Hello - ( new in here )

I have perfectly good running 97 f150 4.6
But wanted more power - so went and bought edge
everything reads out fine - but cannot program power setting or anything else in there.
So went to local dealer to upgrade the ecu firmware - and dealer could not do it - and something about memory error and ecu has to be replaced.

talked to edge and they came up with nothing.

Whell - to come back to original question - can i just get ecu from ebay and just swap it with mine ?

 

You have to get one with the same calibration, and the dealer has to reprogram it with your VIN. Rockauto.com has remans in the $140 range.

 

So i will have to remove the old ecu - check for calibration numbers -
and order a new ECU with same numbers ( good idea on the Rockauto.com )

I know that it is located in the passenger rocker panel - Is there any trick to get it off ?

 

Just on the 99+ because of the PATS. The 97-98 ones you can just swap pcm's. Just make sure you get one with 4.6 and whatever tranny you have. You may have to get one from a 97-98 but I don't know if there is any security feature in the pcm itself or you may be able to use one from 97-00.

 

Gotts, when you look up the ECU at Rockauto for a 97, there are a bunch of them with all the different calibrations and they do state the need for VIN reprogramming.

 

It also says that you need vin reprogramming for the escort zx2 and I had half a dozen didn't pcms in that car without taking it to the dealer, its just plug and play. It also has the mechanical speedo and no pats just like the 97-98 f150's.

 

So - one with the same calibration will be plug and play?

 

For sure any pcm from 97-98 with the same tranny and the 4.6 motor will work just plug and play.

Doesn't matter the code either, whether axp2, mfr4, whatever the hell they have for those pcm codes.

one from a 99-00 MAY work, big emphasis on MAY, but I do not know how the PATS system works with the pcm, on the newer models

 

Rolled the dice and bought ECU from ebay.
let's hope for the best - in couple weeks we can see

 

post a link to the ebay item and let us know how it works.

 

yes i will let you know

this auction - so 99.99$ shipped is not that bad.

 

You are THE MEN - you were right
did not check for code - just bought used ECU and swapped today and it works
And now i CAN program power settings from Edge ( alltough i still cannot change tire size
because it's not compatible with my car type ?!? )

Also another interesting thing is my previous ECU -it has some black metal box
attached to bottom of the ECU .... seems just like expansion card ?
what is it ?

 

you can not program the tire size on the 97/98s because they don't have the digital speedo, they are mechanical and can't be programmed.

 

Whell yeah - but so is the differential also - but i cannot change that either.
Even if the dash speedo is incorrect - edge should calulate right speed.

 

Is it at the opposite end of the connector? Is it taped to the PCM? Yes? Sounds like a chip. Any markings on it? Remove the tape and pull the thing out and away from the PCM. It was the reason you could not program the PCM with the Edge. When you plug in a chip one of the connectors sends a signal to the PCM to read from the CHIP and not the PCM.