FICMs revisited...

[Jim Warman]

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TSB

10-12-6 6.0L - RUNS ROUGH, LACKS POWER, HARD START, NO START

 

Publication Date: June 11, 2010

 

FORD: 2003-2005 Excursion

2003-2007 F-Super Duty

2004-2010 E-350, E-450

 

 

ISSUE:

Some 2003-2007 F-Super Duty, 2003-2005 Excursion and 2004-2010 E-Series vehicles equipped with a 6.0L engine may exhibit a runs rough, lacks power, hard start, no start concern with or without diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0611 code or various injector circuit codes. This concern may be caused by a DC-DC converter located in one half of the Fuel Injector Control Module (FICM) or by the main circuit board in the other half of the FICM.

 

ACTION:

Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition.

 

SERVICE PROCEDURE

 

FICM Information:

 

The FICM contains two major internal components, the main circuit board and a DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter is the device that amplifies battery voltage to 48 volts to operate the injectors.

 

Low FICM supply voltage results in increased FICM operating loads, potentially damaging or shortening the life of the FICM.

 

For contribution codes without circuit codes, go to Powertrain Controls/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) pinpoint test P. Do not continue with this procedure.

 

Connect Integrated Diagnostic System (IDS) scan tool and confirm battery voltage is greater then 11.5 volts key on engine off (KOEO).

If battery voltage is less then 11.5 volts KOEO, do not continue with this article. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 414-00.

If battery voltage is 11.5 volts KOEO or higher, continue to Step 2.

Remove the FICM relay.

Perform a programmable module installation (PMI) on the FICM to correct possible corrupt FICM memory.

IDS scan tool software must be at release level 65.18, or higher.

Select module programming on the IDS menu screen.

Select PMI and click on the tick button at the bottom right corner of the screen.

Follow the directions on the screen until it states to install the new module. At this point, click on the tick button again and continue to follow the on screen directions to complete the PMI procedure.

Reinstall the FICM relay.

Monitor the FICM_M power parameter identification (PID) per the following instructions:

Disconnect the glow plug control module (GPCM) VPWR circuit to isolate the GPCM and alternator from the FICM and provide more consistent FICM testing. (Figure 1)

 

 

Figure 1 - Article 10-12-6

 

 

Disconnect the fuel heater relay, if equipped.

With IDS already installed, turn ignition to run position.

Monitor engine oil temperature (EOT) PID.

If EOT reads 32 °F (0 °C) or less, proceed to Step 11

If EOT reads greater than 32 °F (0 °C), proceed to Step 7.

Turn ignition off.

Disconnect the EOT sensor.

Using Rotunda Technician Tool Program Universal Gauge and Component Tester (OTC3385) or equivalent, adjust setting to 100,000 ohms resistance. Verify tester resistance using a digital volt ohm meter (DVOM) with 10 mega ohm minimum impedance.

Connect the instrument gauge system tester between the EOT signal and SIGRTN circuits at the harness side of the EOT connector.

Failure to apply exactly 100,000 ohms of resistance at this location may result in inaccurate test results.

With key on and engine off, monitor the FICM_MPWR PID and record the value.

Cycle the ignition to off and back to run position to activate the injector pre-cycle. Monitor the FICM_MPWR PID and ensure voltage reading is greater than 45 volts during the entire duration of the last 10 seconds of the fuel injectors clicking.

If FICM_M power is 45 volts or greater, the PMI repaired the concern. Reassemble the EOT circuits if previously removed. Return vehicle to customer.

If FICM_MPWR drops below 45 volts during pre-cycle, reassemble the EOT circuits if removed previously and proceed to FICM Half Shell Replacement procedure.

FICM Half Shell Replacement

 

Electronic modules are sensitive to static electrical charges. If exposed to these charges, damage can result. Extreme care should be taken when performing this repair.

 

Remove FICM from the vehicle and clean off any debris using shop air. Refer to WSM, Section 303-14B.

Remove the two (2) Torx T20 retaining screws and inspection plate from the back of the FICM. (Figure 2)

 

 

Figure 2 - Article 10-12-6

 

 

Inspect the buss connector screws.

If FICM is an early style with seven (7) connector screws, do not disassemble. Replace the FICM assembly. (Figure 3)

 

 

Figure 3 - Article 10-12-6

 

 

If FICM has four (4) connector screws, proceed to Step 4 for inspection and repair. (Figure 4)

 

 

Figure 4 - Article 10-12-6

 

 

Remove the four (4) Torx T10 buss post retaining screws . (Figure 4)

When removing the screws from the FICM, you may find metallic shavings. Be sure to clean any debris from the screws before reinstalling.

Remove the eight (8) Torx T20 half shell retaining screws.

Carefully separate the top and bottom half shells of the FICM. The upper half (with the three main FICM harness connectors) contains the main circuit board. The lower half contains the DC-DC board. They are sealed by a molded perimeter gasket. Gentle prying may be required to separate. Retain the gasket for reuse.

Inspect the main circuit board for burning and/or damaged components

If any evidence of loose or burned components is found, replace the FICM assembly.

If no evidence of loose or burned components are found, proceed to Step 8.

