Well, I had to hook up my old almost no good 60 pin breakout on a 1990 Country Squire (wood trim Crown Vic station wagon) that would not run, and would not output codes
At a body shop they had 3 processors put in it without saving the original, when It would not start and run
A Ford Motorcraft DU 30-C stator for the distributor and a new Motorcraft Module fixed it, kept giving me a code 18 with the new processor
I had to tear the harness apart and repair a broken wire that went from the self test connector to the processor was the reason for the no codes outputted

 

You guys make **** entirely too complicated.

 

And in 6yrs of bringing up the ol'NGS, nobody has ever came back with...I forgot I had that ol'thing, I can get my truck fixed today for sure...

 

One of the benefits is that our wallet is fatter and the parts cannon is 'like new'. Another benefit is our clients like us doing it this way. It is a disease I have that has to know what is wrong and find a test to prove it.

 

Didn’t ask for an explanation and don’t care. Since you only have a limited time to work on the truck it would seem to me that diagnosing the problem and fixing it the first time would make more sense than throwing parts at it is it after visit hoping that you bought the right part this time.

$30 here. $20 there. It might not be much but it adds up to a lot of money when the correct part could have been purchased the first time.

Interesting… I saved $400-500


by testing the TPS with a DVOM. Somewhere I have a voltmeter with a needle so I can check for a dead spot easier.

 

Yes indeed, analog meters have some real advantages over the digital versions. It needs more of a load to make the test and sometimes that load will point out a problem sooner. That is why I like to have the circuit working [ie everything plugged in] because that way, I can 'see' what the ECU sees. They say that old analog meters can ruin a delicate circuit, I have yet to see that.

When I was younger, I saw many mechanics by the super jumbo Snap-On tool boxes that were bigger than the tiny homes you can buy. They tended to be the technicians that were not smart with their money. I looked at most tools is 'How much money could I make with that?' If I could not justify the cost, I did not buy it. I long screw driver could be used as a pry bar. Dual purpose and saved me money.

If I worked on older Fords for a living, I would have one. People pay me to be right and I tend not to charge when I am wrong. That tool would pay for itself in a few repairs.

Does the tool work? I think we can all agree it does. If someone gave it to you, I think we all would say 'Thanks' and use it. Can we all agree it is worth $400? That is where people seem to disagree. Heck, I just spent $14,000 on a bicycle, I cannot justify that purchase to myself let alone to anyone else. That is how the Snap-On dealers fleeced the ignorant techs. Sure their tools are good, but they did not bring in more money than Sears Craftsman tools.