SES and FFOF (falls flat on face)
 

SES and NO power. The first time it happened it was only for a couple of seconds, before I could pull over the SES light went out and somebody was home again. It was back to normal as quickly as it came. It had me wondering but didn't happen again the rest of the day (40 -50 miles). Then this morning as I was leaving for work, I had let it warm up for several minutes, and as I started off it did it again, only this time it didn't go away. I got it back into the driveway (but barely, felt like it was going to stall) and it idled and reved up ok, but the SES was still on. So I drove the dreaded minivan to work. After work it started up fine, and no SES light. I'm afraid to drive it, and I have no idea where to start looking for the problem. Any suggestions?

As always, Thank you for your support:)

Do you have any way to pull the codes or does another FTE member live close by?

Yes, jt371 (Jason) lives about 30 or 40 miles from me, he has a scanner of some kind, not an A&E, but it is able to check the HPOP. I was going to have him check my HPOP over the winter but never got around to it...

I was wondering if there was a common issue that I could check myself. I'm afraid to drive it anywhere.

If possible, read the codes and go from there. To me it sounds like your code will be P1316 which could mean one of your Under valve cover harnesses has come loose. The intermittent nature of your issue is consistent with a burned center pin so you may have the same issue that I had. Here is a link.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post10168556

Does the engine run rough with the ses on ? If so, i agree Greg.. the connector/s are getting loose.. here is another great link to show you how to fix it..
But, it would be good to check your fault codes first..
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ck-shakes.html

Thanks Greg, that makes sense. I'll have to contact Jason and see if he can pull my codes. Is there a way to temporarily fix it (like on the side of the road if it happens while I'm driving)? Can you wiggle the connector from outside of the valve cover?

Sort of yes...but you have to remove the valve cover.
Towards the end, when the symptoms started becoming more frequent, I was able to temporarily fix the issue by removing and reconnecting the UVCH to the gasket connector. Of course this involves removing the valve cover because just wiggling the external harness won't do any good. I got real good at R&R valve covers on the side of the road. :)

I just saw your thread that said you checked for a burned center pin. When you checked....did you remove the gasket and inspect the pin closely? I was not able to see the burn marks with the gasket on the head. I had to remove it and get into the sunlight to spot the issue. In fact, I had ohmed the external gasket pins before I pulled the valve cover off and everything was dead. Completely open circuits for all injectors and glow plugs. Then I pulled off the VC, noticed the UVCH was nice and tight and said "wtf?". I ohmed it again and everything was in range. :-huh:-huh:-huh .....Then I remembered a prior conversation with Robin that suggested I check for a burned center pin so I removed the harness and gasket and put it on the bench and inspected more closely. That's when I discovered the burned terminals.

Here is the pic just in case you didn't get to see it when I posted the link a bit earlier. You can see how it's pretty hard to spot the burn marks. At least my old eyes were having a hard time....:-X0A6

without codes it a shot in the dark but...it may also be the APP sensor? codes will point you in a direction to start trouble shooting

Thanks Greg, very helpful tip. Now I wish I had looked more closely, I thought the burn marks would be obvious. I may be getting good at R&R myself. I'm going to try and get it scanned.

I disconnected the batteries while doing this, is this necessary, and will this remove the stored codes?

Also, if the harness and connector do show burn marks, can they be cleaned? If they do need to be replaced, which parts do I need to get? How much do they cost?

Thanks much!!!

APP sensor? What's that?

You can try cleaning the flat pin with emery cloth and maybe use a stiff pipe cleaning brush for the harness plug. If you do find a burned center pin then you can order new parts from Clay
Riffraff Diesel: Ford Valve Cover Gaskets

I don't normally disconnect the batteries when I pull valve covers but it's not a bad idea. Remember to disconnect both negative cables and then both positive cables. Reattach in reverse order. It's safest that way.
I think codes are cleared when batteries are disconnected.

Good luck. I hope you find your issue soon and it's a cheap and/or easy fix. :-X22

Ok, got my A&E the other day, and finally got to installing it and checking codes. I do have a P1316. I also have P0475 Exhaust Pressure Control Valve, P0603 Internal Control Module Keep Alive Memory (KAM) Error, P0470 Exhaust Pressure Sensor, and P0541 Intake Air Heater circuit Low. The P0470 is probably because of my AIH delete. I also started the truck and ran it for a few minutes, it is fine for a little bit, then it acts up for a bit, then fine again.

Do you guys think it is my UVCH? It wasn't loose, but as Greg mentioned, it could still be a burned center pin. I did not take the gasket out to check the pin, I thought it would be obvious.

Thanks for the help.

With a P1316 code, i would re-check your connector/s, especially for a burnt pin/s.

Assuming it is a burnt pin/pins issue, what besides the valve cover gaskets should be replaced? It seems like if the valve cover half of the connection is burned, that the wiring harness half would be as well. :-huh Is it ever necessary to replace the inner our outer wiring harness? I sure hope not :(
Is it a good idea to replace both valve cover gaskets? I don't know which one is bad. By the way, is the A&E able to tell which side it is? I would think so, but so far I have not been able to figure very much out with it. It took me quite awhile just to figure out how to get the codes. It would not read my vehicle info, and I had to manually input year, model and engine. Is that normal? I guess I'll do a search for A&E. Sorry to ramble :-blah

A buzz test will help you figure out which side. Just listen to which side sounds soft.(even or odd) if you have a pre turbo pyro then that will tell you which bank is faulty as well. Give me a call and I will walk you through the process. Six-oh-two-nine-oh-nine-three-five-two-seven.

I don't about questions on your A&E, but your valve cover gasket are reusable..
I would inspect all the connectors, both male and female while you have the covers off.. Also re-torque everything..
Here is a good link for more info..:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ck-shakes.html