I don't recall what it costs for the Ford bundle but not all that much. I believe that it will read any Ford up to the date/version when purchased. As you said it will pay for itself in no time over going to the dealer or shop. I am a dummy when it comes to computer stuff ( and a lot of other things for that matter ) but I have used mine several times just to check & clear/repair codes.

 

El Campo, I've just been reading all your threads and your stories and I feel for you. You are ON it though. Your "bring it on, I'll take it on" approach is to be admired.

For full and complete disclosure, there IS one little "gazillion dollar enhancement" beyond the approximate $370.00 investment in the AE software (plus $150 for optional updates in a future year, plus cost/need of a laptop).

The "gazzillion dollar enhancement" allows you to reprogram the PCM, and it costs about $1,100.00 from the folks at AE. It is the SAE J2534 interface, a relatively (evolved within the past 10 years) recent government mandated protocol that enables independent shops to update PCM's to the latest released calibrations, since the PCM calibration updates play a significant role in emissions control.



Since it is federally mandated, the standard (at least Part 1 which relates to the PCM) is open source, so in my personal opinion, it is bit of a money grab to ankle grab vendor to consumer ratio on the part of AE to fetch four more freakin figures for a match box sized trinket of plastic and silicon fashioned from a free standard.

But this little device, combined with a subscription to Ford's online service link, will enable you to update calibrations to the PCM in your truck. The only caveat is that the AE device is not validated by Ford or Motorcraft for this updating process, whereas other scantool and scanning software vendors are specifically validated.

That isn't to say that the AE wouldn't work. But I haven't tested it. When I called AE and asked if their Ford enhanced scanning software could do certain functions the former dealership Ford scan tools could do, AE's response was "they are working on that as we speak, look for it in future updates." (For $150.00 more dollars).

On the other hand, the AE is popular on internet forums, which makes it easier to find other users on the forums, and find impromptu classes... like the one in this thread.

Also, most enthusiasts who are active on the forums run some type of chip or programmer, so the ability to reprogram or update a PCM to the latest factory calibrations isn't what they want or seek anyway. They turn to a tuner for that sort of thing. Hence the device above isn't really that useful to them. So you can get away without spending the gazillion. Just know that you won't have the same capability with the "Enhanced Ford" AE bundle as a true Ford approved dealership scan tool, no matter how convincing AE's marketing may make it seem. But you will have something that is good enough to do what most people around here use it for, which is a lot more than a generic OBDII scan tool or app can do.

 

I didn't even notice that feature.

Funny to me though since my honda tuning program is essentially the same as AE BUT you can tune the ecu with the program without any added features or $1000 boxes. My entire honda tuning software (and components) package was around $500 and that was over 5 years ago when scanners and tuning stuff were at much higher prices.

 

To answer the question, the link I provided is all I bought to get my AE to do everything I need to do on "Stinky", and plenty of other 7.3L diesels.

 

So I slept threw most of the classes, was it mentioned how to save your "Live data Meter" sensor/value's so every time you turn on AE you don't have to set all the meters again?

 

"Save Session"....think it's F3 or F4.

 

Thanks!

It then come up automatically when that vehicle is plugged into or do you have to do a "load session"?

 

When you hook up and start a session, it will prompt you for a saved session. If you were using this on multiple vehicles, for instance you owned a 7.3 and a 6.0 truck, you'd have 2 saved vehicles to choose from, assuming you saved each vehicles profile.

 

You want to be smart about it. Name a folder for where you save the sessions. Sometimes the software hiccups and sends you to some funky downstream AE folder, and you want to know where you "hid" the session files.

 

Thanks! Might have time tomorrow to try it again.

Yesterday I plugged everything in, and after turning and leaving the key on 5 different times to figure out the software I was ready to start and watch gauges. So I get the camera ready to make a video to share, turn the key and the AE meters don't go up. After fiddling more and figuring out you only get two shots at turning the key on every time AE is plugged in and started I was once again ready to make a video! Get everything ready again, start camera, start AE, go to start truck and batteries are to low to crank it fast enough to start...

However I was able to see a couple things that made me happy. The FICM came up to and held 48 volts nicely and injector oil pressure came up to 1700+ and held steady with the desired pressure. I was actually surprised how fast it came up to pressure, within one motor revolution it was already at pressure.

 

Finally got around to running AE on my 6.0 mainly because I am tracking a smoke issue at startup. I only have a code for cylinder 5 glow plug. This is a warm start after sitting about 10 minutes (when I have been experiencing the smoke).

Meters are:

FICM volts, FICM main power, truck/battery volts

coolant temp, oil temp, manifold pressure (I think)

Injection pressure, injection pressure desired, and something else I forget.

 

How to convert BARO volts to psi

I looked through the AE class threads, and did a little searching. It took a while to find the data, so I thought I'd share.

To convert BARO volts to psi, multiply the volt reading by 3.1957.

Of, if you know the atmospheric pressure, and want to see what the BARO voltage should be, multiply the atmospheric pressure by .3129.

The BARO sensor is calibrated for 4.6V = 14.7psi, and 0V = 0psi.

I'm at 4800' above sea level, atmospheric pressure is 12.31psi. I show 3.84V on the BARO according to AE, so (3.84V)*(3.1957psi/V)=12.27psi. Pretty spot on.

On a cold engine, sitting overnight, KOEO, my EBP shows 12.36psi, so that's good. But my MAP is showing 10.7psi - bad MAP sensor!

 

Thanks for taking the time to work that out.

I have been remiss on such details.

 

I have a question. When i sit and watch parameters with auto enginuity, at the time it was ICP, IPR, vRef, MAF, MAP and VGT...every few seconds, each value drops to 0 for a split second. Nothing happens with the truck...im guessing this is some software or connector issue with autoenginuity? I bought it from Clay maybe 4 months ago and it is the Proline connector

 

It sounds like a loose connection on the USB cable. I assume your computer is no more that 10-12 years old.