I took my truck in yesterday for the 30k maintenance and took the chip out before I dropped it off. I had been having a slight high idle on start up when the engine was cold. Thinking that my IAC might be going out, I exaggerated and told the service guy that the truck was using a lot of gas and high idling to 3k. Well the service guy calls me and tells me my truck is ready. Says high idle is due to a chip cause they got some altered computer codes. Guess they can tell if you had one in there. I didnt take the battery terminal off though so I dont know if that could have covered it up. He busted me out. All I could do is plead the 5th. Didnt say my warranty was voided though so oh well.

 

You don't think for a minute that your truck is the only one they ever saw that had a chip installed??
They fully know what is being done to these trucks.
You just didn't leave enough time for the PCM to readjust it's tables back into stock range plus some tell tale signs on and around the PCM.
I bet some of the mechanics have chips in there own trucks.
They have test equipment that can read many areas of the programs.

 

By not resetting the PCM, disconnect power to PCM by removing negative battery terminal, you left a code in the PCM memory. If you would have disconnected the battery the codes would have been erased and they would have had no way of telling short of checking the contacts in the PCM.

Regards

Jean Marc Charier

 

bought my truck used '99 350 7.3L turbo dually dump at a "well reputed ford dealer here in the northeast"...well not so fast...it had the oil pan replaced b-4 i bought it...took it for a test drive liked it ..bought it..sitting in the showroom and noticed oil dripping from the front AND rear of the engine...asked the salesman if i could have a look under the hood and he said sure!...outside i crawled under the truck..."i knew it " i shouted...(within 20 sec. 5 salsemwn were all over it)..bad oil pan seals front and rear..."oh no problem...we'll fix it and call you in a few days"...well they did and it was ok...i took delivery....has a "60 day warranty because its a used truck"...well anyway i used it for 60 days and at 45 days or so i brought it back and had the tranny pan gasket replaced along with the front shocks...well at 70 days or so i had a heck of a time stopping...the salesman told me the brakes were all new and he was "right"..the front pads were new but the rotors and the calipers were shot...the rears were new all around (4wheel disc)..had my local boys do the repair on the front brakes...$800 later....brought the bill with the date and the title and blah blah back to the dealer and talked with the service manager about it and he said 'we dont warranty trucks period"...i said "your crazy because i allready had "warranty" service done"so he had to look into it....found out i was right...i asked him what we could do about the brake job costs...he got pissed when i told him i would go to ford with this..he took the bill to the office and got me a check for half the amount and pretty much said "go #### yourself"...buyer beware...zap!

 

Zapster,

Caveat Emptor...or something like that. I don't see how the dealer screwed you. I think you made a mistake by buying a truck with an existing problem even though the dealer "fixed it" after the fact.

My $ .02

Sackett

 

Dealers always screw you in my opinion. I have to take my truck to the dealer to get the 4wd to work again. I know they're gonna charge a crap load.

 

If the dealer is going to screw you, why don't you take it somewhere else for repairs?

 

I'm sorry but I don't mean to change the subject but what is a PCM??

I'm trying to learn so no flaming me please

 

The term PCM = power train control module.
The system conrol was changed to this because the computer now controls many other functions besides just the engine.
Some of which are the transmission shifting, electric fan control, fuel system external sensors and function etc.