Just picked up a 2001 7.3 Powerstroke for a steal at $4000, but as expected, it’s a project. The initial headache was the engine randomly dying while driving. First thought was the Camshaft Position Sensor (CPS), so I swapped it out. No luck – the issue returned within minutes. After some frustrating miles, I noticed a pattern: the truck tends to die when cresting hills and I let off the gas. Thinking I needed to pull some codes, I immediately ordered an OBD2 scanner online. For 2,500 miles, I limped along, wrestling with this intermittent shutdown problem while waiting for the scanner to arrive.
Of course, while battling the engine cuts, other gremlins decided to surface. One day the power window wouldn’t budge, only to work perfectly the next. Then the radio started turning itself on and cycling through stations like it had a mind of its own. Finally, the inevitable happened. Cresting a hill, the engine died again, but this time was different. Shifting to neutral and cranking yielded nothing – just endless cranking but no start. Had to call a tow truck and get it dragged home. Back in the driveway, it cranks strongly, but refuses to fire up.
Finally, my OBD2 scanner arrived – this one from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UJV3E12/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Hoping for some diagnostic clues, I plugged in the 7.3 Powerstroke Obd2 Scanner and turned the key. It powered up and started trying to read codes. I could hear relays clicking under the dash, the windshield wipers cycled on and off on their own, then just as the scanner seemed about to finish its scan, the screen went black. No codes, nothing. I tried unplugging and reconnecting the scanner, but now it won’t even power on or connect to the truck’s computer. And to add insult to injury, now the truck won’t even crank! Turn the key and… silence. Battery is definitely good. It’s like this cheap OBD2 scanner somehow made everything worse!
My gut feeling is pointing towards either a faulty ECM (Engine Control Module) or a damaged wiring harness. Could this scanner malfunction have fried something? Does anyone have a recommended troubleshooting order for this mess? My current plan is to start by inspecting and potentially replacing the wiring harness, then move on to swapping out the ECM if needed. After that, if I’m still pulling my hair out and can’t even get the OBD2 scanner to connect and read codes, it might be time for a different kind of therapy involving a bottle and some contemplation, followed by the dreaded call to a professional mechanic.
Any advice on a logical troubleshooting sequence for this 7.3 Powerstroke OBD2 scanner and no-start situation would be greatly appreciated!
