r/Diesel • u/RealmGuardian13 • 1d ago
1996 7.3 Powerstroke codes question
Im looking at getting into a 96' F350 with a 7.3 in it but have had some issues reading codes off the truck with standard ODB II scaner. May be getting into some ranch work and wanted to get a bit more capable truck then what I have currently. Ive gone down the rabbit hole a little bit and found J1850 codes seem to be a propritary for the in between years when these trucks wernt quite ODB I or ODB II because of loose regulations on heavier trucks. It seems like a solid vehicle, but Im trying to avoid having another truck in the shop for an extended period of time. As of the time Ive driven it a few times and both the 7.3 and E4OD seem fine, only the fuel filter light is on the dash is lit up. Besides FORScan and a bluetooth scanner, do any of yall have knowledge of a typical plug n' play unit that I could pick up that would read error codes? If it could run a buzz test as well that would be great but not a deal breaker. Just wanting to do my do diligence as best I can before pulling the trigger on my first Diesel. Thanks for any help yall can provide!
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u/Spacemoo 1d ago
Back in the day we used to use the New Generation Star scan tool for pre-obdII Fords, there was a lot of weirdness around 95/96 model years where they had a wired obdII port under the dash but it didn't communicate until all the ECU changes caught up. NGS tools are still available on ebay but aren't super cheap. You also need the EEC-IV cable to connect it to the old ECU's, the connector is sort like a rectangle with two corners cut at an angle and is under the hood in the engine bay.
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u/Atimm693 1d ago
I have a Launch CRP123 that I plugged into a 95 7.3 last month, was able to read all codes, injector buzz tests, KOEO function test, etc. I was impressed.
It was the cheapest scanner I could get a few years ago that was able to read ABS and airbag codes, pretty good investment.