ECU module programming guide using FDRS

[astrand1]

The sage continues to weekend #2. I got an new cable, returned the old, and watta you know, the new one works on the same laptop I was trying from before. Faulty cable I guess. Had all the proper branding and everything so I can't say it was fraud.

Now to today. I activate the cable, sign into FDRS and start the process. In the meantime I hookup my NOCO Genius10 (because that's what got the most recommendations) to the charge terminals and get started.

Clear some DTCs and the update process starts smoothly. Except for one hiccup. I see the LVB voltage dropping lower than expected. From 12.5 at the start, to 11, then to 10V during a few module updates.

I check the NOCO connections. Its on, set to charge an AGM battery, so all should be well right?

No, not right.

MY LVB dropped low enough to fail the update process, and now it's too low to even close in the HVB when I try to start the truck. F*cking great. I'm beting the LVB was handicapped prior to the process.

So now I sit here, petting the dog, drinking a brew, praying that stupid NOCO can revive the 12V high enough where I can start the truck and go buy a new LVB. I'm sure it's probably cooked.

I don’t know what the amp rating of the charger you got but you need at least 50amps going in. When updates are happening for whatever reason all the coolant pumps run among whatever else so a lot of amperage is needed to keep voltage up. I went and bought an old school charger that is manual and not digital so I am able to control what’s going in and I keep an eye on the voltage in fdrs.

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[Howard_Scott_Warshaw]

I don’t know what the amp rating of the charger you got but you need at least 50amps going in. When updates are happening for whatever reason all the coolant pumps run among whatever else so a lot of amperage is needed to keep voltage up. I went and bought an old school charger that is manual and not digital so I am able to control what’s going in and I keep an eye on the voltage in fdrs.

Would be great if the tutorials, or anything, were update to reflect that. All Youtube videos and tutorials I've seen shows the 10A NOCO is acceptable/recommended.

I didn't find anything in my searches that suggested an old school dumb charger would be required.

 

[astrand1]

Would be great if the tutorials, or anything, were update to reflect that. All Youtube videos and tutorials I've seen shows the 10A NOCO is acceptable/recommended.

I didn't find anything in my searches that suggested an old school dumb charger would be required.

I agree. On the ice trucks a 10-20amp is more than adequate but yeah on ours it’s way higher. Why ford has all the pumps and whatever else is on who knows. If it was t for all that crap running it would not be such a draw.

 

[Howard_Scott_Warshaw]

I agree. On the ice trucks a 10-20amp is more than adequate but yeah on ours it’s way higher. Why ford has all the pumps and whatever else is on who knows. If it was t for all that crap running it would not be such a draw.

Welp, here i sit. praying my nuked 12V will accept a charge and looking for replacement batteries in my area. might have to jump the truck with my John Deere tractor. Boy wouldn't that be a site

 

[21st Century Truck]

... Why ford has all the pumps and whatever else is on who knows. If it was t for all that crap running it would not be such a draw.

It's because Ford makes the (EV) car assume that all the cooling systems are failing because the connections inside the car get interrupted during some of the update processes so this is a safety feature.

 

[PJnc284]

Noco may be good for trickle charging the 12v but you need some serious power for these updates. Clore pl6100, powermax pmbc-75 ( or 100 amp) or Schumacher inc100. Dont bother with anything else.

 

[Howard_Scott_Warshaw]

Noco may be good for trickle charging the 12v but you need some serious power for these updates. Clore pl6100, powermax pmbc-75 ( or 100 amp) or Schumacher inc1000. Dont bother with anything else.

Again, Would be real nice if the OP or someone, anyone, would update the tutorial. following all the steps just to grenade you battery in the driveway would be a great thing to avoid.

Legit surprised that nobody has referenced this fact and the thousand plus pages that I've read on this form and others.

 

[PJnc284]

Don't disagree with you there. Think this thread mostly is a carry over from the ice f150. The clore pl2320 is recommended in the op but that's only 20 amps and not going to cut it when the updates are pulling 50-60 amps for 2hrs+ sometimes. The put a much smaller 12v in the Lightning so that's part of the problem also. As far as the noco, it's a battery charger and you need something that functions as a power supply and pushes 75 amps+. I was on the fence for a while and read this thread along with Lightning Software Updates using FDRS | Ford Lightning Forum For F-150 Lightning EV Pickup: News, Owners, Discussions, Community front to back and even part of the threads on the mach e forums. Not sure if @Mike G can update the first post in his thread but would be good for a lightning specific one sticked with all the little nuances and gotchas.

