PCM failsafe mode?

[manny]

Can anyone tell me if they have experienced what may be referred to as the PCM going into a failsafe mode to ptotect it against damage when an electrical problem is detected? The symptoms associated with this are as follows:
1. when the ignition switch is turned forward, the electric cooling fans turn on, and stay on.
2. the digital odometer display looks like this _ _ _ _ _ _
3. the engine will still crank, but won't start, coupled with the electric cooling fans running

Is there anyone who can tell me how to bring the car out of this mode without taking it to the dealer?
Thanks,
Manny

[williamsrt]

Can anyone tell me if they have experienced what may be referred to as the PCM going into a failsafe mode to ptotect it against damage when an electrical problem is detected? The symptoms associated with this are as follows:
1. when the ignition switch is turned forward, the electric cooling fans turn on, and stay on.
2. the digital odometer display looks like this _ _ _ _ _ _
3. the engine will still crank, but won't start, coupled with the electric cooling fans running

Is there anyone who can tell me how to bring the car out of this mode without taking it to the dealer?
Thanks,
Manny


Hello,

I get this when I use the Preditor to flash the system. What happens is when I do a new upload it will not take some times and will not respond. Once this happens then I have to unplug the preditor then plug it back in and it will reflash with the orginal load. You will have to take it to the dealer to have the PCM reflashed. There is no way out of this mode unless you have a flasher to flash it with the orginal file to reload it.

Randall Williams

[manny]

Hello,

I get this when I use the Preditor to flash the system. What happens is when I do a new upload it will not take some times and will not respond. Once this happens then I have to unplug the preditor then plug it back in and it will reflash with the orginal load. You will have to take it to the dealer to have the PCM reflashed. There is no way out of this mode unless you have a flasher to flash it with the orginal file to reload it.

Randall Williams
Williamsrt, thanks for the reply. I want to make sure that I understand you correctly. You said that I will have to take the car into the dealership for a reflash right? Can I take the PCM itself to the dealer for the reflash, rather than have the entire car towed there for the reflash? I do not have a predator or sct tuner at this time, but I will purchase one in the near future. Can I buy the tuner and do the reflash myself, or will the trip to the dealer be necessary first?
Thanks,
Manny

[Screaming04]

Williamsrt, thanks for the reply. I want to make sure that I understand you correctly. You said that I will have to take the car into the dealership for a reflash right? Can I take the PCM itself to the dealer for the reflash, rather than have the entire car towed there for the reflash? I do not have a predator or sct tuner at this time, but I will purchase one in the near future. Can I buy the tuner and do the reflash myself, or will the trip to the dealer be necessary first?
Thanks,
Manny

You need to take the whole car. The preditor requires the "stock tune" to be there when you use it for the first time. Sounds like you've erased your ecm somehow. In "Failsafe" mode the car will still run but the check engine light will be on, and the car won't perform quite as well as it normally would.

Adrian

[Numach14me]

How did you manage to do this? Just want to know so I never do the same thing.

[williamsrt]

You need to take the whole car. The preditor requires the "stock tune" to be there when you use it for the first time. Sounds like you've erased your ecm somehow. In "Failsafe" mode the car will still run but the check engine light will be on, and the car won't perform quite as well as it normally would.

Adrian


Hello,

The car will not run. You can turn it over all day but without the fuel and air timings it will not start. I have tried this many times. Yes you will have to take the car in. Just tell them that it worked then it didn't no way to varify what the problem was but it does sound the PCM was erased. It should be covered.

Randall Williams

[manny]

Hello,

The car will not run. You can turn it over all day but without the fuel and air timings it will not start. I have tried this many times. Yes you will have to take the car in. Just tell them that it worked then it didn't no way to varify what the problem was but it does sound the PCM was erased. It should be covered.

Randall Williams
I'm afraid that it won't be covered by the warranty, as I have modified the stock wiring harness to install my nitrous kit. The technicians will take one look under my hood and see the NOS components, and say "AWWWW...I'm gonna tell daddy!" That is why I was wondering if I could take the computer in itself, and have it reflashed, and to also avoid a tow bill. If that was an option, I would have even considered going with a flip chip for N/A, and Nitrous. My brother sent his PCM to Paul's HP a few years ago and had it calibrated for 3:73 gears, and a performance tune, but that was on a 99 mustang gt.

[shake this]

Time to bring this post back from the dead as I have also fallen victim to the dreaded dashed odometer reading and no way to get my car to start. I was installing my new tune and because I’ve changed and reinstalled tunes a few times I was not watching the prompt on the screen. I hit the continue button before turning the key off and now I’m locked out.

I tried disconnecting the battery and installing the factory tune from the predator but it won’t work. Short of having it towed to the dealer for a computer flash, does anyone have a fix that I could do?

[shake this]

anyone?

[Screaming04]

Time to bring this post back from the dead as I have also fallen victim to the dreaded dashed odometer reading and no way to get my car to start. I was installing my new tune and because I’ve changed and reinstalled tunes a few times I was not watching the prompt on the screen. I hit the continue button before turning the key off and now I’m locked out.

I tried disconnecting the battery and installing the factory tune from the predator but it won’t work. Short of having it towed to the dealer for a computer flash, does anyone have a fix that I could do?

Nope, that's about it.... you might try contacting Diablo but, other than that...it's time to see the dealer. The last guy that had this happen fried his ECU and needed a new one (he had shorted a wire on a nitrous install)

Adrian

[FordMan]

Did you try asking Dave about it. I am sure he knows Predators as well as anyone and may know of a way to get the stock tune to download.

[H-TownMachI]

You should still have the stock tune in the Predator. I would also say contact Diablosport.

[shake this]

I will contact Dave and Diablo this morning and yes I still have the stock tune but when I go to install it the predator will not reconise my car

[shake this]

Sent an email to Dave this morning and he responded fast (what a great guy). Anyway, I'm calling Diablo to get the code to force the stock tune back in and I hope this will work. I'll post the conclusion later. Man I feel like such a dumba$$ as I've loaded about 6 different tunes and played with all of them once or twice and have never done something like this. Moral of the story, read the screan before pushing buttons and take your time.

[shake this]

After 30+ minutes on hold for Tech support, I'm back on the road again. The Diablo tech had to force the factory tune back to the computer. Why could I not do it you might ask? For some reason you must have a password to get into the force option for the factory tune. Why, I don't know but it was better then paying a tow bill and shop rate to get the computer flashed again. Thanks to Dave at Injected racing for his help and fast response.

[FordMan]

I have seen the force factory tune option on the screen but never had the reason to find out about it. Glad it worked (are you running the stock tune now or the custom tune?)

[shake this]

(are you running the stock tune now or the custom tune?)Had to put the stock tune in and go thru saving the stock tune as if it was the first time again. Once I finished I was able to put the custome tune back in and now all is good. Man I was worried and could not sleep at all last night. Thought I was going to end up take my blanket and pillow sleep in the Mach so I would know it was ok. LOL

[FordMan]

I have to do that whenever I load an updated custom tune. Restore the stock tune first to the car, erase the existing custom tune from the Predator and download the updated custom tune to the Predator, then download the updated custom tune to the car after saving the stock tune to the Predator again. Never been able to shortcut around that.

[shake this]

I have to do that whenever I load an updated custom tuneThis is strange FORMAN as I have always been able to add a new tune over the last custom tune. Maybe it has something to do with wearing your shirt over your head. LOL just joking.

[FordMan]

Yeah....heh-heh-heh...that's it......heh-heh-heh