2011 F350 P207f re inford posting

BrunoWilimek · May 31, 2010

The other diesel tech(Chris) here has been chasing this code down on a dealer-owned race car trialer tow vehicle. The code came up during a trip to the USA and with it a limit of top speed to 80kph(50mph). The driver aborted his trip and limped it home. Chris has been in contact with hotline and higher up in tracking down the cause of this code. Firstly, there is no pinpoint test in the PCED for this code, which is supposedly a big no-no. Ford is set to announce a TSB or recall based on many occurrences of this code(contaminated DEF)to replace a suspected faulty NOX sensor. Chris is apparently the first tech who has encountered this code who has pushed the issue beyond what hotline has recommended. He did an A-B-A swap of the "defective" sensor and both trucks Seemed OK. Al testing of the injector and other related items showed no faults. He drained and replaced the DEF(he did the PDI and originally filled the tank at that time). The hotline engineer Chris was talking to had recommended waiting until the first week of June for the new sensor, but after Chris had done more testing agreed with Chris that the sensor may not be at fault. At that point, Posted Image at FOMOCO and someone higher up the food chain over-ruled hotline and said to release the truck to the customer and wait for the release of the new and improved sensor. Chris called hotline back and was told it was out of their hands now as the higher ups had more say at this point. The truck went back to the USA to pick up a new 40 foot enclosed race car hauler. The same code returned twice, but Chris sent his code reader along to clear the code and allow resumption of the trip. Now we wait to see what happens next. Posted Image Oh, yeah, this is all supposed to be on the QT as Ford wants the release of the 6.7 to be as uneventful as possible after the 6.0 and to a lesser extent the 6.4 fiascos. So, don't tell anyone about it.

Brad Clayton · June 1, 2010

What kinda code reader was being used on this beast?

BrunoWilimek · June 2, 2010

It is a Univec unit, bought at a local Canadian Tire store, but may be available elsewhere.

Jim Warman · June 2, 2010

I can't help but wonder if a VDR wouldn't be the better choice?

BrunoWilimek · June 2, 2010

Firstly, the scan tool was used only to clear the code and allow resumption of travel by a non-technician. Secondly, we do not have a VDR for our IDS. We have one for the WDS and since we used it very little and most customers did not make usable recordings with it, management decided not to get one for the IDS, so not an option. The new NOX sensor has now arrived. It remains to be seen if it is really the cause of the concern as engineeering seems to think. I will keep you posted.

Keith Browning · June 3, 2010

We have one for the WDS and since we used it very little and most customers did not make usable recordings with it, management decided not to get one for the IDS, so not an option.
FYI: The VDR you have is still current for the IDS. All you need is to obtain a cable, power adapter and reflash the firmware on the VDR. The tool still works well and to be honest, I think my shop's technicians use it more than we allow customers to use it.

Originally Posted By: Ford Motor Company

Vehicle Data Recorder (VDR) Adaptor Kit
The VDR Adapter Kit allows you to use your existing VDR with the Ford Integrated Diagnostic System (IDS) laptop.

The VDR Adaptor Kit contains the following components:

IDS PC to VDR Adapter

IDS VDR Power Supply

(Note: Why do we need a new VDR power supply? - When VDR was used with WDS, the WDS had the capabilities of powering the VDR up through the VI-1 cable (the VI-1 cable is used to connect the VDR to WDS). With IDS, the VDR connects to the PC through the VI-2 adapter (IDS PC to VDR adapter) and either the VCM or VMM Host USB cable. The IDS PC USB port cannot supply enough power to the VDR resulting in the need for an external VDR power supply).

To order the Vehicle Data Recorder (VDR) Adaptor Kit, call 1-800-ROTUNDA (768-8632) and select Option # 1.

The Rotunda Part Number is 164-R9536

Jim Warman · June 3, 2010

Keith has pretty much nailed it...

NOT using the VDR because you MIGHT get useless recordings is like not gettiing a vaccine because you might not get that disease anyway. (I could go on and on, here - don't check the oil level because it might be OK...).

What screws with a lot of techs is not knowing how to archive your recordings - this isn't really intuitive or knowing which PIDs to record... (start big and trim or add if you need - Rome wasn't built in a day). Yes... you can adjust recording length as well as the number of recordings to a point. Yes... choosing fewer or more PIDs affects the scan rate.

Bruno... the VDR is about as much of the KISS principal as you can get.

Our VDR hasn't been at home for more than a day for months. But to have a tool that can help and not use it?

BrunoWilimek · June 3, 2010

I know how useful it is. Tell it to the management. I spent several hours with the previous SM going over what we needed when the IDS was first available to be ordered. John Cannataro was involved and helped me to list the components required. We already had a VCM from the NGS+ that was no longer being used, so we were supposed to be getting a palm pilot to use with that. When the IDS showed up, no palm pilot etc. Our "extra" VCM with an expired subscription still has not been used for anything. I gave up trying to get any tools for the shop. Everything we needed was declined due to lack of funds. Meanwhile the DP spent $100,000+ having a $15,000 California 6 cylinder Mustang turned into a vintage Shelby GT350R replica to run in the vintage class. He is also having a 1966 real GT 350(like the one pictured to the left)restored. I could go on, but you are preaching to the choir, so don't blame me. Posted Image

BrunoWilimek · June 3, 2010

Oh yeah, the few times I let a customer take the VDR out, I either got it back with no explanation about the recordings or no recordings as the problem never occurred when it was hooked up.

mrbudge · June 4, 2010

Our old flight recorder went to South Carolina once. Tried to call the customer for 2 weeks, obviously not home. Came back full of recordings, taken at highway speeds. Not much help in solving their stalling at stops concern. Making a recording of something is fine and dandy, but I still like to be in the seat when it happens so I know what was going on when the concern occurs. People tend to omit information that they feel is not necessary when you give them a box and say go drive.

BTW, South Carolina is a long way away from here.

Aaron · June 4, 2010

Last time I got 8 recordings of the vehicle in question at a stop light, or likely in the parking lot before it even left our shop. LOL.

BrunoWilimek · June 10, 2010

I did once upon a time, make up a list of what was required to upgrade our VCM to IDS specs. The cost was not within our shop's budget at that time(and I got the response listed above)as we were still waiting to replace our aging and worn out tire machine and it finally got replaced last winter, after only 3 years of waiting, so maybe I can approach management again now. Sometimes I just give up. Life is too short and if you have done without something for long, you forget you actually needed it. We had a customer with a possible transmission shift concern once and the recordings we got back showed her driving very erratically just to try to make it do it, yet she claimed it did it all the time. I drove it for a week and it never acted up once. We eventually put a tranny in it, yet she claimed it still had the same concern. As far as the 2011 truck, the "new and improved" sensor is in, yet it is still the same part number as the old one, and another tech has posted they had the same concern at another dealership, so, now we wait. If Ford was willing to foot the bill for unlimited diagnosis, it would help, but when they tell you to do no more as they know the fix and to release the vehicle to the customer, well, your hands are sort of tied.