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7.3L CPS SEARCH AND EFFORT PAY OFF

112K views 410 replies 46 participants last post by  Maryland dieselnick 
#1 ·
I have tried all the CPSs I could find.
I found this NAPA ELCHINs model and it's awesome.
I did have issue with it killing engine at idle only with wipers in the intermittent mode with it raining and then again with testing with garden hose.
I corrected this with ferrite chokes.
First things first.
 

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#28 ·
This thread is what I've been looking for for about 12 years! Thanks for sharing your info and making life easier for others.
 
#30 ·
Supertrooper, I missed your post. Cut the tape open holding the wires together by the motor to seperate the wires. I placed a small choked( pictured) on each wire. I then used a larger one to cover all of the wires there. I then taped up with a high quality electrical tape. Place rags under it and brush on plasti dip. This is what I did at wiper motor.
 
#32 · (Edited)
I got the guidance from my electrical engineer friend but the conversation immediately gets elevated above my head. I have to reel him back in and get him to make things simpler, he gets frustrated, I get half you know what offed and I kinda piece things together for myself.
I started at cps connector and it failed after 10 minutes off water test. I was upset and smoking a cigarette by the firewall and saw the grounds. Gary said don't even bother with the grounds. Being upset it was failing only at idle during water test I was going to prove him wrong and punish him for not being able to explain it without acting like it was a lecture in a M.I.T. Lab. I it them on the grounds and got soaked for ten minutes. Big Surprise, Gary was right and Nick was impatient and acting like a child.
I then pulled wiper arm and cover. I then cut open tape on wires and did the rest outlined above. It was unscientific because... Well I told you. I don't know if it was accumulative but it wasn't untill I got at the motor.
Even if you do all the chokes I did it's not much money.
I suggest insulating the cps harness with heat shielding when you pull it up to put beads on it so the harness never gets burnt by ebp sensor tube.
 
#33 ·
So are you implying that electrical interference (or in your case water intrusion) is causing problems with the CPS?

I've been having issues that act identical to a failing CPS though it has been dry here for months. One of your earlier posts got me thinking about where (on the road) my failures have occured. Two of my failures occured within a mile of each other on a section of road that I rarely travel. The third failure I had (third CPS too) was on an access rd between our hospital and one of our local cell providers' office. I can't think of anything near the roadway for failures A & B but there could be some high tension wires or an antenna farm behind the trees there...

I think I will try to pick up some of these chokes and see what happens...
 
#34 ·
Not water intrusion but the electrical noise or interferrance caused by the windshield wiper motor and this cps's inability to deal with it.
Like I said this came from an engineer and I am not. He had gone over the whole gambit of what happens and can. So I did very best I could by testing as extensively as possible for any failure situations or environments that fit with what Gary talked about.
In the 1980s everyday at rush hour 1/4 before a massive radio tower next to the beltway cars would stall out and restart. Seemed to be at those idle speeds.
If you think it's outside interferrance choke the signal return as close to pcm as possible, like up by harness connector and vice versa for cps pos. And ground. The idea there is to see it as the wire being an antenna in a way so you want to kill off caos as close to effected item as possible.
That's really the only way I know how to explain the things I interpreted from Gary.
Speaking of Gary, he was considering getting an old 7.3idi. It would be nice to have him as a member. Guys like that and people like Tinman and others here that really know electricity are nice to have around.
 
#35 ·
This thread caught my attention - mostly because it's been a long time since I've spent anytime here and I thought CPS issues were long gone! (apparently not)

I had some issues when I first bought my early '99, on rare occasions it would stall while idling but fire right back up. While researching I found this board and decided to replace the CPS as it was a known issue (this was before the recall) so I replaced it with one from the International dealer and never had another issue. Also picked up another to carry as a spare from Ebay.

Then one time I had the truck in the dealer for something else and they said they'd need to replace the CPS because of the recall. I said fine, but I've already replaced it so can you just throw the old one in the glove box so I have two spares now.. they said no they had to send all replaced ones in so I just said go ahead.

Anyway, that was a couple of hundred thousand km's ago and the truck has always ran fine, never gave me any (CPS) issues since, and I have 670,000 km's on it. I've certainly never ran into the stalling with the wipers going while raining as described here. Am I just lucky or is my truck somehow immune from this?

The ferrite fix caught my interest though - as a hobby I fly FPV (first person view) on remote controlled aircraft and many of us in the hobby loop video transmitter wires (or other wires depending on issue) through ferrite rings if there is interference issues between the video transmission and radio signal transmission. Some also use shielded CAT5 cable in place of regular wires.

I'm wondering if shielding the wires described here with ferrite would be a prudent thing to do, even if I've never experienced the problems described here. I also just started a thread about my truck running rough when cold, but I'm assuming it's injector related, as they've never been replaced yet. Would or could CPS interference cause an engine to run rough when it was cold only?
 
#36 ·
This modification is for use with NAPA's ELCHINs model cps. That cps gives the very best crank rotation change reports, passes the cylinder contribution test, makes it run like glass, more power(my gosh) and better fuel economy. The other CPSs out there do not shut your truck off due to interferrance. This one will. So if you want all the best things like what's listed above you have to use chokes on this model to not have an interferrance issue.
Do you have a scanner capable of streaming live data on your truck?
 
#37 ·
Oh I see now, so just the NAPA one then.. I may have to see if I can get one up here and see how much difference I notice in how the truck runs.

