88 GT Check engine light following 70mm throttle body and egr spacer installation

Dans30250

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Apr 13, 2020
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California
Finished installing a 70 mm throttle body and EGR spacer and the check engine light came on. I tried to check the codes with a jumper wire and the check engine light will not Flash just stay solid is it normal for this to happen when you install a bigger throttle body and EGR spacer? This is a 1988 GT, any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Computer & interchange infomation
The Mass Air computers from 89-93 are interchangeable with a few exceptions. Just be sure you use the MAF & MAF sensor from the same series computer. The auto transmission computers use a different start circuit than the manual computers. You can use an auto trans computer in a 5 speed car with no problems or changes.I have done it in my original 89 Mustang GT, and I know it works OK. I have no positive input or comments on using a 5 speed computer in an auto trans car. I personally would not do it.


The odd duck is the 93 Cobra computer, labled X3Z which is interally calibrated for 24 lb injectors. Use the MAF & MAF sensor from the X3Z computer to avoid problems with the computer's internal calibration. Try and avoid the 93 Cobra computer if you can.

Some cautions about O2 Sensor harnesses need to be observed to avoid damage to the computer.
Only run a auto trans O2 harness with an A9P
Only run a 5 speed trans O2 harness with an A9L
See http://forums.corral.net/forums/gen...manual-auto-differences-year-differences.html for more O2 sensor wiring harness info



All the following are mass air unless they say Speed Density

8LD - MANUAL 88 5.0L Mustang Speed Density
8LF - Auto 88 5.0L Mustang Speed Density
A9L - 89-93 5.0L Mustang 5-spd Mass Air
A3M - 93 5.0L Mustang 5-spd Mass Air
A3M1 - 93 5.0L Mustang 5-spd Mass Air
X3Z - 93 5.0L Cobra 5-spd Mass Air internally calibrated for 24 lb injector
A9P - 89-93 5.0L Mustang Auto Mass Air
A9S - 88-93 5.0L Mustang California Mass Air
C3W - 89-93 5.0L Mustang Auto
DA1 - 87 5.0L Mustang 5-spd Speed Density
J4J1 - 94-95 5.0L SVT Cobra 5-spd
T4M0 - 94-95 5.0L GT Vert 5-spd
U4P0 - 94-95 5.0L GT Auto
W4H0 - 94-95 5.0L GT
ZA0 - 95 Cobra R
D9S - Lincoln LSC
ZXA3
LLX3
CCA1
CCA0
AOL2
AOL3
 
Buy the inexpensive code reader, if it will not communicate with the computer the condition of the computer is suspect.
I should mention that there is a possibility you have pinched a wire when swapping parts, go back and check
 
Just tried the jumper wire again with no luck, check engine light will not flash
Computer will not go into diagnostic mode on 86-90 models 5.0 Mustangs .

Revised Dec 23 2107
1.) To clarify signal ground connections on the engine mounted fuel injector wiring harness and add diagram for the engine mounted fuel injector wiring harness
2.) To add warning about using an automatic transmission O2 sensor wiring harness with a A9L manual shift transmission computer.


]b]Disconnect the battery positive terminal before making any resistance checks.
The voltage drop in the ground cable will cause incorrect resistance readings.[/b]

How it is supposed to work:
The black/white wire (pin 46) is signal ground for the computer. It provides a dedicated ground for the EGR, Baro, ACT, ECT, & TPS sensors as well as the ground to put the computer into self test mode. If this ground is bad, none of the sensors mentioned will work properly. That will severely affect the car's performance. You will have hard starting, low power and drivability problems. Since it is a dedicated ground, it passes through the computer on its way to the computer main power ground that terminates at the battery pigtail ground. It should read less than 1.5 ohms when measured from any signal ground on the engine mounted fuel injector harness with the battery pigtail ground as the other reference point for the ohmmeter probe.

Engine mounted fuel injector wiring harness sensors for a 5.0 mustang
63347.gif


What sometimes happens is that the test connector black/white wire gets jumpered to power which either burns up the wiring or burns the trace off the pc board inside the computer. That trace connects pins 46 to pins 40 & 60.

OR

If an O2 sensor harness from an automatic transmission Mustang is used with an A9L manual shift transmission computer. The 12 volts from the automatic transmission starter circuit will damage the A9L computer.

The STI (Self Test Input) is jumpered to ground to put the computer into test mode. Jumpering it to power can produce unknown results, including damage to the computer. The ohm test simply verifies that there are no breaks in the wiring between the test connector and the computer input.

How to test the wiring:
With the power off, measure the resistance between the computer test ground (black/white wire) on the self test connector and battery ground. You should see less than 1.5 ohms.

attachments\58312


If that check fails, remove the passenger side kick panel and disconnect the computer connector. There is a 10 MM bolt that holds it in place. Measure the resistance between the black/white wire and pin 46 on the computer wiring connector: it should be less than 1.5 ohms. More than 1.5 ohms is a wiring problem. If it reads 1.5 ohms or less, then the computer is suspect. On the computer, measure the resistance between pin 46 and pins 40 & 60: it should be less than 1.5 ohms. More than that and the computer’s internal ground has failed, and the computer needs to be repaired or replaced.

While you have the computer connector disconnected from the computer, turn the ignition switch to the Start position and look for 12 volts on pin 46 of the computer wiring harness. If you see 12 volts then you have an automatic transmission O2 sensor harness. That will damage the A9L manual shift transmission computer.

See https://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/computer-issue.749974/#post-7490537 for Joel5.0’s fix for the computer internal signal ground.

If the first ground check was good, there are other wires to check. Measure the resistance between the STI computer self test connector (red/white wire) and pin 48 on the computer main connector: it should be less than 1.5 ohms. More than 1.5 ohms is a wiring problem

The following is a view from the computer side of the computer wiring connector: it is for an A9L, A9P computer.
eec-iv-computer-connector-for-5-0-mustang-gif.gif


a9x-series-computer-connector-wire-side-view-gif.gif


Diagram courtesy of Tmoss & Stang&2birds

Check out the diagram and notice all the places the black/white wire goes. Almost every sensor on the engine except the MAF is connected to it.

88-91_5.0_EEC_Wiring_Diagram.gif


See the following website for some help from Tmoss (diagram designer) & Stang&2Birds
(website host) for help on 88-95 wiring http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine

See the graphic for the 10 pin connector circuit layout.
?temp_hash=3ef2497fff29a7a9daee955cf93e5805.jpg