Bruce Amacker

I'm at 50.14 P18. Did you see any new stuff in the 51 update? Should I wait?........ Thanks!

Great tips, Jim. I talk about this in class regularly but have not done it first hand yet. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cheers.gif I'll be doing some "research" soon at the FMC training center center. Mebbe I'll put this on the list.....

HUH? Who the Hell told you this? I think an extended air check is also in order, and I'd be using a stethoscope to check every fitting while they were aired up. Plugging in the block heater might also help. If you have leaks "all over the engine" I'd want to diag them properly first, but it sounds like you'll be doing a lot of resealing.....

I'd say it's time for a breakout box and a scope (or DVOM). Do you have a "known good" PCM to try in? I've got one from a 99 F-model, but you ain't exactly close..... Shorting the fuel heater should not cause any PCM damage. Good Luck!

At our local FMC training center, they removed the grill completely from the 6.4 demo truck to prevent these types of things......

Oops, I forgot to look......

Like this? Great minds think alike! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif The body is an old air brake manifold from a cabover IH tractor. It has multiple 1/4" FNPT holes bored through it. The coat hanger is (obviously) for hanging it from the outside mirror. PS: The nylon gauge bar lines should be 1/8", right? They should be available from any auto parts store as an oil gauge installation kit, right? I know I've bought them for $2-3 before with 10' of tube and brass compression to 1/8" NPT fittings. Good Luck!

I was wondering if there is a way fleets can access inford or PTS for service info? Also we want to buy an IDS but were told that it wasn't possible. My old dealer refuses to look into it for me....Is this true? According to EPA federal law, all OE's must make available all scan tools, service manuals, online manuals, and training to all aftermarket people at the same cost as they charge dealers. If this is ever denied to you, I suggest filing a NASTF complaint. NASTF.ORG is the main website, and all factory service websites are lined together at http://nastf.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3292. The maximum allowed charge by law is $20 for 24 hours access. Ford charges $10 for 1 vehicle for 24 hours and $20 for all Fords for 24 hours. There are monthly and yearly subscriptions available, also. Toyota is $10, Kia and Hyundai are free to access after you sign up (free also). I have not been successful in trying to get a PTS password, so I access PTS through a different source. IDS's are readily available from Motorcraft at the site Keith listed, they were on backorder for a year but I bought one about 6 weeks ago and they were in stock at $2415 plus shipping. I think the total was $2433 or something with a 2 year subscription for cals. Renewing your cals is $500 (supposedly for one year, but they gave me two years?) Ford recommends 2 particular laptops, but I've loaded IDS on many different brands without a hardware glitch. I suggest you remove (not disable) your anti-virus, firewall, etc software so you don't go through the living hell I did trying to get the VCM to communicate. If you do have problems, be aware that non-Ford employees do not get telephone tech support for the IDS like Ford employees get. Outsiders get internet/e-mail support only. They really have the bugs worked out of the software and I wouldn't be afraid to load it on any PC (it must have XP Pro). If you don't have the red DVD manuals, get some from a buddy, or buy them on Ebay cheap. Good Luck!

Are they the same size? Mebbe one is smaller for an axle temp sender? I'd use the one that's "just" above the bottom of the axle tube. The owner's manual calls for either 35 or 40 pints, depending on which axle it is (plus 1.6 if the hubs were off). Good Luck!

Ditto with Dwayne. It's not just the 06E17 calibration, it's all of them. I've seen several times where an aftermarket air filter caused EGR codes. It's important to clean both the MAF and the IAT2, also. I can tell you a horror story about a Taurus with a twisted OE air filter that caused fuel trims to whack out and P0171 codes. The cause was turbulence in the MAF housing from air flow around the air filter. Good Luck!

You definitely have a problem child here, and it's very possible you have more than one problem, which is why we're all confused. I suggest covering the basics once again to CYA in case it's not a bad motor. 1. Check for a biased ICP and MAP sensors. Put a mechanical HP gauge in one of the cylinder head HP ports (the thread is 1/2" fine, straight thread with an o-ring) and make sure the ICP reading in data is within 10% of the gauge at all times. Your IPR at 7% idle is an odd one. 2. Take a push-pull (bisexual) MityVac and apply 5-15PSI to the MAP KOEO while watching scan data, once again, it should read dead on. I've been burned badly by biased sensors in the past. 3. Did you put some fuel additive in it? Stanadyne Performance Formula is my favorite, but Ford has a similar additive called PM-17-A, or F8AZ-9C077-AA. Suck the fuel out of the fuel filter, fill the housing with additive, and take it for a drive. I've been burned by bad fuel before that looked and smelled fine, but the truck would misfire badly at higher RPM with it. If it runs better with the additive, it's either bad fuel or bad injectors. 4. I agree that the 7% IPR should not indicate a bad pump, but there's a quick test you can do to check the HP system. Ground the IPR return wire with the engine idling, it should reach 3800+psi. 5. I agree that an oil change is needed on this truck, but I'm not sure I agree on oil aeration. The ones I've had with aeration ran OK cold, and the ICP would cycle DRAMATICALLY up and down as they warmed up. ICP would vary between 500-2000psi, and occasionally hit 350, where the engine would die. If you feel it is aeration after the oil change, take a sample of oil from the reservoir with a hose at WOT into a plastic pop bottle. It will look like chocolate milk if it's aerated, and root beer if it's not. There's a TSB on this test, and it works. 6. If all of this fails and the cust still wants answers, pull one valve cover and do a compression test. A good engine is 425-450, anything under 400 is suspect, and 350 is a problem. 99's were REALLY bad at dusting engines because of the air filters. Did you say yours did, or did not have the early air cleaner with "Intercooler" written on it? (production before 12-98) What's MFDES at a hot idle? With your IPR whacked out, I'm afraid to put a lot of weight on the MFDES, but it should read between 8-10, or maybe 6-12 on the outside limits. I'll bet it's in the teens, calling for more fuel. I hate to load you up with tests like this, but you could probably knock them out in 2 hours. Let us know how you make out, and Good Luck!

