GregH

A remote.

Did 9X116856 have keyless entry? I flashed in that data, and the keyless entry system stayed deactivated....

Umm... ok... So your milk comes in bags? http://www.wimp.com/canadiansmilk/

Reminds me of a Dilbert-ism that is too true to be funny: "All the bugs were reclassified as security features to make the ship date."

Second on the shiner... There is some Texas blood in me...

Thought I would give my own opinion on the original questions.... I am quite certain that there is information stored in the PCM and other modules that cannot be erased, or at least erased with the tools we have. And because I'm a little paranoid I would expect this information is quite a bit more comprehensive than we think. I was talking with an FSE a few years back on a transmission concern. He related a story about how he was assisting another engineer on a transmission concern in the field and the other engineer hooked up his own equipment to the vehicle. The other engineer accessed a ream of data showing parameters on every single shiftpoint the vehicle had ever made - from pulling off the assembly line up until it drove into the service bay 120,000 miles later. I related that story on another forum, and a self-proclaimed former Ford transmission engineer called bullshit on me - at least it was through a PM.. He said no data of this sort has ever been stored... I suspect that the truth is somewhere in between. The capability of PCM's has been increasing ever since we started using computer control... Who's to say that these modules aren't capable of this and more these days? So, the PCM can surely detect some modifications. Is this transmitted to Ford? Yes. Without a doubt. You've all seen the fact that as soon as the IDS starts to recognize the vehicle, the network traffic between the IDS and your wireless router starts up... The IDS is telling on you. What exactly is the IDS talking about? I would think that it is sending all the data that is shown on the log screen - vehicle identification data, module part numbers and strategies, continuous codes, and freeze frame data. How long do you think it will be before whoever recieves this data at Ford starts comparing notes with the ACES people? We'll start getting back warranty RO's with denials saying things like "the codes stated in ACES do not match codes retreieved during diagnosis." If there is specific data to be manually retrieved concerning modifications, I would think we would be able to see it. Maybe not all of it, and maybe in a dumbed down format, but we should be able to see something. As for the official stance, and the steadfastness of Ford, it will always be driven by the dollar. They can say and print anything they want. It will be a deterrant to some people. But there will be others who will try to get their modified trucks covered, and for those people it will be a simple cost/benefit analysis. Is it cheaper to fight the customer or just cover the damned truck. And don't think they'll forget that if they fight the customer, they will lose the customer and all their friends - whether Ford covers the truck in the end or not. Nothing has changed. Ford is still in the information gathering stage. I suspect they will be there for a long time. However, paper is cheap, and threats of warranty denial will deter some customers. This alone will save Ford money... In response to Jim's repeated comparisons between our industry and the oldest industry - as far as modifications it is black and white - does it meet EPA regulations? So far, I have only had one customer out of the many who have asked me for EGR delete kits pursue having the kit put on at another shop. That is money I lost, but there was another diesel waiting in the parking lot....

We maintain a position as a third party - a facilitator between the customer and Ford. Analyze the vehicle objectively, write it up without prejudice, and let Ford make the call. The blame game - We do play that game, and we play it well. The customer's impression is that we are scrapping for the home team, and are trying our best to get Ford to cover a questionable repair without altering the facts. We don't give the customer the idea that Ford is some big, bad company who will do anything to screw the customer - we simply point out that they are the one's paying the bill and they need to make an informed decision. These customers will need to replace their vehicles at some point, and we'd like them to choose Ford again... Now, when Ford comes back with an approval, then we look like the good guys. We come off as the guys who convinced Ford that this questionable repair should be covered. I will never make the mistake again of steering the customer in the direction of "this repair won't be covered" because he's got some super mega diablo hyper loony program - only to have Ford come back with approval. We looked like the jackasses that were trying to get the customer's warrany denied and Ford stepped in to save the customer from another unscrupulous dealer. Screw that... In all honesty, Ford has only declined a handfull of repairs. And those denials were reversed with an appeal... Or at least a PO5.... As for warranty times, streamlined diagnosis, TSB labor ops that cannot be used with any other operation, and other bull - I don't see that it has made much of a difference in my bottom line. For the most part, and I am shrugging into my asbestos suit as I type this, warranty labor times are fair. I'm 80% warranty, and 20% CP. I average 50 hours per week, and my timecard shows me spending 45 hours a week at work. I'm paid above industry average in my area, and have the credentials to prove I deserve it. I've been averaging 50 hours for the past 10 years. Sure I have a bad week every now and then. Last week I turned 37 hours. But, thank goodness, there was a run for about four weeks at Christmas where I averaged 65 hours... My spouse has perfume, my kid's got shoes, and my mortgage gets paid every month. I'm not going to quibble about a lost hour or two - this pendulum swings both ways. Does it really take 6.1 hours to R&I a crew cab? Have you lost money? Have your average hours been dropping? If you can't live with the deal you have, polish your resume and print out your ASE records....

Thank you! I will try it out on Monday and let you know.

We've got a batch of 2009 police cars here that were ordered without keyless entry. Now they have decided they want that function. We messed around with flashing another configuration into the DDM and got keyless entry to work with standard remotes! Unfortunately, we also triggered a tire pressure monitor problem. Turns out that the steel wheels on this vehicle take different sensors than the aluminum wheels from our donor car. So, anyone know where we can find the as-built data for the DDM of a 2009 CV with keyless entry and steel wheels?

