[jon_carleton]

I bought this 2012 Mk3 the beginning of summer '20. I knew about the TCM issue and the lawsuits but I'm not one to shy away from mechanical problems.
I started off with Forscan (which besides IDS is the best program) was able to accomplish flashing, programming and any other functions that come with that program. I piggybacked Focccus with Forscan.
I did however learn the hard way about interfaces. f*** did I learn and quickly.
What I know so far: ELM 327 works great for reading HS-can DTC's, ELM327 Ford modified (HS-can and MS-can switch) will do the trick if you have unlimited time. OBDLinkEX holy crap I was in heaven but it responded completely differently on each of my laptops and would get a little glitchy when new firmware is updated.
The absolute best that I have come across is the Shenzhen STIC Technology Co. LTD, SVCI J2534 with current IDS software. This device has %0 errors is 10x faster than OBDLinkEX and built in module updates plus it doubles as an ELM327 Interface.

 

[jon_carleton]

I will write more about my adventures, or mis-adventures with my Mk3 later.

Later,
One thing I know for sure is do not attempt to jump start any vehicle with your 2012 Ford Focus SEL. My roommate owned this car before me it was his daily driver when the transmission (DPS6) started the "Transmission Overheating" thing. I bought it from him knowing about that issue I needed a challenge. After researching and waiting for prices to come down I ordered a TCM. Easiest module to swap out by the way. Oh man my car was back to normal I had forgot about the power this little 2.0L puts out. A day and a half latter a friend of mine needed a jump start, being the great friend I am I went to his aid. Gas station parking lot. Tried jumping his vehicle with the extra heavy duty cables I have negative to the firewall post and positive to the terminal. His engine would crank but not fire up. Eventually I pulled my battery and installed it in his vehicle to no avail. Put it back in my car and went home without issue. Next morning went to meet the boss for breakfast and coming off the freeway she shuddered a little bit but I gave it no never-mind. After breakfast it took me 2 hours to get out of the parking lot and 2 miles down the road stuck at gas station for 2 hours side of the road 2 hours needless to say I was able to get the 8 miles to my friends house in under 8 hours. Had to leave her overnight.

Facts: 1) This vehicle has never leaked a spot of fluid transmission or otherwise
2) Every test on the Transmission and TCM pass.
3) Transmission Range Sensor was operating intermittently causing a no crank situation.
4) TCM was not communicating with other modules.
5) TCM was not communicating with scan tool
6) ABS, RCM, RFA, SASM, PSCM, IPC, DDM, PDM, PCM, BCM, PAM not communicating with scan tool.
7) Vehicle had died, RIP, could not get her to turn over for a month.

 

[14 Titanium]

Do you have IDS?

 

[jon_carleton]

Do you have IDS?

Yes I do

 

[14 Titanium]

Oh nice. I'm wondering if you can help me out with something. I have a 2016 Focus Titanium hatch....... well it was a 2014 3 years ago before i converted it to a 2016 and added every single option that came on this car here in the US and the UK. Well for the exception of the auto folding mirrors. That's coming later. But here is my dilemma. Ford has voided my car completely from all warranties because my car is considered modded. They will never touch my car if anything breaks on it. Now i can fix everything on the car that goes out for the exception of the transmission as i don't anything with them. Well i have a bad TCM and my car shifts very hard and sometimes wigs out. So i got another TCM and i need to PMI it because forscan and UCDS does not do that with new modules like IDS. So i have bought 3 IDS programs on ebay for a total of 66.00. :-( But it's not an easy install like installing any program for Windows. I'm not an IT computer guy so it's really hard for me to understand how to install this software. The bad thing is the first guy i bought the software from told me it would not need any serial number, but when i installed it, it asked me for a 20 digit number. When i asked him for the serial number, he told me my laptop is not compatible with the software and he issued me a refund. The second guy had me download the VCM installer or something like that and then the IDS software. Well the software came as a .rar file. I was able to use 7zip to extract the files, but once i got them extracted, there was no install or setup file at all. I tried to contact the seller but he ghosted me and will not return any of my emails. Now i bought the VCX Nano J2534 usb adapter from Amazon. I was told by a guy on YouTube that it will work with IDS. So anyways, i have a car that is sitting here waiting for me to program this TCM and I can't seem to get anyone that i buy this software from to help me get it installed and working. :-( I guess i have to talk to someone like you that knows this software to maybe help me get it installed on my computer. And again i would just take my car to Ford even if i had to pay for the programing but they wont do it for me if i pay them to install my module because they told me there is no way a used TCM can be installed in my car that they would have to install a new one only and that cost 1600.00 and i don't have that kind of money due to the pandemic. I can pay you some money if you can help me out with this. :-D Tnx

 

[jon_carleton]

