I'll find out tomorrow when I go to VatoZone and have them check the code.

[infocusNW]

60,000 miles and I'm now on my 3rd one (2001 ZX3). It's the new style.

Napa part number 2-22003 and only $33.33. Dealer wanted $53 and change.

[blackgrrl23]

Originally Posted by Nells

Steve from Tousley Ford gave me one for $60ish. It literally showed up 24 hours after I ordered it too. Can you return the new style sensor so you can buy the proper one?

Just ordered a new one from steve too....waiting for it now

[TonyMadrid]

Autozone part number for the new style is SU2308. It is manufactured by Wells and I spoke with a tech guy at wells who cross-referenced the part number to the Ford OEM part number.

I am picking the part up tomorrtow and I hope that the problem is the DPFE and not the EGR Valve itself. I had a P0401 Code.

Does changing the DPFE Sensor usually correct the trouble code or have there been many cases where the EGR Valve and perhaps the Solenoid or modulator have to be also changed?

EGR Valve 51.99
EGR Solenoid 61.99
DPFE 39.99

Autozone prices

[Digitex1]

Hi, new poster here. reading this thread and am recognize some of the common symptoms you guys are experiencing. I have some of these symptoms but not sure if the cause is the same. Let me lay it out for your erxamination. '04 ZX5 ok. I first added a CAI. Car died at idle on me a couple of times at first but I think the computer adjusted itself. then added a cat back system. I then added a long tube header. I am now having issues. Poor idle when it idles, it now sometimes idles @ 1400 to 2000 and then drops down a bit. The throttle also keeps surging up to around 3500-4000 between shifts intermittently. I plugged the egr vacuum hoping to eliminate the egr system or fixing the issues. The idle problem is there still, don't know yet about the surging. Added MIL elim on 2nd O2 also. Any one else in the same boat? Can' tthink of what else might cause these symptoms. Feel free to e-mail me with comments. digitex1@yahoo.com

Bryan

[Cheffy]

I found some possibly useful info for testing the DPFE sensor. This example is from the 1997 Explorer, but is probabl very similar for the focus. Had to open a cached link to find it, may not work for others.

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cacheLB4vuZfGswJ:www.obdiicsu.com/Studies/1999CaseStudies/study.html+ford+dpfe+sensor&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ca

Here is the relevant info:

[Background.

This vehicle was purchased new North Carolina and had experienced no problems with its performance. The "Service Engine Soon" light first came on six months before the car was brought in for this case study. The owner tried to solve the problem by replacing the filters (air, etc.) and by putting better gas in the car. Despite these efforts, the light continued to go on and off. The light would go off when the car was filled with gas and during long trips. If the car had been producing visible emissions or had experienced a drop in performance, the owner would have taken it to the dealer.

Introduction.

This vehicle was a 1997 5.0 liter V8 Ford Explorer that came to the NCVECS as part of a research project on OBD II. The complaint was that the MIL light was illuminated. OBD II regulations require a light to be illuminated in the event of a malfunction of any powertrain components which can affect emissions and which provide input to, or receive output from, the on-board computer(s); or the malfunction of the on-board computer(s) itself. The MIL shall be of sufficient illumination and location to be readily visible under all lighting conditions. The MIL shall illuminate in the engine-run key position before engine cranking to indicate that the MIL is functional and shall, when illuminated, display the phrase "Check Engine" or "Service Engine Soon." The word "Powertrain" may be substituted for "Engine." OBD II vehicles shall also be equipped with an on-board diagnostic system capable of identifying the likely area of the malfunction by means of fault codes stored in computer memory. These vehicles shall be equipped with a standardized electrical connector to provide access to the stored fault codes.

Before we can determine the cause of an illuminated MIL, we must retrieve the code(s) that are causing it to light. We do this by connecting a scanner to the standardized OBD II connector inside the passenger compartment. On this truck I was able to retrieve a code P0402 via a generic scanner. Enhanced mode did not reveal any other codes. What does code P0402 mean?

Deciphering the code.

Generic OBD II codes are written in a standardized format according to SAE J 2012 guidelines. The first letter indicates the vehicle function: Body, Chassis or Powertrain. Code P0402 begins with the letter "P", which indicates a powertrain code. The next character tells us whether it is a generic or manufacturer specific code. "0" is generic, so P0402 is a generic code. The next three characters tell us more about the problem area. In this case a "4" indicates an auxiliary emission control code. The last two characters tell us what the code refers to which is "Excessive EGR Flow".

Freeze Frames

Now that I know the code definition, I can begin the diagnosis. Freeze frames are another OBD II function and can become very useful when chasing intermittent problems. The freeze frame the last time code P0402 was set is shown below.