 

[GDN]

Don't disagree with you there. Think this thread mostly is a carry over from the ice f150. The clore pl2320 is recommended in the op but that's only 20 amps and not going to cut it when the updates are pulling 50-60 amps for 2hrs+ sometimes. The put a much smaller 12v in the Lightning so that's part of the problem also. As far as the noco, it's a battery charger and you need something that functions as a power supply and pushes 75 amps+. I was on the fence for a while and read this thread along with Lightning Software Updates using FDRS | Ford Lightning Forum For F-150 Lightning EV Pickup: News, Owners, Discussions, Community front to back and even part of the threads on the mach e forums. Not sure if @Mike G can update the first post in his thread but would be good for a lightning specific one sticked with all the little nuances and gotchas.

You are correct - there are quite a few threads that are hold over from the ICE.

Many don't know that haven't been here from the beginning, but this forum was split from f150gen14.com. All old threads and users came with it. I asked the powers that be at the time to delete the ICE stuff, but it didn't happen. In some cases it was relevant and I get that, in the case of this thread, there could be some updating.

Much like the Forscan thread that was split into a part 2 - we now have an active member monitoring that thread and updating the first post to be relevant. This thread could use a similar activity.

 

[Howard_Scott_Warshaw]

Don't disagree with you there. Think this thread mostly is a carry over from the ice f150. The clore pl2320 is recommended in the op but that's only 20 amps and not going to cut it when the updates are pulling 50-60 amps for 2hrs+ sometimes. The put a much smaller 12v in the Lightning so that's part of the problem also. As far as the noco, it's a battery charger and you need something that functions as a power supply and pushes 75 amps+. I was on the fence for a while and read this thread along with Lightning Software Updates using FDRS | Ford Lightning Forum For F-150 Lightning EV Pickup: News, Owners, Discussions, Community front to back and even part of the threads on the mach e forums. Not sure if @Mike G can update the first post in his thread but would be good for a lightning specific one sticked with all the little nuances and gotchas.

Thanks for your insight.

I have a hard time believing that I'm the first to have this issue. Which is even more surprising that we're up to nearly 300 pages on this thread and seemingly no one has brought this up.

I'd continue on this diatribe, but I'm tired. I drove two hours round trip to find a replacement battery. Yes, I jumped my $80K truck with my $2k garden tractor.

 

[PJnc284]

Thanks for your insight.

I have a hard time believing that I'm the first to have this issue. Which is even more surprising that we're up to nearly 300 pages on this thread and seemingly no one has brought this up.

I'd continue on this diatribe, but I'm tired. I drove two hours round trip to find a replacement battery. Yes, I jumped my $80K truck with my $2k garden tractor.

You're not the only one. Recall seeing a handful in this thread that had the voltage get too low and the update crap out (some using the 2320 linked in the OP). I had ordered two since there were reports of people having success with piggy backing them but got cold feet and sent them back. Ordered the powermax 75 for a few hundred dollars which worked flawlessly over 6 hrs of updates last fall.

 

[mr.Magoo]

Which is even more surprising that we're up to nearly 300 pages on this thread and seemingly no one has brought this up.

It's been discussed numerous times...

For example:
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...software-updates-using-fdrs.11029/post-397420

 

[bmwhitetx]

I’ve read all the FDRS /ECU threads on here and my take-away is completely opposite. To me it was clear that anything less than 50A could be trouble. 75A if you’re doing the IPMA. So that’s what I got.

I’ve never seen the Noco recommended for the Lightning for FDRS, maybe for trickle charging.

I did my first FDRS session a few weeks ago. My Lightning routinely pulled 75 amps. My son’s MachE pulled 28-38 A.

 

[ChrisCon]

Thanks for your insight.

I have a hard time believing that I'm the first to have this issue. Which is even more surprising that we're up to nearly 300 pages on this thread and seemingly no one has brought this up.

I'd continue on this diatribe, but I'm tired. I drove two hours round trip to find a replacement battery. Yes, I jumped my $80K truck with my $2k garden tractor.

I have that 10 amp charger - I run two of them at the same time in power supply mode and I can get through most updates . Also , I bet your battery is fine , I've run mine down to nothing where the truck starts making crazy noises and it's always ended up fine.

Why do I have 2 ? Because everything that happened to you , happened to me.

 

[Mike G]

Again, Would be real nice if the OP or someone, anyone, would update the tutorial. following all the steps just to grenade you battery in the driveway would be a great thing to avoid.

Legit surprised that nobody has referenced this fact and the thousand plus pages that I've read on this form and others.

The OP doesn't come here anymore and the original post can't be edited by anyone else.

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