Here's the latest PATS chapter.....went and replaced my PCM for my L....brought the old one in on a core trade. While in the service dept and a Chicagoland southside FORD dealership...i pulled aside one of the techs. I asked him if I needed to bring the truck in to be "reprogrammed" OR if the manual PATS override would work....(and the manual does work if it is with your original PCM...i dont care what any of the guys in this forum say...i should know, ive used it successfully before). He stated that the manual should work and therefore I could save $105. Well, needless to say IT DOESNT WORK WITH A NEW PCM! I went and spoke with another FORD service dept- spoke with an SVT certified tech...and he said the first guy gave me false informantion and should have known this wouldnt work. Moral of the story--NEW PCM PATS reset $105 dollars, ORGINAL PCM manual override PATS reset $0......Knowing my truck STILL looks pretty..even though its on a flatbed....PRICELESS!!!!!!!!

Hope this helps someone out there...keep the forum strong!

 

What do you mean by "manual PATS override"?

 

The manual PATS override was given to me by a lil birdie the day I disconnected my battery WITH the key in the ignition. After reconnecting the battery, the truck wouldnt start- and the "theft" light was flashing. The PCM no longer recognized my key and therefore was in "theft" mode. This simple solution--even though it seems goofy DOES work..I've used it!!!

1. Get in truck--MANUALLY lock both doors.

2. Get out using DRIVER door and MANUALLY lock with key.

3. Wait 15 mins

4. Drink beer

5. MANUALLY unlock driver door and get in

6. WITH REMOTE lock doors--then UNLOCK with remote

7. Insert key--turn to "on" position for 30 seconds and start truck

I know it sounds crazy--but it works..contrary to what some guys here think---To the best of my knowledge, this will only reset one key...Then save your pennies because you just might have to pay to get a second key programmed!!!

 

In case anyone wanted to know...the lil birdie was "roadside assistance".....The nicest people at that number...their main concern was that i was "safe"....AWWWWWW

To bad I live in Joliet--sometimes its never safe

 

Ah ok, wasn't sure what you were refferring to. That procedure varies with different vehicles, on some it takes as long as 45 minutes. But like you said that won't do anything for a new PCM, that has to be coded to the truck with a Ford scan tool

 

Well this STUPID (sometimes) guy I know, no names (ahem!) disconnected his battery the other day with the keys in the ignition.. When I (I mean he) saw what he had done he about ***** on the spot.. Re-connected the battery and the truck started right up, didn't even skip a beat...WHEW!!! than won't happen again... Did I get lucky or what??? ...JR

 

I keep hearing the term SVT Certified tech being used on the Forums here lately. Let me state that there is no such person. I work for a Ford dealer and lack a few ASE classes and just a few Ford class room courses before I am senior master certified through Ford, yet I am far from knowing everything there is to know. Most dealerships techs are Specialized, meaning that they work in one or a few areas. I for example do drivability, a/c, electrical and trim and some times back up light line. So it all depends on how good the tech is that is doing your work on your car.
As for your pats system, they can be very tricky. I have done it with and with out a scan-tool on the late models. On our L's with the electric odometers the pats module is inside the HEC or instrument cluster. when you replace one of these you are supposed to disconnect the battery while replacing it and then insert both keys the PCM and HEC should "talk" to each other. you can see this by monitoring your PIDS Sometimes disconnecting the battery does not work and you have to manually go in and reset the KAM and reprogram the keys to the vehicle with a scan tool and the green card , it just all depends on how the truck is feeling that day. Shop manual procedure is not always the correct way or easiest way of doing things... sometimes it does not work at all. Then there are times when the information from an old module has to be downloaded and then uploaded to the new module being installed... Windstar instrument clusters are an example. The manufacturers are making it to where you are going to have to take it to the dealer to get the work done... and its like this with all makes.

 

well, that is sortof true... for a little while longer anyway.

Technically, I guess up until now you could be considered an "SVT certified" technician if you had completed the new model training class on any of the SVT vehicles.

but that is probably stretching it a little.

But anyway, now there IS such a thing or I should say that there soon will be.

Ford and SVT are making it mandatory for techs to complete web based SVT training and attend classroom courses.

Here in the DC region I believe that the classroom courses start early next year, but maybe as late as April.

after that point, there will be officially "SVT certified Technicians" for whatever thats worth.

later,
chris

 

Ford did used to have SVT Trained techs back in 93-95. The techs were sent to SVT training classes, where they were basically schooled on what was different on an SVT vehicle, and that SVT owners should be treated above average. I have the training videos and workbooks for 93 and 95, haven't found 94 stuff for sale yet.

The training program pretty much died early, and SVT dropped it. There have been a few SVT orientation classes on Fordstar, but nothing that gives any kind of training.

There is really nothing on an SVT vehicle that any good Ford tech can't fix. What Ford needs to do is educate SVT techs to go the extra mile for SVT customers, and to understand how aftermarket parts can and can't damage a vehicle. They started gathering info on this about two years ago, specifically for this training program.

 

Sign me up!

 

quote from Sal: "What Ford needs to do is educate SVT techs to go the extra mile for SVT customers"

absolutely correct, and service writers too...

quote from sal: "and to understand how aftermarket parts can and can't damage a vehicle"

just to play devil's advocate on this one, which aftermarket parts exactly are guaranteed NOT to damage a vehicle?

for example a chip COULD be tuned too lean or with too much spark advance and cause detonation right?

or a pulley (lets take a generally considered "SAFE" 4lb'er) someone could bolt this one without the proper chip and possibly cause damage due to incorrect air fuel ratios under boost right?

how about the simple 90mm air meter mod, this should certainly be safe right, heck it's a Ford part afterall, but if it doesn't have the properly tuned chip could it not also cause a lean condition?

same with oil breather caps, air filters, etc.

also, maybe the question isn't what parts will cause "damage", but what parts will create a "warranty concern".