Freeze Frame

Code P0402

Item


Value

RPM


673

Fuel System 1


Closed

Fuel System 2


NA

Coolant Temperature


198 Degrees F

Bank 1 Short Term Fuel Trim


- 1.6 %

Bank 1 Long Term Fuel Trim


- 5.5 %

Bank 2 Short Term Fuel Trim


- 1.6 %

Bank 2 Long Term Fuel Trim


- 5.5 %

Vehicle Speed


0 MPH

Engine Load


41.4 %



Analyzing this data tells me that the code was set at idle and since EGR flow should not occur at idle, I know that the PCM was told that there was EGR flow without an EGR command. Normally, the diagnosis would lead to checking the EGR system, but I decided to clear the code and see if it returned. This step is not always necessary, but I felt it would be interesting to see if the code would reset. It should be noted that some steps are taken for the sake of research and may not be necessary during a normal diagnosis. After clearing the code, all the monitors were reset to "Not Ready."

The next morning, with an ambient temperature of 70 degrees F, I started the vehicle and began a test drive. The test drive included some in-town as well as 50 MPH driving. Back in the shop I noticed all but one monitor flag reset to "Ready." The only one to say "Not Ready" was the catalytic monitor. No codes were set during this test drive and the MIL was not illuminated. The test drive did uncover a drivability concern that was noted. It had a noticeable surge off idle.


Now for the diagnosis.

Ford uses a Differential Pressure Feedback EGR (DPFE) sensor on these vehicles to measure EGR flow. Ford tests to see if the EGR valve is stuck open by checking the DPFE sensor at idle. The DPFE sensor tests for a differential in pressure across a restriction. As flow increases, DPFE voltage rises. Typical DPFE readings at idle are around 0.6 volts DC. The code will set if this voltage exceeds 0.6 volts above the base voltage taken at key on engine off. So, is the voltage too high at idle? Using the scanner I find these readings:

Data at idle


Value

RPM


1000

Load


45 %

Coolant Temperature


91 Degrees F.

DPFE Voltage


0.62

EGRVR%


1.6

Trip Ct


9

TPS


16 % (closed throttle)

It seems to me the source of the code is evident. I needed a little more testing to find the exact cause but the likely culprit had been found. When I compare the two data values I see that both are indicating nearly the same load and both were taken at idle even though the coolant temperature and RPM were not the same. I know that the engine was idling smoothly when I took the scanner readings, so I can assume there is no EGR flow. The DPFE voltage confirms this assumption by indicating a voltage of 0.62. The freeze frame data also indicates that no EGR flow is occurring because the load is nearly the same as mine. Load is inferred from the mass air flow sensor, and excessive EGR flow would change the load reading.

My conclusion at this time is that there is a sensor malfunction and not an EGR malfunction. My experience tells me it is the DPFE, but I think another test is in order. I apply vacuum to the EGR valve with a handheld vacuum pump and watch the DPFE voltage on the scanner. It rises to 2.07 volts as the engine begins to stumble and idle rough. Next, I release the vacuum and watch the voltage. The engine immediately recovers and idles well but the DPFE voltage remains above 1.5 volts for several seconds before decaying towards the base reading. I shut the engine off and turn the key back on. The voltage is still falling slowly towards base. After several seconds it reaches 0.6 volts KOEO. This confirms my suspicions and I order a new DPFE sensor.

The new DPFE was tested under the same conditions and the voltage would change immediately to base after having the EGR opened. It also reached a higher voltage with the EGR open, 2.7 volts DC.

Observations.

This repair example provides a good example of OBDII system limitations. No component was specifically identified by the SAE code . The code directed the technician to a system, but did not identify what part of the system was malfunctioning. In this case, the technician=s knowledge and skill led to a successful repair. However, car owners that attempted a Ashadetree@ repair would probably replace the EGR valve, since the computer condemned that system. Despite the increasing complexity of on-board systems, technicians must still perform detailed diagnosis of the engine control systems. Since this repair addressed a monitor problem, and not an emission control component problem, the vehicle tailpipe emissions were unaffected. Once again, the OBDII system needed repair despite the fact that the car remained clean.



August 19, 1999

By Randy Bernklau

[Cheffy]

Also, motorage notes that ford has a service bulletin out for the DPFE for various models bewteen 2000-2002 - but not the focus. Jerks.

http://www.motorage.com/motorage/art...l.jsp?id=54993

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2]2000-02 Taurus/Sable; 2001-02 Crown Victoria, Focus, Mustang, E-Series, Escape, Expedition, Explorer, F-150, Ranger, Windstar, Town Car, Cougar, Grand Marquis, Mountaineer
MIL illumination with DTC P0401, P0402, P1400 or P1401 and/or rough running, low power, surge and poor fuel economy all indicate problems with the DPFE sensor on the EGR system. If the vehicle has a tube-mounted DPFE sensor and one of these codes are present, the bulletin instructs to install a new sensor, P/N 2F1Z-9J460-AA.
Bulletin 03-2-2[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Cheffy]

And yet more info - here's how to possibly avoid failing DPFE sensors, deals with keeping water out of the unit by blocking with the firewall insulation:

http://autorepair.about.com/library/a/1i/bl718i.htm