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The Focus ECU codes

21K views 42 replies 15 participants last post by  mattellermets  
#1 ·
in this thread i wanna discuss the reason for Ford to use different ECU codes.

Personally i have an mid-late 01 hatch with the ECU LFQ0.

the car has been in michigan for its life. do you think that the different codes are for different areas of the country/world? Like does the LFQ0 have different tuning for the colder atmosphere in my area?

Just thought it would be interesting to discuss why. :)
 
#2 ·
Thats a good question... I always assumed it was based on options... may also have something to do with the pats system... I had just always assumed that it was... one ecu for one motor, tranny, etc.. etc.. options... but there are quite a few more codes then their are options available...

-AcId-
 
#6 ·
Ford has calibrators rewrite and adjust ECU codes every year. Sometimes the changes are very minor and sometimes they are total reworks.

And the SVT does not have the same ECU code for all the years. They are:

RLA1, RLA2, RLA3, RLA4, RLA5, RLA6

YRF0

ZED0, and ZED1, which was never officially released.
 
#8 · (Edited)
My mistake, I meant all '04's have the same code. My old pcm had a ZED1 flash on it though I couldn't tell you the difference between it and a ZED0. I always figured the different tunes were "fine tuning" of the ecu over the years to address various minor issues but never considered "green" state cars would have a different flash on it though now that I think about it that makes perfect sense. I remember reading some of the Duratec guys were getting an '08 (IIRC) pcm reflash to get better gas mileage or something like that.


Just out of curiosity, what would happen, after a reprogram of the PATS, if one were to put a pcm with RLA1 flash into a ZED0 car?
 
#11 ·
I mean reprogram the PATS to match the keys to the pcm so the car will run ;). Thanks for the info Randy. I always wondered if the pcm's were interchangeable and now I know :thumbup:
 
#18 ·
There are other codes for 2001 hatches with the MTX.

I doubt anyone here knows where certain codes were supposed to go ( if that was ever even planned ) since dealer trades always happen, as I noted earlier. And I can pretty much guarantee Ford wouldn't stop a shipment of cars from leaving the plant if the ECU code didn't go the exact states or provinces they wanted.
 
#25 ·
Wait... So SCT Pro Racer software/Xcal2 hardware can't flash over something like a Ford Racing BBK tune? Or Powerworks (in my case)? If true, this is the first I've seen this mentioned. :dunno:

My plan is (hopefully not "was") to get the Pro Racer software and try to sort out a tune on my own for a pretty much stock PWSC setup knowing that if I "return to stock" I'll be putting the PWSC tune back on that I know will work. Is this going to work or am I stuck until I get PW/Mahle/Cosworth to flash my ECU back to stock? At which point I'd be stuck until the car was tuned with the Pro Racer software.

This is a non-SVT (JFA7 or JFA8, I forget which) if it makes a difference.
 
#30 ·
Mine would not flash over the FRPP JRSC-BBK tune. More than one XCAL2 failed to read the strategy. I guess I should have called SCT about it when I wanted to overwrite the tune, but instead I gave up on it. I remember someone (maybe from SCT) telling me that it wouldn't work with some types of non-stock ECU flashes. Seemed to indicate that normal tuning from a dyno shop (especially if they use SCT too) would be overwriteable, but not when you ship the ECU out to FRPP like I did.

Has anyone overwritten their FRPP JRSC-BBK tune with SCT's PRP?

That will work but you may have issues finding a dealer that will let you do all of that.
Luckily I have already found one. I talked to them awhile back when I was planning to reflash and overwrite the JRSC tune. First guy I talked to was confused and couldn't help me, so I asked him to get a "senior technician" for me. I think he just brought me his manager, lol. Anyhow the manager said he could definitely help me out, and quoted $100 for either flash (they just have to hook up to the OBD2 for either thing, takes the dude 10 minutes to set it up then they charge labor for the whole time its running). I actually now have a friend that works there, so I might be able to get it done a little cheaper. :)

Whatever is in the car the first time you load a tune will become your "stock" tune... That's why Matt wants to do all that switching, he doesnt want the FR JRSC tune to become his stock tune.
That is part of the reason, but the main reason is that the XCAL2 wouldn't read the strategy or download the tune. The third reason to do the switching is that the JRSC buyer wanted to use the FRPP tune on his car, so he bought me a stock SVT ECU to use. I am going to pay for the PATS reflash myself.
 
#29 ·
I'm not sure if SVT vs non-SVT makes a difference or not.

All I can say for sure is that the XCAL2 couldn't read the strategy from my stock ECU when it had the FR tune on it. I also tried writing a tune with the XCAL2, and it would fail to download the stock tune every time. I think the XCAL2 is only meant to read strategy from, download, save, and overwrite stock ECU tunes. If your PW/Mahle/Cosworth tune "looks" like a stock tune to the XCAL2, then you'll be ok, but otherwise you might have the same problem as me.

If you have an XCAL2 available to use you could test it out. If it is an unlocked XCAL2 then you can go ahead and try to download the tune to write a new one. If its someone else's XCAL2 that they already used to load a tune on their car, you can still use it to read the strategy from your ECU. If that fails then I think you can assume you will need to send the ECU off or take the car to a dealer to get the ECU reflashed. IIRC I was quoted about $100 for ECU reflash, $100 for PATS reflash, or $150 for both at the same time.
 
#31 ·
You might want to call SCT to ask them if they will do what you are asking free of charge before hand so you aren't surprised. I would think they would charge you for a new licence fee ($100-$200) or tell you to use the ECU code you already paid for since it will work still.
 
#32 ·
You might want to call SCT to ask them if they will do what you are asking free of charge before hand so you aren't surprised. I would think they would charge you for a new licence fee ($100-$200) ...
I already have. :) They said that normally they charge the new license fee, but since I haven't been able to use it yet and am switching ECUs so that I can finally use it, they would be able to waive the fee.

... or tell you to use the ECU code you already paid for since it will work still.
I thought the PRP license had to match ECU codes with the car it is being used on. If my RLA1 licensed PRP will work on this new ECU (RLA4 or RLA6), then I don't see any reason to change my license, either. If it works then the only difference will be slight changes in the stock tune, correct? I don't really care because I won't be running the stock tune at all...