Ford Electrical Problems

[TexMex247]

The best way to perform what we call a hard reset is to remove both cables and hold them together for a few seconds. It drains all capacitors and should clear memory. Ideally you would have someone with a reasonably advanced scan tool hook up to it while the lights are present. The abs/brake/skid control combo is sometimes indicative of a brake module failure although it could be a buggy sensor. Any abs fault can light all 3 simultaneously.

 

[Axxe55]

I fixed my Ford problems by purchasing Toyota’s. I haven’t had a issues with a vehicle for many years. The problem sounds like a wire has rubbed through in the door harness. Ford runs all kinds of things into that driver door. I built a 64 f100 with a 2011 police Crown Vic complete chassis. I used all the wiring for the Vic, and remember thinking what ever Ford engineer thought it would be a good idea to run all them wires for the ignition into the door needs to be beat with a wet hose.

GM and Dodge much be using the same engineers, because they are doing the same thing. Lot's of newer cars are carrying a lot of electronics in the driver's door.

 

[TexMex247]

As far as the wipers, they usually have independent modules to control variable speed. I'd have to look at a wiring diagram which I'll do at work tomorrow. It's a shame you're not in the Austin area, I'd hook up my snap on scanner and run through codes and some data lines for a few cold beers.

It's also true that bad connection at battery or power distribution center can tie some threads here but things like body control modules that integrate into power distribution systems are more common and problematic in newer vehicles. I'll get back tomorrow and share whatever info I can dig up.

 

[Grumps21]

I had that sort of problems on a GMC truck. After a bit of research I found that there were power surges (that GM knew about) that were causing issues with the several computers in the vehicle. My dashboard died twice. Dealer wanted $800 to fix. I found out where they sent the boards for repair (NJ) and got it done for $150. Then I found a guy in Conroe who fixes them on site for $80. Apparently there's a lot of money to be made in electrical issues. CD player never worked right. After a thunderstorm, everything would reset, including the stations programmed on the radio.

One of the windows wouldn't work right. They tested the motor and the switches and all was good. Problem turned out to be a bad connection internally in the fuse box. Cost to replace: $1200. Mechanic showed me an alternative: a piece of wire that jumpered power to the right place. Cost: $0.01.

I've had Fords since then and haven't seen any electrical problems except that the newer ones won't let you install a device to avoid having to hit the switch to prevent the engine from shutting down when you're stopped in traffic, and it won't accept extra lights connected to the tail lights.

There’s a device on the market that plugs into the trailer light plug. It tricks the truck into thinking there’s a trailer connected. Apparently the stop start is disabled when towing, Not sure if the newest Fords can use this device but as of a couple of model years back they could

 

[msharley]

GM and Dodge much be using the same engineers, because they are doing the same thing. Lot's of newer cars are carrying a lot of electronics in the driver's door.

Just got off the line with FoMoCo's "Design/Engineering Dept."

They said, "Send more Micro Dot!"

 

[msharley]

On Automobiles.

It is really simple.

When MEN designed automobiles, they had BUMPER JACKS!

Ya got a flat? Pop the hub cap, loosen the lugs with the 4 Way, that MEN carried (and I have one in my Crown Vic, and one in my F 350)

Jack the thang up like a MAN and go about installing the REAL SPARE!

When yuppys took over, (back stabbin' urban parasites, not one of which ever did a day's work, not once in their worthless yuppy lives) they did away with the BUMPER JACK (ain't a yuppy alive what knows the difference betwixt a bumper jack and a carburetor)

They got some stoopid excuse for a jack, got to slither around (like a yuppy, under the boss' desk, the only place a yuppy will ever do a lick of work) and "feel" for some "slot" (real fun when weather is ten degrees below zero) to try to get the fool car jacked up...

To put a cheap imitation spare tire on...that is not even the same diameter as the tire what went flat...

The last blame Chevy, that will ever be in my driveway, was an EQUIBOMB (evil nox)...

The morons/misfits "designed" (whilst trippin' they minds out) the fan belt wrapped around the motor mount...

Motor mount must be removed (after 250lbs of other GARBAGE is removed) in order to change the blame fan belt.

Also, the EQUIBOMB would COUGH, BURP, FART, STALL and all FOUR BLAME WHEELS would LOCK UP TIGHT, if one tried to accelerate smartly out of the way of the oncoming COAL TRUCK (average speed WARP FACTOR 17)

I drug it back in the yard with my old F 350 many times.

