PCM Reflash at Dealer headache

Short version: bought another mustang, had some power mods, NO handheld. Was flashed with an SCT I was told. No where to be had. I have since removed every power mod, back to bone stock (CAI, TB, exhaust, etc). Car now has a check engine for too rich (makes sense I restricted its airflow).

I want it stock stock stock and knew the dealer could flash the PCM overwritting the SCT tune (evo), assuming they had the VIN and strategy code (and 2 keys)

well I called the dealer I’ve taken my other cars to, and the poor lady running the service department was very confused. Kept thinking I wanted a tune-UP not a factory tune. After three calls and a visit down there they informed me “it is very difficult to do and is about 7-8 hours of labor, about $800”

100% bullshit

does anyone have any experience getting a Ford dealer to flash a mustang to stock tune file??? This can’t be hard.
Not planning to do ANY mods, so buying a new X4 isn’t really an option and I still don’t have the factory tune.

thanks for any help / insight. Perhaps someone has a dealer they can recommend? Located in Atlanta GA area.

There's got to be a bunch of Ford dealers near you. Maybe just Google a list of local dealers and start calling one by one? Don't forget Lincoln dealers, they have the same access to Ford stuff.

Should cost 1 hr of labor.
IDS has to be manually overriden (IDS cannot ID the SCT tune, "unknown" vehicle) and this is a hidden process in IDS. Just a reflash DOES NOT ERASE PATS. Whoever said that does not know what they are talking about.
Option: Contact flagship one, PCM exchange, it will come programmed ready to plug in. And then you need 2 keys to program PATS, with Forscan.
What year is the mustang?

Juice said:

Should cost 1 hr of labor.
IDS has to be manually overriden (IDS cannot ID the SCT tune, "unknown" vehicle) and this is a hidden process in IDS. Just a reflash DOES NOT ERASE PATS. Whoever said that does not know what they are talking about.
Option: Contact flagship one, PCM exchange, it will come programmed ready to plug in. And then you need 2 keys to program PATS, with Forscan.
What year is the mustang?

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that’s what I figured. It’s a 2008

What needs to be done on the IDS is:
When it tells the tech to turn the key on, Don't, but click yes in IDS. The third time you do this, IDS prompts for manual entry. Put in VIN and Tear tag. Now when IDS says turn key on, turn it on. Next prompt will be "are you sure?". Click next, stock flash is loaded. Thats it in a nutshell.
I have an IDS clone, it will not work on 10&earlier. I have recovered the coyote pcm after bricking it with a bad flash. lol

Welp called 3 more dealers. 2 we’re just as confused or didn’t wanna try. The third said they risk bricking another module in the car or ruining this one “if the tune is too stuck in there”. Where do they get this bullshit? Anyways this dealer says they will “try” for $160 no guarantees. Am I asking for the impossible here?

Macman45 said:

Welp called 3 more dealers. 2 we’re just as confused or didn’t wanna try. The third said they risk bricking another module in the car or ruining this one “if the tune is too stuck in there”. Where do they get this bullshit? Anyways this dealer says they will “try” for $160 no guarantees. Am I asking for the impossible here?

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No. Stock flash wont brick it. Only if they try to flash it with incorrect info, thus the are you sure warning. And even if it did brick it, the correct info will unbrick it.
This cannot brick another module. IDS only flashes ONE module at a time.
They are telling you this to CYA, and to prepare you to buy a new pcm from them. You may be told you need a new pcm because it bricked, and the shop may not even have tried to flash it.

Macman45 said:

Welp called 3 more dealers. 2 we’re just as confused or didn’t wanna try. The third said they risk bricking another module in the car or ruining this one “if the tune is too stuck in there”. Where do they get this bullshit? Anyways this dealer says they will “try” for $160 no guarantees. Am I asking for the impossible here?

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The tune is too stuck in there? Good lord what nonsense.. I guess you could say you can’t pay if they can’t manage it because your money is just too stuck in your wallet.