What exactly do you mean by streaming live data?
 
#38 · (Edited)
There is a Borg Warner model that will shut off your engine as well.
There are code readers and there are scanners. Codes are set when certain things are out of range. You can have issues and no codes can be set.
A scanner can pull the codes, initiate self test programs that are in the truck's PCM as well as monitor particular components and how they are performing. In the beginning of thread you will see attachments that have screen shots that show this.
You can pick up Auto Ingenuity with the enhanced Ford Pwr. Train for about $375 dollars. It works on your Windows based lap top.
A scanner is extremely helpful to have with your truck. One repair you do yourself will cover its cost.
You can go on net and find best price. If you buy from AE directly you will pay full retail, about $40 more but if you have a problem and you call them you can not be told to deal with that vendor for support. YES, they actually initially tried that with me.
You can get a full on Professional scanner but you will be way over a grand, more like at least $3500 when all is said and done.
If you own one of these trucks you will be doing yourself a favor by getting a scanner that has 7.3 capable software.
 
#40 ·
I'm not convinced it only applies to certain CPS'es. I had my truck in for security module issues and while there they pulled my original CPS for the recall. I've had issues ever since with Ford, and Int'l CPS's, I don't get stall hardly ever but it still stumbles on occasion.

I'm going to try these ferrite rings and then start swapping CPS again just to see if it helps them all. I don't think I've tried the Echlin PN though.

Thank You Maryland dieselnick for sharing your find.
 
#41 ·
The issue with the Ford and I nternational's is not an interferrance issue.
The cps I used for best engine results in the NAPA Elchins model. I say that and people have said ok NAPA cps. Napa has multiple cps. My thread and the results are based on the Elchins model. I did extensive work and testing and safety is involved and I wish people would pay closer attention so safety and satisfaction are both achieved.
If you have stumbling especially at mid range you do not have cps issue you have hydraulic or hydraulic control issues.
You will not turn your truck into a silky beast if you have other issues or are trying to achieve my test results by choking a Ford, International and a few others.
 
#43 ·
Yeah got ya Nick .
 
#44 ·
great info..

I just replaced my black international CPS i had put in it with the gray recall CPS from Ford that was in my truck when I bought it.

Nick, have you ever seen a Black CPS or any other CPS cause cold start problems?

Since I've put the gray one I havent had any cold start issues and I have a good bit more power.
 
#45 ·
if a cps is failing it can cause harder starts and less power.
 
#46 ·
Look i had the black one in for years never ever problems then it was changed under Ford's recall , bugger, if it's working okay leave it alone .

Now i have ordered two (2) of the NAPA Elchins models and end up with an inferior brand (OEM) with the same part number as the Elchins , so when you order your new CPS from Napa just make sure what you are getting .
Remember I'm on the other side of the globe.

first couple of pic's are the wrong CPS's .
 

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#47 ·
The pic is the correct CPS you should get if you want a Elchins , part number is ECH CSS1103
 

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#48 ·
The black cps was actually the one to have. They were like gold. But they were also easily prone to engine heat. People were trying to sell them on fleabay for high dollar. But you cannot get them anymore.
 
#49 ·
I was lucky to get one a couple of years ago from IH. When I got it home I could see that, although it was new, it had been installed and put back in the package, probably from one of their techs doing some trouble shooting. It was the last one they had and it's still riding around in my glove box since the recall replacement one is still working fine. My truck is very smooth and has tons of power, not sure if the black one would be advantageous at this point or not. I hate to fix something that's not broke.
 
#51 ·
they all fail. maybe the recall ones last a little longer. most aftermarket ones simply don't last. but in the end they all go bad.
 
#53 ·
Hi guys.

Just signed up because of this thread. Great info here!

I've heard of this problem in the past but never had to fix one, until now.

This issue started with slight excessive valve train noise on the right side and P0284 Cyl 8 balance fault code that a Cylinder contribution test uncovered.
I had experienced some CPS's causing #8 issues in the past and so I started searching and found this thread.

Here's what I experienced...

- I picked up a Napa CSS1103 CPS and the chokes.
- I removed both wiper arms so I can run the wiper motor and wont have to worry about water.
- I installed the CPS, not the chokes, cleared the codes and re-ran the Contribution test and all passed the engine idles smooth and the valve train noise seems gone, turned on the intermittent wipers and it stalled within a few minutes.
- I put appropriate small size chokes on the individual wires at the wiper motor and the larger one around all 5, started the truck, turned on the intermittent wipers and it stalled within a couple minutes.
- I added 3 small chokes around the wires at the CPS, started it, turned on the intermittent wipers and it stalled within a couple minutes.
- I added a large choke around all 3 wires at the CPS and it idled for over an hour without a hiccup.
- I test drove it, with and without the intermittent wipers on, ran the wipers at all speeds and all seemed fine.
- After the test drive I left it idling in the parking lot with the intermittent wipers on, thinking all was good and about a half hour later it stalled. I restarted it and it's been idling fine for over an hour with the intermittent wipers on high.

My local Radio Shack is all out of Chokes because I bought them all so I'm going to add a few more in a few choice places when I can and I'll report back.

Any input? Thoughts?
 
#54 ·
Welcome to the forum .:)
Good report very well explained , if you read through Nick's thread thread he put chokes around the ground wires for the PCM and any other ground wires he could find on the motor.

Well done
 
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