well mike b 88 it seems as you maybe right afterall. figure out how to read my reader right, got the truck running again and got codes 211 and 212. ford says i need to replace the ecm/pcm to the tune of 253.00. plus the time it takes to get because ford no longer manufactures them for 95 and earlier

 

well i have disconnected all the plugs i could find under the hood, blew them out with air and reconnected them. ran another test and no codes have come back, hoping i got it. thanks for all the brain testing.

 

What you described in the first post was similer to what happened in my 88. Truck ran just fine, then all of a sudden quit. I pulled off the road, looked at what I could, sat for 10 minutes or so. The truck started right up after that, ran another 3 miles and quit. Sat another 10 minutes, and it then ran long enough to get home (2 miles). After that, it didn't run again until I replaced the computer. After that, I've had no problems with that problem.

Mike B

 

so far so good, it is still running. I have about four hours on it so far and it has not missed a beat. I am going to run another series of test tonight to see what comes up. when i last check it there no codes. I really hate chasing elec. stuff because you just never know what is breaking down if anything. does anyone think that maybe some brake fluid getting into one of connections might have something to do with it? the stuff went everywhere when the line broke, then my trouble started like a day or two after.

 

If you have bad pins, and corrosion at the PCM plug, changing the Computer will do the same as unplugging the Computer and plugging it back in. Also note that the computer plug is right under your master cylinder. This may be what MikeB 88 had. For the computer to do this it would have to have a component that was sensitive to heat , bad solder joint or a cracked main board. My day job has been working on computers for 25 years.

But you always said that when it did not run you had no power at the Battery side of your Coil. There is no way the Computer can turn this power off if you look at the diagrams above. The only way the computer can stop you from running is stop the pulse to the other side of the Coil or stop the injectors from firing.

You can get around the pulse at the coil by pulling out the SPOUT and it will run at base timing but of course you will still need the computer to fire the injectors.

In the end your problem will more than likely be a bad Ignition control module.

 

I dont think the computer is bad considering it kept giving the same #212 (spark to ground) spout) code unitl i pulled the harness plugs connectors apart and blew them off. the main engine harness plug did get pretty wet with brake fluid when the line broke, this is located directly under the master cyclinder and was the last one done to make the code go away. i scanned after each one so i could norrow the field down to where the problem existed. i have all new ignition parts since this problem began with the exception of the dist. pickup.

 

Sounds like you may have fixed your problem. Dirt, corrosion can reak havoc on an electric system. I hope cleaning your connections work.

Mike B

 

none appeared to be dirty / corroded. i hope you are right.

 

i've been working on electrical problems on my Thunderbird. When I clean any connections, I've been putting dieelectric grease on the pins.

Mike B

 

well it failed again, same code 111 (system ok) and 212 (Loss of ignition diagnostic monitor input to powertrain control module or spark output circuit grounded.) no restarting anymore.

 

Have you tried cleaning the plug to the powertrain control module (PCM).

 

spottless and regreased

 

If you got brake fluid into the PCM you can try taking the PCM out and then take it out of its box and spraying the board, plug and components with Flux Stripper. Do not touch any of the components, handle the board by its edges.

 

Code 212 (Loss of ignition diagnostic monitor input to powertrain control module or spark output circuit grounded).

This means you have lost the input on pin 4 of the PCM (Circuit 382 [Y/BK WIRE] Ignition Diagnostic Monitor [IDM]). This wire comes from pin 3 of the Ignition Control Module (ICM).

The ICM is more than likely bad. It is located on the driver’s fender on a heat sink. Also if the Heat sink compound between the ICM and the heat sink is insufficient it will cause the ICM to heat up and cause this.

 

it is a new icm with new grease and cleaned prior to install, but i have had new things go bad