Ohm-er Simpson creating more problems

[Witsend]

2004 Lincoln Navigator P0320 intermittent stall and no-start loses crank signal (check engine light does not go out while cranking engine). Back probed the appropriate pcm terminals and verified circuit to the crankshaft sensor , so I replaced the crank sensor and changed the plugs and inspected the coils and boot connectors and Ohmed the primary and secondary circuits of all the coils. Put it together and road tested and monitored the pids and I see my DPFE sensor voltage is close to five volts. I get on my driveway and the Navigator cuts out and dies and wont start.Oh well in the morning it starts fine, I check DPFE circuit and find I have an open wire possibly buried at a splice near injector 7 under the intake manifold. I ran a separate wire which also is on the same circuit as the light blue camshaft sensor wire. I now see my DPFE voltage is now a hair over 1volt. Navigator drives fine for awhile then stalls and fortunately restarts and I get it back . I decide to retest the cam and crank wires by Ohm meter and load each wire with a test light. Next I hook up the scope at back probed PCM and see I got cam and crank signal. Next thing I know the charging light is on and I got a misfire on #1. WTF everything I touch seems to be going to sh@t!I think I wore out the Damn PCM connector or the solder joint inside is loosening. Truck stalls if I wiggle the connector harness.Might need the PCM, hope it's not the engine harness loom

[Witsend]

Well I changed #1 coil and put everything together and the now Turd cranks don't want to start , No RPM signal , no TP volts, but DPFE reads 5 Volts again ? Pull the center E connector and check the pins closely, nothing bent but one pin E16 sure looks to have gotten hot.(E-16 not even a used terminal , so don't think it had anything with jumping red and grey wire from PCM E25 to the red and grey wire of the DPFE sensor, but cut it for now. When I did my circuit testing with the PCM connector disconnected, none of the wires tested were shorted to ground or between each other. Priced out the PCM at a whopping $1200 from the dealer , $75 used off E-bay Well got to put the Turd Bird on Simmer for awhile till the used PCM comes. Guess I'll see if I can change a VIN and program the customer's keys to the other PCM next week with the Port Freight 08 before having to tow it to the dealer

[Witsend]

Installed a used salvage yard pcm

It had the same part # . Plugged it in Went into live data , made sure it had same 3.73 axle ratio and 650 revs per mile like the original. I gained security access cleared the old PATS keys and successfully programmed the customer's 2 keys he left me and Navigator now starts, but traction control light is now on with a VIN mismatch code (no VIN change option exists) and battery light is still flashing and alternator is still not charging.I pull it across the side street to get another vehicle out of the way , then pull the Navigator back in the shop,and now notice it's charging again. I decide to drive it to the local Advance auto to get a alternator health report printout, but the analyzer has some issue and can only test the battery. I start it up and now it stalls and IAC don't work, not charging , and I need to keep my foot on the throttle all the way back to shop to keep it going.
Back to basics checking power and grounds, and to get at the connectors at the back of alternator is ridiculous to do pinpoint tests . Had to pull the throttle body that sorta resembles a face of a wise owl, but there is nothing wise about how they buried the alternator. Book Time again is a joke like changing the crank sensor, got to pull the fan and shroud to replace it. I did the pinpoint tests, pulled the alternator, took in to the parts store and their tester verified my findings with a print out for my customer. Customer isn't going to be too pleased about the traction control light because of a VIN mismatch, and I think this used PCM is not a good one either. I think Break out box testing the PCM connectors with such small terminals would be the way to go. Don't like piercing wires or even back probing these PCM connectors. PITA. I Miss the rugged single connector 60pin and 104 pin ones of yore and even those I used the BOB when testing at the dealer level

[Witsend]

So far after replacing the faulty alternator all seems well so far with the Navigator except the VIN mismatch code. I figure I had to eat $150 to allow him to drive it to the local Ford dealer for programming to resolve the Vin Mismatch code and ABS traction control lights on. I was really worried that having back probing the PCM connectors with straight pins for circuit testing with those tiny miniaturized terminals is akin to some one bending for a Colonoscopy .Be easy on back probing the pcm terminals and use BOB when you can. LOL

[ToltecasChavez]

If you installed a used PCM and programmed the keys, all you had to do was a reflash of the PCM and it would input the VIN of the Car automatically. Then the Vin Mismatch would've been solved. Unless you did the PATS using a clone of advanced diagnostics? Either way, buy a J2534 and you can do all that with a $60 subscription. When installing used PCM or ABS. Vice versa if u install a used ABS.

[Witsend]

Eventually I will have to break down and get myself a J2534 pass through device , The key programming worked with Ford Version 9.00 on my expired Port Freight 08 (even though a message said procedure failed)but not sure with the latest Ford update the function will even work now. 2004 Navigator drives fine with ABS and traction control lights on , with only one monitor left to complete , so at least I'm happy it runs and I got paid for all the other work I did and customer can drive it to a shop that has an IDS that said they would reflash the PCM to correct the VIN mismatch for my customer for $65 , but just hoping they don't steal my customer. Maybe I should have sublet ed the reflash instead of customer bring it , but if they cause the vehicle to have to get towed back to me or to dealer , technically it shouldn't be on me to pay tow bill.LMAO
I don't see enough Reflash work yet to justify the expense of a Cardaq M , but considering $800 Chinese Maxi Flush un-validated tool to get me by with some common used salvage yard ECM , TCM swaps.( won't be chancing big buck new modules with it though) I think Maxi Flush probably work more often than not, (if not I'll use a cheap plunger or the Back Prober stick On the BS to get it to pass through) and tend to believe the OE's simplygonna refuse to validate that tool because Autistel don't want to pay to play all the hoop jumping, politics , and licensing fees entailed to get on a list of manufactures that kiss up and pay , in order to keep on the validated list.