I've seen this term on the forum in different places. My truck is a 2006 SD diesel (6.0 liter). Do I need to flash it? What is flashing? Is it necessary? Who does it? How much does it cost? Thanks.
HN

 

Flashing is a generic term used to describe the process of uploading the truck's computer programming if you well. Yes it is necessary because it dictates how the truck behaves. Now rather or not you need the latest one may or may not be necessary, it depends on a few factors. But this affects everything from shift points on the tranny to what sets off a bulb on your instrument cluster. Think of it as installing an OS for your truck. Each flash you get down the road from the dealer is like an update to that flash. However, the flash is like the back bone of how the truck behaves and what parameters it should see from it's various sensor and how to translate that to the cluster(if applicable) etc.

Ford is the main one that you'll go to to get it done. The price around here is 100. That varies region from region.

However, flashing can also be used to describe what aftermarket tuners do to the truck as well. For the most part though, what they are able to program is far less then the Ford flashes. In the case of custom tuners, they actually take the Ford flash and tweak it to suit the vehicle owner's needs. The cost of those is quite a bit more because you are going to have to buy the device that can upload the flashes and have to buy what are called tunes as well. Tunes are the actual program(or flash) that is uploaded to the various computer modules. The aftermarket flashes(the custom made a/m flashes or tunes) typically only affect the ECM and TCM. There are other types of devices out there along with tuners, but that's a whole another story and they typically don't do any true tuning of the vehicle, although they word it like they do, but they really don't.

 

If you are under warranty, and you regularly get your truck serviced at the dealer, often, a grin and some other acts of niceness will get your truck flashed as part of the "oil change".

Otherwise, it is $100, and you should always update the software in all the boxes: PCM, BCM, TCM, etc.

 

Thanks for the info. Is it a big deal if I don't do this? My truck runs fine.

 

I'm of the thinking, if it's not broke don't fix it. I would only thinki about doing it if you have some cold start issues(not really going to happen now, but next fall/winter maybe) or some other driveability issue as well. Now if you ever have to have your FICM replaced, they'll have to flash it rather you own't it or not.

As long as it's good, I would let well enough alone. Some like to be up to date on all the updates, but I don't see why it would hurt to be a generation or two behind.

 

My 2005 was stock stock and never flashed until I walked in and demanded a flash at 250,000 miles.

But then I am in the software biz...

 

Well I'm om not in the software biz, but I do have my far share of specialty software(I hate the damn dongles that they use though), so I can appreciate that and I've been known to play around with my truck's programming, I've seen it to where updates have to have updates to correct things, although as far as I know this latest one seems to be good stuff.

 

I recently got a flash done. Truck runs smooth at start up and mileage increased 1-2mph on the highway.