Install the original half shell gasket that was removed in Step 6 in the new lower FICM half shell.

Before putting the two FICM half shells together, be sure to clean any dust or debris using compressed air.

Assemble the upper and lower FICM half shells. Install eight (8) case screws and torque to 18 lb-in (2 N-m).

Install the four (4) buss screws removed in Step 4 and torque to 9 lb-in (1 N-m)

Install inspection plate, seal and retaining screws and torque to 18 lb-in (2 N-m).

Install four (4) replacement mounting grommets.

Install FICM. Refer to WSM, Section 303-14B.

Clear all DTCs.

 

PART NUMBER PART NAME

4C3Z-12B599-BARM FICM Half Shell

4C3Z-12B599-ABRM FICM

 

 

WARRANTY STATUS:

Eligible Under Provisions Of New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage And Emissions Warranty Coverage

IMPORTANT: Warranty coverage limits/policies are not altered by a TSB. Warranty coverage limits are determined by the identified causal part.

 

OPERATION DESCRIPTION TIME

101206A 2004-2010 Econoline 6.0L: Perform PMI, Resistor Installation Not Necessary (Do Not Use With Any Other Labor Operations) 0.5 Hr.

101206B 2004-2010 Econoline 6.0L: Perform PMI, Resistor Installation Necessary (Do Not Use With Any Other Labor Operations) 1.1 Hrs.

101206C 2004-2010 Econoline 6.0L: Perform PMI, Resistor Installation Not Necessary, Replace FICM Half Shell Or Entire FICM (Do Not Use With Any Other Labor Operations) 1.1 Hrs.

101206D 2004-2010 Econoline 6.0L: Perform PMI, Resistor Installation Necessary, Inspect And Replace FICM Half Shell Or Entire FICM (Do Not Use With Any Other Labor Operations) 1.8 Hrs.

101206E 2003-2007 F-Super Duty 6.0L: Perform PMI Install Resistor If Necessary (Do Not Use With Any Other Labor Operations) 0.5 Hr.

101206F 2003-2007 F-Super Duty 6.0L: Perform PMI, Install Resistor If Necessary, Inspect And Replace FICM Half Shell Or Entire FICM (Do Not Use With Any Other Labor Operations) 1.7 Hrs.

 

DEALER CODING

BASIC PART NO. CONDITION CODE

12b599 42

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

NOTE: The information in Technical Service Bulletins is intended for use by trained, professional technicians with the knowledge, tools, and equipment to do the job properly and safely. It informs these technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or provides information that could assist in proper vehicle service. The procedures should not be performed by "do-it-yourselfers". Do not assume that a condition described affects your car or truck. Contact a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury dealership to determine whether the Bulletin applies to your vehicle. Warranty Policy and Extended Service Plan documentation determine Warranty and/or Extended Service Plan coverage unless stated otherwise in the TSB article. The information in this Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) was current at the time of printing. Ford Motor Company reserves the right to supercede this information with updates. The most recent information is available through Ford Motor Company's on-line technical resources.

 

Copyright © 2010 Ford Motor Company

[Keith Browning]

Holy cow! I was reading this and thought we were going to be soldering these things... but it looks like we are going to be repairing them in a sense... as we discussed.

[Bruce Amacker]

I ran that PN (4C3Z-12B599-BARM) though my local dealer and it's not even in the system yet. Has anyone else run that PN?

 

[GregKneupper]

I have already had the oppurtunity to rebuild one of these. I had the parts department already order 6 of them for stock because we replace a ton of ficms. He did not find it in the system either but they were still able to get some. I dont know much about the parts department so I do not know how they come up with them. Replacing it was very simple. It was not a big deal at all. Once replacing the drivers the truck fired right up.

[joshbuys]

while the part may not come up in the system(catalog) the parts department uses, whether it be ADP, Microcat(the two we have here) or any of the other systems, if you go on the Ford site that they use for ordering parts, the information is there for it already, I priced one just for fun - list price on a ficm - 711.XX, list price on the new ficm half - 509.XX - not much savings there!!

[mchan68]

Okay, I just priced out both parts.

 

FICM

4C3Z-12B599-ABRM Cost: $482.70 List: $583.47

 

FICM Half Shell

4C3Z-12B599-BARM Cost: $493.35 List: $836.19

 

WTF? So, a HALF FICM costs almost DOUBLE the price?!!!!

[DwayneGorniak]

Our parts guy ran those same prices yesterday. What in hell are they thinking?

[Keith Browning]

Okay, I just priced out both parts.

 

FICM

4C3Z-12B599-ABRM Cost: $482.70 List: $583.47

 

FICM Half Shell

4C3Z-12B599-BARM Cost: $493.35 List: $836.19

 

WTF? So, a HALF FICM costs almost DOUBLE the price?!!!!

 

 

[Aaron]

Yeah, but it's the same as the Expedition fuel rail recall...they started off at over 400 bucks, last one I did was about 70 i think warranty cost was on it.

