Multiple error codes out of the blue

[Tbrjo]

So just all of a sudden all of these codes came up with really no issues with the car. I have had the car for 10 years and it has been running flawless and it started with the o/d light blinking which is the transmission codes. Just after that the engine light came up as well but the engine is really running fine. I clear the codes and it is fine for some time and suddenly the codes come back. Engine has died on me a couple of times but fires right back up and runs fine.

Anybody now if there is a common ground or power wire to these sensors and relays? That is just about the only thing I can think of that will generate that many codes at once.

 

[86GT351]

Probably the Alternator

 

[Tbrjo]

Like a short inside the alternator or something? Never seen that before but definately can see that creating a bunch of issues.

 

[86GT351]

Like a short inside the alternator or something? Never seen that before but definately can see that creating a bunch of issues.

Could be a bad diode or regulator. Also check behind the passenger side kick panel for the Smart Junction Box. Very common issue to get water intrusion. Generally caused by a clogged drain that goes from the windshield cowl to under the hood.

 

[Tbrjo]

Thanks. Going to change the alternator tomorrow. Fortunately I have a spare with me. Drove this car 2000 miles from Norway to southern Spain on vacation so are kind of stuck down here now. Not the worst place in the world to get stuck but dont have all my usual tools and facilities that I have back home in my shop. Also - this is a body swap car (1968 body shell) so I dont have the drain issue with the SJB area but is definately going to check it out as well. We did pass thru some heavy rain on the Autobahn in Germany but that was a week before the issue appeared.

 

[86GT351]

Thanks. Going to change the alternator tomorrow. Fortunately I have a spare with me. Drove this car 2000 miles from Norway to southern Spain on vacation so are kind of stuck down here now. Not the worst place in the world to get stuck but dont have all my usual tools and facilities that I have back home in my shop. Also - this is a body swap car (1968 body shell) so I dont have the drain issue with the SJB area but is definately going to check it out as well. We did pass thru some heavy rain on the Autobahn in Germany but that was a week before the issue appeared.

Pictures of Spain or it did not happen!

 

[Tbrjo]

Took this out the front window on my way into Torrevieja City centre

 

[bambam 06]

Took this out the front window on my way into Torrevieja City centre View attachment 109331

Shelby hood!

 

[86GT351]

Took this out the front window on my way into Torrevieja City centre View attachment 109331

Post more as you can

 

[DieHarder]

Thanks. Going to change the alternator tomorrow. Fortunately I have a spare with me. Drove this car 2000 miles from Norway to southern Spain on vacation so are kind of stuck down here now. Not the worst place in the world to get stuck but dont have all my usual tools and facilities that I have back home in my shop. Also - this is a body swap car (1968 body shell) so I dont have the drain issue with the SJB area but is definately going to check it out as well. We did pass thru some heavy rain on the Autobahn in Germany but that was a week before the issue appeared.

Body swap? Would be cool to see pics of the car...

 

[brasil]

68 Fastback.... with a S197 engine... wow !

 

[Tbrjo]

Yes I have a Shelby front end on this car.

 

[Tbrjo]

Not fastback. I actually like the 67-68 coupe's more. Built this way before body swaps was a "thing", it was completed in 2015. Original engine but forged rods and pistions with a Edelbrock supercharger. Hybrid interior to keep at much 1968 as possible but also all the 2006 functions. (a sh***load of work to make that happen). Dash picture is from a few years back, the other one from yesterday.

 

[Tbrjo]

BTW seems that the issue was with the alternator. Not the unit itself but with a bad connection with the main cable going to the battery. Drove 50+ miles yesterday and the problem did not come back so I hope that was it. Not a fan of working on the car in a parking lot with limited tools in this heat...

 

[JC SSP]

Very cool conversion.

 

[Tbrjo]

Hate to say it but errors came back again today. Same codes and actually my Diablo tuner from Edelbrock lists even more error codes than Hptuners does so it is more or less all solenoids in the transmission plus all o2 sensors and a bunch more codes. This just hac to be a common ground or common 12v issue. Disconnected all three ecu connectors an pulled on all wires and they all seem solid so no corrosion or anything there. Going to add an extra ground cable from the engine block to the battery just for good measure. Dont remember where the ground cable from the battery connects to the engine block but it is down under there somewhere but cant get to it in the parking lot here. Starter motor works great thou so a bad engine ground would have caused the starter to be slow I think. Next would probably be the fuse box. Is the fuse box a problem on these cars? I used to have Corvette C6 and they were plauged with bad connections in the fuse box... never going to have a C6 again. What about the ECU itself - do they go bad? Any other ideas are welcome !!

 

[Tbrjo]

Very cool conversion.

Thanks !!

 

[Forty61]

So this was a complete drivetrain swap into an old body or was this an old body dropped onto an S197? I would love to see more photos of it all.

As for the issue, to have so many different things come up at once it would have to be common to all of them I would think.. so yes, bad alternator, bad ground, bad ECU etc..

 

[brasil]

@ Tbrjo. Congrats for the real cool Stang you have !

About your issues... is the battery fully charged ? i.e more than 12,7 V . Modern cars like to shop a hundreds of TCs when the battery is not fully charged. Friend of mine had the same with his Audi TT..

 

[Tbrjo]

So this was a complete drivetrain swap into an old body or was this an old body dropped onto an S197? I would love to see more photos of it all.

As for the issue, to have so many different things come up at once it would have to be common to all of them I would think.. so yes, bad alternator, bad ground, bad ECU etc..

It is basically a complete S197 floorpan with front and rear suspension and the rest is 1968. All functions of the 2006 is intact except for the passenger side airbag. ABS,Traction control, etc all works. The difference in wheelbase is just 3/4". The handling is great and 100+mph on the Autobahn when coming down here to Spain was great.

As for the issue - i think I have managed to check all ground points and they are all solid. I did not change the alternator the other day because I forgot that I have to change the pulley because of the supercharger and I dont have the special tool for it here. Tried asking at a Spanish Bosch autoshop nearby here but they were not very helpful.... The main cable to the battery was not fully tight so I thought that was the issue. Alternator is charging at 14.3V when running. Have to leave for Norway tonight and will leave the car here until the beginning of november when I come back and change the alternator then.

Do the ECM's really go bad in these cars like this? Never heard of this before and google does not really give me this as a common issue.