Flat bed back to dealer (criminal bassturds)

They would tell the Mrs. (God Rest her)...."Oh, the yuppy thang needs to double yuppy with the rubber lipper...blah, blah blah"

One time, she had it towed in (all four wheels LOCKED UP TIGHT) the Dealer charged her $2,000 to "fix" the "rubber lipped yuppy thangy doo".....

We went to pick it up. I sent the Red Head home in my CROWN VIC....and the "service advisor yuppy" said the EQUIBOMB was "fixed"..

I said "Really?"....

Well, about four blame blocks from the dealer, I stepped on the gas...ALL FOUR WHEELS LOCKED UP TIGHT (typical of chevy/yuppy trash)

I walked back to dealer, told them to send the flat bed...

Then called the Red Head to come back & get me....(she got home, as there is a big "dead zone") The Red Head was FURIOUS...

Had them tow it to the Ford Garage and traded it on a FORD.

For those with them "Foreeen Karz" (foreign, from the people who brought us PEARL BLAME HARBOR)....I challenge you to look at a Tokyo Traffic Cam...tell me how many AMERICAN CARS/TRUCKS you see in TOKYO...(the answer is just like their airplane, ZERO!)

The Japs have a 600% "duty" on all things AMERICAN. A $50,000 AMERICAN truck would be $350,000 in Tokyo.

If something goes wrong with one of those, they rap ya hard. $400 for a starter, $2,000 in labor...

Rant over.

Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

Later, Mark

 

[SA_Steve]

Ford's latest, the Bronco, has a serpentine belt. Not too weird, most cars do. But the belt has no tensioner.
It's stretchy.

 

[candcallen]

On Automobiles.

It is really simple, loosen the lugs with the 4 Way, that MEN carried (and I have one in my Crown Vic, and one in my F 350)

I just had one out cause my daughter called about a friends flat tire. I grabbed it on the way out the door.


ETA THATS A CRAFTSMAN THAT PROBABLY OLDER THAN I AM.

 

[msharley]

It goes with the 37 speed AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION that FoMoCo is using in a 1/2 ton pick up...

Most over the road trucks only have 13....

 

[msharley]

The best way to perform what we call a hard reset is to remove both cables and hold them together for a few seconds. It drains all capacitors and should clear memory. Ideally you would have someone with a reasonably advanced scan tool hook up to it while the lights are present. The abs/brake/skid control combo is sometimes indicative of a brake module failure although it could be a buggy sensor. Any abs fault can light all 3 simultaneously.

 

[SA_Steve]

Searching out and improving the original 'grounds' will often fix this kind of intermittent weirdness.

Unfortunately some of the module grounds (wire running under a bolt connected to vehicle metal) are under the dash or hiding behind something.

 

[Brains]

Searching out and improving the original 'grounds' will often fix this kind of intermittent weirdness.

Unfortunately some of the module grounds (wire running under a bolt connected to vehicle metal) are under the dash or hiding behind something.

So true. Had some weird issues crop up on my old '98 Pontiac Firebird Formula. Been too long to remember exactly what they were, but it was multiple intermittent issues in seemingly disconnected systems. The culprit was me attaching, but not sufficiently tightening, the three (I think) ground wires that terminated under a bolt on the back of the driver's side cylinder head. Don't remember the issues nearly as well as I remember kicking myself for not checking my work.

 

[dsgrey]

There’s a device on the market that plugs into the trailer light plug. It tricks the truck into thinking there’s a trailer connected. Apparently the stop start is disabled when towing, Not sure if the newest Fords can use this device but as of a couple of model years back they could

Jeep's act the same. But there's also a company that makes a plug-n-play device under the dash that remembers your last on or off setting for stop/start. Plus they have another that will allow all windows be auto-up or down and use the OEM key fob for controlling them too.

 

[Darkpriest667]

I fixed my Ford problems by purchasing Toyota’s. I haven’t had a issues with a vehicle for many years. The problem sounds like a wire has rubbed through in the door harness. Ford runs all kinds of things into that driver door. I built a 64 f100 with a 2011 police Crown Vic complete chassis. I used all the wiring for the Vic, and remember thinking what ever Ford engineer thought it would be a good idea to run all them wires for the ignition into the door needs to be beat with a wet hose.

toyotas aren't fancy but they work.

 

[SA_Steve]

So true. Had some weird issues crop up on my old '98 Pontiac Firebird Formula. Been too long to remember exactly what they were, but it was multiple intermittent issues in seemingly disconnected systems. The culprit was me attaching, but not sufficiently tightening, the three (I think) ground wires that terminated under a bolt on the back of the driver's side cylinder head. Don't remember the issues nearly as well as I remember kicking myself for not checking my work.

