Per a note from art1966, I am starting a new thread about accessing test block codes on my '93 Taurus. I want to make sure that I have this right be fore I try it.
I checked the test block on my car, which I am assuming is the unit on the passenger-side firewall that has “EEC TEST” embossed on the black plastic cover. Yes?
There is a single grey wire that leads into the block. When you pull this grey wire out, it ends in a light grey rectangular plastic female fitting.
The other part of the test block is a wire loom and when you pull that out the wires that compose the loom are attached to a black plastic fitting that has four female terminals.
I believe that an ordinary piece of polyfilament copper wire will do to make the jump or connection in order to do the test. Yes? I assume that I would simply bare each end of the wire, twist it on itself to make a good connection and then stick it into the two fittings that would cause the readout. Yes?
But I need to know which wires (or fittings) I connect in order to be able to read the codes on the “Engine Check” light in the dash board. I assume that one end of the jump wire would be inserted into the grey female fitting, but what about the other end? Into which of the four females on the wire-loom end would it go?
Can anyone help me with this?
Thanks.
At that site, you see pictured an analog voltmeter. You must use that type of voltmeter under the hood. The analog voltmeter is the kind with the hand on the dial; NOT, ones that have numbers, only.
Tutorial questions.
To read the code you count the blips (i.e., upward kicks) on the meter, right? Just like you would count the flashes on the CEL? E.g., blip-blip (pause) blip-blip-blip would be Code 23?
And the reason to use analog meter instead of digital is because it’s hard to read blips on digital, right? And the reason to use a meter instead of a test light is because the signal source does not have enough drive capability for the light? I wonder if a 5K-ohm resistor in series with an LED would do.
What’s wrong with counting flashes on the dash CEL? Why use the voltmeter method when it’s more complicated?
Warm engine
With key off, jumper a wire from the brown wire to the gray/red wire.
Get in car and turn key to ON (don’t turn far enough to crank engine)
You’ll hear the engine fan come on briefly (fan test)
You should get 3 one second pulses followed by fault codes and ending in a one second pulse.
This sequence is repeated twice.
Gary 123, et al., OK, so that seems clear. I pulled out the “EEC TEST” block, the one with the wire loom running into it, and I found the terminals for the brown and the grey/red wire. So now all I have to do is follow the instructions above given by Gary123.
Two quick questions.
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Just jam a copper wire bared at either end into the brown and grey/red terminals and that should do it. Yes?
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After the three one-second pulses, will I actually see the codes spelled out in numbers, such as “117” or “119”, etc., or will I have to count blips and then translate into numerical codes?
Finally, regarding the URL given above by “Tester”, the page is helpful, but it also says on that site that you can take your car to Autozone to have it tested for free. Likely all of you know this by now, but Autozone was recently sued to stop this practice, and the company has done so. Too bad.