Please explain Forscan to an idiot

[SSuperDave]

Then you are older than the average!

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[AZ_Ryan]

I really wonder how you grew up and who taught you how to communicate with others. Are you reflecting on how others treated you in your childhood?

Can you also try to not be a dickhead for once? You act like the all knowledgeble one who knows everything, but you really have to tone down a bit since you made many false claims yourself and really had difficulties in acknowleding your own mistakes.

Really tired of people who think they can uplift themselves by putting others down.

Thats kinda rich coming from a guy who has a well known reputation of condescension and snarky posts toward other people here.

 

[ZXMustang]

Thats kinda rich coming from a guy who has a well known reputation of condescension and snarky posts toward other people here.

100%. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

 

[rugedraw]

FORScan is an awesome tool that every Ford owner should have. It is mostly known for being able to make configuration changes to enable and disable features, but it is also full of service procedures found in FDRS that allow you to troubleshoot and fix many issues. You can recalibrate the IPMA, camera(s), cruise control module, reset modules, pull & clear codes, run LIN procedures to initiate modules that get replaced, fix the speedometer if you put on different sized wheels/tires or swap gears in the rear end and so much more. With the right guidance and resources, it is a VERY powerful diagnostic and repair tool. The abillity to enable/disable features is a bonus.

 

[SSuperDave]

^^^ and it does things that FDRS will not do. The only issue I see with it that if you miss a digit on the numerical location, you can cause problems that are difficult to fix. We get about one vehicle a month towed in where this has happened.

 

[Neggytive]

I have not updated my snap on scanners in a year, and I need to do the one in FL because that is where the Mustang lives but the software revision I have in that machine does not have a lot of the 24 Mustang stuff in it

There are a lot of things you can change with a bi directional scanner if the option to do so is there, turn options on and off, make the windows go down with a push of the remote, and such

There is also a certain level of safety when using a scanner rather than changing lines of code.

I think once I start learning more about forscan I'd like to turn off the piped in noise they do thru the audio system and just have the radio be a radio.

TY for all the answers, I appreciate you taking the time to give me a Forscan 101 course.

 

[rugedraw]

^^^ and it does things that FDRS will not do. The only issue I see with it that if you miss a digit on the numerical location, you can cause problems that are difficult to fix. We get about one vehicle a month towed in where this has happened.

Changes you make to a module do not reflect on the server right away. It can take weeks for vehicle to sync up to the cloud. If you ever mess up the config and failed to make a back up first, you can always pull the ab file from Ford here and reflash the module back to what is was.

https://www.motorcraftservice.com/AsBuilt

 

[LouG]

When you're in the motor trade you do meet a lot of idiots. They pay to come to you as supplicants begging you to fix what they just f**ked.
i believe it's much worse since the dawn of the internet.

 

[SSuperDave]

We do see idiots at the dealer level, always have. Most of it is not idiocy, just people over estimating their ability to do something, and being embarrassed when they have to tow the car in and admit they've messed up. And yes, the internet makes it worse, especially when it comes to what's warrantable and what's not.
I'll do anything under warranty that I can justify, but I won't cheat Ford or the customer either one.

 

[Neggytive]

If you think being on the mechanical side is fun , try being on the body shop side.

"can you bury my deductible?"

Sure what part of the job don't you want me to do.

Or

That dent in the RF fender wasn't there before the rear end 5 MPH crash

Or

When I was writing for MAPFRE as an appraiser, I had a shop call me asking for my pictures of the car that I took at the drive in claims office. I had a good relationship with the shop, but told them the pictures legally belonged to MAPFRE and I couldn't let them have them

But since we had a good relationship I asked them why they needed the pictures.

Well the customer is claiming the car was damaged at the dealership, and this was unrelated damage and I had documented it in my notes and in a secondary appraisal for unrelated prior damage.

Needless to say they got my picture file.

That is why I encourage shops to take pictures of at least the 4 corners of the car, VIN plate and odometer on every car that comes in.

 

[exm]

1. Where does one get the software?
   • https://forscan.org/download.html
2. Cost
   • There is a free 2 month trial that you can redo as many times as you want (you must email them)
   • Or you can purchase a 1 year license for $20
3. Adaptor to go from PC to OBD?
   • https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/A539CE77-1BB3-4897-9C03-4F13CAC8F48B?channel=forscan
   • There are cheaper ones available as well, but this is one recommended by Forscan.
4. Is the software limited to one vehicle or can you use it on multiple vehicles?
   • The software is NOT limited to one vehicle. It can be used on as many vehicles as you want.
   • The license however is only good for one PC. If you want to install on a different PC/Laptop with your existing key, you need to deactivate the key on the first PC, then install and activate on the 2nd PC
5. How do you know what line of code is for what function and what are the options for that line of code?
   • Refer to Livinitup's Spreadsheet. https://www.mustang7g.com/forums/th...ist-database-spreadsheet-by-livinitup.159997/

As @D/\rK•650 mentioned, there is documentation and a forum on the Forscan website. Additionally, you can find tons of videos on YouTube that can help speed up the leaning curve associated with using the program.

I think this is an excellent list. A few random additions from my perspective:

• I purchased this one, it's half price compared to the one post above
• When you first connect the adapter to your car and laptop you need to click the 'connect' button in the software. I didn't do that and I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. DUH.
• Be careful with settings, don't trust AI for anything. I literally took screenshots with my phone of all the screens that I've changed
• Most popular changes I made are: disable ESE/ANC (engine noise), change the tire diameter to reflect my new 20" wheels, enabled the current gear display.
• I really would like to tweak the welcome light (basically make the light show longer), but I haven't found a reliable way to do so. The amber light change sounds cool and not too complicated, but I don't know. Maybe next summer.

 

[Ninjak]

^^^ and it does things that FDRS will not do. The only issue I see with it that if you miss a digit on the numerical location, you can cause problems that are difficult to fix. We get about one vehicle a month towed in where this has happened.

With the latest version of Forescan, it is now in plain English. Actually, I think this version may have come out a few revisions ago.

I broke the laptop last night and updated my Foresacn and license to add Boost/Vacum to Warhorse. I'll probably do the engine noise tonight. Even so, do a backup of your file, save it so you have it in case something goes awry.

Take your time and double-check everything.

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