Rough running with updated FICM

[eabrust]

Well, per an email I got from Bill, it was suggested that I could monitor the voltage from the access port directly rather than use a scan tool (why didn't I think of that myself?!). He said he'd get me instructions on what to do, but I know he's busy, and I know electronics enough to just go do it.

So I went ahead and made measurements of both my stock (good working) FICM and my PHP tuned FICM which is giving me some issues. I attached a link to a PDF documenting what I did for reference, should it help anyone else out. I used long enough test lead wire to let me sit in the truck and rev the engine during testing also. As a side note, if any of you want to go testing your FICMs, be very careful, I don't want to hear anyone say they smoked and broke their modules because of me

Long story short, the DC output on both of my FICMs is right at 48+ volts, so it doesn't appear that the FICM is suffering a slow death from the power supply side. It could be a problem on the driver board side, but I wouldn't think that would tend to clear up as the truck warms up, which still leaves me thinking there is some software strategy conflict that may be resolved by another software load.

Still hoping to hear from Bill any further suggestions or if he has any ideas on software conflict possibility. If anyone has any suggestions to the attached PDF let me know, or if anyone finds the attachment useful for future reference, feel free to use it or make it a sticky here on this forum.

The PDF is a 2.3MB file, so I linked to it.
Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=a...4e75f6e8ebb871

Thanks
Eric

[classic trucks]

I had Bill redo my ficm.The truck runs fine on interstate or 60+mph but I have cold start issues especially with the weather cooling down. I also have the heavy loping on start up and long warm up times. I have noticed a skip at lower speeds (40-50) in traffic especially up hills. I don't have an extra ficm to swap in and didn't have problems before the reprogram.I took my tuner off and the issues are still there. Any suggestions?

[Power Hungry]

We're still trying to figure out what's going on with the new I/H strategy. Most trucks seem to respond favorably with the new hybrid strategies but there are still a few trucks that have a cold start issue. The only conclusion I can come to is that the stiction problem on those few vehicles is so bad that only the aggressive I/H strategy will fix the cold start problems. Unfortunately, we already know that the aggressive I/H strategy will mean the demise of the FICM circuitry so it's an option we reserve for only the most extreme cases. If the cold starts are that bad, that's about all we can do.

[classic trucks]

I may have other issues that are not related to the ficm. My truck has started skipping at all speeds. It has a buck and jerk when climbing hills. I have very poor acceleration. If this is ficm related let me know if its something else let me know what your thoughts are on this.

[eabrust]

Hey classic_trucks, besides a FICM issue, the constant hesitation and bucking all the time could be a bad injector or two. My truck had similar issues a few months back (prior to trying the upgraded FICM at all), and it turned out to be a single bad injector. It happened very suddenly, as the truck ran great and then suddenly on one startup, it was running bad, bucking, and getting poor mileage. I was still under warranty and had it replaced, fixing all hesitation issues. At the same time, Ford dealer also reflashed the PCM and FICM to what ever is current. I don't notice any change due to the new flashes, to me the truck runs the same and gets the same mileage.

Bill,
As far as the injector stiction and need for extreme inductive heat strategy, I can't say I know what my truck had in it for programming prior to my last shop visit, as I'm a recent second owner, and I saw no difference in before and after repprogramming to the latest ford strategies.

When I've started the truck on 80+ degF days and had issues with the tuned FICM, would the heating strategy (aggressive or not) matter that much? I have issues with startup with the PHP tuned FICM on fairly hot ambient temp days (starting in the afternoon), but I can startup in the morning on a 40 degF day with the stock programming and it runs fine from the second it fires. Can the heat strategy make that much difference that fast? I would think on cool mornings, if the injector stiction was an issue due to oil viscosity, even the fairly agressive inductive heat strategy would take some amount of time to heatup the oil in the injectors and the thermal-mass of the injectors themselves?

[Power Hungry]

On some of the documentation I've read from Ford, the previous I/H strategy was so aggressive that it would superheat the injectors in about 10-15 seconds and temperature at the spool valve would be at operating temperatures almost instantly. This explains why FICMs started burning up shortly after the I/H was released and continued for almost two years until the latest strategy came out. The failures seemed to have dropped of a bit since the new reflash, but since it came out in late spring we're not sure how effective the I/H strategy is going to be until we start seeing some really cold ambients.

I'm in the process of redoing the latest strategies since there seems to be a timer issue with some of the code we modified causing the I/H portion of the strategy to either not engage long enough or possibly not at all. I am expecting to get in touch with 2 of our testers this week with new strategies and hope to have this issue resolved for good.

Take care.

[NHRA6002]

Originally Posted by Power Hungry

On some of the documentation I've read from I'm in the process of redoing the latest strategies since there seems to be a timer issue with some of the code we modified causing the I/H portion of the strategy to either not engage long enough or possibly not at all. I am expecting to get in touch with 2 of our testers this week with new strategies and hope to have this issue resolved for good.[/B]
Take care.

Thanks Bill, keep me posted.

[eabrust]

Originally Posted by Power Hungry

I'm in the process of redoing the latest strategies since there seems to be a timer issue with some of the code we modified causing the I/H portion of the strategy to either not engage long enough or possibly not at all. I am expecting to get in touch with 2 of our testers this week with new strategies and hope to have this issue resolved for good.

Take care.

Just wanted to give a bump and pick Bill's brain on if there was ever a bug confirmed in the FICM software that would cause the I/H (inductive heat) strategy to not work right? Sorry Bill, I know you're trying to get un-burried, just curious as it's been a while since you said you'd possibly be testing updated FICM programs.

Since weather has been getting nice here, and my truck is currently boring (set to complete stock since the EVO is at PHP to get Gryphon-ized), I put my PHP tuned FICM back in.

After playing with it the last few days over the weekend, and call me crazy, but I'd almost swear that the truck fires up OK and idles for maybe a whole second before it starts loping and smoking (yeah, I know a second is almost to short to actually tell, but....). Almost seems as if I/H works for a second then it quits? Like I said, call me crazy. All I know is this afternoon after leaving from work, I pulled the tuned FICM back out because I can't sit and idle/warm up for 5 minutes on a nice sunny 60degF day, blowing blue smoke and watching the fuel gauge drop.

There's no doubt once the truck is up to temp, it runs super great and I definitely feel a difference over stock FICM, but my truck is one of those that 'needs' the I/H to work

I'm hoping that if a new rev of FICM software is ready, when my Gryphon comes back I can try out the remote FICM programming

regards,
Eric

[NHRA6002]

Truck is an absolute pig when started cold and virtualy undriveable til over 120'F. Any ideas on a solution yet Bill?

Hopefully once this is corrected I will go ahead with the custom tunes we talked about in Monroe.

[NHRA6002]

Originally Posted by NHRA6002

Truck is an absolute pig when started cold and virtualy undriveable til over 120'F. Any ideas on a solution yet Bill?

Hopefully once this is corrected I will go ahead with the custom tunes we talked about in Monroe.

Well it got so bad and I haven't heard anything from Bill that I had to take the truck into the dealership and have the FICM reflashed by them. Now I have a truck that is ok in stock mode but can't use any other levels in my Evo as the truck will smoke and high EGT's even in level 1. Have talked to edge via email and tried new files from them but no success.
The exhaust note has also changed as it sounds like the variable vane is cycling unlike befor when I would start the truck it would at first sound open and throughty and then close off to a hiss. I wonder if Ford has a new program that is not compatable with the Evo?