VSS wire

Far from being much help, I may even muddy the waters a little more..... VSS is read by the ABS module and then broadcast over the SCP network (one of IIRC 3 on your car) to the other modules that use VSS..... these would include the HEC (Hybrid Electronic Cluster) and the PCM. If your car is not equipped with IVD (Interactive Vehicle Dynamics.... traction control, if you will), there will be a speed sensor at each front wheel and one at the rear axle. If your car has IVD, there'll be four sensors - one at each wheel. There doesn't appear to be a "boss" sensor leading me to believe that VSS is some computed value using one or more of the available signals.

I'm not familiar with the GPS systems but I understand it only needs to leech a signal from one of the sensors. According to the EVTM, your grey/black idea is out the window since that colour combo doesn't show up.... The diagram is unclear as to which of the two wires you would need to tie into at any of the sensors (being as there is no "common" wire to any of them) and the PC/ED only has us test the wires for continuity with no explanation as to which wire is the 'crucial' one.

You could try the "blind luck" approach - hopefully the additional load wont pull the signal amplitude down so far as to induce problems (I'm being anal, here). Any wiring connections that you do make should be soldered and heat shrinked to be sure there are no problems down the road and remember that the wires are twisted for a reason.

Good luck with your project and let us know which wire you finally used....

Jim Warman snipped-for-privacy@telusplanet.net

Hi Jim, Thanks for your detailed (and slightly "muddy"!) explanation.

My '03 is a 2wd model, so I'm guessing that IVD is not part of my package. (?) I can pull the lead from anywhere in the car but I guess I'm as confused as ever. I'll have to check with my dealer where I bought the unit as they have a database of different cars. I'm hoping they have dealt with this already and can advise.

Figures! My luck with this system has been spotty at best. The grey/black wire was easy to locate when I first got my nav drive. I made all the connections, fired it up and discovered that the DVD data drive was defective so the whole thing was returned. While waiting for the replacement, I decided to trade in my '94 EB (197k miles) and get this shiny new (used) black '03 XLT. The installation instructions for the Nav unit (Pioneer) also give you an option of buying an separate speed sensor if your vehicle isn't equipped with one. I figured that this was for folks installing one of these nav units into an older car. I wonder if I'll have to do this as well?

I spoke once with the Pioneer Tech Support folks when I first got the unit and the guy told me that they designed the circuit so that IF you picked the wrong wire, it wouldn't load the line enough to screw up anything else.....we'll see!

Will do. I'm putting together a little web page to document the whole build.

Dave

P.S. Remember that weird "lump" I had on the floor under the second row seating? It turned out to be.....nothing! The carpet is definitely pre-formed for SOMETHING to be there, but all I found was a pair of mounting studs attached to the sheet metal and nothing else....weird.

If you don't have any luck on this group you might try sci.geo.satellite-nav . That's the group where all the GPS dweebs get together.

Many thanks, Sy. "Dweebs of a feather...etc, etc. ;-)

dave

sci.geo.satellite-nav

instructions

Dave, It's Grey/Black behind the radio.or Grey/Black at the cruise control unit

Mark S Owner SoundsExtreme

Mark, I've only had this '03 for a couple weeks and I'm not sure where the cruise control unit is located. I pulled my last VSS grey/black wire connection right next to the computer behind the passenger's kick panel. Is the CC unit under the hood?

dave

Cruise control actuator is controlled by PCM on these... there is no grey/black at the actuator.

Hmmmmm , what to do?

dave

Mark or Jim, Can one of you figure out which guy is right or wrong?

dave

I can't say I'm either..... I was looking at the factory wiring diagrams available on the April, 2004 red DVDs. I can say that there is no separate cruise control module on this years since this is now a function of the PCM.

If it makes a difference, I recently acquired "senior tech" status with FMC and should earn "senior master" status by late summer/early fall....

