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ECU (control module), a big black box located under the driver's door (near the fuel filter):
HCU (pump + solenoids), a big, heavy, shiny metal block w/ brake lines coming in the front & out the back located under the driver's door
NOTE: If you get a code saying this is bad, be prepared to shell out several hundred dollars. Ford dealers no longer carry these, and working ones are getting harder to find in junkyards.
Three wheel sensors (despite the name this system only has three channels):
LF wheel sensor
RF wheel sensor
Differential speed sensor
When the ABS lamp illuminates, pulling the codes is vastly different from other vans of this period. The codes are accessible only via the ABS ECU connector, which is located on the LH side of the engine bay (driver's side in North & South America and mainland Europe) between the vehicle battery and the LH fender. On vans w/ EEC-IV-managed engines (like my '94 E-150 w/ its gasoline 351 Windsor) it can be found near the EEC-IV (PCM / main computer) connector. It is a round connector with a square-sided top and four pins: the signal pin is the top-left one (its wire is black/orange).
(special thanks to FORDF250HDXLT)
NOTES:
On the 4-wheel ABS system, there is *NO* under-the-dash connector w/ orange and black wires; that is for the standard rear ABS system only.
Other connectors similar in appearance to the ABS ECU connector exist under the hood; make sure you are connecting to the correct one in between the battery and the LH fender.
A technician-grade scan tool either from that era (most affordable option) or newer is required to pull the codes. As good of a friend as your buddy might be, the cheap-o OBD2 scanner he bought off eBay or from Harbor Freight will not suffice. Some examples of compatible scanners are:
Last edited by TimothyOnline; Dec 18, 2018 at 10:31 PM.
Reason: Amended EEC-IV info out of consideration for vehicles w/ EEC-V-mgd. engines ('94 vehicles w/ IDI diesels; all '95+ diesels)
This problem plagued me for a good month or two. It only affects a few trims of a few years of the E-series. I wanted to make sure nobody was as bewildered as I was ever again.
Hello Tim,
I have a 1995 E250 5.8L that has an intermittent ABS light that comes on.......and it stays on until the key is turned off.
An uneven road surface will usually set it.
I can't afford one of these expensive professional testers to retrieve the ABS fault codes. I've spent a lot of time checking
with specialists who haven't even been able to locate this connector.
Have you figured or tried out a way to jump a combination of these wires and retrieve the ABS codes in the dash similarly
to the single Org/Blk connector of the earlier models?
**** or ****
someone that might have this EEC-1V scan tool in Huntington Beach, Ca.
Given that a rough road sets it off, you could take an afternoon and:
confirm your connections to the ABS ECU (control module) are clean, non-corroded and secure
confirm your connections to the ABS HCU (pump) are clean, non-corroded and secure
confirm your connections to the speed sensor(s) is (are) clean, non-corroded and secure:
one on the rear differential
(4-wheel ABS only) one on the left front wheel hub
(4-wheel ABS only) one on the right front wheel hub
check resistance between:
the speed sensor(s) and ground
specific ABS circuit wires / pins
If the speed sensor and circuit resistance values / test procedures aren't on this or another forum you can find them on Mitchell1 DIY (what I used). ALLDATA and Chilton DIY may have them as well. If you don't want to buy a subscription I would call the main branch of Huntington Beach Public Library and see if they subscribe to any of these databases; some libraries do.
I would avoid replacing any parts without testing them first: I threw $335 down the drain replacing an ABS ECU only to have the light remain illuminated.
Regarding the 4-wheel ABS system:
the connector is between the driver's side fender and the engine bay battery.
I am not aware of any valid test procedures that involve inserting a jumper between several pins. I would advise calling around to several independent shops, preferably who have been in business for 20-30 years; they may have a scanner capable of interfacing with mid-90s Ford ABS systems. Other than that you can ask L.A.-area FTE members if they have or know a shop who has a capable scanner.
I acknowledge a search for an antiquated piece of professional diagnostic equipment is a lot to ask: just talk to owners of 87-90 Jeep Cherokees / Commanches w/ RENIX-managed engines (AMC 2.5L & 4.0L). Not only do they need a Chrysler DRB-II scanner or equivalent (like my Snap-On MT2500) to pull diagnostic data, but their vehicles are non-OBD so they don't have Check Engine lights. Imagine the fun the Californians among them endure trying to pass a Smog Check!
Tim,
I usually don't give up too easily............going to check deeper at the central library today.
Here's a few pics of the locations I've tried where the ABS diagnostic connector should be.
Note: Org / Blk wire near the EEC Test connector. Not a single wire connector as described.
Do you know the differences between RABS I and RABS II ?
Thanks again,
HBLARRY Not a single org/blk wire...... Searched this area good.......no connector Where it is said to be located.......
Could you show us the face of the connector you found near the EEC-IV connector? Its wires' colors match those on my pictured 4-wheel ABS connector *exactly* (see the fourth pic in my initial post). You may have already found it, validating that your van has the aforementioned 4-wheel ABS, especially since you cannot locate an orange/black wire connector under your dash.
Last edited by TimothyOnline; Apr 7, 2019 at 11:28 PM.
Reason: Changed relative picture reference after adding another picture
Tim,
Apparently I do have one of the 4 Wheel ABS system...... w/ only three actual sensors.
Again,.......thanks for the great pics. Enough to confuse most anyone.
Is there any way to jumper wire this connector to have the codes display on the dash?
I haven't found any shop yet locally that has this 3-Pin connector adapter and a scanner
that can read the codes.
Do you have a picture of the connection of the SnapOn scanner and the adapter to the
ABS connector. I'm hearing........your vehicle is too old BS repeatedly.
I haven't found any shop yet locally that has this 3-Pin connector adapter and a scanner
that can read the codes.
Your friendly local Ford dealer should be able to read the codes for you. That doesn't mean you have to pay them to do repairs. Reading the codes shouldn't cost an arm and a leg. Probably their minimum shop fee, which i usually a half hour labor, or maybe an hour.
Again,.......thanks for the great pics. Enough to confuse most anyone.
Is there any way to jumper wire this connector to have the codes display on the dash?
I haven't found any shop yet locally that has this 3-Pin connector adapter and a scanner
that can read the codes.
Not of which I have heard or seen. I spent several months chasing this issue across Southwest Richmond before breaking down and buying my own off of eBay.
Do you have a picture of the connection of the SnapOn scanner and the adapter to the
ABS connector. I'm hearing........your vehicle is too old BS repeatedly.
*sigh* The joy of owning older cars. They take care of us, though, don't they?
This is how I connect my Snap-On MT2500:
The red wire of the FORD-4 adapter goes on the top left pin (orange / black wire):
The black wire goes to a ground and the green wire is "at large":
External power (in my case, a battery clamp) goes into the side of the FORD-4 adapter:
Ground and power connections:
Connection to the MT2500 unit:
I have an extra MT25001099 Primary Cartridge I'd be happy to send you, but everything I have read and heard says you are going to need a compatible scanner to pull the codes.
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