"SHIFT SYSTEM FAULT" Displayed w/ Faults U0103:00-AC & U0100:87-2C

[motorydr]

I have a 2023 XLT A little over a week ago I started receiving "Shift System Fault" displayed on the cluster screen every morning. Seems to only be in the mornings when it's damp out with the morning dew but renders no drivability issues. Had the truck at the dealer Monday this week and they followed a service solution that instructed them to torque ground 104 and update all modules. The next morning it happened again. I now am looking at having to take this back to the dealer, and potentially on the hook for a loaner vehicle and cost of repairs on my two-year old truck... Looking to see if anyone has had similar issues?

My 2018 F150 had the notorious warped dashboard and phaser issues, my 2021 Explorer needed the CDF drum replacement, and now this 2023 F150 has had paint issues, screen issues, and now this. Seriously considering dumping Ford at this point.

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[Gros Ventre]

Just torquing down a ground may not be enough. Ask them if they undid the connection and lightly sanded it, then torqued it again. In my experience chasing grounds, dampness can cause some funny readings. That usually means there's some corrosion between the faces of the connection. You might also consider some electrical contact spray cleaner, for grounds I prefer lightly sanding the two faces. Use some 200 to 400 grit. And note that if there is corrosion in there, it'll get worse if not cleaned up.

 

[onlythetoast]

Yea, so... here's the deal with this thing: This gear shifter (folding center console) has a lot going on inside a completely enclosed, compact casing. There are LEDs, 2 motors, 2 PCBs, and 2 connectors. I opened it up as I was getting the same DTC you are getting, and most posts here just had the entire module replaced via warranty. Well, if it's the same shifter with no improvements, then eventually the module will fail again.

So, I inspected the internal components and discovered that there is evidence of overheating from the main vehicle connector the to the module. The main circuitry on the PCB has conformal coating to protect from moisture (which is smart), but the connectors pass a lot of amperage through smaller pins that won't play well with ambient heat and humidity.

Since you can't replace the pinout and connector to a larger gauge, the best thing to do is clean them with some QD electronics clear and use dialectic grease inside the female connector ends.

I also cleaned up the over application of general purpose and white lithium grease in the gear box and reapplied that is rated for higher heat.

I have not had any further issues with DTCs after this though I will most likely re-solder the pin connector on the PCB since the damage has already been done.

Hope this long explanation helps, though it was a lot of work figuring out the mechanics of the module due to lack of schematics available.

TLDR; the connection to the module overheats due to the amount of amperage draw from the internal motors and sealed casing which is also affected by ambient high temperatures and humidity.

 

[Gros Ventre]

Yea, so... here's the deal with this thing: This gear shifter (folding center console) has a lot going on inside a completely enclosed, compact casing. There are LEDs, 2 motors, 2 PCBs, and 2 connectors. I opened it up as I was getting the same DTC you are getting, and most posts here just had the entire module replaced via warranty. Well, if it's the same shifter with no improvements, then eventually the module will fail again.

So, I inspected the internal components and discovered that there is evidence of overheating from the main vehicle connector the to the module. The main circuitry on the PCB has conformal coating to protect from moisture (which is smart), but the connectors pass a lot of amperage through smaller pins that won't play well with ambient heat and humidity.

Since you can't replace the pinout and connector to a larger gauge, the best thing to do is clean them with some QD electronics clear and use dialectic grease inside the female connector ends.

I also cleaned up the over application of general purpose and white lithium grease in the gear box and reapplied that is rated for higher heat.

I have not had any further issues with DTCs after this though I will most likely re-solder the pin connector on the PCB since the damage has already been done.

Hope this long explanation helps, though it was a lot of work figuring out the mechanics of the module due to lack of schematics available.

TLDR; the connection to the module overheats due to the amount of amperage draw from the internal motors and sealed casing which is also affected by ambient high temperatures and humidity.

Using dielectric grease inside the contact area is a bad idea. Dielectric grease is used to insulate things. Use it on the connector outer sealing surface only.

 

[onlythetoast]

Using dielectric grease inside the contact area is a bad idea. Dielectric grease is used to insulate things. Use it on the connector outer sealing surface only.

Correct, that's the only place I used it.

 

[Gros Ventre]

Correct, that's the only place I used it.

K, thumbs up
I have seen on here some who use it "all over."

 

[onlythetoast]

K, thumbs up
I have seen on here some who use it "all over."

Oh, bad idea! That will cause a nasty short circuit

 

[motorydr]

Yea, so... here's the deal with this thing: This gear shifter (folding center console) has a lot going on inside a completely enclosed, compact casing. There are LEDs, 2 motors, 2 PCBs, and 2 connectors. I opened it up as I was getting the same DTC you are getting, and most posts here just had the entire module replaced via warranty. Well, if it's the same shifter with no improvements, then eventually the module will fail again.

So, I inspected the internal components and discovered that there is evidence of overheating from the main vehicle connector the to the module. The main circuitry on the PCB has conformal coating to protect from moisture (which is smart), but the connectors pass a lot of amperage through smaller pins that won't play well with ambient heat and humidity.

Since you can't replace the pinout and connector to a larger gauge, the best thing to do is clean them with some QD electronics clear and use dialectic grease inside the female connector ends.

I also cleaned up the over application of general purpose and white lithium grease in the gear box and reapplied that is rated for higher heat.

I have not had any further issues with DTCs after this though I will most likely re-solder the pin connector on the PCB since the damage has already been done.

Hope this long explanation helps, though it was a lot of work figuring out the mechanics of the module due to lack of schematics available.

TLDR; the connection to the module overheats due to the amount of amperage draw from the internal motors and sealed casing which is also affected by ambient high temperatures and humidity.

Were you having this DTC consistently prior to your modification? It's like clockwork for me every morning.

 

[onlythetoast]

Were you having this DTC consistently prior to your modification? It's like clockwork for me every morning.

No, actually. Only in the afternoons when the 'ol girl was getting a suntan on the parking lot at work.

 

[motorydr]

UPDATE: Brought it to the dealer and they checked the torque on a ground stud and updated PCM per a TSB they found. Still did not fix it. So with further troubleshooting they think it is corrupted data in the PCM so we are just waiting for the PCM to arrive.

 

[motorydr]

Leading up to the PCM replacement, the code was becoming more frequent. Once they replaced the PCM, the code never reappeared in the 20-30 miles it was driven. Truck sat over the weekend, and dash lit-up on startup this morning.. but was short-lived and did not pop up as a message in the Ford Pass App like previously? Possibly a fluke with the cluster?

 

[motorydr]

I could use some help here. Just picked my truck up from the dealer for the 3rd time. This time they replaced the shifter, and I had to pay out of pocket since I’m 4k out of bumper to bumper warranty. But the shift system fault popped up again within 20 miles. First visit was programming, second was a new PCM, and now I paid for a shifter with the support of Ford covering 80% of the cost. Still not fixed and I’m out the money I paid to get the shifter replaced. I bought this thing a year old in 2024 with 16k miles and have had it at the shop a total of 7 times within the last year of ownership.

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