Help with flood car wiring/programming

[Anviltester]

Didn't know quite where to put this. i have 2018 gt manual pp1 car that was flooded pretty good (over the dash). when you get in it erie random lights glow so i know most of the electrical will have to be replaced. I have a factory manual and wiring diagram ford book. Was wondering if i buy a new chassis harness, other than the ecu, what else would need to be bought/aquired (body computer, abs computer, gauges, etc)? Will the all need to be programmed by a dealer or will something like a high end matco (like a maximus 3.0) scanner be able to do it? Im ultimately going to turn this into a race car (scca T2 or nasa) but will need to remain almost stock as far as electrics and drivetrain go. Thanks for the input!

 

[JAJ]

Didn't know quite where to put this. i have 2018 gt manual pp1 car that was flooded pretty good (over the dash). when you get in it erie random lights glow so i know most of the electrical will have to be replaced. I have a factory manual and wiring diagram ford book. Was wondering if i buy a new chassis harness, other than the ecu, what else would need to be bought/aquired (body computer, abs computer, gauges, etc)? Will the all need to be programmed by a dealer or will something like a high end matco (like a maximus 3.0) scanner be able to do it? Im ultimately going to turn this into a race car (scca T2 or nasa) but will need to remain almost stock as far as electrics and drivetrain go. Thanks for the input!

If I were in your situation, I'd track down a Ford recycler and buy a complete set of electronic modules for the car. All of the modules are below dash level and none are waterproof. A set of used ones programmed to work together - some are VIN dependent - should get you most of the way back to ok. The wiring might be damaged and there'll be switches and connectors that are corroded, but once you have working modules in the car, finding those problems gets easier. As for the programming package, I expect most high-end units will work - I have IDS and it always works, but it's pricey.

 

[Anviltester]

i was going to buy new from my connection at the ford dealer as its not that pricey. So i will need the bcm, eco, etc for it. Im getting flip flop answers on if the match maximus 3.0 can marry them all together as the dealer won't unless its in the car. Im hoping that when i order with the vin from the car they will all be preprogrammed - is that me just dreaming lol?

 

[Scootsmcgreggor]

Yeah you need a lot of modules even for the minimum. Ipc, PCM, BCM, GWM, abs, pscm, scm, FCIM, and probably RCM are the minimum. Those are all on hs can 2 or at least needed for proper operation. This excludes items like radio, apim, etc. maybe you could get them programmed separately but I wouldn’t count on it. The suggestion to get everything from a donor is the best advice you can get. Even then there will prob be some programming because sets say you get a PCM but the calibration is different that will still need to be blanked, reprogrammed and married to the BCM. Some modules can be blanked and reprogrammed but the BCM is not one of them so keep that in mind.

 

[JAJ]

i was going to buy new from my connection at the ford dealer as its not that pricey. So i will need the bcm, eco, etc for it. Im getting flip flop answers on if the match maximus 3.0 can marry them all together as the dealer won't unless its in the car. Im hoping that when i order with the vin from the car they will all be preprogrammed - is that me just dreaming lol?

Sadly, new modules come blank. The workflow for a dealer tech replacing a module is to download the firmware and as-builts from the old module into IDS and then upload it back out into the new module. If the old module is dead, the programming gear can download the correct module software and as-built programming from a Ford service server for the VIN you're programming. That's how IDS works when dealer techs are using it.

The good news is that if you install used modules, for most, you can use the "dead module" approach and write new code over the original and you'll have what you need. As @Scootsmcgreggor said, the BCM is an exception, presumably because that's where the code for the vehicle keys and security system lives. Thing is, even modules that aren't VIN-dependent have to be programmed to match the vehicle VIN. A PP2 will have different programming in the suspension controller than a PP1, for instance. As for the Matco Maximus, the upper end boxes can probably do it, but if you're going to spend that kind of money just get IDS and a (genuine) VCM 2 or 3.

