just changed my 05 ba xt cluster to a fpv one from a gt-p. i now have a permanent traction control light showing. have heard that ford can re-program the cluster to my cars specs, but that it has to have less than 100km's on it. is this correct? if so is there another way around this?

you can reprogram the cluster at any time, you just cant reset the odometre on the new cluster to match yours if it has more than 100km on it. things like TCS can still be enabled/disabled.

cheers mate, thats cool the cluster is only about 10 thou behind the original anyway. so it looks like a trip to fraud is on the cards, any idea on how much it'll cost?

50 bucks

Spend the $50 on an ELM327 USB Scantool from eBay and I'll tell you how to turn it off for yourself. The 1.2a version + FTDI chipset is the way to go.

You do need a PC to do this though - say a notebook, or a computer not far from the car using one or more 5M USB repeater cables (not just simple USB extension cables I'm afraid.)

With an ELM you can also turn on or off Police Mode and Shift Alert and do a bunch of other stuff.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Elm327-USB-CAN-B ... dZViewItem


Lukeyson

Last edited by Lukeyson on Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Well, in the Ford Service world that's true, but in the open-a-cluster-up-and-reprogram-the-eeprom world that's not quite right.

It is possible to completely reset the clusters to zero, and then set the cluster to any value you want with an OBD2 tool like an ELM.

However, you will not learn this power from a Jedi.....



Lukeyson

ok sounds like it could be interesting, can i do the same thing if i take the cluster out and use that doodah you told me about on my home pc? or does it have to be connected to the car?

The ELM327 is an OBD2 tool, so it plugs to the 16pin DLC socket in your fuse box - so the cluster should be in your car. Anything done with the ELM only requires the ignition to be on and a good charge on your battery. This is the port that the CAPA and Herrod guys use to reflash your PCM with a custom tune, and the Ford Diagnostic Tool uses to do it's thing.

It is possible to take the IC out - but you need to provide it power and connect the right pins to the ELM tool, and in the process the IC will start complaining about Open Circuit Fuel Sender circuits, or open circuit indiciators - and these would need to be cleared when it's next in the car.

I am assuming you're not talking about the bit where I said to 'take the cluster out and reset the ODO'. In case you did....

There are many things you can reprogram on the IC with the ELM - and the DSC/TCM light, Police Mode, Shift Alert, Body/Fuel Type - are some of them. The ODO can be changed if the IC has done less than 100km, and can only be changed up to 3 times - this is so a Dealer can replace an IC and set the ODO to the value of the old IC.

To change other things like the speedo calibration or axle ratio when you put on bigger wheels, however, requires reprogramming the PCM. The ELM could do this with the right software application and a bit of extra hardware, but at the moment it can't.

Now, to reset the ODO to 0, or to clear the 'reset counter' to 0, requires the cluster to be removed, the eeprom to be desoldered, reprogrammed, and resoldered. To set it to a specific non-zero value, the easiest thing is to then put it back in and change it with the ELM again. We're trying to do an 'in circuit' eeprom tool to skip the desolder/resolder bit, but at the moment that has been unsuccessful. So the only solution is to get that iron out.

The eeprom is also responsible for things like the stepper motor scaling (Speedo/Tacho), and for determining the cluster type - There are about 20 different cluster part numbers.

So in summary, with an ELM, we can step you through fixing your original light problem, (with the cluster in the car) or activate certain features. But for now if you want an ODO reset can I suggest contacting auMatt. He may be able to do it for a fee.


Lukeyson

Last edited by Lukeyson on Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I have done this already.
Not as easy as everyne says it is.
There are restrictions on the FPV dash which cannot be turned off when used in a XT.
I ended up blanking the remaining warning lights out as the features were not in the XT anyway.

That's because everyone else is saying to do it at a Ford Dealer. Ford delears don't have access to the FPV bits when the tools sees an XT PCM - especially if it's a BF cluster and a BA PCM. They just can't do some of this stuff.

I'd still be interested to see if we could crack your 'light stuck on' nut with an ELM327 tool.


Lukeyson

Ford had no chance - VDO instruments ended up doing the programming on the FPV cluster as it is hard coded which Ford dealers cannot do.
The clusters itself is programmed - not the vehicle - I stood and watched them do it (3 hours) to try to get everything working as it should and in the end I had to blank out 3 lights.

Yes, you are exactly right, the changes are made on the cluster.

During the initial connection process the Ford IDS tool queries all possible addresses on the CAN and ISO buses to see what modules are installed, but it specifically uses the PCM ID to determine what type of car you have, and builds it's list of supported configuration options from that. I've got the IDS software at home working on a Drewtech Mongoose J2534 tool. (IDS 52, they are up to 54 now)

I've seen some 3rd party tools that can do stuff on BA or BF Falcons. Snapon and Carman spring to mind. And those tools seem to copy the IDS/VCM operation, and as far as I recall, can't do all of the specific bitwise-operations that we're talking about either.

We can address the IC specifically with the ELM. We can tell you the 2 x Byte Offsets that list 8 specific bitwise values that can be changed. And we can tell you how to change individual bits to toggle these settings. The list includes (not in order):
(1) The TCM light
(2) The DSC light
(3) Seatbelt reminder
(4) Police Mode
(5) Hill Descent Light
(6) Shift Alert
(7) ABS via CAN/Hardwired
(8) Brakefail via CAN/Hardwired

Between BA and BF, (1), (2), (7), and (8) all need to be set right, not just (1) and (2) which the std Tools tend to change.

So I still reckon I'm up for the challenge of getting these lights working right on your cluster with an ELM tool.....


Lukeyson

Last edited by Lukeyson on Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:18 am, edited 2 times in total.

With Lukeyson's help I've changed various settings on my FPV cluster, namely turning on

4. Police mode
6. Shirt alert

What is the shift alert function?

Vroom Vroom Vroom - Bing Bing Bing - Snickety Snick.

Vroom Vroom Vroom - Bing Bing Bing - Snickety Snick.

Only in FPV clusters I'm afraid. We've tried it on XT, BA XR, BF XR, SX Ghia and a few other clusters. It can be enabled as you please in any cluster, but the programming of the onboard 1608 CPU is what does the bing bing bing, and the FPV programming is a bit different to all the others.

Believe me, we've (ie auMatt and myself) tried heaps! Matt's even tried loading a whole FPV map into another Cluster eeprom. He can convert a low series to a high series (it just needs a high series LCD to complete the job) cluster - but not to an FPV Cluster. Yet.


Lukeyson

Last edited by Lukeyson on Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.