FDRS: Bricked Module During Recall - Dealership Appointment Turns Disastrous

[Dude]

Not specific to Bronco Sports but an interesting article

it’s another reason I only have the vehicles modules updated when absolutely necessary… except for Sync updates which I will do, updating modules to latest versions is not typically a wise practice for various reasons


“The video shows what happens when Ford's proprietary programming software fails mid-update, potentially "bricking" expensive modules and leaving customers without their vehicles for extended periods”

“FDRS (Ford Diagnostic and Repair System) is Ford's proprietary cloud-based diagnostic software that technicians must use for all programming work. The system was designed as Ford's next-generation diagnostic tool for newer models, providing dealership-level diagnostic coverage.”

Article: https://www.motor1.com/news/777665/ford-software-recall-problem/

Video: (will add link when I locate the video)

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[jkernitzki]

Blocks ad-blocked browsers.

 

[Dude]

Blocks ad-blocked browsers.

NP I never click on links anyway … I posted the article pic for those that prefer to search

But if your ad-blocked browser blocks regardless … well it is what it is

 

[rugedraw]

Lmao!!!!! Talk about drowning in a cup of water. Yea, FDRS is not a very good program. What FDRS says in this scenario means abosultely nothing. The APIM update is installed via a USB drive that FDRS creates......FDRS itself has nothing to do with the flashing of the actual files. They are done via USB on ethernet because writing a 6GB APIM update via FDRS with CAN would literally take 2 days or longer.

If the message on the screen says the update was successful and it is safe to remove the USB, then the update is complete and it is safe to remove the USB. If FDRS gets hung up, you force close it, reboot the laptop and when you scan the truck again, the APIM update will clear and the next one will release.

This guy waited an hour and half with FDRS stuck in a loop for nothing and made a moutain out of a mole hill.

Also, a bricked module is not the end of the world and does NOT mean it has to be replaced. 99% of the time, it can be recovered with FDRS and even FORScan (if you are able to source the files). I've done some highly unconventional things with these vehicles and have bricked IPMAs, HVACs, CMRs and more and have been able to recover them every time. Hell, I am running the CCM software from a 2024 Lightning in my 2021 F150 with no issues. All due respect to techs out there......as a dealer employee, I will not bad mouth another dealer employee and expecially not a tech as I know the hardships they go through first hand. However, this video is laughable at best, and the problem is with Ford's training (or lack thereof) and not the techs themselves. FDRS is garabge, but there are ways to work around its shortcomings.

 

[Dude]

I thought there would be more to the story which is why I posted the article… thanks for your response

 

[rugedraw]

I thought there would be more to the story which is why I posted the article… thanks for your response

The amount of times I have seen a dealer replace a "bricked" module when it was not needed is astounding. Ford would save themselves so much money in warranty claims just by offering proper training on FDRS or just improving the software. Recently, they seem more concerned about FDRS cybersecurity than actually making it better.

 

[Dude]

The amount of times I have seen a dealer replace a "bricked" module when it was not needed is astounding. Ford would save themselves so much money in warranty claims just by offering proper training on FDRS or just improving the software. Recently, they seem more concerned about FDRS cybersecurity than actually making it better.

I read another motor 1 article this morning about warranty work and reduction in pay to mechanics

Do you think some of the non-needed module replacements are due to how warranty work is paid? (Easier and quicker to just order a new module so less time wasted) link to article:

https://www.motor1.com/news/777503/warranty-work-upsets-mechanic/

 

[rugedraw]

I read another motor 1 article this morning about warranty work and reduction in pay to mechanics

Do you think some of the non-needed module replacements are due to how warranty work is paid? (Easier and quicker to just order a new module so less time wasted) I’ll post a link to article here

Definitely not easier or quicker to order and replace/reprogram a module. It takes minutes to reprogram most modules with FDRS. The ones he mentioned (APIM, GWM, TCU and IPC) have a different programming procedure that requires a USB due to the size of the files, but the APIM can only be updated via USB. I have had to program an IPC several times with CAN because the USB refused to work, and it took 6 hours to flash the IPC on my truck both times I had to do it. Not fun. There is a lot of truth to the things he said in the video, but the actual "problem" he was experiencing was 100% fixable with FDRS with zero chance of the APIM being bricked.

I have had FDRS get stuck on me in the middle of flashing a module more than once. Not a big deal. Happened once toward the end of a CMR update (which takes 45 minutes), so I had to reflash it to recover it, so it was a waste of time more than it was a problem. It is actually quite difficult to hard-brick a module to the point where it cannot be recovered.

https://www.motor1.com/news/777503/warranty-work-upsets-mechanic/

Very good info here.....very accurate. The tech in the video seemed to be invested in getting the work done. He just freaked out when FDRS got hung up on him. Tbh, I don't blame him. I had more than a few scares with my own truck and other people's vehicles (both on my driveway and while remoting into people's laptops while the vehicle sits in their driveways).

Knock on wood: There has not been one problem we have not been able to fix. In some case, I have had to recommend a module to be replaced to address an issue. In those cases, it was the hardware itself that went bad and not the software/config that was causing the issue.

 

[Glamdring70]

My local dealer refuses to do software repairs and updates with the Ford "mobile service" option just because of this. I found that out on the battery recall, they would not bring a battery to me because the car also needed software programming. While to me, if the car was "bricked" I would rather have it sitting at my place waiting for parts, I can see how that would be less convenient for the service shop. Sounds like Ford could use better software, capable of "unbricking" a module bricked by software issues or hardware capable of reverting to an EEPROM level built version.

 

[rugedraw]

My local dealer refuses to do software repairs and updates with the Ford "mobile service" option just because of this. I found that out on the battery recall, they would not bring a battery to me because the car also needed software programming. While to me, if the car was "bricked" I would rather have it sitting at my place waiting for parts, I can see how that would be less convenient for the service shop. Sounds like Ford could use better software, capable of "unbricking" a module bricked by software issues or hardware capable of reverting to an EEPROM level built version.

FDRS is 100% capable of recovering a bricked module. There is a guided routing available for every module called a PMI (programmable module installation) which is what is used to both program a new module being swapped in or recover a bricked module due to a failed firmware flash from an OTA, FDRS crash or user error. When you run a PMI, FDRS will ask the user if it is the original module or not. If the user select yes, it will reflash the exisiting firmware/configuration on the module. If the user selects no, it will poll the server for the latest available firmware for that module and update it at the same time it recovers it.

In the case of the video, nothing was bricked. The update worked as intended, but FDRS got stuck in a loop confirming that to the cloud. All he needed to do was reboot the laptop (maybe just force-close FDRS) and rescan the vehicle and all would have been fine. I have seen this happen a thousand times, but unfortunately, Ford does not train the dealers properly on how to overcome these things, so the tech is forced to reach out to engineers and wait for a response.

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