Hello All

I have a Fordchip for my 2002 F150Xl 4.2/5sp 4x2. I removed the ECU last weekend. Following intructions supplied to me by the vendor and various other advice I tried to do the install.

Once I got the ECU out I got some very fine sand paper and sanded both sides of the lip of the service port. I got the wax or plastic coat off. Once the plastic coating was off there were the exposed silver contacts. The instructions said to sand until you see copper comming up. I started sanding the silver contacts and sure enough copper started to bleed through. I got a little nervous because the silver looked permanent. So I stopped. I figured copper was bleeding through so maybe that was good enough. I cleaned it with alcohol and installed the chip. I tried to start the truck with the chip in and it would not turn over. Well instead of breaking it further I thought I better ask some advice. This weekend I am going to pull the ECU and open the box so I have access to the full surface of the service port.

My question is do I sand through the silver metallic until only copper is left or do I leave the silver alone and just remove the rest of the lamenant?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Mike

 

Are you using "sand paper"?
I have never heard of any of the Tuners telling someone to do so.
I have always used a small screwdriver of pocket knife to scrape the conformal coating off the contacts. Then use the small piece of scotch bright that comes with the chip (Superchips) to make sure they were clean enough, then wipe with alcohol.
I suggest you remove the ECU, reclean the contacts, on all sides, even the ends, and between the metalic contacts, and try again.
One small piece of contaminent left on the contacts can cause you some serious problems.
And no, I have never removed all the "silver" from the contacts so all that shows is the brassy area.
Take your time and you can accomplish this task...

 

Thank you very much. That clarified allot. I will pick up some scotch brite. Maybe the sandpaper left some residue as well. Definitely gonna take my time this time. Not worth having to order a second ECU!

 

Hi Coupe,

I echo what Marc said - I don't like using sandpaper on a PCB (printed circuit board).

Also, never scrape the contacts long or hard enough to remove the protective tin coating to deliberately expose the copper, that is a bad idea. The alloy of the underlying copper is too soft for long-term use of a chip, as chips tend to get removed & replaced for things like service, diagnostics, etc. The contacts inside the slot on chips for FoMoCo vehicles are rather "abrasive" - enough so that over time, if a lot of copper is exposed on the contacts, you can wear thru them with enough removal & reinstallation. Then you've got a problem that requires repair usually by laying some good solder back down over the contacts to protect them once again.

Making sure the PCM's connector is under a strong, bright light, we use a tiny straight-blade screwdriver (don't use the sharp corner, use the flat leading edge of the blade) to gently shave/scrape the clear conformal coating off of the contacts, *and* from every bit of surface area on that connector (top and bottom) that will be covered by the slot of that chip - not just the contacts themselves, but in between, the edges, etc. - *everywhere* that the slot on the chip covers when installed. To be able to do that properly, you must remove both the top and bottom covers of the PCM - there are some 4.2 V6's where you can't get the bottom cover off, so those you must take extra time & care to get the bottom side of the connector properly cleaned. Then once that is finished, use a piece of Scotch-Brite bad to gently "polish" the connector. then use rubbing alcohol on Q-tips to go back over everything nicely. Then go back and *check* your work by taking the small straight blade screwdriver (like from a jeweler's or eyeglass screwdriver kit) to go back over the contacts lightly, looking for anything coming off that is not shiny bright metallic (indicating you're removing the protective tin covering) - anything that comes off that is *not* shiny, bright metal shavings is more conformal coating. Using a magnifying glass or anything you can use to magnify your view of the connector under a strong, bright light is a big help in doing this.

It's also a good idea to take a clean, dry toothbrush, and slightly scrub inside the slot of the chip (while holding it so that the slot points down) to remove any conformal coating that has transferred over into the slot, as that will happen any time less than 100% of the conformal coating has been removed from the connector before installing the chip.

If you chip is like most, a "module" that stays on the outside of the PCM, then you should also carefully tape the chip module to the PCM so that it cannot back off the connector over time, from railroad tracks, speed bumps, etc.

I hope that info helps a bit, & good luck!

 

Well thanks allot Mike. I need to acess the damage I did. I don't think it's too bad because there is still tin left but there is definitely some copper bleeding through. I cringe when I now think about when I was hitting that thing with sand paper. I'm glad I stopped when I did.
Your instructions are second to none! I think in the future I will be utilizing you for all and any mods. I appreciate your customer service and I didn't even by this friggin thing from you. Good instructions and customer support makes a big difference with these mods. I have just started modding and wrenching and as an amature I can and have already done damage to the vehicle trying to wing it and improvise without good instructions!
Many distributers have good products but don't really take the time to provide thorough instructions, you have got both. This is so damn important!

 

Hi Coupe,

You're very welcome!

From your description, it sounds like you didn't go very far with the sandpaper - since you mention only having a rather small amount of copper showing thru, and that the tin is still there for the most part, that condition usually doesn't present any problems - based on that, I think you should probably be OK.

I would just go ahead and finish the installation, making sure all the conformal coating from every bit of surface area on that connector that gets covered by the slot on the chip is removed, using the new information you have now, and everything should be just fine.

Don't let us get you so "spooked" or "gun shy" over this that you're not comfortable finishing up your install - go right ahead and get it done so you can start enjoying your chip over this long 4th of July holiday weekend - the perfect time to enjoy a new performance part!

 

The chip saga continues. 02 5sp/4.2 4x2. Botched an attempt to install my Fordchip last week, didn't prep the service port correctly. Pulled the Puter today at my friends fourth BarBQ. Bunch of guys there who work with electronics. Figured it would be a good place to attempt the install. They were into it! Had a friend of mine who is a cat scan repair guy, help me prep the service port(nows his circuit boards). Got all the lamenent off the contacts with an eye glass scew driver. Polished them. There is copper bleeding through but still tin left. I asked my buddy who's an elctrician to run a little solder over the contacts but he checked them and said they should be fine, had enough tin left on them. All in agreement that it was prepped up to specs and looked good. Cleaned off the mating area of the port and the chip with alcohol, let them dry. Installed that SOB and it wouldn't turn over. It cranked but just wouldn't turn. We took a spark plug tester and there was juice to the ignition. Fuel pump was going and fuel was getting to the injectors. When it turned it was right there, just wouldn't catch. Could be in the timing, don't know?

You guys think it might be the chip? Anyone have a similar experience! Should I possible sodder? A guy at V6F150 stated he had similer prob and had to sodder a jumper connection?

 

And God said let there be common sense......and there was...and I succesfully installed the chip..........and all was good.

Yee HA! Me like's the power, damm that is a difference