Dead B190

Can't go anywhere without a working drivetrain
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spayallpets
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B190 Year: 1994
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Location: Chattanooga, TN

Dead B190

Post by spayallpets »

OK we are in real trouble. Our 1994 B190 is still at the Ford dealer in Land of Lakes, Fla. They call this morning with bad news....the computer board is so cooked it is beyond rebuilding and they can't find either a new or rebuilt one. WHERE do I find one !! Dealer wants me to drop ship the board because they have given up !!! Thanks, Brenda
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skater
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B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Post by skater »

That's crazy. I can't believe the computer isn't available somewhere.

I would call Bill Jenkins at Team Ford Parts in Las Vegas - he's pretty helpful. (He's our contact for the Mercury Cougar club, so this isn't his usual bag but he might be able to help you out.) (Edit: Number removed - Bill can't find the part.)

Their online catalog is here but I've found it's better to call him. However you will need to have a good idea of what part you need - it sounds like the PCM, but I'm not sure. A part number from your dealer might help, or at least the exact part name.

Hopefully your dealer did all the same things Bill would do, but it won't hurt to check.

If he can't help you, I'd check around for junkyards with E-350s with your engine (you have the 460, right?). Obviously a 1994 is what you have but there are probably other years that will work, too, but I don't know what is compatible. Your dealer or possibly Bill should be able to help you there.
Last edited by skater on Sun Jun 01, 2008 7:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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spayallpets
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B190 Year: 1994
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Location: Chattanooga, TN

Post by spayallpets »

Thanks, I'm calling him now and will post the out come. Brenda
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spayallpets
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B190 Year: 1994
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Location: Chattanooga, TN

Post by spayallpets »

Someone asked me if the 110 was still plugged in when we started the Van....and yes it was. I have a dog and wanted him to be cool while we loaded the car back on the trailer.

This was his reply.
(The 110 current bypassed the House batteries and fried the computer and blow the fuses on the motor home engine.
ALWAYS disconnect the electric line first and then the water line before you start the engine.)


What do you experts think? Did we fry our computer doing that????? :oops:

Thanks, Brenda
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skater
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B190 Year: 1991
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Post by skater »

No, definitely not. I regularly start my van while it's hooked to 110 volt power, and on hot days I always travel with the generator running (for similar reasons as you - to run the A/C to keep my cat cool...me too, actually). If this explanation made sense, I'd be replacing my computer several times each trip.

I suppose it's possible that a 110 volt short to the frame of the camper could have affected the computer, but even that seems unlikely - first, you'd be zapped every time you touched something metal outside the camper while it was hooked up, and second, it should've tripped breakers where you were plugged in at - assuming the onboard breakers didn't trip first. Finally, if this were the case, the computer would've been fried instantly, not 40 miles down the road, when you were no longer plugged in.

More likely, the computer was exposed to salt air over its lifetime (it's in Florida, right?), and it just got some corrosion.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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skater
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B190 Year: 1991
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Post by skater »

Any update on this?
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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spayallpets
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Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1994
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Location: Chattanooga, TN

Post by spayallpets »

The board was ordered from Airstream and shipped to Ford Dealer. $805.14 I called Fla. this morning and board was received this am and they are working on it now. We can't make the trip until next Monday and will let everyone know more if and when we get home. Thanks, for thinking of us. Brenda
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skater
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B190 Year: 1991
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Post by skater »

spayallpets wrote:The board was ordered from Airstream and shipped to Ford Dealer. $805.14 I called Fla. this morning and board was received this am and they are working on it now. We can't make the trip until next Monday and will let everyone know more if and when we get home. Thanks, for thinking of us. Brenda
Ouch! Sorry your experience started out so badly. I hope nothing else goes wrong for you. :(

I wonder what board it was that Airstream had but a Ford dealer didn't. Odd...
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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baggydew
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Joined: Mon May 26, 2008 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1994
WBCCI: 0
Location: Columbus Mississippi

Post by baggydew »

I contacted Bill Jenkins at Team Ford yesterday and gave him the part # for my PCM on the 94 B-190, # F4TF-12A650-YA. He said it was unavailable and discontinued and said an alternate # was F4TZ-12A50-YA. Unfortunately he couldn't find that one anywhere in the system either. I also checked a nationwide junk auto dealer site for these PCM's. They said that they get input from over 6000 junkyards and couldn't find anything matching those numbers for the PCM. There may be some of these things floating around someplace but apparently they are a VERY rare breed. Any help locating one would be much appreciated. My only alternative would be to send mine off to a rebuild shop and hope for the best but I consider that a last resort because if anything happened to it in route or at the rebuild place, I'd be dead in the water. Keep your eyes open for a source for older PCM's. Yours may be next to fail. Thanks
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skater
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B190 Year: 1991
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Post by skater »

Okay, I just moved this thread to the drivetrain forum since that's what it really is.

So far, the three campers I've heard about with this problem have all been '94s with the 460. I'm going to ask over at FTE to see whether this is a common problem and, if so, whether it affects other years.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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spayallpets
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Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1994
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Location: Chattanooga, TN

Post by spayallpets »

Hello, I finally got our 1994 fixed. We ordered the computer board from Mt. View Ford at 423-756-1331. Part No. is F4TZ12A650YA $650.00 with a core credit of $100.00. Total repair bill was over $4000.00 because it took out relays and other stuff. Two trips to Fla. and over $5000.00 we can now drive the Van. :D

<p>Next problem was one letter off on the title and it took two police officers to get that straight and now the side door cable is broke and can't open the door!!!!!! Hope things go better from here !!!! Thanks, Brenda and my 1994 B190
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spayallpets
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B190 Year: 1994
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Post by spayallpets »

I forgot to tell you the Board from Airstream did not work!!! They do not know what they are doing !!!!!!!!! We just got Walter home last week. Brenda
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skater
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B190 Year: 1991
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Post by skater »

spayallpets wrote:I forgot to tell you the Board from Airstream did not work!!! They do not know what they are doing !!!!!!!!! We just got Walter home last week. Brenda
Wow. I hope they took it back! Where did you finally find one?
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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baggydew
Weekend Camper
Posts: 86
Joined: Mon May 26, 2008 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1994
WBCCI: 0
Location: Columbus Mississippi

Post by baggydew »

In a continued conversation with Bill Jenkins @ Team Ford, Las Vegas, he explained that the original Pt# on my PCM is an Engineering PT# which crosses over to F4TZ-12A650-YA, as confirmed by spayallpets. I have ordered one through him (remanufactured) and am awaiting the part. Thanks to all for your help in this matter. This is a great site. I will update you with results when I install the part.
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spayallpets
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Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1994
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Location: Chattanooga, TN

Post by spayallpets »

I talked to Bill Jenkins at Team Ford and he could not find one. Go figure!!!! I called all over the US and half of Georgia....we were dead in the water without one. Let us know if you get the right part. Brenda and Walter the B190 Van
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