CarScan

Mixture: lean and rich

Lean and rich mixture. The best known codes grow from here — P0171 and P0172 — while the P21xx codes state the operating mode and the bank: lean only at idle means an air leak, lean only off idle means delivery.

11 codes in this section, 11 with a guide

What it usually turns out to be

  • A lean mixture almost always starts with an air leak, not with injectors or the pump.
  • Codes on both banks at once mean a shared cause: intake, fuel pressure or exhaust.
  • Compare the fuel trims at idle and at 2500 rpm: the difference says where to look.