Help with my p0335, bet you can't....
Alright, got a brain buster for the guys with more knowledge to try to help me out with before I take this whole system off and it either goes into the recycling bin or one of you gets a killer deal and I go back to carb. This system is on my truck that had never broke down in 10 years of ownership and has now been towed home 3 times in the 6 months I've had the fitech on, all with fitech issues (injector went bad, p0335 twice). Yes I realize the p0335 is 99% of the time caused by user/installer error, but read how I have things wired and installed then let me know how the code is my fault. Needless to say, I'm about at my wits end.
Ok, my setup: Ford 390, duraspark ignition, fitech 30001 600 hp system and fuel commander 2. I took the stock alternator off and converted to a 100 amp Powermaster 1 wire after the 2nd to last time the truck stranded me and the girlfriend with a p0335.
At that time, I read everything I could on here concerning the code and what to do about it. So what I've done: remove the blue wire from the factory harness and routed it totally on its own to get it away from everything that could interfere with it. I soldered and shrink wrapped the exact same type of wire onto the blue wire for the length I needed. I then wrapped the whole thing in foil tape, then wrapped a 12 gauge wire around that stripping it every now and then to leave some copper exposed. Grounded that shielding wire on one end and left the other not connected to anything as per the instructions on another thread here, then wrapped it all in electric tape and wire loom (I'm pointing at it in the pic below). I have it hooked into the tach signal of the ignition control box wire about 1 foot from the control box so I wouldn't have to tap into the coil or normal tach wire since it's by the distributor and plug wires. I have grounds going from: throttle body to block, fcc2 to block, alternator has it's own to the battery, battery to block, block to frame, frame to the battery, and another ground strap from body to block. Pretty sure I've got the ground situation handled, in other words. The only wires the blue wire routes anywhere near are the other wires from the throttle body. I'm not using timing control.
Symptoms: first time I got the p0335 I had driven about 45 miles and the truck just died going down the highway. Scanned and saw the code, got out and moved the blue wire all over and away from everything trying to get to fire. Ended up getting towed home. That's when I proceeded to do all the grounds, larger alternator, and rerouting/shielding of the blue wire. Okeedokee, cleared the code and drove to work 5 miles away for the next week no problem.
Yesterday driving about 20 miles because I'm scared to take the thing further than walking distance now, same thing happened. Died with no warning. I was watching afr and it was at 20+. Coasted into a driveway and was smart enough to have my old carb riding shotgun so put that on and drove home. Currently putting everything back on for the fitech. Here's pics from right now this instant. So, what else can u possibly do? What else causes this? I'm seriously, honestly over it. I've done everything I can possibly think of and then some, and the thing just will not be reliable. Any help much appreciated as I loved it for the 2 months total its worked great out of the 6 I've had it, but I drive it every day and on road trips and I can't have it the way it is.....
I may add I run the service department at a chevy/caddy dealer and have had 3 of my best electrical and powertrain guys trying to help me with this and they're as dumbfounded and confused as I am.
Thanks for your help and time.
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I will also add that the entire ignition system is new. New control box. New distributor. New coil. New plug wires specifically for low rf, new plugs, etc.
Bet I can....
Get rid of those Taylor wires. I don't believe Taylor made a resistor wire. I could be wrong.
Move the coil off the manifold. Common issue with Ford's. Too close to the Ecu.
I have half the grounds you have, but mor effective. 2ga battery to block, 10ga battery to frame, 10ga battery to body only. Has never failed me. Never needed to ground the throttle body. I have installed and fixed many installs with this method. Block to frame, frame to battery almost always causes a problem. Also make sure to run Fitech power directly from battery.
Why you did all that work to the Blue wire, I don't know. It looks to be you took many different methods and jumbled them together. Simple shielding loom grounded on one end is sufficient. Your method may be creating interference making issue worse.
I am not a fan of the FCC. Right now it sounds like you are not having a fuel issue, but I warn you....
Carbs can run with bad tune, vacuum leaks, exhaust leaks, poor wiring, etc. EFI is not as forgiving.
