Always seemed to have a RPM flare up sometimes in heavy traffic conditions at 25 MPH, under light throttle! Learned that there is currently a FORD TSB # 8-14-3, to reprogram the PCM! It seems to have worked & tranny feels better! Anyone with a 2007-08, have your dealer perform this TSB.......if you have experienced the RPM flare up, like it suddenly shifted into neutral!

 

Heres a good question I've never thought to ask:

Will dealers perform TSB's for free if your out of warranty?

 

not likely. usually it's a $50 charge to update the PCM

the $50 seems to be an industry standard. I got charged that in April to update my Durango's pcm to the latest and greatest

 

I have an 07.. Is this a recall? Seems like it should be.

 

I really wish TSB information was not made available to the public.

Here's how this goes down. Mr. Customer reads on F150online.com that some dude got his truck fixed with a calibration update from a TSB. Whether or not he had that problem, he scurries down to his local dealer to get this TSB done; after all, it helped someone else's truck, it's gotta be good for his, right?

So, Mr. Customer shows up at my door step and says "I want TSB 08-14-03 done." I pull it up and say, "Sir, I can't perform this bulletin." He goes, "Why?!" "Well, sir, it only applies to certain trucks built between 12/4/2006 and 5/20/2008, your truck doesn't fall into this build date range."

Mr. Customer tells me I'm a scum suckin' liar, after all he read on the internet that it applies to all F150s of a certain model year, and that I better reprogram his freaking truck, or else. Problem is, under warranty, I can't reprogram his truck because I won't get paid to reprogram it since his truck doesn't fall into the build date range for that particular TSB. He storms off, pissed and upset when in reality there was nothing I could do. He comes and registers at F150online.com and bitches about dealerships being thieves and liars and crooks.

Now, conversely, let's say that he has a problem, which may or may not be related to this bulletin, and his truck falls within the build date range, and I reprogram it. He of course is expecting some miraculous improvements, which he may or may not see. For the sake of argument, let's say that the calibration update doesn't fix his concern. Well, I just made one repair attempt on his vehicle; I'm now legally obligated to repair the concern, and in most states, I have two more tries to get it right before we get to the lemon law stage to fix his truck, and he's probably gonna blast me as an incompetent loser in the survey anyways. He too comes and registers on F150online.com and tells people to avoid my dealership, 'cause I can't fix his "problem."

The general public has no business with access to TSBs. All it does is complicate matters at the dealership level.

 

I agree 100%. TSB's are NOT recalls - they are a set of instructions to help out the technician. I get people in here all the time saying I found this TSB for this, and that TSB for that, and most all the time it doesn't even apply to their vehicle!!

If you are not experiencing a problem - don't mess with it! Sometimes updating/changing the pcm will actually make things worse if you never had the issue to begin with. And Quintin is correct as far as warranty goes - you can't just perform a bulletin because there is one out there. The vehicle has to exibit the problem and has to be duplicated before any repair attempt is made. If the problem can't be duplicated - no repair attempt is to be made, tsb or not. Out of warranty - sure - the tsb can be performed for a fee - but again - if you don't have the problem - don't waste your money!

 

Well, all I can tell you is that I've been experiencing the RPM flare up for over a year! Almost daily on my commute to work every morning & back, mostly city driving at 25 MPH! After the TSB was performed the tranny does not do it anymore! Same commute! Nothing has changed, but the TSB was performed by the Dealer under Warranty! Worked for me, & will work for the other trucks that fall under the build dates which are 12/4/2006-to-05-20-2008! There are thousands of these trucks on the road!..............

 

^^^^^^ In your situation you did the right thing. You had an issue, and had it repaired. I think all we were trying to say was that it gets really old when everyone wants it done to their truck just because there is an update and they don't realize that it's only certain trucks, then get all pissed off when it can't be done to their own truck.

Newer body style Explorers for example - there has been a concern that I have personally helped out several customers. Concern is when slowing down to a stop there is a pretty harsh clunk that occurs when the transmission is downshifting. There has been at least 3 computer updates to 'fix' this concern in the last 2 years. All computer reflashes. When this happens, the KAM gets reset (Keep Alive Memory). So, after the reflash and KAM reset, the computer will actually 'learn' shift points based on how a person drives the vehicle. It is totally 'fixed' for a while and no more clunking noise. Then the concern comes back. Just did the latest and greatest reflash to one a few weeks ago and haven't heard anything from them yet, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed this time.

Hopefully yours will stay fixed - and not be a returning issue.

 

This pretty much sums it up what I was trying to describe. This is found at the bottom of the tsb bulletin:


NOTE: The information in Technical Service Bulletins is intended for use by trained, professional technicians with the knowledge, tools, and equipment to do the job properly and safely. It informs these technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or provides information that could assist in proper vehicle service. The procedures should not be performed by "do-it-yourselfers". Do not assume that a condition described affects your car or truck. Contact a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury dealership to determine whether the Bulletin applies to your vehicle. Warranty Policy and Extended Service Plan documentation determine Warranty and/or Extended Service Plan coverage unless stated otherwise in the TSB article. The information in this Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) was current at the time of printing. Ford Motor Company reserves the right to supercede this information with updates. The most recent information is available through Ford Motor Company's on-line technical resources.

Copyright © 2008 Ford Motor Company



I'm not trying to start any fights or anything - but it does get really frustrating at times from my position. Everyone already hates the dealerships, and sometimes this information just makes it worse for us to do our jobs and provide a decent level of customer satisfaction, which some of us care about a lot.

It's all good though -

 

I am having this exact problem on a 2006. Simply seems to jump out of gear and RPM's rev up at about 25-30mph.

I would love to read the TSB.

I can't even find TSB 8-14-3 listed anywhere........... much less the full text.

If anyone knows where I can locate it.........that would be great.

 

I am extremely grateful to the OP for posting this information. I have the exact issue your talking about, happens EVERY day. If you havent experienced it, it will make you a little jumpy every time this happens, feels like the truck goes into neutral and your loosing control. I have taken my truck to the dealer for this and was told twice the standard, "we couldnt duplicate the issue".

Thanks again supercrewman. This is exactly what these forums are for! You shared a very specific problem and the very specific fix. No problem there.

 

While I understand the point of view and concerns of the dealership guys, at the same time I am grateful to know about this. My '07 has never done this in its 48K miles, but at least now if it does I will at least be somewhat educated in both the cause and the repair, and now I also know it's at least a somewhat common issue. That's probably most customers' point of view.

 

I have not experienced this tranny problemo since I had the TSB performed, & that was over a year ago!.....I think the TSB worked well!

 

in a perfect world i would agree with you completely. however here in central jersey the ford dealers that we still have open suck. i am out of warranty and actually am happy about that. i would not take my truck back to one of these dealers. in fact if the service departments werent so bad i would probably be in a new truck now instead of my 05.

so with the public informed of the tsb's they are able to do the research and go in and basically do the job of the service writer in the dealership. i am not saying anything bad about you or your dealership since i dont know you or hav had any experiences with your employer. i do know what i have been thru with the one in keyport, nj and the one in old bridge, nj. that will have me at a gm dealership when it comes time to buy.

 

I couldn't disagree with you more. Lets keep our customers in the dark about potential problems with their trucks. That's a great attitude. What if the general public did not know about the spark plug TSB so everyone destroys their engine from routine maintenance. I guess from the dealer point of view, they would have made a ton of money fixing all of the screw-ups, but it would have been awful for the consumer and awful for Fords reputation. I am never in favor of restricting knowledge.