Hope you get this figured out, seems like it should have been an easy chore.

Juice said:

No. Stock flash wont brick it. Only if they try to flash it with incorrect info, thus the are you sure warning. And even if it did brick it, the correct info will unbrick it.
This cannot brick another module. IDS only flashes ONE module at a time.
They are telling you this to CYA, and to prepare you to buy a new pcm from them. You may be told you need a new pcm because it bricked, and the shop may not even have tried to flash it.

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such Bs. So what are my options now? Risk taking it way up to them, pay $160 for them to cycle the key and charge me for a new PCM?

Simple. We do it all the time. 1 Hour labor for 179.95.

86GT351 said:

Simple. We do it all the time. 1 Hour labor for 179.95.

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Why are there so few dealers like yours? You guys seem to actually...you know.. get shit done without drama.

tjm73 said:

Why are there so few dealers like yours? You guys seem to actually...you know.. get shit done without drama.

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All of my Ford and GM dealer encounters have been bad, except one. Sewel GMC dealer in Dallas was amazing. I've actually had very good service from Dodge. Which still surprises me.

I wish we had more like 86GT. I might buy a new vehicle if I could trust the dealer.

I was tempted to drag my car to 86GT down in south Florida and have his dealer do both airbag recalls and my PCM reflash. Tempting

The local ford dealer in Naples is terrible. I’ve had nothing but issues with them for both my 07 and 17 gt. Just recently I went to change the oil and the drain bolt was rounded off. I took it to them in January to do it since they did it the time before that and it was rounded off then too. Funny thing is, it has a Ford esp so I took it in January to get a new drain bolt since they rounded it off in the first place. They apparently never did so I had to take it back so they could fix their mistake. I got a free oil change and plug this time but this will be the last. Now I go to the Lincoln dealer if I have to go to the dealer.

So don’t feel too bad lol.


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07gts197 said:

The local ford dealer in Naples is terrible. I’ve had nothing but issues with them for both my 07 and 17 gt. Just recently I went to change the oil and the drain bolt was rounded off. I took it to them in January to do it since they did it the time before that and it was rounded off then too. Funny thing is, it has a Ford esp so I took it in January to get a new drain bolt since they rounded it off in the first place. They apparently never did so I had to take it back so they could fix their mistake. I got a free oil change and plug this time but this will be the last. Now I go to the Lincoln dealer if I have to go to the dealer.

So don’t feel too bad lol.


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Maybe I'm weird but if a shop rounded off my oil drain plug, I'll be damned if I ever give them another chance to touch it. I'll go to Pep Boys and buy the $5 drain plug and replace it myself. Who has time to waste a half day arguing with idiots over $5?

When I had to get my airbag recall done, I made absolutely certain that the dealer does not flash my car under the "while it is here, and there is an update for it". I told the service writer, DO NOT CONNECT to my car with IDS. If the yahoo flashed my PCM, it would have been a no start/no crank condition.

skwerl said:

Maybe I'm weird but if a shop rounded off my oil drain plug, I'll be damned if I ever give them another chance to touch it. I'll go to Pep Boys and buy the $5 drain plug and replace it myself. Who has time to waste a half day arguing with idiots over $5?

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I thought about it but I decided to take it back to them so they could fix their fuck up. It’s not the money it was the principle of them fucking it up then not doing what they said they were going to do.


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86GT351 said:

Simple. We do it all the time. 1 Hour labor for 179.95.

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Which dealer are you at, for future reference?

tjm73 said:

Why are there so few dealers like yours? You guys seem to actually...you know.. get shit done without drama.

Click to expand...

We hear that all the time. We are here to help customers. Most of our Techs are 15 plus years with us and they care. Simple formula.

activeGT said:

Which dealer are you at, for future reference?

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I am at Pompano Ford in Pompano Beach Florida.