Error code P0171

It's lean code bank 1, passenger side. It's usual cause is a rotted PCV hose on the back of the block. Pain to get to, and usually done when the blower is removed to clean all the oil out of the intercooler. Which is why that hose rots, from continuous contact with oil. A lot of times, the P0174 will follow the 171. That's the code for bank 2 or the driver's side. Banks are numbered as if you are standing in front of the truck looking at the motor. Cylinders 1, 2, 3 and 4 are on the passenger side, 5, 6, 7 and 8 the driver's side. When looking at the cluster of hoses at the back of the motor on the passenger side, you will see a T fitting and a hose that heads down connected to that T. That hose has a rubber connection to a metal T on the back of the block. We all remove that entire group of hoses, remove the metal elbow, and install a 3/8 NPT plug into the turkey pan from the inside before putting the intercooler back on. Then redo the PCV hoses, and installing a oil separator into them. The hose from the PCV valve on the passenger side valve cover goes to the input side of the separator. Then the output goes to the plenum.
 
The oil separator is needed since once you remove that elbow from the back of the turkey pan, you don't want any more oil getting in there. It's also a plus because it will keep the intercooler clean. If your intercooler has never been cleaned, it is probably a mess. Picture of my oil separator below. It is a part usually used by the Mustang guys, but works fine in this application. I used brass fittings to get the hoses oriented correctly without kinks in them. In the second picture, you can see why the installation before I made the brass fittings for it.
 

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cbxer55 said:
The oil separator is needed since once you remove that elbow from the back of the turkey pan, you don't want any more oil getting in there. It's also a plus because it will keep the intercooler clean. If your intercooler has never been cleaned, it is probably a mess. Picture of my oil separator below. It is a part usually used by the Mustang guys, but works fine in this application. I used brass fittings to get the hoses oriented correctly without kinks in them. In the second picture, you can see why the installation before I made the brass fittings for it.
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do you have a source and a part # for the oil separator?
 
Actually, I don't A friend with a Lightning bought them on Amazon. They came as a set of two, I guess the Stang guys put one one each side. So he gave the extra one to me, since I have given him so many item for his truck. So I suppose a search on Amazon for Mustang oil separators would net results. It works very well. It use the uphill principle. Input on the bottom, output on top with a media of some sort filling the entire thing. And a drain cock on the bottom. I have to empty it after I drive it four or five times, it fills up a rattle can lid about half way every time. Just think of all that oil getting into the intercooler! YUCK!
 
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Dsgsvt03 said:
By doing in that will it trigger a check engine light on?
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Doing what? Installing an oil separator will not, in and of itself, cause a CEL. In my case, it did once because I failed to close the drain cock on the bottom after emptying it one day. I usually open the set a rattle can lid underneath it, open the cock, close the hood and walk away. Next time I went to drive it, I had forgotten about it. Started it up, man did it run horribly, and the CEL came on right now. Opened the hood, saw the paint can lid under the separator, and the old Wile E Coyote light bulb came on. LMAO!
 
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