macexpress
Observer
Any vehicle manufactured in the US 1996 or newer is required to be obd2 compliant. It's not your van, it's more than likely a problem with the code reader you have
Not So Subtle E350 Shuttle - 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
- Thread starter sakurama
- Start date
another_mike
Adventurer
I dont think the 7.3's in the 1 tons were full OBD2.... I think they had the OBD2 diagnostic ports with OBD1 systems... or something like that. I dont remember
sakurama
Adventurer
Do you have a Powerstroke? It seems like the ScanGauge will work but the display is rather limited. I wrote PLX to see if the KIWI 3 (new versio) will work with a Powerstroke but haven't heard back.
Evidently most of the larger 7.3 Powerstrokes aren't fully OBD2 compatible so it's a trick find something that will work. I'd be happy to get the ScanGuage if there's no better option but would like a better display.
Gregor
sakurama
Adventurer
Ha, sent from your Samsung phone. From what I've read the iPhone can only work via Wifi and not Bluetooth so that was why I bought the Wifi OBD2 dongle. Not sure if that's the case across the board so if an iPhone person has a OBD2 reader that works with a 7.3 let me know what that setup is and I'll get that one.
Gregor
Bikersmurf
Expedition Leader
iPhones can easily pair to Bluetooth devices... so you shouldn't need wifi. Unfortunately I can't tell you what device you'd need.
X2 on wanting to know what'll work and provide full info.
X2 on wanting to know what'll work and provide full info.
sakurama
Adventurer
Rear AC trouble shooting
So one issue I had when I got the van was that the AC wasn't working. If you'll recall the ad in the first page of this post; "Has both front and rear AC working" um, yeah, no.
When I took it to Vision Diesel I asked them to check it out and they did and said the AC was working fine but just wasn't hooked up. Whatever that meant. They "hooked it up" and when I picked the van up it was working - up front. The rear AC didn't work however and they evidently didn't check it either.
So on our trip it was regularly over 100 degrees and that front AC did not keep the whole van cool. It barely kept the front cool. I need to get the rear AC working as it's going to be a record setting 110 degrees this week and we have plans to go to Crater Lake the following week. At the moment I cannot guarantee anyones satisfaction...
Unlike the normal EB passenger vans my van is a shuttle van and they are typically fitted with AC from the "upfitter" which, I've recently learned, is the company that takes the base factory van and then equips it for it's specialty use and final customer. This would be more in line with an ambulance and all their accessories but evidently shuttle vans would often have the AC unit fitted right behind the drivers seat. Not sure why, maybe to free up cargo space for bags or to keep the front cooler than the rear.
My van was fitted with an AC from Pro-Air, LLC which very helpfully has PDF manuals online. I downloaded the manuals but had to remove the seats to get the cover off. Like an idiot I started to remove the seat frames before realizing that 1. I probably wouldn't be able to get all the bolts and the two front seats are a single unit and 2. the seat itself just unbolts from the frame pretty simply.
According to the manual I downloaded there's a four lead plug from Ford that comes from the the Rear Fan Control with blue, white, yellow and brown and I found that plug but it was not plugged into anything nor was there a place that it looked like it should be plugged into. It's the one on the top right there. I replugged the circuit board in and checked all the fuses. None were blown. There was power to all the wires, some was switched and some was just hot. I'm not much on electrical but I try my hardest to make sense of it.
Following wires I saw a burnt connection that went to the fan. Not wanting to fry anything else I cut the connector to the fan off and found a 12v battery thinking if the motor was blown that might explain the fried connector. I hooked up the fan to the battery and the fan ran pretty strong and didn't sound bad. Okay, fan seems to work.
Next I cut the wires from the other side of the connector and hooked up my test light to them. When I turn on the rear fan switch on the dash the light comes on. I don't see the light get brighter when I change the fan speeds but it does stay on for all positions. Brightness may not equate to fan speed - I'm not sure.
So, considering the fried connector I'm a bit wary to just fit a new connection and hook it up although it seems that both ends of the circuit seem to function fine. My question to you electrical savants (hi Michael!) is should I go ahead and get a plug and hook up the fan again and see what happens or is there something else I should test before doing that? I'm guessing a poor connection might have lead to the connector shorting out and one wire was obviously green with oxidation which can't be good.
I welcome any and all advice. Barring any I will plow onward and hook the fan back up and see what happens. You have 12 hours, your time starts... NOW!
Gregor
So one issue I had when I got the van was that the AC wasn't working. If you'll recall the ad in the first page of this post; "Has both front and rear AC working" um, yeah, no.
