ECU module programming guide using FDRS

[JEB]

I just received a notice yesterday that parts are now available for 21M08. I'm not experiencing the issue but received the notice.

Ha! Now Ford has a problem. . . .

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[Jesse-Infotainment]

I just received a notice yesterday that parts are now available for 21M08. I'm not experiencing the issue but received the notice.

Edit: attached some potato quality pics of the notice

THANK YOU!!

 

[Jesse-Infotainment]

So, I have looked at the Tailgate CSP. It also involves wiring. Its going to be a disaster. I already know it. Those of you with power release ONLY are the ones affected. If you have power Release and close your truck is not apart of this.

The wiring is a pretty big job. They have to run from BCM to taiilgate and populate pins into several SEVERAL connectors along that path. I even see a picture of a 1 1/2 inch hole saw drilling to the truck at some point. So, get ready for some issues. I cant fix those issues either because I cant remote in and control the tech to run the wiring correctly.

Be careful guys with this one. Thats all I can say.

 

[wayfarer556]

So, I have looked at the Tailgate CSP. It also involves wiring. Its going to be a disaster. I already know it. Those of you with power release ONLY are the ones affected. If you have power Release and close your truck is not apart of this.

The wiring is a pretty big job. They have to run from BCM to taiilgate and populate pins into several SEVERAL connectors along that path. I even see a picture of a 1 1/2 inch hole saw drilling to the truck at some point. So, get ready for some issues. I cant fix those issues either because I cant remote in and control the tech to run the wiring correctly.

Be careful guys with this one. Thats all I can say.

So you mean power release + power close?

I have power release only...I have to manually close it. So far I've not had a problem with power release.

How crucial is this CSP to do? Because based on what I'm reading, I definitely want no part in it unless my tailgate has a high chance of failing.

 

[Jesse-Infotainment]

So you mean power release + power close?

I have power release only...I have to manually close it. So far I've not had a problem with power release.

How crucial is this CSP to do? Because based on what I'm reading, I definitely want no part in it unless my tailgate has a high chance of failing.

Yes, if you have the power release and power close tailgate you are not affected.

Power release only is affected.

The urgency is something you have to decide. All I can really do is forwarn and tell you its not a simple update only it does involve a lot of wiring. I can already see the problems. I said the BC 21G01 was going to be a disaster. I was right. This will be jsut as bad but multiplied.

We will see. I hope I am wrong I really do

 

[JEB]

Yes, if you have the power release and power close tailgate you are not affected.

Power release only is affected.

The urgency is something you have to decide. All I can really do is forwarn and tell you its not a simple update only it does involve a lot of wiring. I can already see the problems. I said the BC 21G01 was going to be a disaster. I was right. This will be jsut as bad but multiplied.

We will see. I hope I am wrong I really do

Only thing that worries me more than a tech with a laptop is a tech with a laptop and a hole saw. Thanks for the warning.

 

[Demps]

I can hear it now. “We saw the tailgate CSP for your truck. May be a while before your truck works again. Waiting for Ford to return our calls. We don’t have any loaners right now.”

 

[Airborne_Ape]

There's at least 3 different users in this forum who've bricked a BCM at some point over the last few years. It's true that replacing the BCM will result in another dead BCM. The regular process will load the old corrupt data onto the replacement, but all of those owners got through it even if it took their dealership 12 weeks and 3-4 tries.

User i8iridium went through a few BCM's with his dealership before they finally followed his specific instructions to skip the PMI and manually configure everything, but IDS was used then and FRDS no longer has the manual configuration option to my knowledge.

Unfortunately, dealerships have a very specific set process they can't deviate from with warranty work. Personally I find it very frustrating to look directly at a problem, know how to fix it and being forced to do nothing until someone 2,000 miles away finally says it's ok to proceed 8 days later.

Still, everyone that has had a bricked BCM replaced in the past few years that I know of, had their dealership do so under warranty without any issues (even when it was known to be the owners fault). So I'm a tad bit skeptical that an owner being charged for a BCM replacement in this instance would apply the same to everyone.

I think a specific dealership might be screwing the guy. I would encourage they fight back any charges given the circumstances.

Maybe 100 of us can sign an endorsement letter explaining why he shouldn't be at fault.

 

[Jesse-Infotainment]

Another dealer in Dallas has now bricked a BCM.

 

[lexionman575]

I thought I had bricked mine today. I ordered all the stuff to do the updates when this thread was on about page 15 and was unaware of the BCM issue. I was able to run the module replace procedure and just said no when it asked if the old module was installed and thank god that brought it back to life. If anyone thinks that might save theirs I can send you a little better instructions as to what I did exactly.

 

[JEB]

I thought I had bricked mine today. I ordered all the stuff to do the updates when this thread was on about page 15 and was unaware of the BCM issue. I was able to run the module replace procedure and just said no when it asked if the old module was installed and thank god that brought it back to life. If anyone thinks that might save theirs I can send you a little better instructions as to what I did exactly.

I’d be interested in seeing what you did. Several people have tried unbricking the BCM, including @Jesse-Infotainment, using a PMI and answering ”no” to original module and it hasn’t worked on the Powerboost. What did you do differently?

