It was a federal mandate that if an automotive manufacturer wanted to sell a vehicle in the United States starting with the 1996 model year, then it had to be OBD-II. All vehicles sold in the United States starting with the 1996 model year are OBD-II. Ford did use a diagnostic connector in the engine compartment, but that is for doing tests with the Ford scanners or the top end scanners the jobbers sell (Snap-On, Mac, Matco). You can read the codes with the inexpensive scanners you can purchase from the parts stores, but that’s all, read only. For the 96 (97 HD) body Ford Trucks, the Assembly Line Diagnostic Link (OBD-II) connector is somewhat hidden under the dash just to the left of center.