When I took it to Vision Diesel I asked them to check it out and they did and said the AC was working fine but just wasn't hooked up. Whatever that meant. They "hooked it up" and when I picked the van up it was working - up front. The rear AC didn't work however and they evidently didn't check it either.
So on our trip it was regularly over 100 degrees and that front AC did not keep the whole van cool. It barely kept the front cool. I need to get the rear AC working as it's going to be a record setting 110 degrees this week and we have plans to go to Crater Lake the following week. At the moment I cannot guarantee anyones satisfaction...
Unlike the normal EB passenger vans my van is a shuttle van and they are typically fitted with AC from the "upfitter" which, I've recently learned, is the company that takes the base factory van and then equips it for it's specialty use and final customer. This would be more in line with an ambulance and all their accessories but evidently shuttle vans would often have the AC unit fitted right behind the drivers seat. Not sure why, maybe to free up cargo space for bags or to keep the front cooler than the rear.
My van was fitted with an AC from Pro-Air, LLC which very helpfully has PDF manuals online. I downloaded the manuals but had to remove the seats to get the cover off. Like an idiot I started to remove the seat frames before realizing that 1. I probably wouldn't be able to get all the bolts and the two front seats are a single unit and 2. the seat itself just unbolts from the frame pretty simply.
According to the manual I downloaded there's a four lead plug from Ford that comes from the the Rear Fan Control with blue, white, yellow and brown and I found that plug but it was not plugged into anything nor was there a place that it looked like it should be plugged into. It's the one on the top right there. I replugged the circuit board in and checked all the fuses. None were blown. There was power to all the wires, some was switched and some was just hot. I'm not much on electrical but I try my hardest to make sense of it.
Following wires I saw a burnt connection that went to the fan. Not wanting to fry anything else I cut the connector to the fan off and found a 12v battery thinking if the motor was blown that might explain the fried connector. I hooked up the fan to the battery and the fan ran pretty strong and didn't sound bad. Okay, fan seems to work.
Next I cut the wires from the other side of the connector and hooked up my test light to them. When I turn on the rear fan switch on the dash the light comes on. I don't see the light get brighter when I change the fan speeds but it does stay on for all positions. Brightness may not equate to fan speed - I'm not sure.
So, considering the fried connector I'm a bit wary to just fit a new connection and hook it up although it seems that both ends of the circuit seem to function fine. My question to you electrical savants (hi Michael!) is should I go ahead and get a plug and hook up the fan again and see what happens or is there something else I should test before doing that? I'm guessing a poor connection might have lead to the connector shorting out and one wire was obviously green with oxidation which can't be good.
I welcome any and all advice. Barring any I will plow onward and hook the fan back up and see what happens. You have 12 hours, your time starts... NOW!
Gregor
Last edited:
mgmetalworks
Explorer
Bad connection, either ground or hot will cause it to heat up. resistance to current flow and your plug becomes a heater.
sakurama
Adventurer
So replace with a well crimped connection and go for it? That was my thought but I wanted some backup.
villageidiot327
Explorer
you have switched power coming into the fan plug, and have verified that the fan runs without shorting/frying a wire between your test battery and the fan.
solidify the connections and let her rip.
solidify the connections and let her rip.
jalbrecht55
Member
I can't tell you which OB2 scanners may work with your van but this what I've learned:
For the cheap "ELM327" type scanners, the Bluetooth would not work with my iPhone or MacBook, but the wifi version works fine on all of our apple devices. I've used it a lot on Chevy and Chrysler products, however it does not work on our 2005 Accord. So apparently there is more going on here than just OBDII or not.
The local oreilly has a nice plug in scanner that they will loan you, free--and that has worked on everything I've tried including our Honda.
For the cheap "ELM327" type scanners, the Bluetooth would not work with my iPhone or MacBook, but the wifi version works fine on all of our apple devices. I've used it a lot on Chevy and Chrysler products, however it does not work on our 2005 Accord. So apparently there is more going on here than just OBDII or not.
The local oreilly has a nice plug in scanner that they will loan you, free--and that has worked on everything I've tried including our Honda.
snowgroomer
Active member
I am just getting started on a similar build bought a 2002 with a 7.3 and 27k for milage trying to decide on gear ratio. Split between 4.10 and 4.30 I am planning on having Chris do a 4" coil setup The van has a small body lift since it had a wheelchair lift. Chris said 35's will fit. How does yours handle on the highway does it like to chase ruts or cracks in the pavement? What RPM does the 7.3 like to run at on the highway yet still be able to pull hills? I will be towing about 8k alot
Any info is a help
Any info is a help