So here's the situation....Fuel heater putting tranny into limp mode??

[blacksmoke94]

So here's the situation....Fuel heater putting tranny into limp mode? HAVE CODES NOW

I've read all the tech articles I could find on this matter and they all pretty much say the same but they all leave one question unanswered. My fuel heater is broken and the o-ring is leaking fuel out of the top of the housing. Not much but enough to be annoying. Obviously don't need the fuel heater this time of year but just wanted to stop the leak. I read one article where the hole that the heater element connector comes through gets tapped with a 1/2" pipe tap. Sounds great but what do you do with the wire that connects to the heater? Sounds like a silly question but when I drive the truck with that unplugged, the transmission goes into limp mode until I reconnect it. Making absolutely no sense and there aren't any hack wire jobs anywhere in the truck at all. Anyone else ever experience this and if so, how did you fix it?
Thanks in advance.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

that's a coincidence.the trans would still act up if you left the wire.
the problem is,the power to the fuel heater line is run off the main power supply to the trans! so it's a bad setup (cheap)
so your best bet if it's leaking,is to simply plug it.with today's fuel blended for the seasons the filter heaters are not needed.
you can simply cap the wire off right there,or trace it over to the plug on the inner fender,just before it enters the power distribution box and nix it right in there.this is where i killed it.
as for it putting the trans into safe mode with it unplugged.it can't do that.
what it can do however with leaving it plugged in,and leaking fuel is blow the power to the trans or slowly ruin the control unit (which i believe it did to log truck over time.)

also get the codes to help with the real (current) issue.

 

[blacksmoke94]

That's great info and thanks. The control unit you say was slowly ruined, was that to the transmission?

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

yeah.it could have been just age but the electrical connector had been left sitting in fuel which was smoking.rather than blowing the fuse i think it might have had an effect on the TECA.something got frigged up inside where the od light was glowing very dim.worked ok but i didn't trust it.i dunno if it was due to the leaking connector or not.probably more age related than anything i dunno.poor setup though for the heating element.it should just have a devoted fused w/ relay circuit if ya wanted to keep it imo.

 

[blacksmoke94]

No smoke coming off of anything fortunately. haha. Add the poor design to the others on these trucks. The thermostat location and changing the side marker lights comes to mind. I know now that there's an issue with one of the electrical trans components. Recently, while driving down the road, the engine will sporadically jump a couple of hundred rpm's. Just a quick tenth of a second jump. Might do it twice in one day and then not do it for a week. One of those things that's hard to diagnose when it happens so rarely. There wasn't ever any issues with the tranny going into limp mode until I unhooked the fuel heater. When I reconnected it, it stayed out of limp mode for a few days. That's why I assumed the heater had something to do with it. When it goes into limp mode, if I pull over and shut it off and restart it, it's all back to normal until it does it again. Sounds like I'm going to the transmission shop next time it goes into limp mode for some code pulling. I had similar issues about 8 years ago with it and it was the puck sized round piece on the side of the transmission. Can't remember what it's called but I should.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

range sensor?

well you don't need a trans shop.pulling the codes is very easy.all ya need is a ford obd-1 code scanner.found for about 30 bucks at any parts store.
simply set the hold button on the scanner.plug it into the port up by the drivers side hood hinge under the hood.turn the key to run (leave engine off) walk back around and hold the throttle linkage wide open with left hand.turn hold function off with right hand.count the flashing lights/beeps and wala.got your code(s)

 

[OLDBULL8]

That sure is a strange one, filter heater effecting the trans. Here's how to get the codes. Just use the way how to retrieve the codes, the code list's do not apply to the IDI. When you get codes list them here. There is a thread where I listed what they mean. Try a search.

If you have an Ohm meter, check the resistance of the heater, and report back what it is.

http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/

 

[BDCarrillo]

I call coincidence... The fuel filter heater is on a completely separate, isolated circuit from anything trans related, including the FIPL

 

[direwulf23]

I call coincidence... The fuel filter heater is on a completely separate, isolated circuit from anything trans related, including the FIPL

Except it can blow the TCM Fuse causing the dim glowing O/D light and wretched takeoff. Mine was doing that, and after 3 fuses simply unplugged it and it is fun now. I had a leaking fuel heater as well.

 

[BDCarrillo]

Well then the diagrams I was looking at didn't show any connections... I don't doubt you, but I will check on a spare harness

 

[blacksmoke94]

I finally got a code reader and here's what it revealed:
KOEO: 11 (System Okay) I can't test it with the OD light flashing as every time I turn the key off, it clears it.
CM: 43 (Throttle position sensor) and 63 (Fuel injection pump lever sensor input is less than self test minimum)
So obviously it's saying the TPS is bad. Is that the same part as the FIPL? Can that put the transmission into limp mode is the biggest question?
Apologies for not getting back sooner. Didn't get the email notifications.

 

[blacksmoke94]

Success...I think the TPS was factory. Which in itself doesn't sound horrible but with over 280k on it and reading the article from FORDF250HDXLT and reading that it's recommended to replace (or check)this every 50k or so, I think it was probably time. I have a question though FORDF250, in your post, ( http://www.oilburners.net/forums/sh...-(TPS)-Sensor-Trouble-Shooting-amp-Adjustment ) you stated that your info basically updated the old article you referenced. Is the main difference the voltage values? The old article states the values to be 1.1 volts at idle and up to 4.3 at WOT. The updated info is 1.2 at idle and up to 4.5 at WOT. Right now, I'm setting at 1.102 and 4.2. Would bumping it up to 1.2 make that big of a difference? Also, it was checked on the center wire, is that the best (only) place to check? Thanks for all the help and info guys. Greatly appreciate it.

 

[OLDBULL8]

The center wire on the FIPL/TPS is the only place to set the voltage.

When you turn the key OFF during a code retrieve, it clears all the codes.

The throttle has to be WOT during the code retrieve, or you'll get some false codes.

You can set the FIPL/TPS voltage anyplace from .96 to 1.2, set it where you like the best shifting, lower volt = soft shift, high volts = firmer shift, but all E4OD's do not shift the same, set it where you like it.

 

[direwulf23]

I feel victim to chasing the FPIL demon because I failed to do the scan at WOT. Code 23 came up every time when not done at WOT.