VCMII for 2003 and 2005 F150

[RustyTool]

Hi guys. I've spent a good 6 hours reading over the forum. I'm left with outright asking:

Will these cheap ($100-$150) VCMII units work with FORScan to dissable the O2 heater sensors on the 2005 F150. Fella put after market Cats on it and they have a spot you could use a cutting torch to mount the other 2 O2 sensors but my bro-in-law (Ford Vet) says nah, just turn it off. (or I may try the resitor/cap bypass trick). Truck runs great, 23-24mpg. Just keeps throwing codes. One odd thing, FORScan did report a faulty instrument cluster. Brake light is on but no codes, all good. Already found a replacement cluster but I suspect it needs one with a tach instead of the XL one it has. The title says it's a Lariat.

I'm equally interested in all UBP options for the 2003 4.6L. I found a mint STX (110k miles, silver) runs like a bat outta hell for a stock motor. Best guess it's putting 300hp to the ground. I want it to last. I fear it may have a Tune on it, won't know until I can read it.

I bought a Envy 360 laptop and 1 year license for it. Only adapter I have was given to me. It's one of the old fake FORScan Pro usb dongels. Read codes and reset them fine but only read 3 modules lol. I read enough on here to know that was all it will ever do. I was going to buy a Vgate vLinker FS USB until I read no UBP support.

I'm retired, so can't afford a $2,000 adapter. At this late date is there a $50-$200 solution?

[tractmec]

Hi guys. I've spent a good 6 hours reading over the forum. I'm left with outright asking:

Will these cheap ($100-$150) VCMII units work with FORScan to dissable the O2 heater sensors on the 2005 F150. Fella put after market Cats on it and they have a spot you could use a cutting torch to mount the other 2 O2 sensors but my bro-in-law (Ford Vet) says nah, just turn it off. (or I may try the resitor/cap bypass trick). Truck runs great, 23-24mpg. Just keeps throwing codes. One odd thing, FORScan did report a faulty instrument cluster. Brake light is on but no codes, all good. Already found a replacement cluster but I suspect it needs one with a tach instead of the XL one it has. The title says it's a Lariat.

I'm equally interested in all UBP options for the 2003 4.6L. I found a mint STX (110k miles, silver) runs like a bat outta hell for a stock motor. Best guess it's putting 300hp to the ground. I want it to last. I fear it may have a Tune on it, won't know until I can read it.

I bought a Envy 360 laptop and 1 year license for it. Only adapter I have was given to me. It's one of the old fake FORScan Pro usb dongels. Read codes and reset them fine but only read 3 modules lol. I read enough on here to know that was all it will ever do. I was going to buy a Vgate vLinker FS USB until I read no UBP support.

I'm retired, so can't afford a $2,000 adapter. At this late date is there a $50-$200 solution?

I am A retired Mechanic Too and in the same boat! I have one of the supposed "Good Quality" Clone VCM2(obtained in 2016 $220.00CAN before retirement) and they are scarce now! The web site I got mine from is only offering a VNCI device(suspect it is a FLYOBD clone) as a VCM3 emulator! Ford Dropped UBP support from the their new VCM3! (I have posted on this before so try searching my posts)!
I have not seen that O2 sensor switch in my 2005 F150 using FORScan nor have I Seen anything like that in the IDS 86 either, but have not had occasion to look for it! Ask your Ford Vet where he has seen it?

A Site Called https://www.obdii.shop is still selling one that is called "Best Quality"?(search VCM2) but have no idea what that means! A lot of these supposed VCM2 Clones are VCX nano single board ( Avoid those I tried one of those , it never connected to my 2033 or 2005 FORDs) or FLY OBD Devices in a VCM2 housing! You basically Pays your money and takes your chances!

The sites used to show Pictures of the PC Boards(Genuine VCM2 has two PC boards and my clone is a Two Board)! But none of them are showing those now! Some of the cheaper Clones had a problem providing the 18 Volt FEPS signal to DLC Pin 13 for PCM programming!

