I'm going to have to take my truck to Ford. 2 different shops have tested everything and neither one can figure out what is wrong( check this thread for the details: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=465127 )

I just hope it's something simple. I just want to sell it and don't want to put much money into it before I do. I know I won't get much for it anyway. Damn pisser is that it ran perfect before replacing the amp.

 

If it turns out to be the computer, where can I get a replacement cheap?

 

Not sure from the old thread, but have you disconnected the new wire you installed? It sound electrical to me. Look for poor grounds. I installed a stereo last year and it would run than quit when I turned the volumn up. I went back to the store and they said I needed a bigger gage wire to feed this stereo. I thought sure, but bit my toung and bought this wire I can use to pull the rig out if I get stuck in the snow. Same problem as before. Rats! Then I was looking how out of place the small ground wire was sitting next to the new pull cable. I replaced the ground cable and solved the problem. The engine block ground on my 85 van is on the front passenger side behind the alt. Look for the computer ground or other loose wire you might have knocked loose. We all know that you did not short out your wiring as you put in the new amp. Yea. Right. The computers are touchy items. You might disconnect the battery to dump the old setting. Not sure of all the things you have tried. Good luck. Before you sell it for cheap, let it set and forget about it. Come back to it fresh and bring a good attitude. Good luck.

 

how long did it sit? got mice in your area? may have plugged up the exhaust initially, and has slowly been deteriorating since. A code scanner should help you out diagnosing the electrical.

 

I unplugged the amp and truck still ran bad. I know it's something simple, but I don't feel as bad knowing 2 different shops with professional mechanincs and a ton of computers/scanners can't figure it out either.
It didn't sit at all. I did the install in 2 days (ran out of time on the first) and no mice in the area.

Oh, I'm not selling it because of this problem. I got a newer truck and don't need this one anymore.

 

Where exactly are you running the amp power wire from and what are you grounding to? Is there a check engine light on by any chance?

 

From the pos. battery terminal and grounding it to an existing screw hole where the metal trim was held on the raised section on the back wall. Sanded all the paint off down to bare metal. No CEL involved.

 

when you put screw in to ground hole did it hit pinch anything?

 

no. It was nice and clean.

 

it has to be something simple that you did when you worked on stereo.

you need a new set of eyes to look at what you did.

 

I agree it's probably something simple, but I've had many different sets of eyes look at it with no luck. Hopefully Ford can tell me what it is. If it's not a vac problem, I'm assuming electrical.

 

o.k. apparently I was wrong. I went this morning to pick up the truck from the shop's lot. Just for kicks I undid the ground from where I grounded it to and also undid the power wire from the amp. It ran like normal. Before I had unhooked it at the battery. As I was looking, the screw I used to ground it with isn't bare metal. It's black(the one that held the metal trim in). Could that be it? Do I just need to get an all metal screw? I'm going to try another screw tomorrow(the truck is at work) and see what's up. I hope that's it. If not, I'll just take the amp/speakers out, put back in the stock one's and sell it. Either way I don't have to take it to Ford. Man I feel like an idiot.

 

i hope that is what it is.

at least you got it to run right.

 

yeah, I hope so too. I don't want to have to take it all out, but if I do it'll only take an hour or so.

 

Well that was the problem. I put the ground to frame(bottom, back of the cab) and all is fine. Runs like it did before. I still can't believe that was it. Oh well, now she's officially up for sale. Thanks for the all your help guys!!