The Ford recommended procedure for this is stated as: In this instance, you are going to have to use a different method of telling the replacement ECU what the needed As-Built data information should be. The normal Ford programming procedure has you 'inhale' (read and store data) the As-Built data (from the old ECU to the scan tool), so As-Built vehicle specific production and calibration details can then be transferred to a new, remanufactured, or salvaged ECU you are installing.Ī complication arises when you are attempting to replace an ECU that is dead or not communicating with the scan tool (or programming device). However, Ford does do one thing differently than most other OEMs. Programming Ford electronic control units (ECUs) is pretty straightforward and simple compared to many other OEMs. Some of the information may no longer be relevant, so please use it at your discretion. Note: For FORScan coding modifications, we recommend using the OBD2 USB adapter for it provides a more stable connection.Editor's Note: This article was orginally published May 1, 2011. Below are our featured OBD2 adapters that work flawlessly with FORScan. To make such changes you will need a reliable FORScan adapter to do the trick. The tool works best with FORScan if you wish to apply modifications to your vehicle. Once you got the As-built data that you need, you can now run them with the As-Built Explorer software. You can look for these data from forum and other related forums. Then use these VIN numbers to search and download their As-Built *.AB format, *.ABT format, or UCDS format files. To search for similar as-built codes, you will need first to get the VIN numbers of the vehicle models you want to compare with. The tool is compatible with Ford as well as Lincoln and Mazda vehicles. It also allows you to export to *.AB format and to the UCDS *.XML format.

It can compare single *.AB format for Ford/Motorcraft with multiple *.ABT format files for FORScan As-Built data, along with the UCDS type of files. This handy tool allows you to compare, explore, and analyze numerous as-built data of various vehicle models. If you are looking for vehicle models that share the similar as-built codes as your vehicle, you can use the As-Built Explorer software created by Jesse Yeager. A number of Ford vehicles share the same as-built data.

Ford as built data decoder