Forscan, warranty claims, and you.

[apMechorse]

I am one of the many people that has had issues with the OTA updates not doing the one thing they are designed to do: Update.

I am also one of the many people that has taken it upon myself to personalize my truck to closer resemble what I want it to be via Forscan mods.

Long story short, I've had my truck for over a year. In that time it has never once update OTA. It has been in and out of the dealer an average of twice a month since I took delivery of it for a variety of electronic related issues, none of which have been corrected as of yet.

Bottom line, the dealer has attempted the TSB fix for the failed 1.7.1 updates once a day, for the last 4 days and it has failed without warning or message every time. They say that they have done about a dozen of these updates and this is the only one they've had issues with. They are getting ready to do a data dump and submit the info to Ford Program Engineering in an attempt to find out why the forced update is also failing.

The service manager has made a specific point in telling me this because, in his words, any alteration to the vehicle programming can result in the warranty being voided, and he has noticed some "irregularities" with my vehicle. For example the digital temperature readings and the glare-free headlights (I'm in the US) being enabled.

He said that if Ford engineering wants the data dump, he will let me know so that I can pick the truck up for a day or so and get everything back to factory before they provide it to them to avoid any issues with the warranty.

My question is this: have any of you had issues with this? Firstly, while I appreciate the concerned heads up from the service manager, it feels an awful lot like a not so veiled threat that because I have made changes via Forscan I have caused this issue with my truck somehow (even though it has effected enough other people for Ford to issue a TSB over it) and secondly, has anyone actually run into an issue with Ford voiding warranty status over Forscan alterations?

Thanks.

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[powerboatr]

he is full of dooooo dooooo
forscan does not in any way reconfigure ECM, it only enables or disables settings that ford already had built in the system for different trim levels or brands under the ford umbrella
the dealer can easily put your truck back to asbuilt . he is just being a karen
forscan doe snot change how your truck drives, rides. OTA updates can be turned off or on under settings,
find another dealer that is not a dipshittt

 

[hotrodmex]

he is full of dooooo dooooo
forscan does not in any way reconfigure ECM, it only enables or disables settings that ford already had built in the system for different trim levels or brands under the ford umbrella

I disagree. It's not the configuration, it's that you used a 3rd party program to edit the configuration on your modules. If the configuration wasn't written correctly, or was done in a way that messed with the system, they could make a case that you changing the configuration improperly caused a problem.

Now, they would have to prove your actions caused the problem. Just doing the action doesn't instantly void the warranty.

Changing your own brake pads with non Ford materials does not void your warranty, but changing your brakes with shitty tools that damage the fasteners and installing the brake pads backwards is not Ford's problem. Same with dicking with the truck using Forscan.

the dealer can easily put your truck back to asbuilt .

This would be the real bro move by the dealer. Also, an actual diagnostic step.

 

[Snakebitten]

Why debate it? It takes a very small effort to return to oem AsBuilt. Remove the issue off the table.
And no offense, but there ARE updates that fail as a result of some Forscan edits.
Well documented in the FDRS thread.

 

[powerboatr]

from personal exp if you fluck up the change of a sequence or code. it will do the change then the changer (person) has to check if the outcome is what they expected and it works. if not you go back to as built and try again or stop.
this in no way would void a warranty. the vehicle will not let you f up a system that causes damage to another system.
case in point on some 2021 super duties the bambi setting will cause one fog light to work and the other not. but if you go back into settings the fogs are set as OFF for turn signals which places a counter signal in the vehicle and one fog will stay off as the brains in the system get confused.
a simple plug in scan tool will see the dtc very clearly, its off kilter, not out of warranty
that being said if the operator fl upps the system it is NOT FORDS responsibility to put it back or fix it

people have to take responsibility for their own actions.

changing settings are the individuals responsibility, not ford

but a tech or service manager telling you the bambi mod is a cause for voiding a warranty is pure BULL muffins, but if said mod made a light burn out from over use, then its also not fords issue. i use the bambi mod as an example only.

 

[antho]

You lost me at data dump. Sounds like you told the dealer you made some changes so now they are possibly using that as ammo.