My education came from my 3 year old '98 Pontiac Grand Prix. $1,200 spent on dealer looking for but not finding the problem.

Symptom was idle would vary from 600 to 1800 rpm, up and down. Constantly. Made getting highly procedural Georgia emissions test big fun - but I passed !

One of the car computers was behind the glove box and poorly grounded nearby. Easy fix, followed the rust.

 

[LaborLawPaul]

On Automobiles.

It is really simple.

When MEN designed automobiles, they had BUMPER JACKS!

Ya got a flat? Pop the hub cap, loosen the lugs with the 4 Way, that MEN carried (and I have one in my Crown Vic, and one in my F 350)

Jack the thang up like a MAN and go about installing the REAL SPARE!

When yuppys took over, (back stabbin' urban parasites, not one of which ever did a day's work, not once in their worthless yuppy lives) they did away with the BUMPER JACK (ain't a yuppy alive what knows the difference betwixt a bumper jack and a carburetor)

They got some stoopid excuse for a jack, got to slither around (like a yuppy, under the boss' desk, the only place a yuppy will ever do a lick of work) and "feel" for some "slot" (real fun when weather is ten degrees below zero) to try to get the fool car jacked up...

To put a cheap imitation spare tire on...that is not even the same diameter as the tire what went flat...

The last blame Chevy, that will ever be in my driveway, was an EQUIBOMB (evil nox)...

The morons/misfits "designed" (whilst trippin' they minds out) the fan belt wrapped around the motor mount...

Motor mount must be removed (after 250lbs of other GARBAGE is removed) in order to change the blame fan belt.

Also, the EQUIBOMB would COUGH, BURP, FART, STALL and all FOUR BLAME WHEELS would LOCK UP TIGHT, if one tried to accelerate smartly out of the way of the oncoming COAL TRUCK (average speed WARP FACTOR 17)

I drug it back in the yard with my old F 350 many times.

Flat bed back to dealer (criminal bassturds)

They would tell the Mrs. (God Rest her)...."Oh, the yuppy thang needs to double yuppy with the rubber lipper...blah, blah blah"

One time, she had it towed in (all four wheels LOCKED UP TIGHT) the Dealer charged her $2,000 to "fix" the "rubber lipped yuppy thangy doo".....

We went to pick it up. I sent the Red Head home in my CROWN VIC....and the "service advisor yuppy" said the EQUIBOMB was "fixed"..

I said "Really?"....

Well, about four blame blocks from the dealer, I stepped on the gas...ALL FOUR WHEELS LOCKED UP TIGHT (typical of chevy/yuppy trash)

I walked back to dealer, told them to send the flat bed...

Then called the Red Head to come back & get me....(she got home, as there is a big "dead zone") The Red Head was FURIOUS...

Had them tow it to the Ford Garage and traded it on a FORD.

For those with them "Foreeen Karz" (foreign, from the people who brought us PEARL BLAME HARBOR)....I challenge you to look at a Tokyo Traffic Cam...tell me how many AMERICAN CARS/TRUCKS you see in TOKYO...(the answer is just like their airplane, ZERO!)

The Japs have a 600% "duty" on all things AMERICAN. A $50,000 AMERICAN truck would be $350,000 in Tokyo.

If something goes wrong with one of those, they rap ya hard. $400 for a starter, $2,000 in labor...

Rant over.

Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

Later, Mark

E P I C

 

[69ChevelleLSX]

On Automobiles.

It is really simple.

When MEN designed automobiles, they had BUMPER JACKS!

Ya got a flat? Pop the hub cap, loosen the lugs with the 4 Way, that MEN carried (and I have one in my Crown Vic, and one in my F 350)

Jack the thang up like a MAN and go about installing the REAL SPARE!

When yuppys took over, (back stabbin' urban parasites, not one of which ever did a day's work, not once in their worthless yuppy lives) they did away with the BUMPER JACK (ain't a yuppy alive what knows the difference betwixt a bumper jack and a carburetor)

They got some stoopid excuse for a jack, got to slither around (like a yuppy, under the boss' desk, the only place a yuppy will ever do a lick of work) and "feel" for some "slot" (real fun when weather is ten degrees below zero) to try to get the fool car jacked up...

To put a cheap imitation spare tire on...that is not even the same diameter as the tire what went flat...

The last blame Chevy, that will ever be in my driveway, was an EQUIBOMB (evil nox)...

