Cedonulli Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 Hello, this is about part 'Module - Smart Data Link - Ford (JG9Z-14F642-A' the ODb port. Took car to a stereo shop that wanted better access under dash so took the OBD off and disconnected the back wire array from the unit. The guy said two pins were flattened down but he didn't think he did it, but he straightened them back up and plugged the unit back in to the harness. At that point the car went bad, windows, interior lights, dash , blinkers, everything stopped but the engine would start. They checked all fuses but were baffled so I had to have it towed to a dealer. who told me the pins didn't match and someone must have replaced the unit. I had watched the guy---it had not been replaced, he just unplugged it, straightened out then pins and plugged it back. The dealer told me no---the pins didn't match (Im guessing he meant all the males to the females for my model) and that they lied to me or I was wrong. I felt like he was calling me a liar. They charged me 400 dollars and now I see I can get it from ebay for 20 bucks, darn. My question is---could the original port be something that ford had a lot of and flattened two pins to make it work until they ran out of them? Or maybe it was designed for more than one model but the factory commonly flattened two pins depending on the car? The dealer thinks Im a liar, and at the very least the stereo guy should have to ay if those pins were supposed to be flat. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oracle_Ed Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 From your post I am not sure exactly what your stereo guy did with the OBD port connector. If he pulled the pins out of the housing to straighten them, then it is possible he replaced them in the wrong position. You drove the car to stereo guy. Stereo guy worked on your car. Car had problems. Don't see how this is a Ford or dealer issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 9 hours ago, Cedonulli said: Hello, this is about part 'Module - Smart Data Link - Ford (JG9Z-14F642-A' the ODb port. Took car to a stereo shop that wanted better access under dash so took the OBD off and disconnected the back wire array from the unit. The guy said two pins were flattened down but he didn't think he did it, but he straightened them back up and plugged the unit back in to the harness. At that point the car went bad, windows, interior lights, dash , blinkers, everything stopped but the engine would start. They checked all fuses but were baffled so I had to have it towed to a dealer. who told me the pins didn't match and someone must have replaced the unit. I had watched the guy---it had not been replaced, he just unplugged it, straightened out then pins and plugged it back. The dealer told me no---the pins didn't match (Im guessing he meant all the males to the females for my model) and that they lied to me or I was wrong. I felt like he was calling me a liar. They charged me 400 dollars and now I see I can get it from ebay for 20 bucks, darn. My question is---could the original port be something that ford had a lot of and flattened two pins to make it work until they ran out of them? Or maybe it was designed for more than one model but the factory commonly flattened two pins depending on the car? The dealer thinks Im a liar, and at the very least the stereo guy should have to ay if those pins were supposed to be flat. Hi Cedonuulli. This really seems to be a problem the stereo installer caused, as Oracle_ Ed stated. And as you stated, "The guy said two pins were flattened down but he didn't think he did it". That leaves it open to quite a bit of doubt. As Oracle-Ed stated, your car worked perfectly fine before and when you drove it to the stereo shop. The stereo guy worked on your car, including removing and reinstalling the OBDII port. Then your car would not start when you tried to leave. Seems clear the stereo shop removing and reinstalling the OBDII port caused the problem. I do not think the Dealer/tech is calling you a liar, they just can tell, and know, that somebody removed and/or replaced the OBDII port and informed you of that. And the reality is that they are correct, since your stereo shop removed the unit, then reinstalled it. An experienced Ford tech would be able to tell it was removed and reinstalled. Removal and re-installation means the insulating tape and other things will look different, which would also lead him to believe it may have been replaced. And ironically, if you think about it, although they are correct, you think they are liars. To answer your questions: No, Ford did not flatten the pins of extra OBDII units. That is not how the OBDII port works. Unfortunately, your stereo shop accidentally damaged it. Bottom line is it seems the Dealer told you the truth. I understand that $400 bill hurts. You should speak to the stereo shop about them reimbursing you. Hope you can be trouble free from this point on and good luck. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabid Platypus Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 I have this same issue. I was running amplifier wire through the harness plug on the firewall. 3 wires got cut on the sharp firewall edge and there was a spark. The car went bad, windows, interior lights, dash, blinkers, AC, heat, radio, everything stopped but the engine would start. I checked all fuses and patched up the wires but same issue. Sounds like I need to check the smart module for a cut wire? Do you think it could have been fried? How can I tell if it's bad? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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