 

Parts are still not available yet, anyhow. So I'll keep slapping FICMS on with "AS PER BULLETIN PARTS NOT AVAILABLE TO PERFORM REPAIR"

[DieselD]

I did one of these the other week, had to order it and down the truck for 4-5days for a lousy tsb when we have ficms in stock. Try telling that one to one of your biggest/best fleet customers that needs the truck asap. I wish they would really gear up before releasing these tsbs telling us to do a particular repair yet not have any parts.

 

IIRC the halfshell was cheaper then the ficm

[mchan68]

IIRC the halfshell was cheaper then the ficm

I just priced both out yet again. Whole FICMs are plenty available, but still no stock on half FICMs. Prices are still the same as I last posted above. Is it different for you folks in the U.S.?

[Aaron]

There's a thing on the hotline that says if parts are unavailable within a reasonable time (5 days) an assembly can be ordered with the proper documentation, as per the W and P manual.

[joshbuys]

Checked prices today:

 

FICM - 4C3Z-12B599-ABRM - 708.33

FICM HALF - 4C3Z-12B599-BARM - 513.83

[DieselD]

those are more of the prices Ive been seeing

[fordtech03]

So the Tech working next to me does one of these repairs yesterday, replaces the half, truck runs fine for about 20 minutes, and then develops a miss, has 4 cylinders dropped evenly, I don't recall the exact ones,2 on each bank. He swears everything was connected etc...Put a new unit in ( entire FICM )and everything is good? I saw the Main control board when he had it all apart, no obvious signs of damage.Fortunately it was a waranty repair so the cost of the second FICM will be a little easier to absorb. I can see already if I get one of these as a CP job, it's getting the whole unit.

[joshbuys]

Each of the back two connectors control 2 injectors on each bank... middle is 1,4,6,7 and rear is 2,3,5,8 IIRC this is on later models - again with the memory thing....IIRC the early 6.0's had each bank on it's own connnector.

[Aaron]

This is gonna get ugly, real fast, I'm thinking.

 

I'm no electrical engineer, I can see when shit's burned up on a circuit board, but what next? Check all the logic gates, resistors and capacitors on the fucking control board in the FICM?

 

There is gonna be so many of these fucked up, it's not even funny. And I'm not cutting down the tech you are talking about, I am merely commenting that electrical failures especially on a programmable control unit such as a FICM are sometimes very difficult to see with the naked eye.

 

And, seeing this repair in the TSB... How does one explain the guys on the powerstroke monkeyhouse soldering a few resistors back to the main control board and having 48.5V MPWR? WITHOUT changing the step-up transformer?

 

The ONE FICM I took apart merely out of curiosity before this TSB came out smelled like a fuckin TV/home stereo store after a power surge. All burnt electronics. Or failing that, a burned up field coil on an AC compressor. I don't think that there was enough real-world research done on this to make it an affective repair. Yes, I realize that likely this was being tested on FICMs that had been warranty returns as failures, but at the same time -- how many of these had a WEAK step-up transformer, and the resistor issues on the main control board? (As an aside, I do not know how much merit there is to soldering the resistors, but there was a member on here that tried it and said it worked) Maybe there was enough contact on those suspect resistors for the NEW step up transformer to work at 48v, but for how long?

 

I dunno...I don't like where this is going...

 

[Aaron]

That should be "TSB" not THREAD...but you guys get the idear.

[Brad Clayton]

[Aaron]

Bitchin! Thanks brotha!

[Keith Browning]

So what are you saying Aaron? Is this evidence of Ford imitating what we read on the Internet? (the topic on soldering the FICM) We have some pictures and instructions floating around various forums and a few people fixed their FICM's... now we have yet another money saving band-aid.

[Aaron]

In a way, yes...but in another way... I'm also saying...the weenies on the internet are just soldering shit up, not replacing any parts, and apparently getting good FICMs out of the deal.

 

So how are we replacing parts, soldering/repairing nothing, yet arriving at the same result? One of these repairs (the weenie repair vs the Ford repair) is going to have issues in the longevity department...I'm just anxious to find out which one.

[Keith Browning]

It seems to me that EITHER way there is the possibility of "other" damage to the FICM that will leave you with a frown on your face. So under warranty, let us say you follow the TSB and REPAIR the FICM and it still has a problem. What do you do? We have enough problems with the warranty Nazis without having to explain how the didn't fix the truck and a complete FICM then had to be installed. Who pays for that???

[Aaron]

Get the little butane torch out...

 

PERFORMED HARD START NO START DIAGNOSIS FOUND P0611 AND ALL 8 INJECTOR CIRCUIT CODES CHECKED OASIS FOUND TSB BLAHBLAH (number will have likely changed 14 times between now and the actual claim) AS PER TSB, CIRCUIT BOARD APPEARED BURNT REPLACED FICM ASSEMBLY PERFORMED PMI AND TESTED OPERATION OK AT THIS TIME. NO FURTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION REQUIRED AT THIS TIME. CLEARED CODES RECHECKED FOR CODES NONE FOUND. JOB COMPLETE. RELEASE VEHICLE.

[Aaron]

I am also quite partial to the "RE USE THE GASKET" part of the TSB...

 

That'll keep the coolant out when the degas bottle goes for a shit, or the heater hose rubs through on the FICM case...