History:
SES light was coming on when driving with resulting loss of power. I changed the under valve cover harness and gasket.
The truck runs better than ever, except for startup.
When first started after changing harness and gasket, the light stayed on for an instant after start, then went off. Each day, it stayed on slightly longer. This morning it started to surge on start up and didn't go off until it was well warmed up and I had driven a couple of miles.
I bought the BAFX along with Torque Pro scan tool, but it didn't produce any codes. If the truck was running while using it, the truck would die.
I have the OBDLink MX on order and it should arrive tomorrow. I also downloaded Forscan. Hopefully I can get some codes then. I am concerned that it won't work either.
I also did the crankcase vent mod and changed the interior light relay. I had a dead battery which may have been from an interior light being left on.
I'm not a great mechanic, but I was careful not to pinch any wiring when doing the harness.
Any ideas of where I may have created the new problem or perhaps it is purely coincidence? Will my new scan tool work? Is it possible the BAFX lead to my troubles?

 

If the CEL is on there are codes. First guess would be underside of harness at 42 pin connector chafing and shorting out on the diver side valve cover. Pop it off and have a gander. Split heater hose makes a decent layer of protection.

Torque pro and BT dongles sometimes stall the truck when attempting to scan for codes. Not really sure why. Friend of mine had an 02 identical to mine (except white) and his would stall but mine never did. I suspect the RF chokes used for my HID install made the difference but I never had opportunity to confirm that by experimentation.

Best practice is to replace batteries in pairs. Otherwise the weaker one will draw down the good one.

 

Did the world change it's axis all of a sudden? You don't get codes with the truck running.......Key On Engine Off......always.

 

I thought that. The codes should be in the computer already.
With just the key on, it often failed to connect at all. Instructions said to try if both ways. With the engine running, it connected every time, but the motor would stall before completion. No codes read either way.
I read somewhere that the BAFX adapter didn't read all of the Ford codes. Torque Pro has a special setting that is supposed to make it more compatible with the F!50 and F250. I don't know why a F350 would be different, but even with the special setting, no codes came forth.
I got the feeling that it was perhaps the adapter itself or the TP program causing the problem, but I really don't see how.
The OBDLink MX claims compatibility with Fords. Hopefully I can get some codes tomorrow when it arrives.
The 41 pin connector was a good guess. It certainly made sense, but I still get the light.

 

I use Bafx for my truck, and I have 0 issues. These devices and programs are not Plug-n- Play, There is a learning curve with all of them. If it's not connecting or not staying locked in, it's likely you're doing something wrong. And because both Torque and Forscan are Bi-directional, if your not careful, you're gonna stall a lot. Don't forget you're messing with the Brain on these things.there are several tutorials on working TP and Forskin. read them and move forward.....You'll get results.

 

Still no codes.
The truck is a 2001 F350 first registered in California.
Using Mobil1 synthetic, which was just changed. The symptoms sound similar to the romp problem described here, though there is no mention of the SES light coming on.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...e-harmful.html

Still have a slight battery drain which leads me to think there may be a short in the UVC harness. Can this be checked at the connector? I hate to pull it all apart again.

Thanks for the replies.

 

Ya know just I never had a problem on my truck so I never questioned it. But I have always been the beneficiary of dumb luck. Given how it tranqed my buddy's truck I completely agree KOEO is the safer way to go.

OP: so no chafing on underside of 42 pin harness on valve cover? Any oil at connector on top of ICP sensor?

 

Somewhere in the instructions between the adapter and the app, I read to try it both ways if the key on engine off didn't work. I've always done it with the engine off, but being a novice, when it didn't communicate, I followed their instructions.

Perhaps I misunderstood them, but after a couple tries with the truck dying, I quit.

There seems to be a quirk in some of our trucks where the $09 mode can't be read. My error message when testing said "unable to read $06 mode" or something like that. There is quite a bit of confusion around this issue. It seems that some are and some aren't able to communicate. I've read that Ford has a software update that will fix the quirk. I've also read that the update somehow increases fuel consumption.
The update isn't mandatory to pass smog. I've passed California smog without it.


I found a PDF issued by the state of California, entitled "Smog Check OBD Reference".

Table 4 "OIS Vehicles of Interest", on pages 12 and 13 it mentions our trucks.
Anyways I took it it into the shop and had it read with a good scanner. It showed an error with the exhaust back pressure EBPS, which I found to be choked off.
I've addressed that issue in another thread.

Not sure what was draining the batteries. May well have been from an unrelated source. I put a good charge on them and they seem to be holding.