As some of you know, at 1,800 miles took my truck (04/04 - 11/26/03 engine buid) into the dealer for a constant misfire condition. The dealer quickly diagnosed a bad injector was to blame. After a short wait for parts, the truck is back on the road and runs great!

After picking the truck up from the dealer I did notice my quiet idle (fake PI -egr/icp manipulation) was gone. This is not really a big deal to me, and I just figured they had also updated the truck with the newest calibration (flash). So today, I was poking around under the hood looking for the sticker they are supposed to affix when the truck has been updated with a new calibration level. While I didn't find the sticker, I noticed my FICM looked different. My original FICM had a Nov-26-03 sticker on it, and the new one had a Feb-12-03 sticker (older FICM). There was also an orange sticker with a barcode attached.

After close inspection of the service order, I noticed it did state the FICM was replaced with a remanufactured one. I'm not quite sure why they would leave the old build date sticker on it. Has anybody that has had the FICM replaced noticed this?

The service order did not state the truck had been flashed either. While remanufactured FICM in my truck obiviously has a newer calibration level than the orginal, I was under the assumption that the PCM also had to be recalibrated for the electronics to interface correctly. Is that correct?

Anyway, the truck runs better than it did new, and I'm glad to have it back!

 

Anyway, the truck runs better than it did new, and I'm glad to have it back!

That is the single most important statement.....I have wondered why they did not do this more often, why don't they just replace the 03 PCM's with an 05...when things go bad.

 

It would have to be a reman FICM. The Feb 12, 03 FICM would make it an 03. On 04 engines, the FICM is different. Interesting. If it runs well, don't have them do anything else.

 

It's definately a remanufactured FICM off a pre 9-29-03 build engine. My copy of the dealer service order states the following:

Replace Inejector Drvier Module (IDM) / Fuel Injector Control Module
Part number: 4C3Z-12B599-AARM
Description: Process Asy Remanufactured

Just thought it was somewhat strange that they put a pre 9-29-03 build FICM on my truck, as it is a post 9-29-04 (updated 04) engine. I was also under the assumption that 04 engine updates included changes to the FICM. I have no idea what callibration level is in the reman FICM. Guess the dealer would have to look it up on the WDS.

 

I don't think the '04 changes included any physical changes to the FICM, though obviously they'd want to put the latest software in it (and I bet they did.)

Duncan

 

Duncan -

You're right about that, they definately put the latest (or newer) software in it. The truck is a 11/29/03 build, and originally had the quiet idle feature (Fake PI - EGR/ICP manipulation) and now it's gone. However, I really don't mind the loss of the quiet idle as the truck is just as smooth and quiet going down the road, and even quieter at highway speeds than my old 02 duramax that was equipped with pilot injecton.

I still find it a bit strange that some of the newer flashes (like the newest July flash) only apply to post 9-29-03 build engines and not to the 03's or pre 9-29-03 build (early 04 models).

 

I would think they are electronically different. Why is there a separate flash for the 04's than the 03's?

 

Why would they need to be electronically different? Same engine, same injectors, same voltages involved, same PCM that talks to it...

We don't know that the FICM software is different between 03s and 04s in general, but there have been software updates since that FICM was made, so they'd want to flash it up to the current level for his truck no matter what.

Duncan

 

Are the sensors different for the 04, i.e. different set of end points

 

In general, no (though they moved the location of the ICP sensor so that it can be replaced more easily.) And different sensors would impact whether or not to use the same PCM; it shouldn't affect using the same FICM.

Duncan

 

According to the flatratetech.com site, the FICM are one of the changes on the 04. I had read somewhere that the FICM on the 03 were IH's FICM with Ford's software and the 04 were Ford FICM with Ford software hence the different code. I'll see if I can validate that.

 

My recollection is that the FICM has always been made by Siemens, and the same unit is used on the VT365 and the 6.0L Powerstroke. It's a pretty utilitarian little box, there wouldn't be much point in making a lot of variations on it; the whole point of its programmability is to provide any needed variations.

Duncan

 

I inquired about this issue with my service manager and diesel tech today. The information they gave me is similar to what Duncan has stated above. The FICM used on the 6.0 is the exact same part (manf. by Siemens) that International is currently using on the VT365, with the only difference being programming. For post 9-29-04 engines, they did up-date the mounting bracket configuration.

 

For post 9-29-04 engines, WOW allot later than originally thought

 

Those are the special pre-release, 05' models with 600HP and 1,000 ft. lbs of torque.

My typo Tim, should read 9-29-03.

Thanks for catching that!