It is is you take it in for "rough idle or hesitation while in tow haul mode" or drivability concerns.

 

I have both .... plus poor fuel economy ....

 

There you go...

 

Duke, what year is your engine? Best I can tell is there is a flash for 03 and 04. Don't go in and say I hear there is a new flash. Take it in for what is your complaint like hesitation on acceleration.

Who at the dealer told you that? My service advisor initially told me there were at least four updates for my truck since last Dec. I said I don't think so and let me talk to one of the diesel techs who then told me there was a new one to fix hesitation and tow/haul mode issues. Which, of course I had problems with . The fuel economy an improved accelerator response were bonuses.

 

Exactly!!! I would venture to say 9 out of ten times they will do computer diags and reflash if the flash applies to the vehicle..

 

Had my Feb 04 motor flashed last week for idle problem. Also tried to get them to replace the squeaky belt but the tech said he could not hear it. I found out why when I started it up! The latest flash gets rid of the last settings that made the motor quiet at idle. I almost opened the hood to check to see if they swapped my 6.0 for a 7.3. The engine is louder now at idle than when you tip in the throttle, which used to be the other way around. So it's back to shutting off the engine at the drive thru. I am less than satisfied now with this truck because they cheated me out of the hood insulation, pilot injection and now any type of reduced engine idle noise which is why I waited for the 6.0 over the 7.3. I am happy with the power it has but the fuel mileage is only 1.5 mpg better than the V10 I traded in on it. Now with diesel prices higher than gas the value of this sucks!!!!
I think Ford is sidestepping the issues with the 6.0 because they already have our money. When I ordered this truck they had hood insulation, pilot injection and claims for decent mileage and several other parts that were on the demo truck I drove that Ford never mentioned they were cutting from the truck when mine was built. Instead of fixing the problems they just bypass the features which swayed my decision to buy a Ford over the competition. This will definetly be the last money Ford gets from me!!!!!!!!

 

If you have an 04 engine built in Feb 04, you never had pilot injection. In 04 they didn't offer the 7.3. They discontinued the 7.3 in 03 when they introduced the 6.0. The blanket is something that could have easily been remedied when you first noticed it. A little sweetalk with the dealer could have fixed that. The new flash should fix your fuel economy issue.

I don't think Ford is sidestepping the issues at all. I think they will make them right if you work with them. It might not happen as fast as you would like it to but I find that the dealer and Ford have made an effort to make me a happy customer and I have one of those early 03's.

 

Ok, what is pilot injection and what are the issues around it? I know mine is an 04 but I do not know the build date is.

 

is it an 04 motor? I have an 04 truck 03 motor

 

If your engine was built before 9/30/03 it is an 03 engine. If it was built after 9/30/03 it is an 04. If the 03 engine was flashed on or after 10/03/03 you don't have pilot injection. 04 engines never had PI.

Pilot injection is a feature that only worked at idle for a quiet idle. PI would inject a small amount of fuel to get the ignition started and then put in more fuel, enough to keep the engine running at correct rpm. Apparently it made for nice quiet idle but was tough on maintenance. So Ford came out with a new firmware flash for the PCM's that eliminated PI. There were side effects with fuel strategy, economy, power.

 

I forgot to add in my earlier post. I believe my truck starts easier with the new flash too.

Bob

 

In my opinion, the latest flash sux.
I made a big mistake and took it in for erratic idle, which was just occasional.
Now, with the new flash, my MPG went from 18.5 to 16.0, per my calculator.
The noise at idle is a lot louder, and the idle is higher and it surges in to gear.
And the power seems to be a little less. Before when I kicked it my blood would pump faster, now it ain't as good.
It is back at the dealer right now and they know how unhappy I am. The worst news is that I cannot get my original flash put back in.
I wonder if it could be copied from another truck and installed in mine????

 

I must have one that never had the pilot injection becasue it has never been re-flashed and it darn sure isn't quiet. Dealer says no new flashes are available for my rig...

Does anyone know if there are 04s that do not have any new flashes

Thanks for the info!

 

04s never had pilot injection. They used an EGR strategy to make quiet idle.

Saxon, I wouldn't base mileage on the overhead lie-o-meter that others who have them say is inaccurate. The only way to calculate mileage is to measure the gallons by filling to the same spot in the filler neck each time and divide gallons into miles since last fillup.

It sounds like your truck might have some other problems. I would be polite but firm with your dealer service. Get to know the service manager. Service writers usually don't know much. Get to know your diesel tech. The service manager can do a lot for you, so don't rant and rave. It may take a while but it is worth it.

The new flash is great on my 03.

 

Sorry SBV45 I think you are mistaken, my 01-21-04(build date) is quiet and upon slightly cracking the throttle gets noisey. I've told by a lot of folks it's the PI. Identical to 03's which have never been reflashed. My service writer and Ford technicians know not to reflash my truck. It's still as good as the day I drove it home.