Roland@pcmtec Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 This guide explains the steps to follow when replacing a failed PCM. The only PCMs we have seen fail to date are very early BA's which appear to start resetting when very hot or cold which we believe is due to cracks appearing in the PCB. We have also rarely seen injector drivers fail, usually this is due to a failed injector shorting out. Before assuming a failed PCM do a KAM reset (performed automatically when writing a file to the PCM via PCMTEC) and check your power/ground sources. If the vehicle has had an engine swap please ensure that you have continuity in your CAN Bus and all grounds are clean. If you have diagnosed a PCM failure you must replace the PCM with the same part number such as ASU-234 etc. Some part numbers are compatible with others however they will be missing IO. Eg an NA 6 cylinder PCM will work in a turbo vehicle, however the wastegate output will not function. Same goes for an 8 cylinder PCM will sometimes work in a 6 cyl vehicle, but the reverse is not true. To ensure the PCM is compatible with your vehicle we recommend purchasing an identical hardware model. If your PCM has a Custom OS Installed there are extra steps required. Please see the specific Custom OS replacement PCM guide here: Step 1: Read the existing old PCM and save it to disk. Ensure you have ticked "PCM" and within the flash read page. If the PCMwas erased at any stage you can still do this step, but you will need to use recovery mode and manually select the PCM type from the corrosponding dropdowns. Eg for BA select Black Oak, for BF/FG select Spanish Oak. This file does not need to be licensed. Save this read as "Old PCM.tec" Step 2: Install the new PCM Read the new PCM only by ensuring PCM is ticked within the flash read page. Save this as "new PCM.tec" and do not license the file. Step 3: Open the merge wizard via "Create Stock File/Calibration Merge" Select "Manually Merge VID/Serial" Step 4 Press "Load File 1" and select "Old PCM.tec" Press "Load File 2" and select "new PCM.tec" Step 5: Next press "Import PCM Serial from File 2" Press "Save File 1" and save as "Old PCM with new PCM serial.tec" Step 6: Now license the file again (will cost 3 credits to license the new file) and write the file to the vehicle. Please contact support via https://www.pcmtec.com/contactus and we will manually refund the credits required to relicense the replacement PCM, please include the VIN, vehicle type and what failed on the PCM. Please note that for new customers we may ask for proof of the PCM replacement as this process could be abused. Step 7: Once you have written the previous calibration to the vehicle the vehicle will be immobilised and will not start. To reset the security system a procedure called a "Parameter Reset" is required. This last step we cannot warranty and is out of the scope of our support however there are several packages that can do this for you. FORScan ( www.forscan.org ) is free and can do this for most but NOT ALL Fords. The procedure is located under "service procedures". If your vehicle is not supported by Forscan you can also use some high end scan tools or Ford IDS/FDRS to perform this step. If you do not have access to either of these you will require a Ford service centre to do it for you. Depending on which state you are in there are several people who can come to you to do this for a fee. It is not necessary to erase or reprogram keys as part of this process. Note you can disable PATS to allow the car to be started and drive it to a workshop. This is a temporary measure as by disabling PATS your radio and instrumentation will stop working. In some BAs the radio will continue to work with PATS disabled however it is best to assume that there will be side effects. A guide to replace the ZF Transmission (or just the TCM) can be found here: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mee Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 You need to pay for the extended licence to use pats reset in forscan, also you can flash a petrol file over the lpg one & keep the same pcm. Fyi . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland@pcmtec Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 The extended license is free for a certain period if you apply for their beta program. Either way if you do this for a living it is a great product and I highly recommend purchasing it. They effectively implement all of the useful features that come with Ford IDS/FDRS https://forscan.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=836 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerTurbo Posted November 15, 2020 Share Posted November 15, 2020 i have a dead ba boss ecm, so i cannot read it. i was hoping i could generate a STD image file and manually enter in the VIN however im having no luck. the OLD pcm says A3JA / ABU-251 / EE0FA 4A313 / 3R23-12A650-AJA on the sticker. i havent had any luck input these details to generate stock file, what might i be doing wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted November 15, 2020 Share Posted November 15, 2020 6 minutes ago, BeerTurbo said: i have a dead ba boss ecm, so i cannot read it. i was hoping i could generate a STD image file and manually enter in the VIN however im having no luck. the OLD pcm says A3JA / ABU-251 / EE0FA 4A313 / 3R23-12A650-AJA on the sticker. i havent had any luck input these details to generate stock file, what might i be doing wrong? Is the dead pcm from an XR8 auto sedan? I had to replace a dead one a few years back but couldn't get one with an identical code. I'm sure it was A3JA & we used an A3JC or A3JD. It worked fine. I was told the last letter represented a later calibration version. Roland or someone else with more experience may be able to confirm if that's right. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerTurbo Posted November 15, 2020 Share Posted November 15, 2020 6 minutes ago, Bill said: Is the dead pcm from an XR8 auto sedan? I had to replace a dead one a few years back but couldn't get one with an identical code. I'm sure it was A3JA & we used an A3JC or A3JD. It worked fine. I was told the last letter represented a later calibration version. Roland or someone else with more experience may be able to confirm if that's right. Yes it is. the replacement is apparently from a ute. its still a3jc / abu-251 / eeofa 4h253 / 3r23-12a650-ajc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerTurbo Posted November 15, 2020 Share Posted November 15, 2020 id like to update the vin on the new pcm before licencing it... but looks like to do that i need the old file to run the calabration/merge wizzard. ill wait for Rolland to chime in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland@pcmtec Posted November 15, 2020 Author Share Posted November 15, 2020 The vin isn't used for licensing so you can update it later. As the others said sometimes ford update the catch code after release. In those cases use the next one in the calibration list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azviel Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 Can this be done from the Enthusiast version? or do I require the professional? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland@pcmtec Posted June 16, 2021 Author Share Posted June 16, 2021 Yes it requires the professional edition to use the calibration merge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarraTuna Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 Thanks Rolland for the diagnosis My PCM is super hot to touch, after a short drive Will have to grab a replacement and flash it in, and see if the problem re occurs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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