Project Vulture

[DintDobbs]

Played with the VSS to day, cleaned it up nice and good, didn't get to the relays because of other things going on around the house to day. The test drive still showed the same 6 flashes, so the VSS being dirty wasn't the problem. I did poke straight down into the hole, and felt tiny gear teeth directly inside, so I assume that was the tone ring. Still might replace the sensor just for good measure, but I want to check out the relays above the gas pedal first. I might actually replace both, since the cost of all of that is about the price of a decent pizza.

The night I replaced the gauge cluster lights, I noticed that the low-pitched horn had stopped working, but kind of ignored it because the high-pitched horn still worked. In stead of chasing the relays to day, I decided to take out the broken cruise control buttons, since they got in the way during technical maneuvers on the trails, which could have endangered me and others. Quick in-and-out job, had no trouble detaching the little plugs that everybody complained so much about in the old threads. I did not, and do not intend to, replace the cruise control buttons, but after I put the air bag assembly back on, the horn does not work at all.

Some of the old threads on the topic of replacing the cruise control buttons reported issues of losing the horn after replacing the buttons, or when wires were hooked up incorrectly, the cruise control buttons would operate the horn. Weird, methinks; but if plugging it in the wrong way can make the cruise control buttons operate the horn, then the absence of the cruise control buttons would create a break in the horn circuit.

@donalds , I see in the thread below from 2018 that you suggested simply wiring a bypass for the buttons when they are removed, which is what I was thinking to do.

Cruise control button delete

So I’ve taken off the buttons on the steering wheel because they were all deteriorated and gross. I find out that the horn doesn’t work. Is there any way to get the horn to work again without buying new switches? The cruise control isn’t even installed because my grandfather removed it so...

www.explorerforum.com

The little harness behind the air bag at the top inside the steering wheel, is that just power for the air bag? If so, I'm gonna pull it, 'cause I already disabled the air bags any way and might as well make sure they're really dead.

Also, I've heard tell that there is a plug under the hood near the master cylinder that affects the cruise control, but didn't find any clarification on which plug that would be (apparently some cruise-control related issue was causing fires on Ford vehicles in the early 2000's - when I called the local Ford place to check my TSB status, they said TSB's had been served in the early 2000's for cruise control, hood latch, and front timing chains). When I find out, I'm gonna pull it on both vehicles and see what that does to Hazey. I do not like cruise control.

 

[donalds]

All I did was follow the traces on the buttons and put a wire in there no big deal work great just gotta take your time and look for the wire trace on the circuit board Of the buttons

 

[DintDobbs]

@donalds Right on, followed the circuit board and ran a bit of wire from slot "1" to slot "3" on both connectors, and the horn works again.

Since I was playing with the horn any way, and the low-pitched horn had stopped working a while back, I decided to replace it with some thing fun from the junk yard. Ended up going with one from an 11th-gen F-150. It doesn't sound unexpected coming from an Explorer, but it's a lot louder than the stock one!

Now, back to that Control Trac...

 

[donalds]

@donalds Right on, followed the circuit board and ran a bit of wire from slot "1" to slot "3" on both connectors, and the horn works again.

Since I was playing with the horn any way, and the low-pitched horn had stopped working a while back, I decided to replace it with some thing fun from the junk yard. Ended up going with one from an 11th-gen F-150. It doesn't sound unexpected coming from an Explorer, but it's a lot louder than the stock one!

Now, back to that Control Trac...

Really nice

 

[DintDobbs]

Welp, just goofed around with the relays, traded the one above the gas pedal for a "known good" one (from Hazey) and noticed three things.

Firstly, started the engine with the big relay above the gas pedal unplugged. As others reported when that relay was defective on theirs, when it was absent on mine, the power windows ceased to function. The 4WD Hi/Lo lights started flashing immediately on start up (after routine 3-second MIL check flash), rather than waiting the 30 or so seconds at 30 MPH, as they had done before.

Secondly, when the known good relay from Hazey was installed, the six flashes occurred after 30 seconds at 30 MPH, as before. So, I'm going to say with certainty that the relay isn't the issue.

Thirdly, when I pulled the big relay from The Vulture, I noticed the bottom was white plastic, while the one from Hazey was black plastic. I checked all the relays in both vehicles - all of The Vulture's were white on the bottom, and all of Hazey's were black on the bottom. Both have the Ford oval and the same part number on the top, with what I initially took to be a serial number printed below it. The three in The Vulture were numbered sequentially; 8298, 8299, 8300, I think, all followed by "B2". I believe that the ones in Hazey were all numbered 9360 A2 (all of them had the same number). I've got no idea whether or not there is any significance to the printed number or the color of the bottom, may be the black-bottoms superseded the white-bottoms for the 2000 model year, or some thing.