The morons/misfits "designed" (whilst trippin' they minds out) the fan belt wrapped around the motor mount...

Motor mount must be removed (after 250lbs of other GARBAGE is removed) in order to change the blame fan belt.

Also, the EQUIBOMB would COUGH, BURP, FART, STALL and all FOUR BLAME WHEELS would LOCK UP TIGHT, if one tried to accelerate smartly out of the way of the oncoming COAL TRUCK (average speed WARP FACTOR 17)

I drug it back in the yard with my old F 350 many times.

Flat bed back to dealer (criminal bassturds)

They would tell the Mrs. (God Rest her)...."Oh, the yuppy thang needs to double yuppy with the rubber lipper...blah, blah blah"

One time, she had it towed in (all four wheels LOCKED UP TIGHT) the Dealer charged her $2,000 to "fix" the "rubber lipped yuppy thangy doo".....

We went to pick it up. I sent the Red Head home in my CROWN VIC....and the "service advisor yuppy" said the EQUIBOMB was "fixed"..

I said "Really?"....

Well, about four blame blocks from the dealer, I stepped on the gas...ALL FOUR WHEELS LOCKED UP TIGHT (typical of chevy/yuppy trash)

I walked back to dealer, told them to send the flat bed...

Then called the Red Head to come back & get me....(she got home, as there is a big "dead zone") The Red Head was FURIOUS...

Had them tow it to the Ford Garage and traded it on a FORD.

For those with them "Foreeen Karz" (foreign, from the people who brought us PEARL BLAME HARBOR)....I challenge you to look at a Tokyo Traffic Cam...tell me how many AMERICAN CARS/TRUCKS you see in TOKYO...(the answer is just like their airplane, ZERO!)

The Japs have a 600% "duty" on all things AMERICAN. A $50,000 AMERICAN truck would be $350,000 in Tokyo.

If something goes wrong with one of those, they rap ya hard. $400 for a starter, $2,000 in labor...

Rant over.

Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

Later, Mark

 

[msharley]

I just had one out cause my daughter called about a friends flat tire. I grabbed it on the way out the door.


ETA THATS A CRAFTSMAN THAT PROBABLY OLDER THAN I AM.

View attachment 268915

Hey C,

Love it! I think both of mine may be "KenTool"? The car 4 way is 3/4", 13/16" (Ford), 7/8" (Pontiac) and 15/16"...

Not sure about the truck? Know it has 1-1/16"....even have a jack stand (to rest the "off end") and a 4' cheater pipe...(they got a real good air gun, down the tire shop) LOL


Gotta watch...a lot of the new (un American) vehicles have 18mm and sometimes 17mm lug nuts.....

They make them out of some varying alloys........that GALL together nicely....

I've used a 4' cheater pipe on the breaker bar......

Automobile lug nuts do not need to be that tight...LOL

My slim, slender 275# on the end of a 4' cheater pipe....I'm guessing 1100# of TORQUE?



Later, Mark

 

[Axxe55]

Hey C,

Love it! I think both of mine may be "KenTool"? The car 4 way is 3/4", 13/16" (Ford), 7/8" (Pontiac) and 15/16"...

Not sure about the truck? Know it has 1-1/16"....even have a jack stand (to rest the "off end") and a 4' cheater pipe...(they got a real good air gun, down the tire shop) LOL


Gotta watch...a lot of the new (un American) vehicles have 18mm and sometimes 17mm lug nuts.....

They make them out of some varying alloys........that GALL together nicely....

I've used a 4' cheater pipe on the breaker bar......

Automobile lug nuts do not need to be that tight...LOL

My slim, slender 275# on the end of a 4' cheater pipe....I'm guessing 1100# of TORQUE?



Later, Mark

I have told several tire shops over the years, if they use an impact on my lug nuts, they get to pay for my brake rotor replacement!

Over-torquing the lug nuts, will warp a brake rotor.

 

[msharley]

Hey Axe,

Oh, I agree with you....

I've got two really good 1/2" drive impacts...

The Red Head gave me a Blue Point, about 25yrs ago...has a solid 450# of Torque in the OFF direction. It has three settings...#2 being "enough" for less than 100# of torque...#3 for the stubborn stuff....LOL

I also have a new I-R that I-R claims has over 900# of OFF! (It will bust impact sockets)...

My old '87 F 350, has the FoMoCo "strip nutz"....gotta wind all 8 of them OFF and ON...a real pain when not at home....LOL

I'm enjoying retirement! 50yrs of workin'....whew!

Later, Mark