The Clone sites always offer a VMwware way of installing the Latest IDS with a frozen Time at the Introductory period before the introductory license runs out! There are better ways of doing this and if you are only going to use the VCM2 with FORScan then all of the VMware work around is not needed!
You will only need to install the Ford VCI manager to use one with FORScan and their are ways to obtain that without having to install IDS( I use the Ford Bosch VCI manager which works with my IDS Version 86 install https://www.boschdiagnostics.com/softwa ... ord-vcm-ii)!
I have also used the Latest from the MotorCraftservice.com and it installs and runs on my Clone but it does not work with the a Patched IDS 86 and Black lists any Clone Serial numbers with any newer IDS and the clones mostly use one serial number on all clones!
FORScan has no problem with using the latest VCI manager from Motorcraftservice(At least in my experience), it just needs to see a VCI Manger with a Connected VCM2!

Mine has been flawless so far! I Did a PCM update on the 03 Expedition(IDS 86 because FORScan Can't do PCM Updates on these PWM networked PCM's yet) and Recovered the PCM on my 2005 F150(Don't ask!)!

FORScan can read the UBP network(Since 2.3.09) and it can also show the AsBuilt codes but as far as I know and this goes for all the modules on the old PWM and ISO networks, that no one knows what each code does other than what is available in the Non AsBuilt configuration!

Do not know if that helps or just confuses?

[RustyTool]

Thanks. Was hoping you'd drop by.
Think I've read 50+ of your posts already.
Ebay has some used VCM2's but I'm leary of them. I can't afford to waste more money. Need to put a windshield in the STX, flush the trans, brake lines, engine oil. You name it. Was his wifes truck. Never a wrench on it until he had it tuned up to sell it.

The 05 is the problem. A new cluster will solve half my problems. And I might go ahead and get a mufler shop to cut holes in the Cats to mount O2 sensors. (doubt it. $5k invested already; and I'm just going to sell it. Love the 03 STX)
So my focus, yes, will just be using FORScan to tweak it and know what's going on in there.

Living in Minnesota it's important to plan ahead. Ya never know when you could wake up to 6 feet of snow overnight. I will have to reread all of this after I do some more research and chores.
I saw some VCM2's on Temu and/or Ali Express too. Take a look at the fake Money some time. Looks real to me. I may buy a few hundred grand worth for funzies. Imagine the look on a burglars face if he found that (on video). Priceless!

I was wondering if there might be some kind of "frozen time" or "do not update" option on these things. May have to be careful about keeping wifi turned off.
I'll let ya know how things progress.
I liked the resistor/capacitor idea but tweaking that to never throw a code again will take a few weeks if it'll work at all. One guy says use a 1 uf cap, another a 10 uf. One says a 5 ohm resistor, the other a 20 ohm. Criteria is that the resistance changes as they warm up so what is the 300 degree resistance on an 05? And what capacitor will pass just enough signal to read as if its all kosher. One post even suggested it's different for left and right when you're doing it this way.

I doubt FORScan can disable those O2 heater feedback lines. Maybe. My bro-in-law said take it to a HPTuner shop and have them do it is what peaked my interest. I do my own mechanic work. Getting pretty good with computers.

Be nice to offer this service to folks around here too. Lots of these old trucks getting 10 mpg and people just living with it. If I could hook up, dial them in and push that to 22 mpg we'd all be better off!

[RustyTool]

I just ordered a dual circuit board VCM2 adapter for $200.
Comes with IDS-115 software on VMware Player
(probably won't need IDS) we'll see.

details say:
1.To do programming , customers got to have calibration files yourself, otherwise ,got to subscribe to dealer software or online account.

2 VCM2 firmware version needs to be consistent with software version (So sometimes update of firmware is required . Do it on software manager Tool when it asks you. Latest IDS software doesn't includes Manager Tool, download it ( VCI_Software_1.0.1.18) from official website.

[tractmec]

I just ordered a dual circuit board VCM2 adapter for $200.
Comes with IDS-115 software on VMware Player
(probably won't need IDS) we'll see.

details say:
1.To do programming , customers got to have calibration files yourself, otherwise ,got to subscribe to dealer software or online account.

2 VCM2 firmware version needs to be consistent with software version (So sometimes update of firmware is required . Do it on software manager Tool when it asks you. Latest IDS software doesn't includes Manager Tool, download it ( VCI_Software_1.0.1.18) from official website.

You will need a VCI manager to use a VCM2 with FORScan in any case! What they refer to as the VCM2 "Firmware" is the VCI software that is contained in the (VCI_Software_1.0.1.18) installer that MotorcraftService provides and is the VCI manager that the Latest Ford IDS/FDRS would need to use to communicate with a vcm2!