Weather permitting, to morrow I'll try to pull the VSS from Hazey's rear diff and drop it into The Vulture. If that still doesn't solve the problem, then I'm fairly certain that the problem is either that there is a break in the wiring between the VSS and the GEM, or (I really hope it isn't) that the tone ring itself could have been installed improperly somehow, causing the VSS to not function.

Or, may be there is really a problem with the shift motor, and the fact that it still works despite the diagnostics correctly identifying it as malfunctoning is a pure coincidence. The old girl is due for a rebuild any way, but I'm pushing it off to 200k.

 

[DintDobbs]

Welp, pushed it off until after the bad weather was over, changed the VSS on the rear diff for the one from Hazey, and the Hi/Lo six flashes persists. I'll try the sensors on the T-case next, trade out parts one by one with known-good ones from Hazey until the problem is isolated.

It's possible also that the issue is with the front end, and I'm chasing smoke starting at the back. But I am determined to solve this problem.

In other news, I found rust on the inside corner of the right rear wheel well, and plan on dumping some OSPHO on there just to see what happens...

And I finally bit the bullet, and removed the 1.5" spacers from the rear end only. The fat tires scrubbed on the inside of the fender lip on hard flex, before, but with the tires inside, it doesn't scrub any more. Built a makeshift flex ramp to try it on, will plan on posting pics when convenient.

 

[DintDobbs]

I didn't measure the height of the ramp, was more concerned with the lack of scrubbing in the rear end.

Fits inside nicely, with about 0.5" clearance.

Lookin' flexy!

 

[DintDobbs]

Finally found a scanner that gave me the T-case codes! Good old O'Reilly Auto Parts, coming through in the hardest times. Good on ya, laddies!

KOER, after getting the six flashes on the 4x4 lights on the way to the store (remember, it clears the T-case codes when you turn the engine off - the 4Hi/4Lo lights flash when the diagnostics detect a problem), plugged in the scanner and it gave me the following codes:

C1234 - Right front ABS circuit failure
C1230 - Rear center VSS circuit failure

Might toss the VSS from Hazey onto it and take it back before they close, just to see if it's the VSS itself or the wiring. Don't know why I never thought to use a parts store scanner for T-case codes before, I made this job a lot harder than it needed to be. Also not sure what gives with the right front. It's probable that the original six flashes were because of the regear, and then after the regear but before the PCM reflash, the VSS and ABS speed sensor were damaged by other means (done a lot of hard wheeling since the regear).

I can't test the suspect parts on Hazey because her OSPHO is still doing its thing. Will plan on going back there to see if their scanner reads her ABS code to morrow...

Speaking of OSPHO, I sprayed some on The Vulture's rusty hubs just for funsies after I put it on Hazey's roof, and within 2 hours, The Vulture's hubs were gray again. This stuff is awesome.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I didn't measure the height of the ramp, was more concerned with the lack of scrubbing in the rear end.

View attachment 435253

Fits inside nicely, with about 0.5" clearance.

View attachment 435254

Lookin' flexy!

gotta say, as someone witht he OME+shackle combo, it flexes great.

 

[DemonMudder]

gotta say, as someone witht he OME+shackle combo, it flexes great.

I didnt use the ome, but even with the shackles and 32s, it wasnt bad!

 

[DintDobbs]

To be proper, I have to correct my prior statement - what O'Reilly gave me earlier was listed on their scanner as ABS codes, not T-case codes. I made a few test runs to day, and checked the Vulture's systems using the same scanner, once before the lights flashed and several times after the lights flashed, and once after switching to Hazey's rear diff VSS, and came up with some interesting results.

Firstly... Vulture's VSS: Six 4Hi/4Lo flashes, two stored ABS codes, no ABS light on dash.

Secondly... Hazey's VSS: Six 4Hi/4Lo flashes, two stored ABS codes, constant ABS light on dash - despite that same VSS not triggering a constant ABS in my test drive a few days ago.

Thirdly... Vulture's VSS: (Cleared the ABS codes before test run.) Six 4Hi/4Lo flashes, no stored ABS codes, no ABS light on dash.

What gives? I'm thinking may be the disconnection isn't in the VSS, but could be in the wiring between the VSS and the GEM. I've got no idea at what time the ABS codes were stored, just random guesses (listed in my previous post).

It might be relevant that one or two times, when I was out on the trails (if I recall correctly, one time was before the regear), the ABS light came on and remained constant until the engine was turned off and back on. I don't recall the circumstances, this has been probably close to a year ago. If a code was stored when the constant ABS light came on, why would the ABS re-enable on startup with disabling codes stored? I don't grasp how this is intended to function, now.

I'll have to keep checking back for ABS codes to see when it stores them. I imagine that it will likely require two drive cycles, like the OBD-II does, but no idea, really. When some thing turns up, I'll post an update.

 

[DintDobbs]

Here's my theory. The Control Trac probably disables because two sensors are not providing information (reason to be determined) to the GEM, so it cannot detect slippage as it should. The ABS probably still works because the sensors not providing information does not equal a malfunction, to the ABS. As far as it is concerned, it would just wait until all three sensors read "zero" when the brakes are applied, or some thing of the sort.

