The 7.3 PowerStroke IDM failure symptoms include bad fuel economy, loss of power, rough idling, a surge in engine speed and hesitation. Many drivers rush to solve these symptoms instead of fixing the root causes. Thus, the signs keep recurring until the engine eventually breaks down.
Fortunately, our team will discuss some of the causes of these symptoms, and we’ll suggest ways to fix them as well.
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What Causes 7.3 PowerStroke IDM Failure Symptoms?
The causes of 7.3 PowerStroke IDM failure symptoms include water intrusion, faulty wires, bad cam position sensor, faulty IDM sensor and a broken ECM. Driving with a damaged IDM is possible, but the dangerous symptoms it portrays can endanger the vehicle, your life and the lives of others.
– Water Seeping Through the Air Vent on the IDM
The 7.3 PowerStroke IDM location in the engine makes it easier for water to enter it. The water usually goes through the air vent in the injector driver module case. The responsibility of the air vent is to account for the changes in temperature and elevation. However, it can also be the gap through which water gets into and compromises the system.
When this happens, the module fails to work properly. The water seeps through the gaps in the hood when you park your vehicle outside while it rains heavily. Initially, you won’t notice that there’s water in the IDM case until it begins to develop issues.
– Debris Getting Into the Injector Drive Module
Other debris like leaves, dirt and pine needles can go through the gaps in the hood and get into the IDM case. When the dust or leaves gather inside the IDM, they can block the air vent on the casing and damage the module. The debris could also block the PCM signals coming to the IDM.
When this happens, the IDM won’t know which injector to fire, at what time and for how long. This causes delayed or erratic acceleration and affects fuel efficiency. It can also lead to rough idling, hard starts, and other engine problems.
– Bad Cam Position Sensor Relaying Wrong Signals
The cam position sensor monitors the camshaft speed and relays the information to the vehicle’s electronic control unit. With this information, the ECU can determine and manage the exact position of the camshaft drive. Also, it can control pressure of the fuel injectors and the timing of the spark plugs to ensure they work in tandem.
A bad camshaft position sensor can cause starting difficulties as the engine struggles to power the vehicle. It can also cause poor acceleration, bad fuel economy, rough idling, and engine misfires. One way to test it is by checking the movement of the tachometer on the old body style (OBS). If you see the tachometer moving, your engine is fine, but if it doesn’t, you need to visit the mechanic.
– Faulty IDM Wiring Harness Failing To Send Appropriate Signals
The IDM wiring harness sends electronic signals to the fuel injectors to deliver gas for combustion. Damaged wires will impede the smooth flow of these signals, which will cause the IDM to fail.
A bad IDM wiring harness can cause poor fuel economy, surging, dark exhaust smoke, or illuminate the check engine light. The best way to solve this issue is to conduct a 7.3 PowerStroke IDM replacement.
– Problems With the IDM Sensor
The IDM sensor receives signals from the powertrain control module (PCM) and uses that info to determine which injectors to fire. When the sensor becomes faulty, it won’t detect nor interpret the PCM signals appropriately, which may cause a delay in the activation of the fuel injectors or the volume of fuel to be injected. This affects the full functionality of the engine, which begins to show some of the symptoms discussed in the earlier paragraphs.
– Issues With the Vehicle’s ECM
The vehicle’s ECM is the brain that controls most of the engine’s functions, including the IDM. It is also responsible for coordinating the activities between the PCM and the IDM to ensure a smooth operation in the PowerStroke engine. Thus, if it develops a fault, it won’t send appropriate signals, which might cause the IDM to malfunction.
How To Solve the Issues With PowerStroke IDM Failure Symptoms?
To solve the issues with PowerStroke IDM failure symptoms, first you’ll need to run a 7.3 Powerstroke IDM test to ensure the IDM is faulty. A faulty IDM’s symptoms are similar to those of other failed car components, so you have to be sure.
Conducting a 7.3 Powerstroke IDM repair on a perfectly working IDM when other parts of the vehicle need attention is pointless. To run the tests, visit a professional mechanic who’ll conduct an Injector Buzz Test to see if the IDM will show some error codes. The mechanic may also use an oscilloscope to determine the output voltage and the wavelengths supplied to the injector. If these tests indicate that the IDM is failing, you can go ahead to solve the issues.
How to fix IDM issues is one of the frequently asked questions we encounter. Fortunately, we know a few ways to go about it. You can opt to run the tests at home if you think going to the mechanic will be too costly. We’ve provided a few guidelines for running the test successfully.
– Stopping Water from Entering the IDM Through the Air Vent
The air vent on the IDM is important; therefore, sealing it isn’t an option. It provides a way of escape from the heat generated in the IDM; thus, sealing it could cause overheating. The best solution is to find a way of letting air in through the vent but blocking water from entering the IDM.
One way to do this is to fashion an eyebrow vent from any metallic material and place it on top of the IDM. The eyebrow vent will keep the IDM cool by streamlining air into it but will keep the rain away. This solves the problem of overheating while prolonging the lifespan of the IDM.
– Clearing the Dust and Debris from the IDM
You can also clean the IDM of all dust and debris accumulated there to ensure the device receives and sends the appropriate signals.
First, park the car and allow the engine to cool down before using a vacuum blower to get rid of all leaves and debris in the engine bay. Next, remove the IDM from the case and use a brush to clean all its dirt. Remove the board and clean it with a brush or use a slightly wet towel to remove the grime.
– Fixing a Faulty Wiring Harness
First, test the connection between the IDM and the injectors with a multimeter to ensure there’s a proper flow of electricity. Also, test the wires in the valve corner harness for continuity before deciding whether to fix them or not. Check the Under Valve Cover harness to see if it is wobbly, and if it is, then that could be the source of the problem. If you find a fault, you can go ahead to fix them.
However, take note that it is better and less expensive to replace the entire wiring than to repair it. Thus, we’ll recommend that you let an auto electrician replace the wiring for you. First, check whether the old connector is similar to the new one, then strip the ends of the new wires. Twist the ends of the wires firmly and attach an insulated connector to the end of each wire and crimp it.
Now, pull the wires to test if they’ll come out of the connector. Use a lighter to melt the insulator connector to the wiring without melting the electrical wires. Wait for the connector to cool down before wrapping it with electrical tape.
– Fixing the ECM
First, check the sensor to identify the exact issue that is causing the malfunction of the ECM. If all sensors are working perfectly, check the voltage coming from the battery to the ECM.
Once you determine the ECM is receiving enough power, inspect the outputs like the starter, spark plugs and fuel injectors are getting appropriate signals from the ECM. If the ECM is receiving the right signals but sending out the wrong ones, then it is failing and needs replacing.
Conclusion
So far, we’ve discovered the causes of 7.3 PowerStroke Injector Driver Module failure signs and how to solve them.
Here’s a summary of all that we’ve read:
- The symptoms of 7.3 Power stroke failure are random power cuts to the engine, engine running rough, bad fuel economy, surge, and hesitation in engine speed.
- The causes of these symptoms include water intrusion, dust, faulty wiring harness, issues with the IDM sensor, and a faulty ECM.
- Use an eyebrow covering to prevent water from entering the IDM while allowing air to move in and out of the device.
- You can clean the IDM by removing it from its case and brushing off the debris to ensure that it receives and sends the right signals.
- You can repair the wiring, but it is safer, better and much cheaper to have a professional replace the wiring harness for you.
After testing the ECM to discover that it is broken, we recommend you have it replaced to ensure your vehicle works well. Our final thoughts on this issue are that injector drive module problems can be serious, so attend to them as quickly as you can to save your engine.
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