GO to this link: https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford ... al_v16.pdf! Download the VCM2 Hardware manual and get up to speed on the VCM2 Recovery and Update procedure as you are probably going to need to install the VCI manager and/or use different one than needed for the VMWare IDS they provide(Avoid that if you can it is nothing but trouble and you can buy a short term{72 Hrs} IDSFJDS/FRDS license from MotorCraft assuming the S/N of this Two Board you ordered is not Blacklisted)!
You can get the above 1.0.1.18 here: https://www.motorcraftservice.com/diagn ... goryId=276! You can install this one from Motorcraft but it installs a bunch of extra software that is not needed if you are only going to use this VCM with FORScan

Ignore any thing about "Starting IDS" in the Above .pdf manual and substitute "Start VCI Manager" in those places! When the Manual was written the only way you could install and run the VCI manager was within the IDS install! That has since changed and the VCI manger is now Installed as a separate Software install!

As far as FORScan is concerned any of the VCM2 Managers will work! FORScan just needs to see a Working VCI with a Connected VCM2!
I use this one that you can download direct from the Bosch Web site here: https://www.boschdiagnostics.com/softwa ... ord-vcm-ii! This installs the VCI manager to a Bosch Folder and the Recovery Process in the .pdf above will tell you how to install it in the VCM2

It is an older VCI manager that was used in ~IDS 100 and I have even made it work with IDS 86 on two machines!

Hope this helps and Good Luck!

[RustyTool]

I'm planning to try your Bosch VCI manager first. For now I just want full access to my 05 and 03 F150. At some future date I may try offering services through a friends garage. Mom and Pop outfit been there decades. He might even want to learn all of this.

I'd like to learn how to do HPTuning but I suspect that is considerably more expensive. Plenty on my plate for the next few months


Not a great pic. Bought the topper for $50. Needs a door in the pic. Have all the parts, just finding the time to rebuild it.
2003 F150 XLT STX. Heard they are kinda rare. Most are XL.

[RustyTool]

One odd thing, FORScan did report a faulty instrument cluster. Brake light is on but no codes, all good. Already found a replacement cluster but I suspect it needs one with a tach instead of the XL one it has. The title says it's a Lariat.


Ok the cluster arrived. Now I have to order an extra key in case the PATS goes nuts? (truck came with 1 key) I saved a backup of the IC in the truck; but from reading on here, I'm concerned it won't matter. The title says Lariat so someone must have reset the XL cluster to Lariat programming right? I will backup both once I use the working IC to make 2 new keys. That I'm 99% sure will work. Then install the new cluster and see if it just works as-is or needs to be flashed with the backup from the current IC.

I've read what you've said to another fella who had hood results eventually on an 04 or 03? Expedition. Any chance it will just work as-is? Only thing about this truck that looks Lariat is the hood/grille. EVERTHING else is XL. (it's the blue one behind the stx)

[tractmec]

One odd thing, FORScan did report a faulty instrument cluster. Brake light is on but no codes, all good. Already found a replacement cluster but I suspect it needs one with a tach instead of the XL one it has. The title says it's a Lariat.


Ok the cluster arrived. Now I have to order an extra key in case the PATS goes nuts? (truck came with 1 key) I saved a backup of the IC in the truck; but from reading on here, I'm concerned it won't matter. The title says Lariat so someone must have reset the XL cluster to Lariat programming right? I will backup both once I use the working IC to make 2 new keys. That I'm 99% sure will work. Then install the new cluster and see if it just works as-is or needs to be flashed with the backup from the current IC.

I've read what you've said to another fella who had hood results eventually on an 04 or 03? Expedition. Any chance it will just work as-is? Only thing about this truck that looks Lariat is the hood/grille. EVERTHING else is XL. (it's the blue one behind the stx)

That Brake warning light staying on is a quite common malady in these 05 F150 Ipc's! That was one of the reasons as well as the Oil pressure gauge registering pressure as soon as the Key was turned on(not started) and the Interior lighting would come on at random times(IPC controls dome and interior lights with a hot electronic relay control energized from the VSM and the Exterior head light switch) It would sometimes keep the lights on all night/Day and kill the battery.