Here is a link to the Taylor wires I bought. I got these after trying out both stock replacement type from NAPA and some other aftermarket units with same results. These Taylors are specifically supposed to be for reducing RFI: https://www.taylorvertex.com/spark-plugs/spiro-pro-universal-wire-sets/
The reason I've got so many grounds and also re-routed and shielded the blue wire is because I had done everything else that has been suggested on the board (other than the coil relocation, but I figured it's really not that close and I've tried 3 different coils, but I'll give that a go next), and I'm going overkill to try to eliminate everything. I routed and shielded the blue wire because that's what everyone says is the most important thing, keeping the blue wire from interference. Well, hopefully I've got that covered. The throttle body has its own ground as was suggested on another P0335 thread. How far away do I need to mount the coil not to interfere with the ECU? Should I then just hook up my blue wire to the coil? The way it's routed is the only way to keep it away from the plug wires, coil, alternator, and coil tach signal.
I mount mine off the engine. Fender well or firewall. I have seen some mounted on the front side of the engine with success.
It is not what you were trying to do that is the issue. It is the overkill that can actually have opposite effect. Trying to reduce electrical interference the wrong way can actually produce interference.
I would not move forward until the coil is moved and there is a battery cable from battery to block directly. I am coming from solving these same issues for many years now.
The battery main ground does go directly to the block, always has. I've got the coil mounted on the front of the head now, hopefully that's far enough, but maybe I'll get an old school "Super Stock" coil and mount it on the firewall. Just so you know I'm not a complete idiot even though I sound like one sometimes, here's a few pics of the other cars I've built, and by built, I mean I built them. Engines, transmissions, upholstery, body, paint, chassis fab, and all. The wiring and engine compartment on the F100 was really clean and tidy until this P0335 issue reared it's head ...this is my first foray into fuel injection and want it on my daily driver, but it is getting frustrating now, especially when it was fine for 2500 miles or so and then the problem just propped up. Hopefully moving the coil will be the end of the issues. Again, I really do appreciate your help. I'm sure it gets annoying listening to and answering questions what probably seems like over and over.
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The ecu grounds are under the front cover of the throttle body. The grounds are connected together via a screw into the aluminum. I took the screw out and I has enough length on the wires to run them out the bottom of the cover. I connected a ground wire from the neg bat cable pigtail to the ecu grounds and also ran a short wire to the throttle body mounting stud (right front stud). There have been a few reports of a bad connection there. This method eliminates a few extra connections in the ground path and may help and it is cheap and pretty easy to do. Good luck! Pictures are from a fitech facebook group where I go the idea from. One shows the ground wires and the other shows where fitech grounds the wires to the throttle body. I got rid of crazy rpm values in my 600 power adder on a Pontiac 455
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On my test drive today, ended up with same code. Luckily it let me limp home, but was iffy. I'll move the coil to the firewall and do the ecu grounds next. I sent fitech an email asking for a little other guidance on tuesday and still haven't heard back.
Well, after ordering all the new parts this week to remount my coil to the firewall and some real RFI shielding, Fitech finally e-mailed me back and told me that their systems won't work with a Ford Duraspark system. Thanks, Fitech, after $1000 in new parts since the beginning of this fiasco I could've avoided by a phone call or returned e-mail weeks ago, I'll be good to go after an $83 eBay HEI distributor. Can't wait to get this thing bulletproofed, but the customer service of the company sucks.
Quote from 1972Mach1 on September 12, 2019, 10:18 amWell, after ordering all the new parts this week to remount my coil to the firewall and some real RFI shielding, Fitech finally e-mailed me back and told me that their systems won't work with a Ford Duraspark system. Thanks, Fitech, after $1000 in new parts since the beginning of this fiasco I could've avoided by a phone call or returned e-mail weeks ago, I'll be good to go after an $83 eBay HEI distributor. Can't wait to get this thing bulletproofed, but the customer service of the company sucks.
Unfortunately they are overwhelmed. I have proposed a different process, but was met with push back.