Sam, I don't doubt you, you usually know what you're talking about but that's the first time I've ever heard that. Is it in the small print somewhere? It just seems like I would have known that. Where did I agree to them retaining control of part of my truck which is long ago bought and paid for?

 

I don't think you were ever offered the control of the contents of their management control units. you own the 'container' (the box) as a required part of the vehicle (and it could be serial number linked to the rest of the vehicle).. but you don't own the 'contents' of the box in any way. (circuits, chips, software, design, ...)

same as you own the dash display(part of the truck u paid for), and the vendor (dealer as ford rep) could replace it at any time they find it important, AND change the circuits, chips and programming, in any way they want, without telling you, including adding or removing function. (as long as they retain the mileage function)

10 yrs from now you can buy a replacement part, which would/could do exactly the same. and you have NO control of that, other than not exchange the part.
and the truck MUST have ONE of part xx-yyy or it won't run. if you take it to a dealer, and part xx-yyy doesn't act like they expect, they will get another one and swap.
if you had a custom one of those, there is NO guarantee that it will work in the future. (even the vendor has a limited time warranty, after which all bets are off).

sam

 

Sorry, I own the "computing device", i.e. the vehicle PCM and as the owner of that "computing device" my express consent is required in order to change the software in that "computing device". The federal law is deliberately broad to apply to all computing devices that could potentially be the target of viruses, be they desktop PCs, PDAs, cell phones, industrial controls, or vehicle computers.

Nowhere in the paperwork from Ford is there a license agreement that gives them any right to change the software in the vehicle PCM without my consent. Indeed there isn't even a license agreement that prohibits me from reverse engineering and decompiling the software in the vehicle PCM, which is how the aftermarket companies do it.

 

Had mine flashed 3 weeks ago. It is now in the shop again for limp mode. reduced engine power. will find out today why. Have not seen a regen in about 2 months.

 

I just got back from a trip towing the toy hauler for the first time since the PCM Recall. I used to love the way this truck towed and shifted. During this trip all it did was shift late. My RPMS were getting to 3200 before it would shift. Even on flat straights it would do the same thing. That seems kinda high to me. My tranny temps on the pillar looked good though...never saw past 200 F even in the grades. I had the Banks set to stock so I know it was not the Banks causing it. Not sure if the tranny is relearning or what. It has been three weeks since the recall was done.

 

I know with a recall, which is a federally mandated/approved action by the NHTSB/NHTSA that the dealers have NO choice but to perform a recall, which I don't believe we're dealing with here in the case of the reflash...

I went through this recently with my '07 Cadillac Escalade ESV. There was a recall to replace the defective windshield washer fluid heating element because the one the truck came with could (and did!) cause engine fires. D'oh! Engine fires are bad, I got it and understand the need for the recall. So now we're all running around with an "updated and upgraded" windshield wiper fluid heating element that works...right? Wrong! The new one was equally defective and also caused engine fires so Cadillac's solution was to completely uninstall it, take the switch out of your dash and replace it with a blank plate and give you some half-arsed "customer satisfaction stipend" to offset the cost of this inconvenience.

More than one Escalade owner was less than completely happy with this solution, as having 140 degree wiper fluid readily renders ANYWAY windshield debris, up to and including a full grown Canadian goose that hit it at 100MPH completely null and void...man that windshield was always clean, and it was a Gawd-send in the winter when it was iced over... ANYWAY, long story short (TOO LATE!) the dealer was required, by law, to perform the recall, period, regardless of whether or not the customer wanted it done, because at that point, once the vehicle was in the (temporary) custody of the dealership for ANY type of service, they had to do it or they were on the hook should anything go horrible awry...

This is not exactly the same case here, but just because it's your truck doesn't mean the dealer and/or our Uncle Sam can't do something to it that we don't want them to.

The only solution in that case if you really want to dig your heels in is to NEVER bring to the dealer for anything, other than to trade it in I s'pose...

 

Its called a "delivery/hold". We can't release it unless it gets performed. An added part of the recall is we can and will deny warranty for any failures associated with failing to get the recall performed. Oil overfull? Too many regens? That part is your decision. Ours is the warranty part.

 

Got mine done 1 1/2 weeks ago. Took a trip of 800.3 miles; only re-gen twice. No other problems.

 

Yeah, we talked about that eariler in this thread. Absent a registered letter reciept Ford will have a hard time making that stick. I'm suprised they would even imply it. Surely they have lawyers working there. Given what some of the repairs cost on these trucks, not to mention what the trucks cost, nobody but a fool is gonna hold still for a warranty denial under these circumstances. And nobody with an ounce of public relations sense would expect them to. I mean they are basically admitting that they mis-programmed the computers from the get go. So to cover that, they send a heavy handed letter to the CUSTOMER and threaten to deny warranty work if the fruits of their poor computer program reveals itself before the customer gets in there and let's them reprogram the computer on a good running truck. Yeah, thats some good public relations. Given what's going on in the economy every Ford employee needs reminded that we customers are not the enemy, we are the reason they have a job. There is a direct connection between our willingness to buy and service Ford's products and that little pile of money that gets deposited in their bank account every other Friday. Yeah, I'm thinking this is not a good time to threaten customers. But then, that's just me.

 

No heavyhandedness about it. You dont have to get the flash. Ford has a remedy for some inherent problems and they're offering it for free.

 

Vloney,

do you know the specific inherent fixes they are targeting?

 

Dropped the truck yesterday for the update and 50k service. Dealer advises today they fried the PCM during the update. They're looking for a new PCM now.

 

MIL, wrench light, excessive smoke, fuel smell in crankcase, coolant loss, loss of power, unusual noises.

 

At times an IDS will "lock up" like a PC. You're not supposed to delete the session and start a new one if this happens. If you do, you end up with a "fried" pcm. You're supposed to restart the IDS, then resume the previous session at the stopping point.

 

Not everyone is well versed in doing this job. Inquire if the diesel tech can do it for you.