The Air bag warning light would not light on the power on self test(Resulting in the only DTC and set in the RCM) The latter was poor solder joint on an LED resistor in the IPC air bag PCB warning light circuit!
I never did find the other problems and ruined the PCB trying, and ended up replacing the IPC with one from a wrecker out in B.C. CANADA which was also a one character later revision than my original so that truck had also been IPC replaced once !
Make sure that replacement is the same Part number up to the last two characters, IE in my case 5L34-10849-BB (Canada so KPH if you are in the US it will be MPH) and I replaced mine with 5L34-10849-BC! The last two are the revision level and as long as the First set and the safest is first suffix Character is the same as original they should all work(Car-Part.com: https://www.car-part.com/ will give you a long list of suffix revisions 5L34-10849-xx KPH/MPH that should cross)! I checked with the Dealer for the original P/N! The BB revsion was Original! Mine is an XLT and has the Tach!

In my case the replacement had one hard coded(non Writable Third Character in the first 720-01-01, block original was E replacement was C) AsBuilt character different but the rest all reloaded from original backup and the IPC works fine as near as I can tell and all the original problems are gone!
Unfortunately FORScan can't help you with Odometer rewrite as it is not possible to do these from the DLC connector(Conversation with FORScan team to find this out and they advised find an IPC re-builder)! Odometer write is apparently only possible at the ROM chip level and I have no idea where it is stored! I still have not changed mine!

PATS Keys should not be a problem as PATS is a Service procedure in the PCM on these and the IPC has nothing to do with PATS nor needs to be reset for PATS!

Hope that helps a little?

[RustyTool]

I'm ok with the odometer reading 15k less than actual. It says 145k, truck has 160k. New owner will like that lol.

I got to thinking. Can't I just flash it with a factory As Built for a Lariat if nothing else works (thinking ahead here)
Me thinks the frame, pcm, drive train is Lariate so has that VIN. But fire or water damage in it's history so I have a Frankentruck. Parts from all over. (or do I need Fords IDS for that?) Thought I saw a youtube of a guy doing it by surprise thinking it wouldn't work, but it did, with FORScan!

Not seeing a part number on it. Is a faded white sticker. I can tell there were numbers on it, unreadable now.
Stores open soon. I'll have a couple of keys cut and do the swap. Worste case, I get to open the old IC and solder some cold joints. I should post a pic of the IC trouble codes. I think one was environmental. Possibly more evidence of a downgrade from Lariat IC.

[tractmec]

I'm ok with the odometer reading 15k less than actual. It says 145k, truck has 160k. New owner will like that lol.

I got to thinking. Can't I just flash it with a factory As Built for a Lariat if nothing else works (thinking ahead here)
Me thinks the frame, pcm, drive train is Lariate so has that VIN. But fire or water damage in it's history so I have a Frankentruck. Parts from all over. (or do I need Fords IDS for that?) Thought I saw a youtube of a guy doing it by surprise thinking it wouldn't work, but it did, with FORScan!

Not seeing a part number on it. Is a faded white sticker. I can tell there were numbers on it, unreadable now.
Stores open soon. I'll have a couple of keys cut and do the swap. Worste case, I get to open the old IC and solder some cold joints. I should post a pic of the IC trouble codes. I think one was environmental. Possibly more evidence of a downgrade from Lariat IC.

Don't bother with the keys unless you don't have working copies for this truck!! The PCM handles the PATS processing and the IPC plays no part in the PATS process!

If the original has no tach then it is likely the Base cluster and if this F150 is actually a Lariat it should have at least a "Family Carrier" Cluster(which My XLT has)! If you do take the Clusters apart if you can't read the P/N tag, it should be written on the PCB bottom center what cluster it is!

Again it is not a bad Idea to go to the Dealer with the VIN and get them to run a build sheet that should give you what this truck left the factory with!


The Asbuilt can be changed manually(easy with these as there is only one 720 line at least mine does) but go here:https://www.motorcraftservice.com/AsBuilt with the VIN and get what was original to this truck!
If you get an error go here and fill out the Country(USA Or Canada have access UK and some in Euro/Asia do not) and Language: https://www.motorcraftservice.com and go to Site Features and Module Build data! This will then set a cookie and you will have direct access to the Asbuilt site as long as you don't clear the browser history!

If you have the wrong cluster, changing the Asbuilt to original will probably just cause more DTC's to set(Like U2100 or the dreaded U3000 and I suspect this was probably done once already)1

Hope that is a little more help!