"DTE 0 Miles" MAKE IT STOP!!!

[KICKASS 87 LSC]

How Come every time when I go to start my car the dash reads "DTE 0 Miles" and starts "Donging" at me till I hit the Clock Time switch to make it stop???

It does it EVERY TIME & it's got to the point where it's Driving me Crazy!!!

Anyone know how to make it stop???

HEEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPP!!!!!!!

Thanks in advance,
GIFF

P.S.
(Yes, "DONGING" is a word, as opposed to "DINGING", which it doesn't do) http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif



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http://members.aol.com/giffshanon/Ebay/ka.gif

[mdcluth]

If you've had your battery disconnected before this happened, you may just need to re-set your functions. Look in your owner's manual, (asuming you have one), and it will explain how to re-set each function.
If you don't have aan owner's manual, send me an E-mail and I'll look in mine to get you instructions.
If re-setting doesn't work, I would try replacing it. They are cheap in the boneyard. I have one in my '84 LSC parts car I don't need if you can't find one.

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"Lincoln Moves Me"

[Charlie]

You may try removint the message center and cleaning all the contact points on the back.I read where somebody else did this and it helped. I removed mine to work on and when I put it back in it hasn't did that to me sinse. The donging is because your dinger is getting wore out.I had one that would just start making a humming till it finaly got warmed enough to make one long dong. I finaly got annoyed enough to rip it out.

[pro-five-oh]

Guys, I think that particular problem is associated with the damaged fuel sending unit. That sucker is located in the tank itself.

Let me check my manual and confirm. Don't buy another computer unless you want a spare.

[pro-five-oh]

Okay, okay, okay I think I was wrong on that. Like Mdcluth said, disconnect the battery to clean out the computer. If that doesn't do the trick, you'll have to go into the self-test mode.

With the ignition on, press "1" and "miles/km" button together. Then press "3." This will put the computer in the fuel level test. If you do not get a number, then the tripminder is broken or has bad circuitry btw the computer and the engine computer.

If you do get a number, it should correspond with the number of gallons in the tank. (do this test with a full or empty tank to make this easier)

If it passes this test, you'll have to do another test. If that made any sense, write back with what ya got and I can pinpoint the problem. It is either the computer, wiring, or EEC computer. This stuff is actually very easy to diagnose...trust me!!!! http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[sotexlscman]

NO KIDDING!!! That is the most irritating thing about my Mark! This weekend I tried replacing the Tripminder. That did not make any difference. I did not disconnect the battery. Does that really make that much difference? I did clean the contacts on the Tripminder, made sure the pins were "up" enough to make contact, and still no difference. It does it just about all the time. There are a few rare times when it doesn't do the "donging". For instance, when I have already been running the car and I restart after stopping somewhere. But those times are very rare.

There was some good to come of my attempt to quiet the noise. I did get to clean the dash and hide some wires for my temporary portable CD player. You can hardly tell that I have a temporary CD in there. The console had some room to hide a few more wires, but WOW, check out all the wiring hidden in there!

I hope that there is a solution to this annoying noise. I haven't gone ballistic yet, but some days are better than others.

Dean

[mark7lover]

Mine did it at all the time at one point. I had a bad alternator and it would reset everything. Doesn't seem to be the preoblem here though.

[stinkin' Lincoln]

I simply removed the damn buzzer (as I do from ALL my cars)

now you can sit with the engine running, radio on, and the door open if you want to...

and I can drive for miles with it saying DTE 0 before ever noticing that it says it! http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif

I HAVE heard some people with great success at removing the computer from the dash and cleaning all the contacts, but I'm too lazy...

Forrest

[seanklsc]

Let me make a suggestion to you. This happens in my car every once in a while, thank god not all the time though. One day I noticed when I sat down in the car that the lcd said DTE 0 even before I put the key in the ignition. So I pressed CLOCK twice to get the time back. I started the car, and it stuck with the clock. When I pressed DTE it showed the actual mileage until empty. Try that out and good luck.

