Bruce Amacker Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 OK, time to play. Thanks to FordRacer, I now have a test 6.0 PCM sitting on my desk I can connect the IDS to, as he supplied me with the needed 46 way PCM connectors, and I already had a known good PCM sitting in my junk. I sold a few IDS setups to a customer and I want to be able to set them up, register them, and test them without sitting in a truck. It was easier than I thought. I'm not going to put up pictures (yet, if ever) 'cause it's really fugly with wires hanging out all over, an OBD2 connector, and a lawn tractor battery powering it. Fugly. It was easy to wire, though, I salvaged an OBD2 dash connector from the junkyard from a 2006 F150 that was punched (free!) which already had the right colored wires in the right holes with some left over. I used the rear PCM connector (46 pin) connected to the OBD2 connector via CAN bus, 3 powers, 3 grounds, and FEPS pin 39 (Flash Eprom signal). Nothing else is connected to the 46 pin body connector. Both the 46 pin engine connector (center PCM) and the 30 pin TCM connector (front PCM) are disconnected. I've been using a VCM1 all along so this is my first venture into VCM2 land. It was a cinch to set up, pretty much automatic. I am using it wired 'cause I don't like wireless connections. (comments and opinions requested) It's not surprising that I'm showing 29 continuous DTCs and a reflash available, and when I go to Network test things got ugly. When I go to Datalogger I saw some suprises, most of the PIDS showed zeros, but there's the ones that showed valid defaults. I was surprised to see so many "in-range" default values: Comments welcome! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 I've actually been thinking of doing something like this, just for playing around with. I wouldn't mind a few pics of your entire setup, just to look at it. You can email them if you wish. But it's still a neat idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Amacker Posted April 30, 2013 Author Share Posted April 30, 2013 NO LAUGHING! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Can you flash the PCM with that setup like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Amacker Posted April 30, 2013 Author Share Posted April 30, 2013 It wants to, but I'm afraid to try. Toward the end it wants you to start the engine to complete the process. What would happen if it couldn't? I know the IH guys flash ECMs with a setup like this all of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Toward the end it wants you to start the engine to complete the process. What would happen if it couldn't? On 6.0L trucks I reprogram and not start the engine all the time without any issues. I only turn the key on and it works fine. Out of habbit I tried the same with 6.4L and 6.7L engines and IDS calls me on it. I don't recall it causing any errors though I did have to start the engines. If you are worried that you will blank the module I wouldn't be as IDS will attempt to recover the module and then you can restart the programming. The battery in my IDS PC is shot... which is why I try to rush things sometimes with it unplugged. I know better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 I've not started the engine on 6.4's and 6.0's without any issue, just turning the key on. The 6.4's argue a little about it, but you don't have to start it. I liked doing this while I was doing an oil change/reflash or recall update combo, for a little overlap gravy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 wow, I'm surprised how little is involved. I'd like to give this a try for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 I have been kicking around an idea of remote programming FICMs this way. I believe I have all the parts and wiring info needed, the only thing I need now is the time to put it all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Amacker Posted May 16, 2014 Author Share Posted May 16, 2014 A comment on a desktop PCM setup: I was trashing a couple of old PC towers and for security I removed the hard drives. Seeing the power supplies I was curious what they put out, guess what, the label shows: 12v@12a, 5v@23a and 3.3v@10a DC. Hey, I wonder if that will drive a PCM? Well, it puts out 11.6vdc actual and the 6.0 PCM I have on my desk is completely happy with that. There's a bunch of wires in the harnesses from the power supply, you have to ground the (only) green wire to the black wire (it seems any of the black wires work) to get the PS to "turn on". From there, the yellow wires are all 12v, the orange wires are 3.3v, and the red wires are 5v. There's several Youtube videos on this if you search, "repurposing a pc power supply". I'm sure you guys will figure out new uses for this power, I was even thinking it might be clean enough for backup while doing a long programming session. (Ford's don't usually take a long time to flash, but some other Mfrs take hours and you have to have a big buck charger). The 5v might be handy for some kind of benchtop sensor testing, too, but who needs 5v@23 frigging amps! Have fun! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Awesome. I am close to having mine done, I got a hold of a body harness connector all I need to do is find some time to wire it in. Everything else is there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cetane Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Bruce, I can't believe I missed this whole thread. I always enjoy seeing unique solutions to field issues. I have used a very similar setup for years while breadboarding a variety of modules. I enclosed the power supply and wiring into a medium sized project box with an Amp connector, the J1962, a few DB9's for CAN, an "ignition" switch and a variety of banana jacks for different signal/power/ground combinations. The Amp connector allows me to make harnesses for a variety of vehicles/modules and use the same project box. I have flashed tons of different modules on the bench and obviously never started anything but I don't use IDS. I can't think of any situation where it is required for the module to take the flash but if you are using IDS it might be a software requirement of that program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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