By any chance did you make FORScan changes (e.g., double honk delete, Bambi, etc.) before updating or was the BCM configuration stock and unchanged?

 

[Jesse-Infotainment]

I’d be interested in seeing what you did. Several people have tried unbricking the BCM, including @Jesse-Infotainment, using a PMI and answering ”no” to original module and it hasn’t worked on the Powerboost. What did you do differently?

By any chance did you make FORScan changes (e.g., double honk delete, Bambi, etc.) before updating or was the BCM configuration stock and unchanged?

I thought I had bricked mine today. I ordered all the stuff to do the updates when this thread was on about page 15 and was unaware of the BCM issue. I was able to run the module replace procedure and just said no when it asked if the old module was installed and thank god that brought it back to life. If anyone thinks that might save theirs I can send you a little better instructions as to what I did exactly.

I’d want to see the logs. Because the PMI has not fixed anything to that point of yesterday afternoon.

If you think for a second that this exact process that I have told everyone to do 100 times wasn’t tried you are crazy.

Also the dealer has to do a PMI when they replace the BCM. They already tried in the Dallas situation.

 

[lexionman575]

I’m hoping I didn’t use up all my luck, I leave for Vegas at 2:30 tomorrow. I’ll preface this by saying I likely won’t use the correct acronym for something but I have a lot of experience In this general area albeit on Deere and Caterpillar equipment. This experience has also created a lack of fear of these situations because In the case of Deere and Cat if the module is still on the CAN then you can program that sucker. You might need a 900$ Adapter that looks like Clark Griswolds Christmas lights in storage, but bricked has never been a word I’ve had to use in those industries.

So what I can pass along wether it was a factor I’ll leave that up for discussion:

- truck is an early build platinum powerboost 4x4 with every option except I think the safe
-I plugged in fired up FDRS and started updating modules in a totally random order based on me picking ones that sounded non critical and quick first since I was new to the software
- truck was hooked to a snap on battery charger that has a flash reprogram feature that keeps voltage Constant on I think 14.4
-I’d made a ton of changes in forscan a while back after I realized Ota updates weren’t working. I had some stuff turned on that wouldn’t work but I wasn’t getting any codes or error messages and I hadn’t went back and changed it due to and incident with that cheapie interface and my girlfriends French bulldog.
-after the initial update attempt failing and a second attempt doing the same, I disconnected charger and battery took my computer back to the house, drank crown royal on the rocks and updated some ford software that they say is irrelevant when using mongoose (ids I believe) Restarted computer twice leaving mongoose connected to usb. Turned off everything windows defender related.
-went back to truck, reconnected battery and cussed loudly when it was still in its comatose state. I signed out of and back into FDRS server side and played around with other modules self tests, ran a BCM self test etc if I thought any of what I was doing had the slightest chance of being successful I would have paid more attention to what I was doing. I didn’t think the module was going to have to be replaced I just figured I needed the dealer level tool and direct software package sent from Ford.
- after my screwup I did some googling and read something about this possibly being related to a tailgate safety issue and my truck had two procedures for some tailgate release showing to be done. Before I did the PMI I ran one of them the other one it wouldn’t let me do I think it’s for just a power release tailgate or something. The reason I tell you this is because when the PMI finished it told me to print something out and give to myself about the tailgate as a supplement to the operators manual. I did not satisfy that request.
- I updated some other module, wish I could remember which one but i wanted to see if I had a single module issue or if I needed to start mixing mortar (brick dad joke)
- then I ran the PMI, it was my first official PMI, and like many firsts it was much quicker and much less memorable than I’d anticipated. -I was able to do all the other updates and APIM fix over Ethernet easily once I got over this hurdle.
-I’ve always been an Apple guy. I had to get a new windows based PC for a few select programs such as Cat ET and some machining software I run. All the windows computers I’ve had before got painfully slow quickly so I’ve avoided internet browsing or installing any programs that weren’t absolutely necessary. This computer has Never seen social medial. This computer has never seen a boob. Not a single one. Now that I think about it I feel really sorry for it


I’m certainly not typing all this out here as an encouragement for anyone to do this themselves. I consider the owner of my local small family dealership a friend and if I had really screwed this thing up he would’ve gave me something to drive end head warranty cover it no problem. He’s been short on techs for this type work is the only reason gave it a whirl.

 

[speedracercjr]

The regulars around here know my struggles with my truck and OTA's but I finally have some good news (I think). After last months bullshit of Ford pushing an old APIM to my truck hosing it up (fixed by Jesse of course) I turned off all auto updates and deleted any schedules as well. This morning I was greeted with an Update Pending notification on my dash, thinking Ford had somehow turned them back on and was trying to hose me again. To my surprise it was the TRM recall update waiting and all I had to do was push Accept.

So I guess Ford can override your OTA settings in the case of a recall, which I'm OK with as long as it doesn't hose it up. At least I'll get the recall message cleared finally.

 

[abd79]

Been a while… work gets in the way unfortunately. Anyone with a license and a spare minute mind checking if I have any updates? I have a ‘21 powerboost with the power release and close tailgate, I know about the BCM issue.

1FTFW1ED0MFB66211

Also, does anyone know if the BCM update shows up for everyone or just those with power release only and no power close tailgates?

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