code reader
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 939
Likes: 1
From: Central Kansas
The sky's the limit - what do you want to spend? Your options range from taking it down to your local Autozone or similar and having them scan it for free, all the way to buying a professional grade scanner. If you want to use your laptop, there's a program called Autoenginuity that's very well respected and w/ the Ford bundle will do nearly everything the dealer's will.
Pretty much any cheapo scanner will read engine codes but if it's anything ford specific you'll need a higher grade tool.
Pretty much any cheapo scanner will read engine codes but if it's anything ford specific you'll need a higher grade tool.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,333
Likes: 35
From: South Carolina
+1 on what Maverick said. I know some of the diesel guys swear by AE - but they have more need to get into what the computer thinks it is doing to their motor. If all you need it is the code read, go to AutoZone - they do it for free. After you get the code, research ALL the things that could cause it. Sometimes it is the sensor, sometimes the sensor is reporting a problem elsewhere in the engine. And some are just a random nuisance. Reset and see if it repeats.
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
cool, how much would the labtop with the ford scanning capabilities set me back, how do you reset it, I'm a little uneasy with autozone, worried their unskilled possibly unknowlegeable employee could mess up my ecm accedently
Fleet Owner
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 27,307
Likes: 549
From: Spanaway
This is also a decent option for reading and the monitoring
capabilities it has and you don't to have a laptop in the truck
to get stolen. AND you can all the Xguages to it
ScanGaugeII : Linear Logic - Home of the ScanGauge
$160 at Autozone if you want to pick up locally.
Sean
capabilities it has and you don't to have a laptop in the truck
to get stolen. AND you can all the Xguages to it
ScanGaugeII : Linear Logic - Home of the ScanGauge
$160 at Autozone if you want to pick up locally.
Sean
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,333
Likes: 35
From: South Carolina
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2012
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ok, need a few more answers...I havent decided on which code reader to get yet so I went to autozone, had the chick read the codes, and she says it said the thermostat was faulty, now my temp gauge stays in the normal, but thats not to say its sticking open just a little to not allow the engine to reach full operating temp...hence throwing a code, so I bought a new thermostat, first question is, is the antifreeze used by ford oem different than the green prestone?, and should i expect to have to bleed the air out of the system as I refill it?
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,333
Likes: 35
From: South Carolina
Read your owner's manual - it has specific instructions about which coolant to use and which one to avoid. Start on page 257.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,333
Likes: 35
From: South Carolina
Get the guy at the auto parts store to do it with their code reader.
Tuned
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 306
Likes: 5
For about $20 you can get a Bluetooth dongle (plugs into your OBDII port) off Ebay, then download an app on your smartphone. There are apps for either iPhone or Android. The apps are pretty cheap depending what you get.
