Simple question, please help

Diagram courtsey of Tmoss & Stang&2birds. Look to the upper LH side of the diagram for your answer...

All you need to get codes out of the computer is a paper clip jumpered between the white/red wire (#48) and the black/white wire (#46). The white/red wire (#48) is a short pigtail off of the big connector.


Here's the link to dump the computer codes with only a jumper wire or paper clip and the check engine light, or test light or voltmeter. I’ve used it for years, and it works great.

See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/
OR
See http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/eec-iv_codes.html

IF your car is an 86-88 stang, you'll have to use the test lamp or voltmeter method. There is no functional check engine light on the 86-88's except possibly the Cali Mass Air cars.

Codes have different answers if the engine is running from the answers that it has when the engine isn't running. It helps a lot to know if you had the engine running when you ran the test.

Trouble codes are either 2 digit or 3 digit, there are no cars that use both 2 digit codes and 3 digit codes.

For those who are intimidated by all the wires & connections, see http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16153 for what a typical hand scanner looks like. Normal retail price is about $30 or so at AutoZone or Walmart.

Or for a nicer scanner see http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?3829 – It has a 3 digit LCD display so that you don’t have to count flashes or beeps.. Cost is $35.

If you have all the wires identified and then jumper them and don't get any codes, then one of the wires is broken.

With the power off, measure the resistance between the black/white wire (#46) and battery ground. You should see less than 1.5 ohms, more than 1.5 ohms and you have a broken wire or bad connection.

At this point unless you have a DVM or multimeter and some electrical smarts, you need to find someone good with electrical circuits. It is very difficult to get someone enough training to troubleshoot electrical problems by way of Stangnet.

If you have the tools & electrical training I will be glad to help. If not, then this is going to be very difficult for you.

The tan/red wire is the same as the red/white STI wire in the posted diagram. Mine is tan/red also, with a grey connector. You can also reference #48 on http://fordfuelinjection.com/?p=6

MYLX5.0 said:

Okay, thanks a bunch. Mine doesn't have any plug on it, it is just a straight up piece of metal connector, is this normal?

I guess now would be a good time to mention that I hooked up the tan wire with the plug on it to the black/white wire and it sparked and every since then I have had a check engine light on. Any ideas what I did?

Click to expand...

Disconnect the battery for 20 minutes. If that doesn't fix it, you shorted the check engine light circuit inside the computer. I hope that you have a spare computer around, because that's the only way you are going to be able to fix this problem.

MYLX5.0 said:

Okay, thanks a bunch. Mine doesn't have any plug on it, it is just a straight up piece of metal connector, is this normal?

Click to expand...

The STI connector originally came with a platic shell around the terminal pictured here.