Our '95 RCLB has it mounted horizontally, the '95 ECLB has it vertically.* I forget when each was built. They both communicate with AE just fine, both for codes and live data. No idea about flash history of either truck. Hmm, gets me wondering, I wonder if there's a way to obtain a "version" or some such from the PCM...

And yes, "Ford" and "oddity" often go together.

I believe with OBD-II programming/configuration, it's an acronym for Parameter IDentifier. IT acronyms can be fun to sort out. My personal favorite - in the late '90s, they introduced a card/slot interface for laptops, etc. called PCMCIA (later just called PC-Card). Someone joked that it stands for "People Can't Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms...."

* And the vertical mount is oriented so that when I plug my AE ELM adapter into it, the status lights face AWAY from me

 

http://dilbert.com/dyn/str_strip/000...strip.zoom.gif

 

Greg the one I am thinking of is Dale James Ford in Applecreek OH.
Their number is 888-698-7776. I'd give them a call and see if they can help you out.

If not, then the other option is a PCM swap. That's really not that bad a job either and I may be able to locate an auto PCM that would work for your truck if given a little bit of time.

 

Called Dale, and he referred me to his service manager, Tom. Tom initially did not think that anybody could flash from an OBDI to an OBDII, but checked with his technician. The technician said that they used to be able to do it, but that, long ago, they lost the components that they need to do it. He also mentioned that their newest diagnostic equipment will not read OBDI at all.

 

Yeah Ford is really good at oddities and the wiring and electronics on these vehicles is a great example of that.

And yes, I think the Parameter ID makes sense for OBDII applications.

I've never heard the PCMCIA acronym spelled out that way, but I like it. It's really confusing sometimes since there are so many acronyms that cross over between industries and the same one may have multiple different meanings, given the context.

The same was true of the OBD port on Greg's truck. The indicator lights face the firewall and I had to get my head under the dash to see them!

 

I wonder if Adobe Type Manager could be used over Asynchronous Transfer Mode to update the fonts on an Automatic Teller Machine. Too busy to think about it at the moment....

I'm still not convinced that the PCM is still in OBD-I-land. It produced "Pxxxx" codes, which are distinctly OBD-II-ese. OBD-I is all about two-digit "blink" codes (11 thru 99, obviously no zeros).

If it's not too far a drive to that place, I'd have them hook it up, and see if they can communicate with it at all, and if so, have them flash it to... whatever the latest version is that they can flash it to. Then maybe the Torque will talk to it. It just seems like a contradiction (oops, I guess I mean "oddity"....) that the Matco could obtain codes (specifically P-codes), the Torque app could read sensor data, but the Torque app could not obtain codes. Something's not adding up.

 

Last night, another friend brought over a code reader. It was an older Snap-On unit, that had a different connector on it. The connector was much larger, and had fewer pins than what the Matco unit had. He called this larger connecter, an OBDI connecter. It clearly would not fit the connector in the truck. He said that since the connector in the truck was the smaller sized connecter, with more pins, that the connector type in the truck was OBDII, and that the truck must have already been converted to OBDII.

It was his contention, that the connector clearly identified whether the vehicle was OBDI, or OBDII.

Maybe this could explain the strange orientation of the connector in the truck. Perhaps something had been adapted, and installed as an oddity.

OBDII pinout - OBD2 connector (16 pin)

OBDI pinout - http://www.justanswer.com/chevy/30d1...connector.html (For a Chevy, but still 12 pin)

In general, it seems that many OBDI connection locations were under the hood, and that all of the OBDII conncetion locations were on the driver side of the passenger compartment near the center console. This adds fuel to the train of thought that the truck may have been converted already.

BTW - Decided to investigate the not-as-critical exhaust pressure error code. When the exhaust pressure sensor was removed, and the engine was started, there was no pressure coming from the tube to which the sensor was connected. The tube looked to be in good condition all the way from the exhaust manifold, to the sensor location. Are there any suggestions on a way to clean the inside of this tube? I tried a guitar string, and it was semi-successful.

 

As I understand it, they put the OBD-II connector in all the '95s (and possibly the '94.5s), but it was non-functional on the early versions, which used the underhood connector (IIRC, that underhood connector is different yet from the OBD-I connector shown in the link; a four-pin connector if memory serves). They must have speculated that the "Enhanced" OBD-sorta-II programming would be coming along later in the model year, and the service depts. would flash these trucks as they came in. The horizontal/vertical thing is probably a function of where the truck was assembled; our truck with the horizontal connector was built in Ontario, the one with the vertical connector was built in Kansas City. I'll have to check the door jamb labels for the dates.

As for the EBP tube, it's real common for it to clog with soot. Stiff wire (maybe something stiffer than a guitar string) usually gets it, assisted by a solvent like carb cleaner or PB Blaster. With one of our trucks, it wasn't the tube itself, but the fitting into the manifold, that was clogged. I ended up disconnecting the tube down at the manifold, and poking a long skinny screwdriver into the fitting, and digging and twisting until it poked through.

 

Yup, pre-OBDII Fords used EEC-IV programming/connector, like this...

 

That is exactly what he brought!

 

^^^^^ That's the beast. Once again, "Ford" and "oddity" go hand-in-hand....

Bicycle mirror. Whenever I break one, I keep the head, to use as an inspection mirror. Handy for, say, checking status lights on a network jack on a PC or laptop dock when it's real close to a wall and you can't move it out readily. But with that OBD-II port, I keep getting tempted to just unscrew it and turn it 180 degrees.

 

"The horizontal/vertical thing is probably a function of where the truck was assembled; our truck with the horizontal connector was built in Ontario, the one with the vertical connector was built in Kansas City. I'll have to check the door jamb labels for the dates."


Did a VIN number lookup on the Ford VIN decoder site VIN Decoder | fleet.ford.com .

The "E" designates that the truck was built at the Kentucky Truck Plant.

The door label has an 03/95 date.


This brings up another question about the truck. It has the words "Hamilton Custom Cruiser" written on the front fenders, the tailgate, and perhaps one or two other places. Up until now, the best suggestion by anyone as to what this Hamilton Custom Cruiser is, was that it was built in Hamilton. I now see that this is not so. Any ideas what this means? There is no digital footprint of this on the internet that I have found.

 

I used an .046" wire wound guitar string, and I also tried a piece of .035" MIG wire. The MIG wire was too stiff to make the bends. The guitar string allowed me to rotate it while inserting it, much the same as a speedometer cable.

After spinning and pushing for a while, I applied 100 psi compressed air to the exposed fitting, and pulsed it. The tube partially opened up. When I started the engine, I saw a black puff of carbon shoot up into the air. I then put some Kroil in it to sit overnight. Will go at it again later today, as I believe that it is still mostly blocked. I was just hoping that there was an easier way.

 

Door jamb label should also indicate the assembly plant.

No effing clue what "Hamilton Custom Cruiser" means. First meaningful link is to this truck/5er presently for sale: 1996 Ford F350 Hamilton Custom Cruiser w/ 5th Wheel for sale in Seville, Ohio . All the detail pics are of the trailer, no meaningful 411 about the truck. Sounds like a competitor to Centurion that never quite caught on.

 

As for assembly location, the door jamb label only states, "MFD. BY FORD MOTOR CO. IN U.S.A." on the top.

I tried to post a picture of the label by pressing the fourth icon from the right, but every time I try it, the page ends up being "recovered", and there is no opportunity to upload. This may be a problem with the browser that I am using.

I saw that advertisement as well, but since I did not learn anything from it, other than apparently, a second Hamilton Custom Cruiser was made, so I did not count that as information.