Off topic, but not off brand...emisions trouble

[71 LONG BED]

I have a 1999 Ford Ranger with a 3.0 V6. I went to inspection and failed for having "NOT READY' codes for O2 censer, O2 heater, and EGR. I know these codes come up when the battery is disconnected, but it hasn't been. It seems like the whole circut has no power because the check engine light doesn't work either. There is a fuse under the hood that all of these run off of and that is good too. My only other guess is a bad monitor. I just don't know where it is, or if it is part of the main computer. Does anyone have any other ideas on what is going on? I need to get it fixed before they revoke my registation.... New Jersey is terrible.....

[fordman]

i don't know. i always thought that if something was throwing a code that had been fixed you could clear the memory by disconnecting the battery.

[mr_josh]

You might have an in-cab fuse for it, as well.

[71 LONG BED]

i don't know. i always thought that if something was throwing a code that had been fixed you could clear the memory by disconnecting the battery.

That's the thing, there are no codes at all!! Dixconnecting the battery will clear them, but first they need to collect new data before there are any to be read. My problem is the battery was never disconnected and there still are no codes at all...

[FLATBEDFORD]

Is it well insured?

[NM5K]

It's hard to tell on the innernet.. You'll just have to backprobe it and see if it's losing
power to the computer, or if it's another problem.
That you have no check engine light would seem to indicate that the ECU is either
not getting power, or it's flaked out.
But there is no way to tell, except by actually checking all the circuits.
It's possible the bulb burned out, although fairly slim chance being it doesn't
get used much.
Also, you will need a good manual to know the specs to check for.
I think 1999 is OBD-2, which is the latest version system which is still
in use.
One thing about OBD-2... If you had a problem and get a light and error
code, if you fix the problem, the system will clear the light and code on it's
own after a certain number of "passed" run cycles.. You don't have to reset
the system like the older versions. It will clear itself eventually once it detects
the problem is fixed.
I'd check the wires and connections to the O2 sensors to make sure nothing
is grounded out, bad connections, etc. Might check the harness to the ECU, and
unplug and plug it back in to clean the connections.
The ECU's in most cars are pretty reliable. But... they do sometimes flake out.
But I'd make sure it's not a wiring problem or whatever.
If you end up having to buy a ECU, I look at the junkyards. That will be the best
price, vs new.. I don't really worry about used ECU's, as like I say, they generally
are very reliable. But I guess it depends on the brand.. I've had a GM ECU flake out,
but not any other brands yet. I hear that the ECU's in Toyotas are nearly bulletproof
and rarely flake out. So you have to diagnose the problem to make sure it's really
toast. It's often something else.

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

the monitor is part of the computer, it will only run its test under specific conditions. egr tests are run at freeway speeds. and o2 sensor tests are run at an idle after they are at least 500 degrees and after you have just decelerated. i suggest you take a mild trip going at least 70, make several stops along the way. this will ensure that those tests get run.

and a check engine light that doesn't work is an instant fail. try to replace it

[FreakysFords]

99?

Something common to check.

Open driver's side door and look down the A pillar from above the top hinge, down to the harness grommet. Look for "dirt tracing". Next use a long skinny screwdriver to push the foam "gasket" in the rear of the fender away from the pillar a little bit toward the fender just between the hinge and grommet and see if yours has a plastic plug in that area. If it does, pop it out and reinstall with silicone.

Next, pull the threshold trim (rocker panel trim) piece and then the kick panel (covers lower portion of A pillar in foot well). Look for water or signs or water (very common). Check all 3 grounds and clean / repair as necessary. For my $, If I found water or trace, I'd go ahead and pull the PCM and bracket, and move the wiring away from the body to follow the trace to it's source to insure it's fixed.

Common leak points
Hinge surface (least common, if it IS leaking, use flange sealant between the hinge and pillar)
The plastic plug (easy fix)
The wiring grommet (flowable windshield silicone sealant is the easy fix for poor sealing to pillar. Torn "sleeves" need replaced)

Said all that to say this. It's common a common problem and this just happens to be one of the most common issues from it is lack of H 02 preheater operation..... another is short drive times back to back to back

If you do find anything in there, check the connectors real well. They're easily fixed with the right terminals and easily saved by generous use of dielectric grease.

I'm not 100% on the last one, but I 'think' it was the 3.0 and not the 4.0 that would not run the heaters until precitalist read well and it was usually vac leaks. I'm "thinking it's the 3.0 FFV" Thing is, that would show lean codes.

Best thing is get a friend at the dealership to pull the diag sheet for the codes specific for your VIN (on the PC in the shop) and print it out for ya. It's been nearly 6 years now and I'm starting to miss all the info I've lost to not having a Ford dealership around.

[71 LONG BED]

Thanks freakysfords. That is a lot of info that I'll check out this weekend.