Oh nice. I'm wondering if you can help me out with something. I have a 2016 Focus Titanium hatch....... well it was a 2014 3 years ago before i converted it to a 2016 and added every single option that came on this car here in the US and the UK. Well for the exception of the auto folding mirrors. That's coming later. But here is my dilemma. Ford has voided my car completely from all warranties because my car is considered modded. They will never touch my car if anything breaks on it. Now i can fix everything on the car that goes out for the exception of the transmission as i don't anything with them. Well i have a bad TCM and my car shifts very hard and sometimes wigs out. So i got another TCM and i need to PMI it because forscan and UCDS does not do that with new modules like IDS. So i have bought 3 IDS programs on ebay for a total of 66.00. :-( But it's not an easy install like installing any program for Windows. I'm not an IT computer guy so it's really hard for me to understand how to install this software. The bad thing is the first guy i bought the software from told me it would not need any serial number, but when i installed it, it asked me for a 20 digit number. When i asked him for the serial number, he told me my laptop is not compatible with the software and he issued me a refund. The second guy had me download the VCM installer or something like that and then the IDS software. Well the software came as a .rar file. I was able to use 7zip to extract the files, but once i got them extracted, there was no install or setup file at all. I tried to contact the seller but he ghosted me and will not return any of my emails. Now i bought the VCX Nano J2534 usb adapter from Amazon. I was told by a guy on YouTube that it will work with IDS. So anyways, i have a car that is sitting here waiting for me to program this TCM and I can't seem to get anyone that i buy this software from to help me get it installed and working. :-( I guess i have to talk to someone like you that knows this software to maybe help me get it installed on my computer. And again i would just take my car to Ford even if i had to pay for the programing but they wont do it for me if i pay them to install my module because they told me there is no way a used TCM can be installed in my car that they would have to install a new one only and that cost 1600.00 and i don't have that kind of money due to the pandemic. I can pay you some money if you can help me out with this. :-D Tnx

Have you installed the TCM and is it new, actually everything I have found and tried is that the modules have at least the date of manufacture software and/or firmware. I only had Forscan without programming so I just installed them the second one ran perfect until I did program it to my VIN and I started having the same fault conditions as the OEM. I did it with the BCM, PCM, TCM, and IPC all except the TCM were junkyard mods same year, make and model except IPC was from a newer van like thing and I installed it at a red light on the way home from the junk yard,,, It works perfectly.
I guess the moral is I will help in any way possible. Text me @ 253.304.7631

 

[14 Titanium]

Oh thank you so much for the offer to help me. I will hit you up if i need to after i get another module. The one i have in my car right now is from a 2017 Focus and my car is a 2016. Tom the guy that sells the tunes for our cars was telling me his brother is the Ford Engineer in Detroit that makes these TCM's and he was told by him that the 2017-2018 ones are programed a little different from the 2012-2016 ones and they communicate with the PCM a little differently then the other years. This is why I'm having these shifting problems. I'm going to get one from Car-Part tomorrow i hope. As long as i get one from a 2012-2016 Focus, i wont need to update firmware and I wont have to PMI the module. All i will have to do is install it and program the relearning of the shift motors and gears and it should be good to go. But i will let you know. Tnx

 

[jon_carleton]

Oh thank you so much for the offer to help me. I will hit you up if i need to after i get another module. The one i have in my car right now is from a 2017 Focus and my car is a 2016. Tom the guy that sells the tunes for our cars was telling me his brother is the Ford Engineer in Detroit that makes these TCM's and he was told by him that the 2017-2018 ones are programed a little different from the 2012-2016 ones and they communicate with the PCM a little differently then the other years. This is why I'm having these shifting problems. I'm going to get one from Car-Part tomorrow i hope. As long as i get one from a 2012-2016 Focus, i wont need to update firmware and I wont have to PMI the module. All i will have to do is install it and program the relearning of the shift motors and gears and it should be good to go. But i will let you know. Tnx

Hope it works for you. When I got my second one the instructions said to have it programmed first, just to see what would happen I installed it and it worked perfectly. When I did VIN program it is when it started acting like the original.

 

[14 Titanium]

