1998 Ranger PWM/FEPS ecu tuning

[55trucker]

My 1st post....

Not being aware that these older pwm/feps based pcm's were very restrictive in their ability to retune..what do I need to interface with the pcm to do simple tuning?
Forscan can do basic monitoring of the pcm's readouts but cannot retune anything as Forscan will not communicate with pwm or feps to retune.

I came across Michael Decipha Ponthieux webpage on *how to get started* ...I take it that a J3 cable & a J2534 interface is needed to communicate with this old pcm. Will TunerPro get me to where I want to get to?

All I want to do is alter the engine idle rpm profile & alter the trans upshift/downshift parameters to remove (what I regards as) an error in the sequence that the pcm commands the trans upshifts & then downshifts.

thx in advance

http://www.efidynotuning.com/started.htm

[decipha]

I never knew any eec's were restrictive to tune.

What is that makes them restrictive?

Youll want a moates QH but unless your a premium member you wont be able to get a def file made.

What is your ecu catch code?

if its just idle rpm and shift functions that would take all of 2 seconds to make a def file for.

[55trucker]

Hi there:

the catch code is JTC1

it is listed in this pic from coretuning.net

What makes them awkward to retune?...I'm assuming it's because Forscan altho it can communicate by a J2534 adapter cannot program to this pcm which is PWM/FEPS because a J3 cable is needed?. my Forscan program & the Vgate adapter are FTDI based. At every attempt to run a *service* there is an interruption in the process due to the inability of the of the Forscan program & the pcm to communicate.

[wwhite]

It’s probably the vgate adapter. I got fed up with lower cost adapters and bought the most expensive OBDLink MX+ because of multiple issues like you are.

Mx+ does everything the Ex model does

[55trucker]

The Vgate is limited to FTDI, its drivers are all FTDI, it is J2534 pass-thru capable, but not J3 capable. where the *control/programming* side is concerned the pcm doesn't recognize any scanner program that is interfaced by an FTDI adapter. I CAN monitor but not program.

I take it that the OBDLINK EX is the hardwired version.

[55trucker]

This essentially is my truck & its pcm

the *FEPS* requires a signal on pin 13, the adapter has to be J1850, Forscan is 2534 capable but not J1850
as far as I can decipher pin 13 on my FTDI based adapter is dead

*The Old Days

Ford’s first original-equipment tool was the New Generation Star (NGS). This tool started as an OBD-I tool and advanced to OBD-II. The giant capital-T-shaped tool is unmistakable. It used the same PCMIA cards (software memory cards) as the Tech2. Many seasoned locksmiths got one of these, because it was the only machine for a long time to perform passive anti-theft systems (PATS) functions. It was slow and had a small screen.

The tool worked well on the Standard Corporate Protocol (SCP) network. This network is known as J1850PWM in the SAE world. SCP used pins 2 and 10. This network was well-designed and ahead of anything else at the time. It was a two-wire network that allowed serial communication to the modules. It worked a lot like CAN. If one leg of the network were broken, the network would continue to communicate. However, the data rate was just 41.6 kilobits per second (kbps). To put the system’s slowness in perspective, dial-up internet speed was 56 kbps.

Naturally, programming pre-CAN Ford keys or modules was hampered by computer and internet speed. Ford made the switch to CAN from 2003 to 2007. The reason so many newer programming tools struggle with this system is because they’re too fast for the Pre-CAN system to handle.

The only odd part about the SCP network setup is the Flash EEPROM Programming Signal (FEPS), which is pin 13 on the OBD-II port. It’s nothing more than an 18-volt signal to the powertrain control module (PCM) to allow the module to accept the new programming. The FEPS circuit continued to be the Ford PCM programming system for years after. Even as Ford advanced through various CAN styles, FEPS remained. So, if you get a FEPS error when trying to program a PCM, it often is an error between the J2534 tool on pin 13 and the PCM.

Starting in 1996, Ford tried to move from the NGS to the World Diagnostic Solution (WDS). This was a tablet-based tool running Windows. It was big and bulky and not well-received, so it was more or less shoved aside and the NGS retained. However, a problem arose in 2003 when CAN came around, because NGS never was able to handle CAN. To account for that, the Vehicle Communication Module tool (VCM I) was created with a cradle to help with CAN on the NGS.

Brings me back to my original question.....what do I need where tuning this pcm is concerned?

[wwhite]

Quarterhorse, already answered by decipha in the second post.

[BOOSTEDEVERYTHING]

All older Ford PCMs use the FEPS programming voltage. There were several PCMs put in some of the older rangers that were not "obd" programmable and they were replaced with a different PCM if the dealer needed to update the programing for some reason. The ones that did not get replaced are still out there and can not be programmed through the DLC connector and need to have a chip or quarterhorse installed in them to change tuning parameters. I replaced several of the older PCMs in the rangers for software updates due to spark knock. The new PCM that was installed was able to be programmed through the DLC.

[55trucker]

^ Ahhhh.....there we go, that's the boat I'm in, the trucks pcm is the original item. The newer replacements you handled were they J2534 or FTDI based?

Given the current pcm as it presents itself...can it be programmed if one makes use of a J1850 adapter to *engage* pin 13 to send the 18v to begin the reprogram process?
If one is capable of doing this function what laptop based tuning program is needed to perform this function?

Quarterhorse went defunct 2 years ago? any of the items for sale are ridiculously expensive & other software items are also needed to do the programming process?

[BOOSTEDEVERYTHING]

Decipha has a bunch of quarterhorse's (?) in stock and is selling them at the price they used to be sold for. The pcm in some of the old rangers were not programmable in any way available to the public at all and required replacement. A normal mongoose able or similar would be able to program the pcm if it is a programmable pcm. If it is not, it will require a chip or quarterhorse be used or will need to be replaced with programmable pcm. I can not remember seeing any visual difference in them at all, and I do not remember part numbers or anything like that. All I can remember is that when we attempted an update they would not update and there was a service message of some sort to replace pcm with latest available part number pcm and reprogram it with the latest level software available. That was years ago so I am not even sure you'll be able to find the service message anywhere. A chip or quarterhorse and tunerpro would be the cheapest way to go in my opinion, but you know what they say about opinions. You can attempt to get a better cable and try to reprogram it but the best way to go on older vehicles that have the J3 port is to utilize the port with a quaterhorse and tune away, then flash the tune to a chip and install the chip and enjoy.