check engine light is on, this is the code that came up when checked at OReillys, “P0113 Intake Air temperature sensor 1 Circuit high input”. Earlier took it to repair shop, he did not give the code but said it may cost $450 to repair this, some sensor needs to be changed (don’t know if he came up with same code). He had erased the code but it came back on within minutes. Wanted to check if there is any cheaper way to fix this. This is a windstar van.
The Intake Air Temp sensor is located on or near the Mass Air Flow sensor after the air filter box. On some vehicles the IAT sensor can be replaced as a single component, and on some the IAT sensor is part of MAF sensor which requires the replacement of the MAF sensor.
Tester
MSRP for the IAT sensor on this vehicle is about fifty bucks. It’s not part of the MAF. I can’t see it costing four hundred dollars to install. Replace it yourself in about ten minutes. You don’t even need any special tools.
Before you do anything just check out the wiring. I’ve had to repair frayed wiring on an IAT sensor. The wires & connectors do tend to take some abuse being located on the main intake snorkel. They get twisted & pulled & disturbed anytime it is messed with.
Also just pull out the sensor & look at it. Maybe it just got a big bug stuck on it (in which case you need to have a close look at the air filter).
Other than that pete peters is right. I’d say that $450 is about $400 too much.
Thanks for the feedback. The other reason to ask this was, the gear shifter was not working properly like not engaging properly, the mechanic also found that it is sticking/hard to move the shifter and found that the lever where it goes in transmission is rusted. He says it will cost almost 2500 to remove and service the transimission. In the meantime he has put some penetration oil to check if the lever can be loosen and then take a decision whether it is worth repairing it. We have been driving the vehicle now for a week to check that out. while it is better it is not still some what hard to put it in drive. The vehicle is 2000 make and 97k miles on it.
What are your suggestions, to replace the car, or this sticky shifter should loosen over time?
You need to find another mechanic.
BC.
Bladecutter may be right. If the shifter issue is exterior rust this does not warrant pulling out the transmission. If the issue is internal to the transmission that is a different story.
The most common problem with the shifter on these is the two torx T-30 bolts at the base of the steering column coming loose making it hard to move the cable. Does the shifter actually move but it feels like it’s not doing anything? Very simple fix. If that’s the case I would have to agree with Bladecutter. Find another mechanic. This one’s trying to hose you.
The vehicle would shudder/jerk when the shifter would move from its park position with some effort to move it. Actually took the vehicle to him to check out the problem of shifter not engaging with Drive properly. He took the driver seat to drop me off and first thing ne noticed was the effort needed to move the shifter and the jerky effect. He later called and said that the cable was loose at the other end and so the ‘not engaging’ problem, but he said the lever getting stuck was the major problem. I tried this local mechanic after some good reviews on cartalk and community, so really confused what to do.
we took the vehicle to a different mechanic and he showed that one of the intake runner control was broken and said it might fix it. well it did not and ended up changing MAF sensor, Intake gasket kit/valve cover. While driving back the light came up again. Checked for code again at oriellys, its now P0401…why did it change or did not show up in first place? How to fix this?
I’m probably going to be little or no help here as so much is not known but the suggestion by bladecutter about another mechanic could be a good one.
Four and a half for an IAT on a Windstar? Ouch.
Last Ford IAT I bought at O’Reillys was 16 bucks and took 3 minutes to change.
The 401 code is for insufficient flow in the EGR system. Clogged passages, problem with the EGR itself, are a couple of possibilities. There’s a diagnostic procedure for narrowing this all down. It could be that running a can of cleaner through the intake may cure this.
The shift lever being hard to move out of park could be related to an interlock mechanism fault.
Generally speaking, those things mentioned above are not that serious.
It’s difficult for me to say what all is going on here. Either your Windstar is a total heap or you’ve gotten some mechanics who are parts changers, and I don’t mean the heap comment in a crude way. It’s only to make the point that if everything is going to hxxx in a handbasket according to these mechanics one could look at it that way.
OK4450, May I Ask A Question ?
“It could be that running a can of cleaner through the intake may cure this.”
What cleaner do you use or recommend for this and how do you use it ?
CSA
I use SeaFoam because I feel that it has a superior cutting action so to speak. Some years ago I followed Tester’s comments about SF and assumed it was a good product based on those comments. At the time SF was not carried in this area. Eventually we caught up with the civilized world and it became available here. After trying it a few times I was impressed with the product and I’ve gotten rid of a number of Insufficient EGR Flow codes by feeding it through an intake manifold vacuum port.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say SF will cure every EGR problem that exists but it can certainly be effective and worth a shot.
I just feed it slowly through a vacuum port and of course shortly after applying it the engine will smoke like a prarie fire. That’s normal and it will clear up.
(A couple of years ago I was in AutoZone one evening about sundown and some guy in front of me bought 2 cans of SF after apparently throwing all kinds of parts at his Ford pickup. There was not a breath of wind outside and he fed both cans into the engine just outside AZ’s door. The entire parking lot was covered in dense fog and the Starbucks on the other side could barely be seen.) 
Thanks for the replies so far. We cleared the code, but it has come back and its the same (0401). The mechanic says we can change the sensor ($95) or EGR valve ($195). I am not sure if this will stop (may try changing the sensor myself). For the first one (P0113) he changed intake gasket kit. runner, MAF sensor. was the intake gasket needed? Is it common to get different code after one is fixed? Can’t they diagnose all at the same time?
Anyway I am sensing some sputtering noise at cold start, like when accelerating after start up, I hear some noise from the back. Initially thought something in trunk is hitting the liftgate, but looks like some sputtering from the exhaust. what could it be? Is it because of this EGR issue? Thanks,
Ok - you really do just need another mechanic.
Do not let anyone just guess about replacing EGR parts. In fact, the very first thing to do, as ok4450 noted above, is just clean everything. Aside from that there are quite specific diagnostic procedures to use to check out the whole EGR system. Its got 3 main components: the valve itself, an actuating solenoid, and a DPFE sensor. All of these are also connected to each other and the exhaust by a system of tubes. There’s also wiring for the solenoid.
So before you blow a whole bunch of $$ watching someone else chase their tail, find someone who knows what to do with that system.
I have no idea whether this vehicle needed an intake gasket or not or even how this diagnosis was arrived at. There are several methods for inspection of intake leaks but usually connecting a vacuum gauge will tell one right off the bat if there’s a leak or not.
It is possible for other codes to surface once a particular code is eliminated but I’m kind of leaning with cigroller here about finding someone else. The EGR system takes a little diagnosis but it’s really not that weighty to get into.
The sputtering out the exhaust could possibly be caused by an EGR that was sticking open a bit but I’m not confident the EGR is the cause of the sputtering.
Is the sputtering present at idle and an elevated RPMs?
Can you feel any engine roughness and slight bucking when revving the engine?