Really? That is strange. So how well do you know IDS? The reason i ask is when i had the 2014 Focus, before i converted it to a 2016, my car came stock with the Flex Fuel option, but when i programmed the 2016, the only VIN number i was able to use because it was the only car that was wrecked in the junk yard that was a Titanium hatch and that had the Technology pack but it didn't come with the 18" wheels or the Flex Fuel option. See, It is illegal for me to use a VIN number from a car that is still registered on the road in the US. But if you find a car that is titled as junk, then the vin is essentially non existent in the DMV system. So I can then use the VIN number to program all my modules with it. Other wise i would have used one that had the Flex Fuel option. So my question is, I found a PCM in a 2016 Focus SE in the junk yard that has the same engine and is Flex Fuel equipped. So it has the programming in the PCM for it. So what i would like to do is install that PCM into my car, change the VIN number to match all the modules that it is using now and then have my buddy come over and program my keys to make it start. Now it is interesting. I was messing around with UCDS one night learning what can be done with that program and i was able to get into the PCM programming lines in it. I would scroll down the list and i can change the VIN number if i wanted to, there was a line with the tire/wheel size in there but I'm not sure how they figure the size out because the number was a 4 digit number only. Not the actual tire or wheel size. I need to get into a PCM on a car that has 18" wheels stock and see what the number is they use for that line so i can change mine to that number. I was able to change the tire size in the BCM using UCDS as built editor but my PCM has a DTC now saying tire size incompatibility but it don't throw a check engine light for that DTC. And this is why my Active Park Assist wont work because my wheels are 18" ST wheels and the Titanium that i got the VIN number from had 17" wheels on it. So sounds like a lot of shit to do but really it's quite simple if i get the info i need. Ford told me there is NO WAY you can install a used PCM and get it to run the car. Well I've seen it done on YouTube so i think they are wrong about that. Anyways enough of me rambling on. Anyway do you think you can help me do this? Now i was told that when you program a PCM using IDS, they tell you to then go in and program the TCM to work with the PCM as they work together. This is what i think is wrong with my TCM. I don't think the shop programmed my PCM right when i had them first get the car started for the first time in 3 years. But i'm not sure. What do you think?

 

[jon_carleton]

If the IDS - Module Programming - Programmable Parameters - Car Configuration Parameter(s) doesn't have a dropdown menu for tire size you can use the Forscan Central Config and I think the numbered parameters are the same.

 

[jon_carleton]

Ford is full of shit too I've installed used modules I've installed new modules and I don't program any of them.
In fact just today my "new" TCM updated to the recent firmware and started acting up. Bucking, lurching, slipping its like non of fords mods work when their parameters are loaded. With different mods. from different cars they all work perfectly

 

[jon_carleton]

Really? That is strange. So how well do you know IDS? The reason i ask is when i had the 2014 Focus, before i converted it to a 2016, my car came stock with the Flex Fuel option, but when i programmed the 2016, the only VIN number i was able to use because it was the only car that was wrecked in the junk yard that was a Titanium hatch and that had the Technology pack but it didn't come with the 18" wheels or the Flex Fuel option. See, It is illegal for me to use a VIN number from a car that is still registered on the road in the US. But if you find a car that is titled as junk, then the vin is essentially non existent in the DMV system. So I can then use the VIN number to program all my modules with it. Other wise i would have used one that had the Flex Fuel option. So my question is, I found a PCM in a 2016 Focus SE in the junk yard that has the same engine and is Flex Fuel equipped. So it has the programming in the PCM for it. So what i would like to do is install that PCM into my car, change the VIN number to match all the modules that it is using now and then have my buddy come over and program my keys to make it start. Now it is interesting. I was messing around with UCDS one night learning what can be done with that program and i was able to get into the PCM programming lines in it. I would scroll down the list and i can change the VIN number if i wanted to, there was a line with the tire/wheel size in there but I'm not sure how they figure the size out because the number was a 4 digit number only. Not the actual tire or wheel size. I need to get into a PCM on a car that has 18" wheels stock and see what the number is they use for that line so i can change mine to that number. I was able to change the tire size in the BCM using UCDS as built editor but my PCM has a DTC now saying tire size incompatibility but it don't throw a check engine light for that DTC. And this is why my Active Park Assist wont work because my wheels are 18" ST wheels and the Titanium that i got the VIN number from had 17" wheels on it. So sounds like a lot of shit to do but really it's quite simple if i get the info i need. Ford told me there is NO WAY you can install a used PCM and get it to run the car. Well I've seen it done on YouTube so i think they are wrong about that. Anyways enough of me rambling on. Anyway do you think you can help me do this? Now i was told that when you program a PCM using IDS, they tell you to then go in and program the TCM to work with the PCM as they work together. This is what i think is wrong with my TCM. I don't think the shop programmed my PCM right when i had them first get the car started for the first time in 3 years. But i'm not sure. What do you think?

The problem is the newest IDS kinda takes over and writes whatever firmware to whatever module that is set to receive new firmware for that release version. Holy crap does this make sense

 

[jon_carleton]

The problem is the newest IDS kinda takes over and writes whatever firmware to whatever module that is set to receive new firmware for that release version. Holy crap does this make sense

I have a very good solution for you shoot me a text 253 304 7631

 

[14 Titanium]

Hey Jon, i had to leave town a few days ago for business. But i just got back an hour ago. I got your text yesterday as i really didn't have service on my phone in the desert. :-( I will get in touch with you tomorrow sometime. That sounds like a great deal on the system software setup you mentioned but i will get more info from you on that when we talk. Thanks again for so much of your help.