Though I may be fairly well versed in things Ford, *most* of what I know is company knowledge and may rarely include product knowledge on accessories not specifically endorsed by the mothercorp.

YMMV

Jim Warman who is currently sitt>

....and with that, two heads turned to Mark S, owner of SoundsExtreme who spoke thusly......

Sorry Mark, but I couldn't help myself. Care to jump in again and clarify your prior posting so I can quit flipping this darn coin.

Dave Morrison

Congratulations!!

Yes, yes, definitely, congratulations to Jim.

Now, Jim, for the very important question, does that mean big bucks at the worksite or is it just a fancy title?

Thanks, Gents.... BTW, sorry for taking so long to reply. I just got back from Calgary Friday night (yes, Ford school yet again) and then my boy decided to have a quad accident. Busted up his shoulder some and he has a concussion.... thank God for body armour and helmets - it could have been worse. By the time we get the thing fixed, he'll be ready to try once again. Mrs mechanic is taking it all in stride, thankfully she's not an a "get rid of that death-trap" rant. There's a lot worse things a 16 year old could be into than quad racing.

Anyway, to answer Tommys question.... it varies from dealer to dealer. Our DP is whole heartedly into training. It helps our customers, Ford looks at us in a better light and we seldom have warranty claims returned. Ford has broken it down into 10 specialty areas..... to gain certification in a specialty, a tech has to complete several web based training courses, several multi-media courses, a few satellite broadcast courses and as many as 5 classroom courses. All courses are dependent on whether a tech gets specialty 34 (electrical and electronics).... without this specialty, you can't go any further.

To show his appreciation, our DP gives us 2 hours pay for each "in house" training course and a 50cent/hour raise for each specialty. We are amongst the highest paid Ford techs in the province being able to earn $34/hour if we have all ten specialties. We are treated well and strive to maintain that treatment.

Jim Warman ... yes..... heading off to school again in the very near future. snipped-for-privacy@telusplanet.net

Which is why I ask questions

ok, To end this I had one of my good customers bring in there 03 Explorer. and Yes it is grey/black, the cruise control mod is on the passenger fender.The wire is the second one from the botom.So now this is TOTALY resolved :)

Mark S Owner SoundsExtreme

Thanks for bringing the thread back on-topic again, Mark. I appreciate your efforts. It gets a little confusing when two experts are giving two different answers to the same question.

Best to both you and Jim W.

dave

Mark.... I'm looking at the factory wiring diagram.... there is no f*cking cruise control module.... this is controlled by the PCM. Right now, I'm looking at C122.... obviously I don't have to explain the location of this connector... even though it's not behind the radio. There are no grey/blacks according to the EVTM..... there are no VSS inputs according to the pin-out.

On these cars, the PCM is located in the pasenger footwell.... there are 3 individual conectors making "second from the bottom" a hard guess, even if there IS a grey/black in one of the harnesses. I don't have a problem with you "flexing your pecs"... I do have a problem with people disceminating dubious information. I'm not sure what part of "there is no CC module" you don't understand... your story has changed... mine hasnt. Do your customers a service and learn about those systems that you work on.

You may want to reply.... your flat statement about the situation being totally resolved is a gross overstatement about something you believe rather than something you have seen. I'm not about to get into a pissing contest with you but I am proud of what I do and I take great exception at those that proliferate dubious information. Tell me where I can see this module.... give me a pin-out ..... try to keep the module in one place..... give me SOMETHING and I will concur... Otherwise, I will have to go along with the factory manuals.

The big deal is - "Don't shit the guys that read this NG"....

Unless the 03 is drive by wire I would guess that the fender has a CC module (not computer) that consists of a servo with cable to the throttle body. I would also assume that it has wires connected to it. Whether that wire that Mark ID'ed is what the OP needed and does what he needed I couldn't say. I don't understand the hostility this seems to generate in you other then your usual attitude that no one but you could possibly have useful info.

-- Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:

"What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . . Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House of Representatives, August 17, 1789