Problems when using scan tool

Bazil

Bazil

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Well, decided to get the LS out today since the weather here has been so nice. Got it out and let it idle in the driveway for a few minutes and noticed it sounded like it might have a slight misfire. It wouldn’t surprise me, as the coils are all original so I decided to hook it up to the scan tool to see if it would pick up anything. I’ve got a fairly decent Launch scan tool that will pick up just about anything. With the car running I plugged in the scan tool and immediately the “P” on the gear indicator changed to the not so lucky “E” for about 5 seconds. It then went away all together and the instrument panel went to this. Notice how the odometer was blanked out. The headlights also came on, even though the switch was set to off. Shut the car off, then turned the ignition back on and everything was normal. Not sure if this is anything to be concerned about or if it was just a momentary glitch in the computer when I plugged in the scan tool. I am aware of the symptoms/causes of the “E” on the gear indicator and I will say that the car has a harsh shift into reverse every now and again, but that’s about it. The "E" has never shown up until now. After it ran for a while, the misfire seemed to go away. The car is a 2000 V-6. Would love any input on this. Thanks in advance.

-Bazil

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IMG_1881 (1).jpg
 
Battery is about a year and a half old. It's a vented Ford battery and it's always on a trickle charger when it sits for long periods of time. Could the battery already be going bad? Never has any starting trouble.
 
From my experience with FORScan and a generic OBDII>bluetooth scanner, it looks like the scanner tried to connect with the cluster? Does your scanner pick up B___ and C___ codes? Or just "all" P___ codes? If I connect to the cluster and start giving commands (lights on, needles move, display prove-out, etc), the odo blanks out like that. Upon disconnecting, the headlights flash and the needles do a full sweep.

Odd...
 
I'm not sure if the scanner picks up B and C codes. If I recall correctly, I can turn on various accessories (fan, lights, etc.) with that scanner. The scanner came from a German car repair shop after they upgraded to a newer platform, but it works great for all the American makes as well. It's never done this before so I'm guessing it's just a random glitch. Thanks!
 
The harsh shifting to reverse vs drive was the first symptom my car had when the PCM began to fry. Eventually it shifted like crap through all the gears. The fix is to ship the PCM off to this joint and they repair the PCM for you. The PCM hides out behind the glove box, but is bolted to the firewall under the HVAC fresh air intake under the hood.

It's suspected that an EM pulse from a marginal coil on the passenger rear of the engine is the culprit. While the PCM is out for repair, replace the COPs and plugs.
 
Telco said:
The harsh shifting to reverse vs drive was the first symptom my car had when the PCM began to fry. Eventually it shifted like crap through all the gears. The fix is to ship the PCM off to this joint and they repair the PCM for you. The PCM hides out behind the glove box, but is bolted to the firewall under the HVAC fresh air intake under the hood.

It's suspected that an EM pulse from a marginal coil on the passenger rear of the engine is the culprit. While the PCM is out for repair, replace the COPs and plugs.
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Good to know! Thanks for that info. Also found out the scanner does pick up B and C codes but the only code that showed up was U1262 SCP(J1850) Communications Bus Fault. Has anyone seen this code before? I'll probably clear it and see if it comes back. Thanks again!
 
Bazil said:
Good to know! Thanks for that info. Also found out the scanner does pick up B and C codes but the only code that showed up was U1262 SCP(J1850) Communications Bus Fault. Has anyone seen this code before? I'll probably clear it and see if it comes back. Thanks again!
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Yes, quite a bit. As long as it isn't persistent, it shouldn't be a problem.
 
This may be sort of a thread jack.......slightly related.
Is there a way to reset trouble codes on a Lincoln 2002 using an ignition key sequence....or....? I am getting ready to take it in for smog and I want to clear any codes (if they even exist) that may cause an issue.
 
NetNathan said:
This may be sort of a thread jack.......slightly related.
Is there a way to reset trouble codes on a Lincoln 2002 using an ignition key sequence....or....? I am getting ready to take it in for smog and I want to clear any codes (if they even exist) that may cause an issue.
Click to expand...

Pull the battery cable for at least 15 minutes. That won't help with stored codes, which the smog guys will catch.
 
Won't do you any good. You'll fail because the monitors won't be complete.
 
What you can do is visit a parts store and get them to clear all the codes with a code reader (O Reilly's can do this), but then you'll need to make a number of drive cycles to pass the test, as Joe says. A drive cycle is where the car is cold (open loop), is driven until it is fully warmed up (closed loop), then shut down long enough to get cold (open loop) again. I don't know how many of these must be completed before you can pass the test, but you'll at least lose any old codes.

If you were hoping to clear the codes to pass the test with a failing component, you likely aren't going to be able to do this.
 
Bazil wrote: ` With the car running I plugged in the scan tool and immediately the “P” on the gear indicator changed to the not so lucky “E” for about 5 seconds.'

Bazil,I never plug a scan tool into a running car. Does that tool tell you to do that? My OBD II says plug in with ignition ON and accessories OFF. Just a thought,because you got a strange reaction immediately. don-ohio :)^)
 
don-ohio said:
Bazil wrote: ` With the car running I plugged in the scan tool and immediately the “P” on the gear indicator changed to the not so lucky “E” for about 5 seconds.'

Bazil,I never plug a scan tool into a running car. Does that tool tell you to do that? My OBD II says plug in with ignition ON and accessories OFF. Just a thought,because you got a strange reaction immediately. don-ohio :)^)
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Thanks for the input! The scanner only requires the ignition to be on. I figured since the car was already running I might as well scan it, but I believe that was the cause of the problem as you stated. I can't recall a time that I've scanned it while it was running prior to this. All other times the engine has been off, ignition on. I'm hoping it's nothing to be concerned about, as it seems totally fine now. I guess these little mysteries keep it interesting. Thanks again!

-Bazil
 
Good catch, Don. Bazil, the key needs to be off when you connect/disconnect the scan tool. It's possible to wipe the computer plugging in while running. Unlikely, but possible.
 
I'm pretty sure Ford scan tools get connected with the key in Run.
 
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