I will have to test it to see if the ABS actually functions correctly, or if it disables when it would engage.

 

[Explorer2.0]

We battled the flashing 4WD lights on our '95 and created our own workaround solution. In the years since we haven't had the need to take it out of 2WD so who knows ir we lost 4WD? I THINK remembering that we could still hear the servo changing the transfer case. Find a spare relay and give it a try.

Good luck!

Drivers window wont stop automatically

Hey everybody! I have a '96 4-door 4WD XLT. The drivers side window works going up and going down. No slow points, no squeaks... BUT... It wont stop automatically when fully up or fully down. The motor can be heard util I stop pressing the button. (Oh BTW... The auto down does not seem to work...

www.explorerforum.com

 

[DintDobbs]

@Explorer2.0 Excuse me, but you have missed the point. I'm not trying to make the lights stop flashing, man. I'm trying to fix my Control Trac. My T-case shifts into and out of all modes just fine, as I've posted already in this thread - the torque-on-demand function is already disabling itself automatically when the lights start flashing, so why would I want to disable it when it would function otherwise (under 35 MPH)?

What you're proposing is somewhat of an alternative to the brown-wire mod, not a bad idea for those who want to disable TOD, but I'm trying to prevent it from self-disabling. Good info you've got, just posting it in the wrong place.

 

[Explorer2.0]

Okie-dokie!

 

[DintDobbs]

Took this beast out to my regular trails with some workmates yesterday and put it through its paces... Gravel, mud, dirt, grass, sand, ran over a few bushes and a fallen tree probably close to 16" thick, and ran out into water up to the radiator, but then decided to back out before risking taking water in the transmission (need to find that last vent and plug my new hose into it!) It's one thing to enjoy your truck, but it's an entirely different game to share that enjoyment with others. This is the true purpose of wheeling.

Once again the Explorer lives up to its name, taking us to new places and facilitating new experiences. I'll post up some pics of it dirty soon.

With passengers in the back, the rear left wheel did scrub some, even with the spacers removed. I suspect some of the scrubbing is due to that fender flare having been damaged before, and not being fully secured to the vehicle. Old gal is due for a trip to the scrap yard for some more clips, ha ha.

Waiting on the paycheck to order the speed sensors, got a place in town that can get 'em shipped same-day for $20. Can't complain about that, at RockAuto.com they're asking $50 for a VSS, without shipping. Hopefully those little suckers will fix the TOD!

 

[DintDobbs]

Like the new color? It's called "Sun-Dried Mud."

It's actually even dirtier now, this pic was taken between two sessions.

 

[410Fortune]

love the smiley face
I ended up painting my BII that same color because she was always that color anyways
I call it desert sand, my dad calls it baby puke gross LOL he said that when we saw a new Toyota pickup in "baby puke tan" his words were "why would anyone want a truck, that color, it looks like baby puke"
I was offended!! hahahaha I think he forgot my BII is that color
He gets a pass because he is my dad and he is old HAHAHAHAHA

 

[DintDobbs]

Had a scare to day, reality check moment.

As you all know, I've been pushing off replacing that right front wheel speed sensor and rear VSS for a while. It's not my daily, I'm trying to save money with the holidays in full swing, leave good enough alone, the rest of the arguments.

To day, I changed my mind.

Slick curvy roads and high speed limits have ways of making you regard life more highly. I hit some tight curves too fast and ran off the right side of the road. These Nittos grip better on grass than on slick asphalt, so when the tread bit with the front wheels turned, it sent me back onto the asphalt. Bumping back onto the asphalt jumped the right front wheel and it lost grip, and the whole truck started spinning counterclockwise across to the left side of the road. I countersteered, so when it went off the left side, it bit again and sent it spinning clockwise off to the right side again. This occurred twice, counterclockwise, clockwise, counterclockwise, across the road, before it came to a stop, with the truck perpendicular to the road, front wheels in the grass on the oncoming side.

I have no idea how I got around that corner without hitting the ditch on one side, the trees on the other side, or any cars. Jesus Christ must have been holding it down like a Hotwheels, and thank God there were no cars in the oncoming lane.

It's a foreign experience to me, not being in control of the vehicle. I think that if the TOD had kicked in, that power to the front wheels would have prevented them from losing grip on that curve and I'd have never hit the grass. I've been around that curve many times, in different vehicles, and never slid out before. Got used to that TOD for 4 years and when the muscle memory hits, I have to remember it's a RWD now. But, not for long.

TL;DR: When you decide to live without TOD, prepare to dismiss all prior experience with driving the vehicle and start over. You can't drive a RWD like a AWD.

 

[DemonMudder]

Understandable, glad you're alright! Hopefully ya can get it done soon. Yeah, even things like suv to pickup are incredibly different to drive, takes some getting used to for sure