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Old 09-25-2021, 09:33 AM   #1
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FORScan and F-150 Modifications

While a search for FORScan yielded a few posts, I thought I would mention what FORScan is and what it can do for the many members who tow with an F-150. Sorry, but FORScan is not applicable to GM, Ram, Toyota, or Nissan, only Ford.
I think we all know that today’s vehicles are essentially computer controlled mechanical contraptions, far more complicated (electronically) than the vehicles manufactured in the previous century.

FORScan is an independently produced program, not affiliated with the Ford Motor Company that is free to download and install on any computer, although for reasons that will become obvious, the computer should be a laptop. With an interface cable that plugs into the OBDII port and the laptops USB port, FORScan can read error codes and clear them like the scan tools available online or at almost any auto parts store. But unlike scan tools, with FORScan the user can load the F-150 modules’ computer code, change it, and write the changes back to the module.

FORScan:

1. Doesn’t cost a penny and is easy to use;
2. Using it WILL NOT void the vehicle’s warranty;
3. Can bring out hidden or inactivated features, and;
4. Can eliminate annoyances.

For example, if you have the 8 inch instrument cluster, standard on Lariat models, a minor code change will display both the engine temperature and transmission temperature digitally over the “idiot” gauges the same way “Miles/Km to empty” is displayed over the fuel gauge. I have personally changed the code on my F-150 to require two pushes on the key fob button to activate the panic alarm. No more bending with the key in my pocket resulting in the repeated beeping of the horn annoying everyone in the neighborhood. I also turned of the annoying beep when the door is opened with the key in the ignition, as this really annoyed me when backing into campsites and I would get out to check the surroundings.

There are spreadsheets that detail the possible code changes that can be made. Not all changes apply to all trim packages. You cannot display the temperatures above the gauges as described above if you have the 4-1/2 inch gauge cluster standard on the XL or XLT model unless you can find a salvaged 8 inch cluster from a totaled vehicle. Still, there are many “improvements” any F-150 owner can make with FORScan.

On another note, if the Ford mileage calculation is off (they like to tell you that you are getting better mileage than if you make actual calculations at the pump), it is easy to alter the calculation by using the Engineerimg Test Mode. This does not involve using FORScan.
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Old 09-25-2021, 10:28 AM   #2
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For those of you with 2019+ Rangers, you can also use FORScan, although; I have not.
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Old 09-25-2021, 10:55 AM   #3
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I came to know and use FORScan extensively when I owned a 2014 Ford Escape, it is indeed a nifty tool IMO. The following offered to supplement the above post ....While use of FORScan won't in itself "void your warranty" (in the US the federal law known as the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act prohibits that, Canada has a similar consumer protection law) ...
  • IF as a consequence of using FORScan you manage to cause a problem that would otherwise be eligible for repair under warranty, Ford has the right to decline warranty coverage of that specific problem (but cannot decline warranty coverage for any problem that is not a consequence of using FORScan).
  • Ford may or may not exercise that 'limited right to decline coverage', that may depend in great part on how the servicing dealer presents the issue to Ford Corporate, but remember that ultimately warranty claim approval resides with Ford Corporate, not any dealer (it is Ford Corporate which reimburses dealers for warranty claims expenses, and that usually requires 'prior approval').
  • IME it's unlikely that one would create such a problem using FORScan judiciously, but it is possible (never happened to me). And yes, the diagnostic tools used by all Ford Dealers will readily reveal mods implemented using FORScan as being different from the programming 'intended' by Ford, those FORScan 'mods' cannot be 'hidden' as long as they are in place.
  • Using FORScan one can, and always should, save a copy of a module's baseline programming before implementing any changes with FORScan; if not happy with the modification results, 99.999% of the time one can use FORScan to restore a module to it's baseline condition (I was never not able to restore a module to baseline condition when using FORScan; more than once I 'backed-out' a FORScan mod; I 'restored' my Ford Escape to its completely OE condition before I sold it to CarMax lest a future owner be confused by behaviors not in accordance with the owner's manual).
One should also recognize and accept that if you make 'mods' with FORScan and then your vehicle is serviced by a dealer or subjected to a 'tech update' by Ford, you may 'lose' your prior FORScan-implemented 'mods' (and thus have to re-implement those 'mods' using FORScan). This because Dealer service or Ford updates may simply 'over-write' the module programming changes you've made using FORScan.

IME FORScan is a fun and 'safe' tool for those inclined to such mods and willing to take the time to learn how to use it as intended (attention to detail is critical). As suggested by C&G in FL, I used it to alter behavior of a number of convenience and functional features in ways that I found fun and useful, basically 'tailoring' my Ford to my tastes beyond what the OE options would support. Note that exactly what one can accomplish with FORScan is always a function of (Ford) vehicle-specific capabilities. Examples of what I was able to do on my 2014 Ford Escape:
  • Modifying behavior of lighting and keyfob control systems
  • Modifying the behavior of the audio system including facilitating installation of aftermarket audio enhancements
  • Enabled full OE in-dash navigation functionality on a vehicle not originally equipped with navigation from the factory
  • etc ...
Finally, as mentioned in the OP, even if one has no interest in modifications FORScan is an excellent diagnostic tool - much more capable and often presenting much more information detail than typical "OBD readers".

In summary, FWIW I agree with C&G in FL that FORScan is a really nifty tool for Ford owners. Certainly undertaking system modifications is not for everyone, but for those so inclined IMO / IME it is a robust, well-documented, and widely-supported tool presenting little risk for the studied user.

Have Fun!

(Some my note in my sig-block that I tow with a 2005 F150; that model year predates all of the technology that FORScan can modify, thus no reference to me undertaking such fun on that particular Ford vehicle; if I could, I surely would )
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Old 09-25-2021, 03:42 PM   #4
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I used it to add the oem trailer brake controller and was pleasantly surprised how straightforward it was.
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Old 09-25-2021, 05:31 PM   #5
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Hats off to you guys that can figure it out. I probably don't have the patience.

OTOH if I thought that it could eliminate picking up the stinger, when there's not trailer attached, and sounding the alarm that it's something I'm about to hit maybe I would try it out.

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Old 09-25-2021, 09:55 PM   #6
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I also have forescan to check the health of my 2004 f150. Not modified anything . Given the propensity for timing failures in this engine, especially if the old has not been maintained, its nice to have the diagnostics.
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