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98 4WD 3.0 Code P0500/P1502


bradberry

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So here is one for the books. I have a 98 Ranger that I don't drive that often. The other day I went to take it into town to put fuel in it and then back home to install new LED Head Lamps. The battery was dead. Okay, no issue, pulled up my Toyota work truck and jumped started the Ranger. Started fine, ran great up and down the freeway.
Pulled it into the garage and replaced the headlamps. No issues and they work great. Drive the car to my office to align the headlamps and O/D starting flashing and tranny shifted abnormal. Took the truck home and did some research to find out it could be the Speed Control on the rear axle. Grabbed the code checker to find P1502 and P0500. Bought a new after market (master craft) sensor. Cleared the codes, drove the truck and codes popped again. So what is the commonality between the headlamps and the ABS Speed Sensor? Only lights that showed up are the O/D (flashing), no CEL, or ABS light. Tomorrow I am going to Ford to buy an OEM sensor. The difference between the sensors are; OEM Metal (the portion that goes into the rear axle) and the after market one is plastic. All other lights work fine. Puzzled.:annoyed:
 


RonD

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OD was flashing because computer didn't have Speed signal, so transmission was in Limp Mode, and would shift harder, not as smooth, and not the same RPMs you would be used to

I assume speedometer looked OK, like it was reading correctly no jumping around?

On a 1998 the Rear Axle VSS should feed the ABS system directly, so ABS light is odd, if speedometer was working

The GEM(generic electronic module) is given the raw VSS signal as well, it then corrects the signal for tire size and sends out the corrected 8,000ppm VSS signal to the speedo, computer and cruise(if so equipped)

So if speedometer was working OK then I would suspect "speed" wire to computer as the problem.
Codes 0500 and 1502 would be from computer not getting steady "speed" pulse from GEM.
i.e. if wire to speedometer was bad there would be no codes, assuming computer wire was good, speedo just wouldn't work.

If you have Cruise does it work?

IF you have 4-Wheel ABS then the above doesn't apply
With 4WABS the ABS module gets the rear axle VSS signal and corrects it for "true speed" and then it sends out the corrected signal to speedo, computer and cruise, it also sends it to GEM but just for door locks and 4x4 control
But again we have speedo working, so...........

No, no connection between head lights and VSS

Now dead battery...........electronics do NOT like Brown outs, power on or power off they are fine, low power is when they start throwing fits, high power they just release the magic smoke and are done :)

I would reset computer, either with the code reader or remove battery cables and touch them together, draining capacitors, then reattach them

Also get the wiring diagrams in this thread, for RABS and 4WABS, whichever you have: http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169106

And check those fuses
 
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bradberry

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I did not check CC but speedo is not moving. That was the first thing that caught my eye.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

RonD

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Speedo also not working was an important "leave out", lol, usually that's what people notice first

Yes, most likely VSS on rear axle or its wire.
Assuming rear ABS not 4WABS

The ABS system gets VSS signal directly
GEM gets same signal directly, just spliced wires

The speedo, cruise and computer get "corrected" VSS signal from GEM

So ABS light AND no speedo means VSS or its wire is the problem
 

bradberry

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LOL " important "leave out", lol" Normally it would be but since the area I drove, I drive daily and don't even look at the SO. The thing I noticed the most was the tranny acting erratic. Since I bought a new ABS/VSS from O'Rileys and it may not be sitting as low as it should be to pickup the tone ring, I will go to FORD and by the OEM unit. I will install it this weekend (work gets in the way during the week) and then have someone (wifey) free wheel the rear wheels and see of the ohms change. I ohm'd out the original one and it had a value of 1.06k. I should see a status change if I freewheel the rear tires. If not, I would suspect that the wires would be suspect. I will still check the fuses and disconnect the battery just in case the electrical interference MAY be a factor. Thanks for the response and sorry about the "Leave Out" since after I read your first response I caught my mistake.
 
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bradberry

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Yesterday I actually had time to replace it and yes, it took longer to secure the truck than it does to replace it. It did not fix my issue.

When I bought the part the ford parts tech asked me if I wanted the sensor or the pigtail. He stated that usually it is the pigtail that is usually the culprit. This may be the case in my situation.

Now my next move will be to remove the driver seat and see if my issue is there. I have now replaced the VSS with one from a parts store and one OEM and still the issue is present.
 

RonD

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Ford VSS sensors generate their own AC Voltage as Tone wheel on axle spins, so best way to test is to set a volt meter to AC and spin the rear axle, won't show much but will show some, under 1 volt, volts go up as spin speed increases

The AC sine wave is what is used as a "pulse" that denotes speed, one VSS sensor wire is grounded, the other will have 1/2 the sine wave, so thats the pulse used
 

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