Ford, Escort Wagon Code 1443

Last year my car popped up with the SERVICE ENGINE SOON light. I am cheap so I went out and bought a code reader- code 1443 came up. Online I found this information: 1443-Evaporative Emission Control System - Vacuum System - Purge Control Solenoid or Purge Control Valve fault. I bought something from Ford for $81, erased the code and it came back on a week later. I just kept erasing it. It quit coming back on in November so I figured the bulb had burned out but the Light came on when I started the car. So I just ignored it. Now that the weather has warmed up again the light comes back on with the same code. Any ideas. Oh yeah, Other question. Are there any modern cars that are as easy to work on as, say, a 68 Falcon? Or even a 74 Pinto? I don’t expect real ease I just want to be able to stick my hand in the engine compartment with a blood sacrifice.

You’re going to have to say what the “something from Ford for $81” was that you bought. I suppose I have to assume that it was actually installed? Either way you’ll have to tell folks exactly what you did.

Down underneath of your battery tray is a purge valve and a purge solenoid. One or both of those may be bad. It is also possible for the solenoid’s connections to have a problem. This is not an uncommon problem. While you have the battery out of the way take the opportunity to just follow all of the evap lines in both directions from the solenoid & valve. Make sure all of it is intact.

As far as contemporary cars go, the Escort is not that bad to work on.

If you want the easiest thing possible these days, though look for a 4 cylinder, no frills pickup truck.