 

[Anviltester]

I already have the matco scanner but if it makes the world easier will aquire a ids and vdm 2 or 3. Where would i look to get them from? the dealer or is there an aftermarket source? So if im acquiring a donor car then im assuming it has to be the same as what i have (2018 pp1), is that correct? i have a 2019 pp1 at auction tomorrow and a base gt 2018 today (salvage auction stuff) if either of those will work. Ill call the guys at the farm (not to far from me - 2 hrs or so) and see what they have available and can help with. Don't mind another donor car as ill have spare everything for the new race car lol.

 

[blacksheep-1]

you might give a call to Phoenix or Kohr about this, they've built tons of race cars from salvage titles, they'd have the skinny on what to replace, I suspect that you will need to clean virtually every pin connection in the car, Hopefully this will be track oriented so you can run the minimum electrics. The idea of getting a used harness is a sound one, they may even have one.

 

[302BOB]

Anvi, Bringing a flooded car back to life requires a lot more work than reviving a wrecked car.........there are many more demons lurking around ......I hope you can rescue this one....

 

[Anviltester]

ive brought a ton of wrecked cars back to life but this is my first submerged car. I usually deal with older muscle cars (i have a resto shop and a cnc machine shop) which are much easier but all the same lol. just some can bus magic to figure out and get the right tools for it. i was holding off on bothering joe until i exhausted all my options. It will be originally setup for scca T2 but will look to possibly win in trans am gs and maybe nasa as well. If scca stops changing the rules every month lol.

 

[JAJ]

I already have the matco scanner but if it makes the world easier will aquire a ids and vdm 2 or 3. Where would i look to get them from? the dealer or is there an aftermarket source? So if im acquiring a donor car then im assuming it has to be the same as what i have (2018 pp1), is that correct? i have a 2019 pp1 at auction tomorrow and a base gt 2018 today (salvage auction stuff) if either of those will work. Ill call the guys at the farm (not to far from me - 2 hrs or so) and see what they have available and can help with. Don't mind another donor car as ill have spare everything for the new race car lol.

IDS is easy because it's just a software package that runs on a laptop. Download it from motorcraftservice.com, buy a license from the same website, install it on a laptop and plug in the VCM. IDS only works with genuine (made by Bosch, branded by Ford) VCM's. I got my VCM 2 from a seller on EBay - it was genuine, brand new and cost about $1300.

 

[Anviltester]

I was looking into those. Saw the tough book version (computer, software, hardware, etc) for 3500. I have all the laptops i can ever use for the diff race cars (each get their own) so i can use one of those for the ids. I have to get my little miata prod car ready for the race at the end of the month and then ill tear whole heartily into this mustang to try and make a race or track days to sort it before the jan race in sebring. Hopefully this one i have my eye on tomorrow doesn't go for stupid money like the one today - 2018 pp1 w/ clean title but "mechanical" issues and didn run. $25k before fees so 27 ish plus shipping it to wherever the buyer was. nuts.

 

[Anviltester]

So i have officially started my 2018 ford mustang submarine/u-boat race car build lol! Haven't had much luck at the auctions finding donor vehicles (prices are nuts) yet but am still looking. In the meantime, have started disassembly starting with draining everything (more water than oil everywhere) and am now into the interior. Biggest question now is if i remove the dash (which im in the process of - pretty easy actually), can the car be started and run without it once i replace everything computer and wiring wise? It will go back in eventually but just didn't want to go in and out multiple times if i don't have to. Guess ill have to start a build thread for this car lol. Oh, Also is there a way to test the control modules to see if they are actually toast before i replace them all?

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

If you are looking to get stuff from another car to swap in, try these guys (click or call) https://thepartsfarm.com/

 

[Anviltester]

If you are looking to get stuff from another car to swap in, try these guys (click or call) https://thepartsfarm.com/

they are not far from me (like 2 hrs). but a bunch of what I need they only sell with the engines so that doesn't help me.