Hello all. Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction.

A little back story. I bought a 2005 F-150 super cab 4x4 (5.4 triton 3v) about two and a half years ago from a person on Craigslist who bought it from a tow company. That was my first mistake. The truck ran fine for about three miles then started coughing and sputtering. It would fix itself and then randomly do it again until it eventually stopped fixing itself. Turns out it needed a timing chain and sprockets. On top of that, most all the sensors needed replacing. So, I bought a timing chain set, water pump thermostat, and oil pump and found a shop actually willing to do the work. It sat at the shop for about five months due to me being on a fixed income and having to pay them a little at a time. When it was time to start the engine after everything was replaced the engine blew itself up. So, the shop replaced the engine with a good used engine with 20k less miles than the one that blew up (it had 200k showing on the odo when it blew up). Somehow, I got it to pass smog. On the way home from the smog test the CEL light came on...After taking it to O'Reilly for a scan it turns out I needed a new cat. Couldn't afford it back then so i kept driving it. Soon after, every warning light on the dash lit up and I heard a long loud beep. The speedo, tach and odo stopped working. That too fixed itself and didn't happen again until this past December when, in a two-week period, it happened 10 times. each time fixing itself. I got a bill consolidation loan and took the truck to a repair shop that specializes in electrical issues. They could not duplicate the problem and told me I should get a new wiring harness for the truck, but they could not find one from any of their suppliers. go figure, it is 20 years old after all. They did not charge me anything and recommended I take it elsewhere.

It stopped doing it long enough for me to get to a muffler shop and have them replace two cats on the passenger side. For some reason known only to Ford they put 4 cats on this truck. The passenger side front cat went out 2 years ago and because I kept driving it, it then ruined the second cat on that side. $1,766 later it was ready for its smog test. However, one item needed replacing still. The coolant temp sensor was showing low reading. So, I took it to a friend of a friend who works as a mechanic for a Rescue mission. He repairs the cars donated to the mission so they can sell them and make a profit. He also works on cars at his home on the weekends. He removed the sensor from under the intake manifold and found out it was brand new. Must have been one of the sensors I had replaced when I first bought it. He also tells me there is no water in that passage. The sensor was dry. That makes no sense to me. The engine has never run hot in the two years I have been driving it. Anyway, he replaced the sensor and back flushed the system.
On the way down to his house the warning lights all lit up again and the speedo, odo, and tach stopped working. I told him about it and he ran a computer scan on the truck and tells me it has three computers and none of them are synched to the VIN of the truck. He says he knows a mechanic friend who runs his own shop and he knows how to synch the computers and he would talk to him about it. but it has been a week now, and this guy is not returning my calls. So my question to everyone out there is this even a thing? I thought this truck only had one computer, not three. And if this is something I need to do where do I take it? And why didn't the electrical specialist shop mention it instead of telling me I need a new wiring harness? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I can't sell this truck because the loan I got took the title as collateral, and I need it because I am disabled and have a mobility scooter lift on the back.

Jim

 

there is only 1 ECM or Computer in your truck. take to a reputable shop.

 

Thank you for your reply. I didn't think it had more than one, but I have not worked on vehicles in over 40 years. Can any repair shop set it up with the VIN, or does it need to be an electrical specialty shop?

Jim

 

I think all they need is IDS.

 

Thanks again, will check into that.

Jim

 

Yes Sir.

 

Fixed income + no ability to do your own work + old 3V = very bad combo. That truck will nickel & dime you to death. Avoid the sunk cost fallacy, sell it for whatever you can recover and buy something simpler. A 2V bubble body, GMT800 or even an older Hemi or Pentastar is more reliable with problems that are easier to diag for the average shop. I'd suggest an old Tundra but the Toyota tax is real and they tend to sell for a lot more.

 

I understand and agree with everything you say. However, I am stuck with this truck for the next four years and ten months, as the loan company who approved my bill consolidation loan required the title as collateral. I would love to find a F-150 in the 1980-1986 style with the 300 six and automatic (can't drive a stick with my disability.) Living in Fresno AC is a must, but I am currently running out of what's left of the loan trying to get this money pit fixed. There is a mid '80's Dodge D-100-150 about a mile from my place but it looks like it has been sitting for years. I would like to get that, but unlike all the "will it run" videos on YT I have no way of getting it running. I live in an apartment complex that does not allow any repairs to be done on the property, and all vehicles have to be currently registered.
BTW, what is IDS?

Jim

 

I believe it stands for integrated diagnostic system.

 

The 04-08 F-150's had a issue with the main wiring harness that run on P side back between the firewall and the P side head the harness is the trans control harness plus the O2 sensor wires. the harness holder that holds it off the head and Exhaust manifold are bad to break over time and in turn the harness lays right on the p side Exhaust manifold there for melting harness wires together and shorting out to manifold. this could be the case for yours to now what you say its doing is not what I have seen from that but I have had three with this issue and each one was showing different issues that you would not think that harness would cause but was. Its some thing to check to rule out if nothing else. Oh I said I have seen three that's true but one was A Navigator they also in those year models had same issue and one of the F-150's was shorting out and blowing PCM fuse so there is a very wide range of issues harness can cause. Because engine has bee replaced I would defiantly be checking that now cause chances are the installer never reattached that holder

 

Thanks, guys, for the responses. The truck has a 9am appointment tomorrow with a repair shop that programs computers. I will mention the harness issue to them. It would not surprise me if some things were not reconnected. As a matter of fact. The muffler shop owner told me after he replaced the cats that a lot of stuff was not connected, so he connected them. Maybe there are other things not connected. About six months ago I had a problem with the gear selector cable. I took it to three different mechanics. And they "fixed" it only for it to stop working almost instantly. Come to find out the gear selector cable was resting on the exhaust manifold and would overheat, get brittle and stop sliding in the sheath. There was a missing bracket that was supposed to keep it off the manifold. They last place I took it to found that out. So, anything is possible with this money pit. I pray the repair shop tomorrow does not cost too much.

Jim

 

Well, reprogramming the ECM didn't work. I drove it home from the shop with no problems. I figured everything was cool. However, this morning on the way to church, it did it again. All warning lights on, no tach, speedo, or odometer. Truck still runs fine, but there is no way it will pass smog with all the warning lights on, even though they are on in error. So, I guess I will have to keep driving it until the truck fixes itself and then immediately take it in to get it tested. I don't have the money to have someone check the entire wiring harness. The first electrical specialty shop I took it to said they could do that (after finding out no harness is available from their suppliers) but it would cost about $2,000. Needless to say, I did not opt for that. I am at a loss for what to do except for the hit and miss plan I just mentioned.

Jim