 

[psambrose]

You lost me at data dump. Sounds like you told the dealer you made some changes so now they are possibly using that as ammo.

When I read the ops post, I remember him mentioning that the service manager noticed some "irregularities" such as digital temperature readings and glare-free headlights. Perhaps that is how they know something has been altered.

 

[Snakebitten]

It's hilarious that digital temps is a Forscan tweak. Obviously, and I'm incredibly grateful, Ford the manufacturer themselves included the option.
And it should be viewed as a healthier choice for the truck, if you think about it.

 

[Fordphanatic]

When I read the ops post, I remember him mentioning that the service manager noticed some "irregularities" such as digital temperature readings and glare-free headlights. Perhaps that is how they know something has been altered.

You believe the dip shit service manager noticed he had glarefree enabled...and knew what it was...I highly doubt it. Some people open their mouths and give all the ammo said dealer needs to blame fords problem on owners mods.

 

[apMechorse]

Sounds like you told the dealer you made some changes so now they are possibly using that as ammo.

Some people open their mouths and give all the ammo said dealer needs to blame fords problem on owners mods.

While I appreciate your unwavering trust in my ability to relay information without giving the dealership ammo to redirect an actual programing problem back at me, it would be helpful to the conversation as a whole if you would possibly assume, just for the moment, that I don't have my head shoved entirely right up my own ass.

The service manager specifically pointed out that the digital temp for the coolant and the transmission were not a default setting for any '21 F150 that he had come across, as for the glare-free headlights, it changes the color of the headlight icon on the cluster from white with a big "A" in it to a green icon without. Apparently the tech working on the truck researched this because he thought it might have been part of a related programming problem.

I have other mods activated as well such as bambi mode, parking lights w/DRLs, full brightness DRLs, and silencing that cursed double honk when you get out of the truck with the key and close the door with it running. Any one of these things could have been picked up on by someone who knows how the truck is supposed to behave from factory and is looking for potential programing issues. We all just assume that they are too ignorant, too busy or too stupid to notice these things. It's a steep learning curve, but they are learning.

And no offense, but there ARE updates that fail as a result of some Forscan edits.
Well documented in the FDRS thread.

No offense taken. I stopped following the FDRS thread after about page 50 or so. I see that it is now over 300. Do you happen to remember offhand which mods conflicted with updates? If you do that might be faster than skimming the most recent 250 pages... On the other hand at this point I'll probably just go pick it up on Monday as return it to AsBuilt, but if there are certain mods to will continue to be a problem with OTA updates I'll probably just forego those in the future.

Except for the double honk. God that's irritating.

My thanks to everyone else for their input as well.

 

[speedracercjr]

@apMechorse It seemed alot of the Forscan edits to either the IPMA or IPC seemed to give the most trouble for folks.

 

[Harry Dangler]

Wouldn't putting it back to Asbuilt and then trying the 1.7.1 update be proof if your changes were the cause or not Just a thought

 

[apMechorse]

Wouldn't putting it back to Asbuilt and then trying the 1.7.1 update be proof if your changes were the cause or not Just a thought

The service manager has so far been willing to work with me, to the point that he was willing to let me have the truck back for a day or so "if [ I ] needed it" before they submitted a data dump to Ford. So while I haven't admitted to changing anything at this point, I'm 100% positive he knows what is going on. Based on that, I'm sure if they can complete the TSB and force the update successfully and sign it off as such, he's not likely to say or do anything about it. Plus, if it does work after I've returned to AsBuilt then I know that one or more of the adjustments I made previously should not be re-added once I get it back.

@apMechorse It seemed alot of the Forscan edits to either the IPMA or IPC seemed to give the most trouble for folks.

Got it. Based on that I definitely need to revert the digital temp, the door ajar tone off, and the glare-free headlights. Those all have adjustments made in IPMA and/or IPC.

Thanks!

 

[speedracercjr]

FWIW I left the double honk edit through all my module updates and didn’t have any issues.

 

[Harry Dangler]

also I'm curious can you tell the dealer you him to make the changes you did or is that something he can't do unless requested by engineering?

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