How long does an actual PCM update take to perform??

I went Saturday to a dealer for a PCM update.

When I made the appt the service rep said that the PCM update would take 1 hour.......and total time would be a little longer (considering checking in........and out of service).

Well...... the PCM took about 20-30 min and I never saw anything hooked up to my vehicle. I was getting a PCM update per TSB 08-14-3 which corrects an issue with the transmission losing gear/power at low speeds of 20-30mph.

I didn't feel a need to question the service until my transmission jumped out of gear 4-5 times after the procedure (the PCM update was expected to correct the problem).

Anyway................now I'm trying to figure out if the dealer did anything other than charge me $91 ($79 PCM Update + $4 shop materials + tax = $91).

Thanks in advance for any assistance!!

 

It takes about 30 min for them to get it set up and do it. They have to plug into the port under the steering column. Plus, they are supposed to put a sticker or label under the hood, either on the PCM or on the fan shroud that tells what your new program is. When they reflashed mine, they failed to do that and I took it back and they put it on the fan shroud.

 

X2. I have a sticker on the rad support that shows the calibration number, the date that was done, the dealership that did it and also the techs name that performed it.

 

They are not REQUIRED to put any information anywhere on the vehicle.

 

The TSB that mine was reflashed under said there was a requirement. I took it back, showed them and they put the sticker on.

 

Technician Review Panel Meeting

November 30 - December 2, 2005
PCM Reprogramming and Authorized Modifications Label

A reprogramming label is no longer necessary on vehicles serviced in North America. Therefore, Ford has discontinued the use of the "Authorized Modification Label" for PCM programming

 

I'll disagree with that. After a cal update the calibration sticker IS INDEED supposed to be updated. That way a dealership can tell at a glance if a vehicle has been updated...at least they can check visually without either checking OASIS or hooking an NGS+ up to the truck.

I think it is also part of the emissions requirement that the calibration sticker be updated but don't quote me on that.

 

Disagree all you want; there is no need for me to go back and forth with something that FORD has addressed in 2005. So if you had access to an IDS and flashed the PCM, the same message would be displayed on the screen. As for Bluejay, he simply asked for it, so they supplied him with it. In the dealers position why argue with the customer when they have a HUGE stack of those stickers they never use?