Honestly, it's worth a try. It surges hard and idles back down like it's trying to find its idle now, but I'll check them too while checking everything else. I should have the truck back tomorrow and will let everyone know the results of their suggestions. I'm at a total loss and after spending almost a thousand dollars at two dealers so they can both say they don't know either and am betting it's so intensly simple that they overlooked it with all of their educated guessing.

 

Also make sure that every electrical connection and vacuum line is in tack. Does your truck dealer sell alot of trucks? If not, try to find one that does. The more trucks the dealer sells, the more experience they have in fixing them. Good luck

 

They have a large commercial portion and are the largest dealer in Oklahoma. The problem that I'm finding is they rely too much on widgets to do their thinking for them. I'm leaning towards a vacuum leak or burned wire and they're just giving me the deer in headlights look because their widget is telling them everything is fine instead of trying to think for themselves and realize that the computer works on default mode to keep the truck running instead of just killing it in the road. I'll be under the hood the better part of today and Wednesday to see what they've missed.

 

May sound weird, but if it hasn't been done try it. Disconnect the battery and let it sit for a good while, like 30 min. Then hook it up and drive it for 30 min or so and see if the computer can relearn and get rid of the problem.

 

That's the first thing on our list we have and believe me when I say nothing sounds weird anymore. I'm talking to the dealership as I type this trying to get my truck home and that's then I'll unhook the battery, let it cool down for an hour or two, then start checking vacuum lines and looking for possibly a burnt wire once the engine is cool enough to craw underneath the hood. I figure that should take an hour or so at least and allow the computer time to reset itself.

 

I'm guessing your from Guthrie. I work at a shop in Tulsa if you're willing to make the drive. On an odd ball problem like that there really isn't anything that can be done without having the truck available. I'll do some research and see what I can come up with, but don't hold your breath.

 

One more thing, did they ever smoke it for vacuum leaks?

 

Supposedly we're good to go on vacuum leaks unless it's a line that's leaking. There was supposedly one at the egr valve that was resolved when they replaced the valve.

We may take you up on your offer if we can't find out what the problem is. We've had it at two dealers for a month now. It was here in Guthrie and down at Cooper both for over a week and a half. They finally stopped it from dying, but now it's surging like it's trying to idle, but can't settle itself down. It revs up then drops down, but only does it when it's warm. When it's cold it runs like a top.

 

We went and picked up the truck tonight and they're saying that we may need to replace the computer module since it's unlikely that the transmission is causing the engine to refuse to idle. Any words of wisdom?

 

We checked down the list of things suggested and found no more vacuum leaks or burned wires. We also reset the computer overnight and it seems to actually help lending creedance to the theory that it needs a new computer. Now the task of finding one. I have F1TF 12A650 AJE and despite four hours on the phone and countless people saying that I was either incorrect in the truck that I have or they simply don't know I finally found a guy that could cross reference the module saying that the D module will interchange since the E module is no longer in production and there's not one in captivity. It will be in Friday and we'll have it in by Saturday. Either we'll rule out that or fix the problem. I hope it fixes it because I'm at my wits end.

 

Does it matter if the brakes are being applied. Just wondering if it could be some hidden vacume leak in the brake boster that wouln't matter when it's running open loop cold. Keep us updated.

 

Now there's a thought. A bad booster can cause funky idle problems. Pull the line off and plug it with something. See if that improves the situation.

 

We've explored that possibility with the "experts" because that was my first hunch too. They claim that it would happen more frequently than it does because it takes about 15-20 miles of driving for it to happen and even then it's intermittentant. I'll pull the line off and plug it to see if it helps because before I didn't know how to check something like that other than to change the booster, but now I do. Interestingly, if we reset the computer it takes longer for the truck to start acting up and I was checking the notes and saw where they reset the timing saying it was extremely off (something like 20 degrees if I remember correctly) and the EGR valve was making it die and there were three sensors that had completely shorted out (TPS, ECT, and another one). When we pulled the brain out to attempt to find another we also noticed some rust ringed around the box as if there had been water down inside the compartment at some time such as having run down inside the box that holds the brain. I don't know how delicate those are, but the mechanics suggested that the sensors shorting out may have fried the brain.

Now the truck doesn't die, but when it starts acting up gets a miss in it causing it to surge then drop, surge, then drop, until we give it gas and take off again as if it can't idle. It only does it when under a strain with the brakes applied (hence my suggestion and yours about the booster) but drives wonderfully. The six in a low geared rear end with a one ton body isn't a speed demon, but it has lots of pulling power with just a few kinks to get worked out before it's ready for full service.

I also asked Ford why I had such a time finding parts for my truck since it's only nine years old. The "experts" at the Ford dealership where I had the work done said my truck couldn't have a 91 configuration or a six cyl with a C-6 transmission. After searching for four hours I finally found a parts man that told me that my truck was a custom ordered fleet vehicle because Ford offered those options until 1997 and that they discontinued the AJE brains in October of last year. He's the one that also told me that I could use an AJD brain in it instead because there are no more AJE brains in captivity unless I want to take mine out and send it to China so they can refurbish it. I love Ford, but sometimes parts can be a hassle when they decide to obsolete something.

 

Is all this great technology really such a great thing? I mean only in these troubled times could you read a story about a guy getting his car back from the dealership after sinking a grand in a repair attempt, with no results. Even many professional shops and dealerships have resorted to parts changing as a method of troubleshooting. This is rediculous. It wouldnt be so bad if they werent charging you $50 per hour for their guesswork. I think you should have to pay for the repair. A flat rate. Not pay for all the parts you didnt need to begin with and all the time it took the idiots to put them in. If you have a problem THAT should be what you pay for. Whatever went bad and caused that problem and the time it takes to install it.

Most of all if all their guesses were wrong and they cant figure it out, whos fault is that? Not the customers! As much as consumers in America like to kick and scream when businesses dont kiss their butt I'm surprised you don't hear more about these crazy Dealerships and other repair establishments.

Hey Mr. Guthrie I wouldnt give them a dime more than fair market value for their time invested in attemt to fix your car. Basically a diagnostic fee....Say your not Arlo are you?

 

No, I'm not Arlo. I had the same talk with them that you just mentioned and took the truck back to the second dealer once when they didn't fix the problem and then left it another week. We've actually had it at two dealers and been without it for a month, but at least it's drivable this time around whereas it wasn't before. I'm more angry at listening to them call me a liar about my engine and transmission when I called them back looking for a brain then telling me that I made up the calibration code (it's a 91 calibration on a 95 truck because of the C-6 transmission instead of the E40D) after having it in their shop for over two weeks then telling me that it's too old to worry about and needs to be scrapped. I asked Ford if this was their attitude throughout the company because if it was I'd go ahead and buy a Chevy (blah!) next time and break the cycle of being a third generation Ford family. (We've driven only Fords since the Model A's rolled out back in the 30's.) I am yet to hear back from them.

Today my brain is supposed to be in and I'll start working on it again. Like you say, it's a shame that I had to fix it myself after the Ford Master Mechanics couldn't find out what's the matter and have actually gotten higher quality advice and more help from here in this forum than I did at the dealership.