Hello,

So I recently purchased a 94 econoline. I just noticed black electrical tape over the check engine light area... sure enough, it was on when I peeled it off.

The person I purchased it from was selling it for someone else, who, according to the bill of sale, purchased it and almost immediately put it up for sale. I'd also like to note I bought it from a mechanic. He drove it down from Washington to sell for a friend's grandparents. He said he noticed it idled bad every once in a while and told me it was dirty fuel and to clean it. I wasn't too concerned seeing as how I didn't notice a check engine light.

Anyways, the idling was rough only in park. It would be fine sometimes and others it would surge and drop until almost dying and sometimes actually dying. I went ahead and opened up the hood and saw that the ATI circuit was disconnected; of course, the initial code reading gave me 998. I reconnected the circuit, cleaned the IAC and MAF and got some other codes, one indicating that I didn't fully open the throttle during the test others being 411 and 412 - the idle too high and too low.

So, I retested it and got 113 and 641 as a code. I've noticed there is a circular wire harness not connected to anything on the passenger side. I retested it again and got 543 (Fuel Pump Circuit Open–Battery To Powertrain Control Module (PCM)), 157 (Mass Air Flows Sensor Circuit Below Minimum Voltage), 116 (Engine Coolant Temperature Higher Or Lower Than Expected), 312 (AIR Misdirected During KOER), 313 (AIR Not Bypassed During KOER), and 129 (Insufficient Manifold Absolute Pressure/Mass Air Flow Change During Dynamic Response Test KOER). Another time it spit out 641 (Shift Solenoid 3 Circuit Failure).

Couple questions: I took pictures of the tape before and after I peeled it off and noted the incomplete circuits, is this by any means a basis for fraud?
Is the computer just acting up?

-Zach

 

Getting different codes from the OBDI could be a common problem with this era van, that the capacitors on the circuit board of the ECU have corroded, and sure tell sign is the 'green' junk leaking out.

In your case, best to remove the ECU, open the case and and inspect the circuit board, if corrosion is present, the capacitors can be replaced, but I would rather replace the ECU with a re-man unit, that is re-flashed from the manufacturer.

Most ECU's can be found from major auto part places for the $100 range.

As far as other wiring rats nests that you find, that's the great surprise on buying used vehicles

Also sounds like you got this van from a flipper, he snagged it cheap, and flipped it before the engine cooled down.

 

I posted a new thread w/images of ecu potential damage, would you mind takin a look?