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Old School Diagnosing a 1990 Ford F-150

Here’s a middle-aged truck bought by a teenager on a tight budget, and it’s not running like it should---is it junk, or can it be diagnosed the old school way? Find out now with an informative video that shows a little bit at how engine diagnosis is done without firing away with the parts cannon or using a scan tool in order to target the problem.
Diagnosing a Ford F-150 Without a Scan Tool

Not Scan Tool Capable

What do you do when an old truck cannot have a modern scan tool plugged in to see what the problem(s) is (are)? You go old school with your engine diagnosis like mechanics used to do back in the day---which unfortunately is becoming a lost art.

A good example of this and what can go wrong…and sometimes right…after buying a middle aged or older truck is demonstrated in this recent Car Wizard YouTube channel video where the Car Wizard shares some diagnostic secrets and commonsense practice with this 1990 Ford F150 with idling troubles.

Related article: Common Car Maintenance Mistake Owners Make When Diagnosing Their Car’s Engine Problems

While the video is only a partial demonstration of engine diagnosis in a middle-aged Ford truck, the value in the video lies in that it:

• Makes a case for why buying an old truck today makes sense.

• Explains why the parts cannon is the wrong tool to use and likely to fail if you do fire it off.

• How to use common sense toward diagnosing an engine problem by understanding what components are involved that potentially are the source of the problem and an answer to a repair.

• Reveals some of the realities and problems when repairing an old truck that you will want
to consider before buying a middle-aged to older truck.

That all said and done, let’s go to the video, which really starts at timepoint 3:44 with the pertinent info to watch and save time---everything else before that is not necessary to the understanding of the main points of this video.

Parts cannon couldn't fix this '90 F150. Old School diagnosing by the CAR WIZARD

And finally…

For additional truck-related articles, here are some selected ones that have proven popular:

• Chevy Trucks to Buy and Not Buy Explained by a Chevrolet Mechanic

• Why You Should Look at a Used Silverado Before Considering Buying a New Model

• Buying the Ford F-150 Lightning is a Better Deal Than Buying a Tesla Powerwall

COMING UP NEXT: Consumer Reports Most Reliable Used Truck Recommendations

Timothy Boyer is a Torque News automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily new and used vehicle news.

Image Source: Unsplash

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