The stars at night are big and bright...

The stars at night are big and bright...
The stars at night are big and bright...

Thursday, August 16, 2012

So Easy, A Chevy Guy Can Do It.


I just learned a very cool mod on a Ford forum that is factory installed but rarely used on Ford Super Duty trucks. The High Idle modification. All it takes is connecting 1 wire to a power source and you have 1200RPM idle on command. Took me all of 5 minutes to connect on my '06 F-350.

The high idle setting is intended for PTO use, but it comes in handy for warming up, charging or (as anyone who's sat in a Super Duty on a hot Summer day knows) getting that A/C to cool properly while sitting still. But besides the creature comforts it also prevents "Wet Stacking" in diesel engines. At idle a diesel engine can over-cool it's self...thus not all the fuel injected "burns off" (you need compression & heat to burn diesel). The fuel will condense and work it's way past the piston rings and into the lube oil, diluting the oil and wreaking havoc with your lube oil system.

Here's how it's done... I found the orange PTO wire that is located behind the emergency brake in a bundle of wires (mine was factory labeled) and stripped the end of it. Next, I took a short piece of 14 gauge wire and connected it with a solderless connector and crimped/taped it. I ran that wire to the fuse box where I found an empty slot. I took a 10a mini fuse, wrapped the bare wire around it and plugged it in.

Done. It was just that simple.

Now all I have to do is set the emergency brake and it bumps the idle up to 1200 rpm no muss, no fuss. Release the brake and it drops back down to normal. If you don't want it e-brake actuated you can run a hotwire from a toggle or upfitter switch and connect to the BCP (Battery Charge Protect) wire instead of the PTO wire (all the wires in the bundle are color coded and labeled). But wired this way it's impossible for me to forget to turn it off.

I'll find a better keyed power source than a wire wrapped around a fuse later. I really didn't feel like dismantling the fuse box and running the wire in from behind. But this worked in a pinch. All you need is to get power to the PTO or BCP wire, the ECM (on-board computer) does the rest automatically.

11 comments:

an Donalbane said...

Even a 'bow-tie' guy? Well, I guess anything's possible...

Save for the '82 or '83 6 cyl. Camaro my wife had when we got married, I've never owned a GM product.

an Donalbane said...

...although as a teenager (me, not him), my Dad had a kick-butt [classic goldenrod] '72 K-5 with white spokers and a Holley 750.

RPM said...

I'm not immune to "GM Syndrome". I've owned several, just managed to get rid of most of them before they fell apart.

Altho recent history doesn't bode well for me and the Blue Oval.

RPM said...

But seriously, it took me about 5 minutes to do this from mod from start to finish.

Not bad for a one eyed fat man!

aroundthecorner said...

I got a quite from TTop. $500. Factory price is $600. I was hoping they would have been cheaper.

aroundthecorner said...

Oh, and did the mod also work for 2011 super duty?

RPM said...

I thought they would have been cheaper, too. Looked like all you need is a sheet of aluminum and break it in 2 places. Oh, well... I tried.

The High Idle should work on an '11. Just look for that orange PTO wire next to the e-brake.

aroundthecorner said...

I ordered a piece of 5'x 10' aluminum 16 gauge from Bridgeport steel. $117. They are going to break it for me also. Total price, $200....Score.
I'm reading up on the Ford mod. I need that. Currently there are 3524 hours on my 2011, 2715 are idling hours. That ought to tell you why I'm interested in the mod. I live in it. I usually start it about 5:30 am and it gets shut off when I get home, anywhere from 5-10pm.

RPM said...

That's a great deal! Cool that they will break it for you, too.

Connecting the high idle mod is easy. The hard part (for me anyway)was working into position upsidedown under the dash to see the wiring. If your truck has the same wiring harness it's right by the e-brake and is clearly marked. Just look for that orange wire marked PTO and find a power source.

Here's a link to where I learned how to do it:
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1007950-high-idle-mod-a-2.html#post9529125

That's a great forum, BTW!

aroundthecorner said...

It looks like with the 2011 6.7 I have to resistor it, and maybe even a pentiometer (sp). I have loaded the Ford PDF file and might try to do it this weekend. It's not gonna be as easy as yours though.

RPM said...

Dang, you're right. They changed the SEIC setup on the 6.7 but it can still be done without too much hassle.

Looks like you've already found the instructions. If not, here's a link to some with pictures:
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1005364-seic-high-idle-mod-pictures.html

I really like that website. Lots of good info from people that know what they're talking about.