Did you pull the standpipes all the way out? Did the lower o-ring look ok where it sits in the branch tube? How about the o-ring sealing the two halves of the standpipes? Another source of air leak is through the IPR. If the shop is quiet, then you will still hear air through the IPR when it is fully closed. With the cover off, you can feel the air coming out through the hole in the back of the pump, over the gear. With air pressure on it, IPR jumpered closed, and stick your fingertip over the hole in the back of the pump, then all the air leaks should stop. If they do, and the engine won't build pressure, put a pump on it. Make sure to remove the red plastic plug from the bottom of the pump prior to assembly...

How long have we been able to do this? P473 has been the code for this engine for at least a year and a half...

If the glow plug lamp on the dash flashes on when the concern starts, that's a good indication of a freaked out PCM - usually caused by a bad harness...

I've got an adapter in my slide hammer kit that replaces the screw in my vice grips. Has come in more handy than I ever thought! After I broke our tool, I used parts of the tool with my slide hammer to continue pulling on the old EGR valve. It would have worked too, if it weren't for those meddling kids... Turns out that particular EGR valve had become one with it's housing, and I don't think even the beefy tool would have pulled it...

I hadn't thought about condensation before... I would have figured the gel coat on the boards would limit it's influence. Yesterday the sales department came to us needing help with a brand new Focus. 12 miles on the odometer, and it was a no crank/theft lamp flashing. No communication with the PCM. I remembered reading about the Escapes having a key-off timer that would max out it's count after about 50 days and lock up the computer. But OASIS didn't show the message on this vehicle. I tried the fix anyway - disconnect the battery for a short time and reconnect. Fixed... Some engineer didn't quite think that one through all the way... Wonder how long until it is address in a reflash?

Now that we've had a cold snap here (low last night was 31F!), we are starting to see our yearly ration of instrument clusters that dont' operate. But a few new ones have cropped up as well... Usually, the complaint is a dead cluster, engine operates properly. No power windows and no radio... Affects most car lines made in the last 4 or so years. No communication through the DLC, and U- codes in other modules. Disconnect the battery for a moment, reconnect, and everyone is happy again. Happens most of the time with a borderline battery. But we've had two explorers - one an '05 and one an '04, that came in with the part number showing up on the message center! The cluster was in engineering mode, and both drivers claim they simply started the vehicle normally... Both of these vehicle's batteries were borderline, so we sold them that as a starting point. So far, the problem has not happened again. Anyone else seeing modules freak out when subjected to low voltage, and a return to normal operation when cycling the power?

I had one recently that would misfire under heavy load before the engine was fully warmed up. I updated the calibration and retested, and the misfire remained. Instead of describing in detail the exact circumstances of the misfire, I just gave the prior approval people a streamlined version that would elicit an easy answer... Approval obtained in 15 minutes...

Gotta love these guys! "my wife's boyfriend hit me in the head with a fencepost" - bwaahahaha!

Motorcraft batteries and the coolant level looks ok and no loss through the cap... K&N's gotta go. And they could have at least gotten some replacement retainers for the body harness along the cowl...

Our dealership was very nearly a victim of the recession. I'm glad that I haven't had a track record of pissing on the competition, since I almost needed someone else's signature on my paychecks...

And yet it doesn't seem to matter the distance at this slow a speed...

No wonder my bittorrents go slow... I thought my ISP was throttling, but I guess not.

At one of the local parks in town there is a walking track built by one of the hospitals in town. Every tenth of a mile there is an exercise station with instructions for a different exercise. There is also a little blurb, and an inspirational quote. Some of them are quite profound, and some are just funny. The one that really stands out to me is Yoda - "Do or do not. There is no try." It's been quite a while since my last smoke too... Over two years. I smoked for 20 before that. I used a crutch - nicotine free cigarettes. But they were so terrible I couldn't take it after a few days. The nicotine withdrawl was horrible - vertigo, headrush, short temper, you name it. I powered through it on inertia and reflex, and thank goodness for the patience of others... Now, I can actually go an entire day without thinking about a smoke. But damn, it sure smells good when someone else fires up....

You know, these engines really aren't that much more difficult than the 6.0... Sure, the head bolt torque is high, but with the proper tools it is doable. A little antiseize under the bolt head will smooth things out. As for the rest of it, it's just nuts and bolts. Do you have the big engine stand and the adapters? Detachment from the outcome was some advise given to me from a person named Tyler Durden. He had a lot of other advise, too, but the bit that shows the most consistant positive result is to remove your emotion from the job at hand - detatch yourself. If the rules lead you to a drop-in - ok. If the rules lead you to building the enigine, that's ok too. If you don't have the right tools, get them. Just do the damn job... At 5:30, you're going home anyway, and your car starts and runs just fine, right?

Not really looking for guidance, just a beer to catch my tear.... All cylinders have good compression as measured by a mechanical gauge, but #8 has a double bump in the gauge needle. Valve cover off, and I see that the rocker arm bridge is off of one valve. Dig deeper, and find that I cannot remove the tappet from it's bore. Pull the high pressure pump, and I see a rough surface on the camshaft. Pull the camshaft to allow the tappet to drop into the camshaft cavity instead of up through the deck, and find an absurdly flat tappet. Seems that the piece of high-tech plastic designed to keep the tappet from rotating has failed in this simple task. Thanks, International... Oh, and parts are on intergalactic, "see ya in hell ya rat bastard" backorder. Thanks, Ford... And this is in a bus - so no cab off, and a whole new level of hell bracket that supports the auxillary systems. Thanks, Starcraft... And we have now exceeded 30 days. Thanks again, Ford...