Yes, but I don't remember what the chassis was, maybe a GM. There's a TSB on it and I "think" the fix was to install a remote vent on a hose. This thing isn't overfilled at all, right? It's from slinging oil off the axle shaft, right? Good Luck! PS I've installed many remote breathers on chemical trucks to keep the dripping chemicals from trashing the diffs.....

I can't comment on the oil lines because I haven't BTDT. Is it possible that your leak is crankcase vapor oil and not LP oil? I'm assuming that you have run it at WOT in the shop to try and find the leak. Being that it only leaks when driven makes me want to think of a crankcase vapor leak. A quick test in the shop to confirm this would be to disconnect and plug the vent hose from the valve cover to the turbo inlet and use the output side of a shop vac to pressurize the crankcase at the oil fill neck while it's idling. I have found this to be a wonderful trick on both gas and diesels that want to leak when driven, but not in the shop. The output of a shop vac normally produces about 1psi and won't hurt any seals or gaskets, but will immediately show a crankcase leak. Just thinking out loud. Good Luck!

Hey Guys; Have any of you installed and flashed a used FICM? I had a P0611 yesterday that turned out to be a bad FICM. Luckily, I was home and have a bunch of them that I've acquired from various sources. I tried a couple brand new ones that were almost the same PN, (1845117C4 when mine was a 1845117C2) but wouldn't start and wouldn't flash, giving me a "failed to program" message. I had 2 that were used DT466 FICM's with the exact same PN, but wouldn't flash and wouldn't start. The only one that started was a used 6.0 FICM with the same PN and almost the same build date (within 4 days). It started right up with the old flash level, and I ended up installing it and shipping the truck after reflashing the FICM to the latest cal. The other ones we plugged in and tried to start just for S&G to see if they were good modules. I have a hard time believing several of the correct PN's were bad from different sources. There must be something weird with the DT466 applications that are the same PN? Or, after they have a DT flash in them, the IDS won't recognize the current program and won't install a new program? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shrug.gif Yea, I know, put in a new FICM and program it...... Any comments are welcome. Thanks! P.S. Does anybody know what FICM's interchange? I think there's an early and a late, and some of the ones I have are a different PN.

Oh, my God. Who's the brainless critter that made that decision? What do they cost, $5, or something? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scratchhead.gif

Neither. We've never done less than 8 cups in an engine! Sooooo, after you do this gig and it gets fuel into the coolant, how and what are you going to say to the customer? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/readthis.gif I'd like to be there to watch your little dance. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif Is there evidence of overheating? Many injector sleeve failures are a result of getting hot. I tend to think they are a secondary failure, not a primary failure...... Good Luck!

I use business class laptops, HP/Compaq NC6230. They're powerful, lightweight, aluminum case, thin laptops built for business use. They have a serial port, too, which is part of the reason I use them. The first one I had custom built by HP, that other two I bought (new) off of Ebay at a very cheap price. My personal opinion is that a Toughbook is not necessary and wasted money. I have never damaged a laptop (fingers crossed), nor have any of my students damaged a laptop. I know of may people who have loaded IDS on non-approved laptops without a problem. I had VCM communications problems that came from my anti-virus software, which would not allow communication even when the AV was disabled. Regarding the IDS, keep in mind that the support offered to aftermarket people is not the same as what is offered to dealer techs, which (in my opinion) is not legal. EPA section 202.M states all automakers are required to provide to the aftermarket any information and test equipment needed to make use of the vehicle's emission control diagnostic system. I read this to mean that not only should I be able to buy an IDS, but I should get tech support when it doesn't work. FMC told me to go pound salt when I had trouble with it. I filed a NASTF complaint which went nowhere...... Good Luck!

Here's a real Ranger: *sigh*

Have you guys heard any rumors about not having the cooling system bled properly? I heard of a performance problem from not using a vacuum bleeder, which confused the PCM and it went into a derate. Any comments?

Smart choice, but aren't you forgetting IDS? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif