Vacuum Leaks/Unmetered Air:

WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 30 other vehicles, including the 2004 Mercury Sable, 2004 Mercury Mountaineer, 2004 Mercury Monterey, 2004 Mercury Marauder, and 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

With this condition, the engine may actually run lean of stoichiometry (14.7:1 air/fuel ratio) if the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) is not able to compensate enough to correct for the condition. This condition can be caused by unmetered air entering the engine, or due to a MAF malfunction. In this situation, the volume of air entering the engine is actually greater than what the MAF sensor is indicating to the PCM. Vacuum leaks will normally be most apparent when high manifold vacuum is present (for example, during idle or light throttle). If freeze frame data indicates that the fault occurred at idle, a check for vacuum leaks/unmetered air might be the best starting point.

Examples: Loose, leaking or disconnected vacuum lines, intake manifold gaskets or o-rings, throttle body gaskets, brake booster, air inlet tube, stuck/frozen/aftermarket PCV valve, unseated engine oil dipstick, etc.