Recommendations for 2.3L Service Mode Scan Tool? For service mode / brake job

[BudgetBronco]

Schnikeys....I was able to put it in to brake service mode, but I cannot get it back to normal mode and got a CEL to boot.

Good news, I found this post and it worked!
https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/stuck-in-brake-maintenance-mode.19741/post-472412

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[Junior127]

How did you get it in brake service mode and was it with the 2.3L?

I have tried the procedure listed previously multiple times and I can't get it to work.

I tried after software updates to hoping it was part of it.

Thanks

 

[BudgetBronco]

2.3L with manual transmission, I put it in service mode by following the standard procedure:
- ignition on
- hold emergency brake disengage level and gas pedal
- turn off
- turn back on
- release brake lever and gas pedal

 

[Junior127]

Ok thank you. I wonder if it has something to do with the manual transmission versus the automatic.

I will try again this weekend to see if anything changed.

 

[RagnarKon]

Ok thank you. I wonder if it has something to do with the manual transmission versus the automatic.

It doesn’t.

I have the same thing as @BudgetBronco … 2.3L with a manual transmission. Doesn’t work.

He has a 2021 (if I recall correctly) while mine is a late 2022. Chances are Ford made a software change to one of the modules needed for service mode in the later model years and broke the functionality. Probably by mistake to be honest, because the procedure is still listed as valid in the official service manual.

Dealers have the necessary communication channels to raise issues up with Ford, but I’m guessing most dealer techs use FDRS rather than the manual procedure. So it likely just hasn’t bubbled to the top as an issue yet.

 

[Junior127]

I saw the communications my tech had with the Ford hotline as he called it and they were not very good.

I agree the techs use FDRS and there is no reason for Ford to change anything.

 

[Poppavein]

So you have to have FDRS in order to service the rear brakes?!
How do I inform Ford of my dissatisfaction?
I guess there is that voice feedback in Sync4 ...

 

[HighVelocity]

So what happens if one replaces the brake pads without doing all this nonsense?

 

[MayhemMike]

So what happens if one replaces the brake pads without doing all this nonsense?

Excellent question. I for one as a certified geezer who has changed brakes on my vehicles forever, would have just went and changed the rear brakes on my Bronco without any regard for some tech installed mumbo jumbo. Also, why just the rear brakes?

 

[Brian_B]

So what happens if one replaces the brake pads without doing all this nonsense?

I haven't tried this - but from what I've seen here:

Pads - I don't think anything happens.

Caliper or need to bleed the system out for some reason, it will still work fine, just throws a error code.

 

[HighVelocity]

Also, why just the rear brakes?

I'm guessing something to do with the electric parking brake.

 

[MayhemMike]

I haven't tried this - but from what I've seen here:

Pads - I don't think anything happens.

Caliper or need to bleed the system out for some reason, it will still work fine, just throws a error code.

So it displays a code, I plug in the OB and clear the code after the bleeding is accomplished. Or is this some locked in code that requires service level OB? Now that I think of it, by the time the Bronco needs rear brakes replaced, I will be dead.

 

[Ducati1098]

So what happens if one replaces the brake pads without doing all this nonsense?

Usually the piston won’t depress far enough to install the new pads. The brake maintenance mode retracts the piston completely for service and then adjusts it after done.

 

[RobBob22]

Usually the piston won’t depress far enough to install the new pads. The brake maintenance mode retracts the piston completely for service and then adjusts it after done.

So what happens if one replaces the brake pads without doing all this nonsense?

I also have the 2.3L brake maintenance mode issue, I have the performance calibration and a pro cal configured 3.0 rack, not sure if either of these bricked the maintenance feature, but putting that out there.

I'm here to tell you exactly what happens, and how I got around it, but attempt at your own risk.

Front brakes, as expected nothing. Super easy.

Rear brakes. Unbolted the caliper and pulled the caliper off, attempted to use a c-clamp to push the piston in and very quickly realized it's not going to budge. Ultimately with the help of a friend @Gene Dios we engaged the parking brake and released it repeatedly. Whenever we released the brake the other person would turn the c-clamp in with moderate force. Results varied sometimes we would get 3-4mm of the piston to retract, other times it seemed like none. One thing is for sure, we set off several error codes: Parking brake fault, braking system fault service, and at one point parking brake overheated - at which point we took a rest and disconnected the battery. On the driver side we probably repeated this process 10 times, but on the passenger side it was easily 30 times or more. After getting the piston completely flush I was able to get the new pads in, and after a few cycles of the e-brake all the faults cleared.

10 outa 10 only recommend for the determined and those that can ignore the sound of the electric parking brake motor making the terrible sound it normally does but worse.

Also rear pads were shot, maybe 5,000 more miles on them. Only at 24,000K.

 

[Junior127]

RobBob22, thank you for that information.

Still lousy we can't just use the procedure the 2.7 people can.

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