09 f-150 traction control and rsc problems

cbriggs · December 18, 2011

Ok guys, I have a nightmare truck. It has a C1963, C1280, C1282. I can repeat the C1963 on ever test drive, within 15 seconds of leaving from parked. After a 5 minute drive it will set C1280 and sometimes C1282. The concern originaly appeared around 16,000kms, and was very intermitant. The truck now has 59,000kms, and is not driveable. This is the 6th repair attempt for this concern, by several dealers, but mostly ours. The truck has had 2 rcms, 1 abs module, 2 swa sensors. I have tried another swa sensor, inspected everything, load tested network between abs and rcm, load tested all wiring between swa sensor and abs module, removed seats and carpet to inspect harnesses and floor. Overlayed network twisted pair between abs and rcm, disconected alternator, reflashed abs,run multiple ivd initializations. Have spent hours on the phone with hotline escalation team. The problem that causes the C1963 is that the truck cannot find center of steering on initial driveaway from startup. It has to find it within 30 seconds or before 70km/hr on each startup. Like clockwork, as soon as you break 70km/hr after starting the truck it sets a C1963 and turns the tractioncontrol light on. I have about 20 recordings of the event, and all sensors apear to be functioning correctly. Hotline cannot tell me what the abs module needs to see as a set condition to determine the straight ahead position of the wheel, if I knew that it would be easier to pinpoint what it isnt seeing. They want me to replace the triggerwheel on the bottom of the column, and if that doesnt improve anything they will send out an fse. Anybody have any experience with one like this?

Oh yeah, truck is bone stock, no suspension,powertrain or body mods, oem tires, driven by a 65ish year old man.

joshbuys · December 18, 2011

I would look very closely at the HS-CAN pins at all the connectors in your circuits. Be looking at the terminal to wire crimps - make sure the terminal is crimped to the wire and not the insulation. I've seen other concerns where this is the cause.

cbriggs · December 19, 2011

When I overlayed the network circuits I did it right from the pins, used some donor pins from a junk harness, pinned out the oe hardshells and inserted my overlay harness pins in their place.

cbriggs · December 22, 2011

Well, the trigger wheel didn't solve anything. Neither did the overlay of 4 more circuits. I am now dealing with our fse out of calgary (Daryl). I'm hoping he will come out and get a fresh pair of eyes on this thing, because i am so far into it that I'm wondering if its something completely unrelated to the direction the codes and ppt tests are steering us. I'm into this thing for over 20 hours now. Nobody can tell me what can prevent the abs module from learning center of steering. The customer is losing his patience.......

cbriggs · December 24, 2011

I think we may have pinpointed the cause. It appears that this truck was built with the wrong steering rack. According to wsm and microcat, all trucks with max trailer tow should have a 20:1 ratio rack, which is 3.75 turns lock to lock. All std equiptment trucks get a 17:1 rack, which is 3.25 turns lock to lock. This truck has max trailer tow, and the rack is 3.25 turns lock to lock. I have yet to replace the rack, but we are fairly confident this will repair the concern. Like I have thought all along it is a programming glitch, the programming is set to recognize a 20:1 steering ratio, but the truck is steering at a 17:1 ratio.

ETS · December 24, 2011

Boy that is a real headbeater, Hope they pay time invested on that one! I had one years ago. The first three V-8 Mark 7 LSC's came off the truck with 6cyl distributers in them. V-8 caps and wires. Ran like shit, No codes, Finally noticed 6 points on reluctor after countless tests and about 12 hrs. Sent a field engineer to inspect cars. I got straight time.

cbriggs · December 31, 2011

Well, no dice on the new (proper ratio) rack, new rcm with and without overlayed circuits, Multiple ivd initializations, a later calibration for the abs module. The fse is trying to get ahold of engineering to see if they can shed some light on the code C1963 that sets almost everytime the truck is driven. Pushing 30 hours into it now.

I wonder what will happen if I quit (due to other unrelated issues at our store) before this thing is figured out?

Brad Clayton · December 31, 2011

Ford will crush the vehicle. Posted Image

cbriggs · January 7, 2012

This thing is still in our shop. FSE has visited and spent a few hours on it with me. We are both convinced it is a software problem. We were on the phone with a braking systems engineer in Michigan, he needs the calibration data from the abs module (we are assuming it is the same sort of info as asbuilt, only what is actually in the module). I had to call hotline to find out how to retreive it, to find out it cant be done. I had to run a monitor trace and then send my session to hotline, and they are messing with it at their end.

cbriggs · January 27, 2012

We finally have this thing licked. Ended up being a bad abs module. Put an old level abs/hcu in it that we have had in stock since 2009. The abs module changes up 3 times. Not sure if its related, but a 3rd changeup module was installed and actually made the concern worse. The one we put in now was an original part # and it has fixed it.

On a side note, and abs/hcu assy is worth $280 retail, and abs module seperatly is $700 ish dollars.