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New, confused and frustrated
#1
Donna2015's AvatarDonna2015 , Today 02:51 PM
Hello everyone! I have been reading these posts for a while. You all are amazing. I am recently divorced and working on re-establishing my income. That means no room in the budget for a mechanic. Unfortunately I am confused and frustrated. This mechanic stuff is new to me. I am a behind the desk type girl, but willing to try anything. I rely on you all and Youtube to do everything. You have taught me a lot and I am grateful. I am hoping you can help me with this situation.

I have a 1999 Ford e150 cargo van v6. The van ran fine until one of my staff ran it out of gas. When I put gas in it the van no longer would start. When I turned the key power would come on and I would hear the fuel pump prime. I decided to change the fuel filter thinking that when it ran out of gas I clogged the filter. Well that started a new set of issues. I then Changed the fuel pump. We don't need to address that process. I learned how to do it when I took the fuel pump out of the gas tank at the junk yard. They are interesting places. I did not completely hook up the tank to the van until I checked out the wiring to make sure the fuel pump would make a priming noise. Yes I did put a little gas in the tank after I cleaned out the tank completely. The old pump was filthy. The new/used one looks brand new. When I replaced the pump I replaced the pump and filter as a set as I took it our of the one in the junk yard thinking I might have screwed something up when i tried to change the fuel filter the first time. I do not get anything.

Now I don't hear the pump come on. I think you all call that priming the pump. I think I messed something up electrical. I started to do all of the checks that I read about. I learned how to read and use the meters. From what I have read in this forum it makes sense to start from the beginning.

Checked the battery - it is putting out 12 volts sometimes a little higher sometimes a tad lower. Especially when I did a load test. Kind of hard to do because not everything would come on. The lights came on and the buzzer buzzes. Everything that runs off of relays doesn't come on because the relays are not getting power

I found the fuses and the relays with the schematics. I pulled and checked every fuse. Some needed to be replaced, but they didn't have anything to do with this. At least I don't think so.

I checked the relays. For all of the relays that I could find are not getting power.

I read about this thing called a PCM. The PCM has two hots and they are good reading 12 volts.

They were corroded and the bolt for the ground was so bad it broke. I had a "friend mechanic" who left the hood open . I think the rain had something to do with that. In all honesty I haven't a clue what else he did. I towed the van back home so I good give it a try. AT least I know enough to close the hood. LOL

I cleaned the connections and extended the wire for the ground to a clean metal place on the frame.

Still I am not getting power coming out of the PCM. At least I don't think so because nothing else is getting power even after I cleaned and reconnected everything.

Before I go back to the junk yard to get a new PCM I am trying to check the out- put connections. So far I am not able to get the thing high enough to check the connections because they are on the bottom. I pulled on everything and they are tight, but I am not convinced the connections are clean after what I saw on top.

Any suggestions on how I can pull it high enough to disconnect - clean and reconnect?

Is there a way to by pass that PCM?

If it isn't the PCM is there anything else that I am missing that goes between the PCM and the relays?

The "Friend mechanic" said I should just replace the PCM and all of the relays. I do not have any faith in him since he didn't have the sense to close the hood.

I think it is premature to replace anything before I can check those connections. Am I wrong or should I just assume the PCM is bad?

Could this PCM really be the problem or could it be a totally different problem?

Oh I also forgot to mention that when "Friend mechanic" tried to charge the battery he told me he smelled something burning and the radio started to come on and off by itself. Could that have fried something? Getting that radio out without the right tool was quite a trick. Could I have fried or hurt anything when I took out the radio?

I did not see anything on any schematic that connects the radio directly to the PCM. Is there something I am missing. I see that it went to a fuse and that was one of the fuses I had to replace.

The fuse box is getting power. reading between 1-5 amps. Is that what it should be reading? I am not sure if that reading is good or not. If I have a fuse greater then 5 amps wouldn't it need to have the access to more amps? Does that have something to do with the load? But even if a 20amp fuse could read less unless it has a load on it wouldn't the reading range going to the box be high enough to meet the expectations of the highest amperage of the highest fuse?

I have great respect for all of you who know how to do all of this stuff and understand it. I understand why you all need degrees for this stuff.

Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

If this is the wrong forum I am sorry.

Thank you, Donna
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#2
ctubutis's Avatarctubutis , Today 04:09 PM
Hi, Donna,

No, I wouldn't be replacing the PCM and/or relays unless it/they is/are proven to be the source of the problem - which I really doubt, given a quick breeze-through of your post.

But you are really in the wrong forum to be asking technical questions (you're in a hi-how-ya-doin-my-name-is forum) so I suggest you copy-n-paste to not only the van forum but also the truck forum for your year van - that's because the truck forums tend to get more traffic and more people than the van forum.

Truck forum for your year:

1997 - 2003 F150 - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums



Van forum:

1968-2013 Full Size Vans - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Welcome to FTE!

-chris
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You need to slow down and stop yanking parts off the truck for no reason.. You ran out of gas, and this resulted in burning up the radio, running the battery dead, and killing the PCM and all relays ?

FIRST, charge the battery until it puts out at least 12.5 volts. Check that the headlights will come on and stay bright for 30 seconds. Test the horn to see if it honks.. Turn the key and see if you can year the fuel pump running. Turn to the start position and see if the motor cranks over.. It should crank even if it don't start ?

 

and you are correct, your mechanic friend knows NOTHING about a truck.

 

Update??????