For example, I have a customer here in town that ownes a 2000 model L, we installed a 90mm Ford meter and and air intake kit and an (to remain un-named) chip.

well the vehicle immediately began setting lean codes.

All possible sources for lean condition were then checked, no vacuum leaks, fuel pressure ok, fuel injector pulsewidth and relative flow ok, MAF voltage and baro reading ok, hegos switching, but fuel trims are still maxed out, the pcm is dumping in extra fuel to compensate for this lean condition???

The cold air intake kit air was then removed, problem remained.

The MAF was replaced (twice) with two other known good parts one from my own '01 truck, and another one brand new from the box.

problem persists.

Chip was sent back for reburn.

problem persisits.

Chip was replaced with new.

problem STILL there.

replace customers factory 80mm maf, reinstall chip and air intake, truck runs fine and fuel trims return to normal and no more check engine light?

How much exactly is Ford supposed to pay me in warranty time to figure out what the problem was between all of these modified or aftermarket parts.

Ford didn't put ANY of these parts onto the truck in the first place, why should they pay to diagnosis the problem and fix it?

I certainly didn't call ford and tell them to VOID this customer's warranty, but at the same time the warranty just will not cover the time involved in this repair.

But still alot of people on here would get mad about there truck's warranty being "voided".

In this case, the customer is a really good guy, and I just did the work for free, partly because I had personally recommended which parts he should get to enhance the performance of his truck. These parts were all from the same tuner, one of the popular "big 3". So now I felt some obligation to get his truck running properly again. The tuner tried to help with new parts, but after that didn't work, they just said they didn't know what to do?

I'm definately NOT saying that ford should void there warranty for modifying their truck, but should ford have to pay to fix things that they didn't do wrong?

another example: a customer last month that I installed a KB supercharger on his 2000 Harley truck, what happens when heaven forbid his intake gaskets leak or plugs develop a missfire or something like that. Does ford still pay for this repair even though, now it may take an additional 3 hours of labor due to the aftermarket parts? even if said aftermarket parts didn't necessarily cause the actual failed warrantiable part to go bad?

I mean there is a normal diagnostic procedure with an approved amount of diagnostic labor time (probably only a couple of tenths these days ) that labor time does not take into account all of the variables presented by all of the modifications that are available.

I try to be very "mod friendly", but sometimes, it's not worth it to try to be a "good guy" and help a fellow L owner out. I end up loosing my *** on a job that Ford can't be charged for, and the customer doesn't feel that he/she should have to pay for because he/she was told that their mods won't or can't void his warranty by his tuner or even worse the "Moss/Magnussen act" or some crap like that.

sorry to go off on a tangent, and again, I'm not aiming anything at you sal, I'm just trying to illustrate BOTH sides of this warranty coin.

I might also add, that aside of my love of Ford performance cars and trucks, and the fact that I have devoted my career (and thus a major chunk of my life) to this profession, I don't have any blind devotion to Ford motor company in general. Especially when it comes to their warranty practices and labor allowances. they suck!

They screw techs out of labor time every chance they get. In alot of cases, this is passed on to you the customer, because lots of techs then turn around and stick it the the out of warranty paying customers to make up for the time. so I'm not taking their side by any means, I'm just presenting another side of the story.

sorry so long and a little off topic from the original post.

maybe I should make this it's own thread?

later,
chris

 

What i would like to know is why my truck is allowed to "think" on its own anyway...the excuse "it just depends on how your truck feels that day" is crap....it is a machine, programmed to do something a certain way. It has no emotions therefore whatever the almighty SVT gods tell it to do, it should do. And whatever it does should depend on its program...NOT HOW IT FEELS THAT DAY!!!!

If this is the case--the L's are the Terminators that we will be at war with in the future......that is, if they can think for themselves!!!!

My $.02 more

 

HEVYRESQ, you are correct, your truck doesn't think (and sometimes I think Ford motor company doesnt either ) a more accurate thing to say would each truck CAN be different, every year ford changes the proceedure on how to do things, often times without telling anybody, oftentimes in the middle of the model year of based on a "calibration".

example some f-150s require that when replacing an instrument cluster you first upload info from the old module using a scan tool, then remove and replace the part and then download info to the new part, while another truck of the same year may only require that you replace the part and then reprogram the pats keys? how do you know untill you are done and try to start it?

I think that is what he was trying to get at.

later,
chris

P.S. L's ARE Terminators, at war with the so called performance cars running the streets, Mine has terminated a few Z28's and WS6's

 

Chris, you are absolutely right. I was just speaking in general. It's a gray area for sure. What I really meant was for techs AND service writers to be taught to at least have the common sense to look into IF a problem is caused by an aftermarket part. It'd not fair to the customer when they bring their truck in for the slightest problem, and the tech opens the hood and sees an air filter, and immediately blames whatever is wrong on aftermarket parts. And this goes for FORD also. Are you listening? Stop blaming every damn warrenty claim on aftermarket parts! It's disgusting that Ford pawns off 90% of it's warrenty responsibility on aftermarket parts, without even ever seeing the truck.