Top 10 1998 Ford F150 Regular Cab Questions & Answers

if the engine light is flashing, it means you have a misfire in one or more cylinders. it is most likely plugs or coil wires.
mine started doing this a few weeks ago. finally got around to changing the plugs today. the cylinder order on fords is easy, passenger side from front to back is 1234, driver side front to back is 5678. my number 4 cylinder had a plug that was collapsed. the metal piece was crushed into the contact, not allowing any spark.

The key switch usually breaks or wears out and makes contact. It is on the lock cylinder. This would cause the chime to not come on, or stay on. Sounds like the switch is bad.

1997 F-150/250 Warning Chime, Key-In-Ignition The key-in-ignition chime warns that the key is still in the ignition when the driver's door is ajar. The key-in-ignition warning chime will sound when:

• GEM: Driver door is ajar, the ignition switch is in the OFF/LOCK or ACC position and the keys are in the ignition.
• CTM: Driver door is ajar, the ignition switch is in the OFF/LOCK, ACC or RUN position and the keys are in the ignition.

The key-in-ignition warning chime will stop sounding when:

• Driver door is closed.
• Key is removed from the ignition.
• GEM: Ignition switch is switched to the RUN position.

The key-in-ignition warning chime inputs are:

• Ignition switch RUN position (battery potential on both RUN and RUN/ACC inputs).
• Ignition switch ACC position (battery potential on RUN/ACC input only).
• Key-in-ignition switch (grounded with key-in-ignition, open circuit with key-out).
• LH door ajar switch (open circuit with door closed, grounded with door ajar).

This is a pic for a 98, could not find one for 97 which may be the older style which is more prone to break.

There are a few fuses for the trailer tow adapter.

1st, is theodd location on the 97-98, engine mini fuse panel has a 20 A fuse forthe stop / turn lamps. Have seen it covered in tape from the factory onsome 97-98 MY trucks.
This is on page 142 in the owners 1997 manual, all the revisions for the 1998 owners manual I have seen do not include this fuse box for some reason.

Download a PDF version from Ford, for the 1997 MY at :

https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/owners_manuals/default.asp

This is a picture of the Power Distribution Box, additional relay box and engine mini fuse panel with the covers off. The 20A in the upper right panel with the red base, is the trailer stop/turn fuse.


The others :
1. Power Distribution Panel / engine compartment fuse panel
Fuse #1 - Trailer tow back-up and tail lamps
Fuse #16 - Trailer tow battery charge and stop/turn lamps
Fuse #28 - Trailer tow electronic brake

2. Instrument Panel Fuses ( cab fuse panel by hood release )
#23 - trailer tow battery charge relay

It is in the owners manual
If you did not get an owners manual with your truck ( purchased used ), you can download one from Ford :
https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/owners_manuals/default.asp

For the 1998 MY truck, I suggest also downloading the 1997 MY owners manual. On page 142 of the 1997 owners manual is a picture of the mini engine fuse panel, which has 2 fuses in it. Every revision of the 1998 owners manual that I have seen, does not include this info, for some reason.

Also, the aux relay box is documented poorly here is a layout of what is in it, and the engine mini fuse panel showing the PCM KAM ( Keep Alive Memory ) and the trailer tow parking lamp fuse.
Might want to do a save as on this, so you have it, in case you need it.

Check BJB ( aka Battery Junction Box, Engine Compartment fuse panel ) Fuse #17. This is the power to the Transfer Case shift relay, which powers the Shift motor in the Transfer case and power to the magnetic clutch coil ( via the transfer case relay ).

The other fuse to check is the CJB ( aka Central Junction Box, cab fuse panel ) Fuse #23.

If both fuses check good, time to check for power on the connector for the shift relay and the shift motor. The power from BJB Fuse # 17 is the Dark Green w/ Light Green stripe ( this is hot at all times ).
The old school test is to lightly hit the back of the transfer case, to see if the shift motor is hung up.
Here are the diagrams, so you can see what I am talking about.

1998 Ford F 150 Pickup 4.6 liter SOHC V-8




Hope this help (remember rated this post. Good luck.

Try reprogramming the remotes. Here are the instructions for the procedure. Hope it helps. Cobra!
Programming NOTE: All keyless entry remote transmitters (15K601) must be programmed at the same time.
NOTE: To program (or reprogram) the keyless entry remote transmitters into the RAP module, perform the following steps:

1. Make sure that the anti-theft system is not armed or triggered.

1. Turn the ignition switch (11572) from OFF to RUN eight times within ten seconds, ending in RUN. If the RAP module has successfully entered program mode, it will lock and then unlock all doors.

1. Within 20 seconds, press any button on a keyless entry remote transmitter, and the doors will lock and then unlock to confirm that each keyless entry remote transmitter has been programmed. Repeat this step for each transmitter.

1. If the door locks do not respond for any keyless entry remote transmitter, wait several seconds and press the button again. If the door locks still fail to respond, refer to Inspection and Verification.

1. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, or wait up to 20 seconds after step 2, to exit program mode. If a keyless entry remote transmitter has been programmed (or reprogrammed), the RAP module will lock and unlock all doors one last time to confirm.

If you did not get an owners manual with your truck ( purchased used ), you can download one from Ford :
https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/owners_manuals/default.asp

The AC clutch solenoid is not in the fuse panel, not sure what relay is AC. There is a Blower motor relay, but this is only if the blower motor does not work in AC, vent or heat.




There is also the Blower motor resistor, but this is usually the blower only works on high, the other speeds are not functioning
Blower Motor resistor ( and pigtail ) damaged


Looking up under the glove box

This is a PDF of the service manual from a 1997, same for the 1997-2003 MY F150s

Right click save as :
http://my.voyager.net/~sscully/1997F150GemRemovalandInstallation.pdf

Usually the transmission needs to be rebuilt in that situation. It's a very common problem if that's the famous automatic overdrive transmsission. AOD I have had three trucks that have done that. It usually starts by shuttering when it shifts and than finally goes out. Sometimes the Lucas transmission treatment gives you a little more time, but it sounds too late for yours. From what I understand (mechanic told me) that when the overdrive goes out, it takes third gear with it. If you drive in hilly areas, that overdrive is shifting in and out all the time as you go up and down hills and wears it out. My Dad had that hapen on his F150 and he replaced his transmission with a junk yard transmission that turned out to have the same problem. I had that transmission replaced with a Jasper rebuilt and it worked great. I think it was $1300 for the rebuilt trans with the old one core trade in. I think when 3rd gear goes out, you can only go about 45mph without over reving the engine. I saw that same problem with a Ford Crown vic with that same transmission and 302 engine that my neighbor had.
Did your third gear just go out all of a sudden or were you getting like a shuttering or kind of a grinding sound when it shifted?