Dsc Issues On My 06 Bf Xr6T - Steering Column Misaligned

[Ale]

Yes that is a vcm module that you need for the ids software to cominicate with a vehicle but you are limited to whatever version it is and whatever cars that version supports, if you try and update the software via ford (only way) they will see the fake license and from what iv been told they let the software "upgrade" and when you next plug the vcm in to a vehicle the new software fataly corrupts the vcm firmware and removes ids software from the computer....

Ok, thanx for clearing it up, so I need a high end machine with genuine Ford software,So it means Ford arnt the only people that have the hardware, but are the ones that have the software and "knowledge" to fix the issue, but don't know how to???

I said the above to the service manager, and he was quick to say "no, you can go somewhere else like ABS who can calibrate the car" , when I asked the tech , in front of the manager if it was true, he said, kinda off, but if any modules are actually swapped over, Ford still has to log on and put in the codes to make them all "talk" again.

Bionic, this ABS module thingy you speak off, is it this thing with all the brake lines goin to it behind the ECU?

having different size wheels may be causing a long term issue, it may not, but it possibly may be, the ecu may see the difference in wheel speed as a problem and after a while triggers the code, by having stock size wheels on it will eliminate one possible cause and 1 possible excuse for them not to track down the problem

Ok, but why is the error a steering sensor calibration? I could understand if it was the DSC tripping out randomly or the errors being wheel speed or even ABS specific, but it isnt. Again, it did it 3 times with the stockies, Even the tech today said it out loud today, "weve already eliminated the wheels" I understand that someitmes things arnt what they seem when it comes to electronics, but I cant deny the facts and backtrack at this stage.

Anyway, not surprisingly, the service manager never rang me back with a quote to run thru the full diagnostics, top service

Edited 31/07/12 08:34 AM by Ale

[bionicxr6t05]

Yep that's the abs module, if you understand how a tonewheel and wheelspeed sensor work, the wheels front and rear have different rolling diameters this causes a slightly higher rotation speed at the rear as opposed to the front and when cornering CAN trigger a steering angle sensor fault, just to be safe I would run around on stock rims for a month or two and see if the fault reoccurs, just to eliminate that posibility otherwise you could be chasin fairys for the rest of your life which dealer are you going to

Edited 31/07/12 08:40 AM by bionicxr6t05

[Ale]

Yep that's the abs module, if you understand how a tonewheel and wheelspeed sensor work, the wheels front and rear have different rolling diameters this causes a slightly higher rotation speed at the rear as opposed to the front and when cornering CAN trigger a steering angle sensor fault, just to be safe I would run around on stock rims for a month or two and see if the fault reoccurs, just to eliminate that posibility otherwise you could be chasin fairys for the rest of your life which dealer are you going to

so changing one is a matter of unbolting it all, bolting the new one in, bleeding all the brakes as you would normally ( or is there a special procedure?) then driving it( or towing?) it to Ford for a electronic hook up? Dealer of the top of his head blurted out that such an exercise would run over 3k!!!.

Ive been to 2 dealers, Id prefer to leave which ones to PM's if you really want to know who.

The first 4 times where with one dealer, who made me do wheel alignments, bushes, wheel size calibrations, then dealer number 2 did the free calibration after underquoting/fking ( I initially asked for a quote from number 1 but was ignored) up the sensor swap, then replacing it anyway.

today I called in on the original, (who incidentally was quiet happy to hear Id been elsewhere), then after getting nothing back from him this arvo, I rang dealer number 2 , I was on hold for 15 mins, then cut off once whilst on hold, so I rung back and I'm now going to see them in the morn to see what he says. Maybe he will be a bit better about it.

Im aware that the wheel sensors would be reading different from front to back, but again, it would be instant!! The tech told me that the system is "live" with the yaw sensor for example working at some crazy regularity.

Il will ask dealer 2 about the wheels again 2morro, but Im super reluctant to give them an inch.

Ratter: I realise you said SCT/VCM cant help, so it wont recalibrate or talk to the DSC system, but can it disable the whole system as a blanket setting without having the dash light on? I understand Id loose traction control, but what about the ABS?

[bionicxr6t05]

you need to bleed the abs using ids unfortunately,also the fault may not come up instantly, may take some time and the right circumstances

[ratter]

no, the tuning software will not disable it.

The wheel size difference maybe borderline to triggering a fault and may take some time to set it because it is so fine.

[Ale]

you need to bleed the abs using ids unfortunately,also the fault may not come up instantly, may take some time and the right circumstances

fck me, the whole scenario is like being bent over a barrel and violated........

may take some time and the right circumstances: yep, time is every 6 weeks, no matter what, the circumstances are the same.

Today whilst looking over the techs shoulder it was 18 degrees out to the right, wish theyd taken note of it the previous 5/6 times.. But I agree, it slowly gets out of calibration.....................

Ratter: cheers for the tuning aspect and clearing that up.

Wish me luck in the morn guys, many thanx

Edited 31/07/12 10:31 AM by Ale

[SuckSqueezeBangBlow]

Take the massif wheels off and try a third dealer?

Edited 31/07/12 08:47 PM by SuckSqueezeBangBlow

[Ale]

Dealer number 2: shop foreman had a tech recalibrate the sensor and mark the tone wheel in relation to the column and sent me on my way for free. Why this has hadn’t been done yet by dealer 1 is beyond me, quite a simple way of eliminating a mechanical fault and he said he’d rather explore a steering column change , as he has had to swap one over before cos the tone wheel kept slipping.

I asked him about the wheels and without prompting him, he was quite sure that errors due to wheels sizes trip the DSC or ABS itself, not bring up a steering angle calibration errors. He said putting the standard wheels back on would be a step backwards at this stage.

So I now have a 6 week wait until I know more, torn actually, on one hand it’s nice to have someone on a different train of thought questioning ones thinking, often problems are solved this way, but its also comforting to think someone else is thinking the same as me and Im not crazy!!

[Ale]

Just got a call back from Ford dealer number 1, ( the ones that hadn’t got back to me with a quote to test) apologized for not getting back to me etc. I let him talk and he said that he’d rang the Ford technical department, and there isn’t much testing they can do on the sensor in the way of trouble shooting it. Then proceeded to tell me that there have been cases where the tone wheel moves on the column. He then suggested they mark the tone wheel that the sensor runs on in relation to the steering column, re calibrate it and see where the marks are when the error pops up again....At the end of the spill I told him I had dealer 2 say and do that exact same thing yesterday!! He did say that a replacement steering column was a $1400 fix if it turns out to be faulty

I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but I now have the 2 dealers thinking it’s the same thing, hope its true cos else we are back to the drawing board.

Edited 01/08/12 11:45 PM by Ale

[Ale]

Thought I should update, sure enough 2 weeks ago the light came back on, around 1000km since last calibrated and 6-7 weeks. Got underneath it, sure enough, the marks are now out, the tone wheel is moving on the steering column, until its 15degrees out, throws error!!!!

Service manager I've been dealing with at "dealer 2" has been on leave, till 2morro. Will be ringing him to see what is the next step, dealer one quoted $1400 for a new column, before paying that I will rip it out and see if there is a wog fix hahahaha