Gentlemen

I'm looking at purchasing an 89 Ford Bronco with the 5.0L 302. One concern I have is that I believe the engine has an ECU. In the past I've done a fair bit of work on my dads 66 F100 with a 352FE. It was always relatively simple. However, with the ecu installed in this engine, will I find myself unable to diagnose and fix issues without professional assistance due to the ECU module? How many parameters does that ECU control? This is new to me so I appreciate your input. I'm also a brand new member to ford enthusiasts. Thanks for your help!

 

The ECU (PCM - Powertrain Control Module in Ford speak) controls a lot of parameters. It controls the fuel and spark, and in some cases (probably not back in '89) also control the transmission. If you own a paper clip you can read all of the code that the PCM can set, which makes diagnosing problems easier than it was on the older vehicles.

 

An 89 with a 302 is probably an AOD transmission. If its an E4OD (long rectangle pan) the PCM controls the transmission too. Don't be scared of the electronics, they will tell you what the problem is.