['89 5.0s]

My DTE 0 problem went away after I reset it per the owners manual. So last night I saw the issue on this forum and figured, Ha, I had that one down. First thing this AM, DTE 0 Dong Dong rears it's ugly head again. Didn't have time to check the manual again, but I will!
Vince

['89 5.0s]

Well, I thinkI got it!
The DTE problem kept happening, despite reseting etc. I noted the manual mentioned the donnger(sp) reminds you at (I think) 50 miles 30, and 20? So I filled the tank. Presto! No more problem. You're only supposed to get one reminder, but I bet when the fueltank sending unit drops past the first,and or second aleart point, the computer program losses it, and reminds you each time you start it 'till empty!
That would explain the randomness based on tank level. Solution? Keep it topped off smile.gif
Vince

[Icarus]

The buzzer will go EVERY time you start the car if the comp 'thinks' its below 50, 25 & 10 miles DTE...

[seanklsc]

Yeah, of course DTE is supposed to beep when you're low on gas. That's what it is there for. However, some people experience problems with it.. when the tank is 3/4 full it still beeps at you with DTE 0.

[Hilton]

I've got a nice '86 LSC which started having this problem about 9 months ago. I've tried the self-test feature ... it always checks out fine. The analog gas gauge on the dash always shows the correct level. It displays "DTE 0" and beeps when I open the door, again after starting the engine, and intermittently while driving. After pressing CLOCK twice, the DTE function shows the correct reading. I took out the unit and cleaned all the contacts today, but it didn't help. My only conclusion could be that the unit itself is bad. Does anyone have any ideas? I've been reading the forums now for a while and you guys really seem to know your stuff. :D

[Charlie]

Unfortuntly, It is probley not the unit in the dash. It is probley the sending unit in the gas tank. It uses a different one from the gas gage. You can try replacing the unit in the dash thay are cheap at salavage yards and a heck of a lot esier to change than the sending unit in the gas tank.

[JC]

Can you get to the sending unit and fuel pump through an access panel in the trunk or do you need to drop the gas tank? On Mark VIII's you have to drop the tank.

[Hilton]

Is there a way to just disable the beeper inside the unit? I took mine apart, but couldn't figure out which part to pull off the board.

[Charlie]

I've never done it but, I purty sure that you have to drop the tank.I wish there was a acess panel but, I do not beleve there is one. The old Fords before electric fuel pumps didn't have one and I don't beleve thay ever thought of putting one in. I spose it has to do with safety as well. If there was a acess panel somebody could leave it open making a hole for a fire to come through in a rear end collision. Ford is a little parinoid about that after the big story on the Mustang thing and the Pinto thing.

[TW/92LSC/SE]

There are 3 parts that could cause DTE 0 problems. 1 Fuel Sender(if once changed must be a 3 wire sender not 2wire). 2 Interface Module(circuit board attached to the back of the Instrument Cluster). 3 Tripminder(center consule). The following checks are for a Mark VII LSC. If fuel level isn't present, verify that the single wire connector C216 for the 204(O/LB)wire located near the fuse panel is connected and the fuel gauge is working. If the fuel gauge is working the sender is probably OK, but check the resistance at Pin 10 (204 O/LG) and Pin 15 (89 O)at harness connector on back of instrument panel. Should read between 10 Ohms at Full Tank and 155 Ohms Empty. This verifies the tripminder interface side of the fuel sender circuit is working. Then turn Ign. to Run to check for output voltage at Pin 9 (205 DB/LG) of harness and ground. Should read between 3.5 volts at full to 2 volts half tank to 0.4 to 1 volt empty. This checks the interface module for output. There are 4 tangs under the module that may not be making a good connection or the module is defective. If that checks out OK access the harness connector to back of Tripminder, check for same voltage at Pin 8 (205 DB/LG)of Tripminder connector to Ground Pin 11 (359 BK/W) of Tripminder connector. This checks the Tripminder DTE O circuit. If voltage N/G clean connections before replacing TripMinder. Hope this helps, I think I've got it all right. ;)

[ February 15, 2002: Message edited by: TW/92LSC/SE ]