Ford will ship Broncos without chips controlling non-safety critical features

[22OBX]

The article says the dealers were told at the NADA meeting the vehicles would be drivable and sellable. It is a REVISION of the plan your dealer speaks of from last July. Ford doesn’t want to build inventory, they want to sell. Especially right now with so many production cuts.

“The plan is a revision of an idea floated in July, where Ford considered shipping partially built vehicles to dealers to sit on their lots until parts became available. Now, according to the people, the partially built vehicles Ford will send dealers will be both drivable and sellable.”

“Ford said it would send the necessary chips within one year for dealers to install in the sold products, the people said.”

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[North7]

I wonder if the raptors, since they are the most capable, will not be shipping due to the number of important systems and the interconnection of said systems

Absolutely, Ford will be building and shipping all special editions. This is way more important than honoring the earlier reservations / orders and building the Bronco's they ordered. (sarcastic /not-sarcastic, like I even needed to clarify).

Yes, a handful of reservation handraisers will get their Raptors sooner, rather than later.

 

[Compta38]

Probably will remove 360 cameras, heated seats, and ACC

One of the main reasons I upgraded to high package was for 360 cameras. If they remove that feature for up to a year of my ownership I will be PISSED.

 

[22OBX]

One of the main reasons I upgraded to high package was for 360 cameras. If they remove that feature for up to a year of my ownership I will be PISSED.

IF they end up following through I really believe it will be heated seats, or memory seat control or something similar. Something easily swapped in. Remove seat install, next. Or it could be some other small part that requires a chip that isn’t a module. I replaced a throttle body on my coyote swapped ‘73 this week. I was curious why the one I had went bad so I opened the side where the TP sensor is located and low and behold, a chip was in the throttle body as well. I really believe that is why the LCD disappeared from the temp knob’s because they had chips inside of them as well.

 

[North7]

IF they end up following through I really believe it will be heated seats, or memory seat control or something similar. Something easily swapped in. Remove seat install, next. Or it could be some other small part that requires a chip that isn’t a module. I replaced a throttle body on my coyote swapped ‘73 this week. I was curious why the one I had went bad so I opened the side where the TP sensor is located and low and behold, a chip was in the throttle body as well. I really believe that is why the LCD disappeared from the temp knob’s because they had chips inside of them as well.

Ford technician's do not install "chips", this is a specialized skill set performed by factory automation equipment or Electronic Technicians when a single one needs to be replaced.

Automotive Technicians do not have the training, tools or knowledge how to do this without blowing out the chips due to static mishandling. Further, you have to have factory specialized test equipment to validate the installed chip is properly working within the module.

Some chip package styles will not even allow for manual install.

DEALERS DO NOT INSTALL CHIPS!

That is not how electronics are built, the chips are received at the module suppliers and then go into the fabrication process that involves multi-million dollar production equipment. Depending on the component type, surface mount, through-hole, etc, it will use different machines and processes, see examples below.

Then, during and after all of the assembly production steps, the modules are tested and reworked as needed, then and only then are the 100% functional modules shipped to Ford.

Unfortunately, automotive marketing and media types don't know how to say, as soon as our suppliers get the chips they will build the modules and ship them.

Here is an example of a SMT, surface mount component pick & place machine that inserts the components onto the circuit boards.

Then, depending on the type of components, it's time to solder, this example is a Wave solder station where the stuffed circuit boards, with through-hole components, get soldered, in that flowing, molting solder bath.

Electronics 101 Primer
It is not the chips that are actually missing in any shipped/delayed vehicles. Chips are simply one element, or one component, inside of an electronic assembly, sometimes called a module, device or unit. These units are held up at the supplier awaiting the actual chips to arrive so the units can be completed and tested. Only then are the units shipped to Ford.

Dealer's will not be receiving "Chips", dealers will be receiving "Complete Modules" which contain the missing chips, for example, here is a Heated Seat Control Module for the Mustang.

An example of the actual Chips, they are the small black devices, on the green circuit board, in the open module below (three examples circled in red):

Here is an example of an acutal F-150 module being replaced. Ford ICE Mountain workers or Dealers are doing nothing more than plugging in full assemblies, similar to this.

 

[22OBX]

Ford technician's do not install "chips", this is a specialized skill set performed by factory automation equipment or Electronic Technicians when a single one needs to be replaced.

Automotive Technicians do not have the training, tools or knowledge how to do this without blowing out the chips due to static mishandling. Further, you have to have factory specialized test equipment to validate the installed chip is properly working within the module.

Some chip package styles will not even allow for manual install.

I know that. I have stated that numerous times on this forum. I’m talking about a plug and play MODULE. The chips are installed where they build the modules at Tier 2 or 3 suppliers that then send the module to Ford. I just went through an 2012 F150 platinum wiring harness and removed modules and swapped a coyote into my ‘73 using a factory PCM and BJB. I removed all circuits and modules not needed to make it run. I pretty familiar what can be removed and what cannot since I have the Ford wiring manual almost memorized now.

 

[mpeugeot]

The real question is what modules are in short supply or simply unavailable. Also unknown is If they are substituting a lower spec, more available module for the higher spec modules (like a standard/mid-package BCM for a high/lux BCM) or if there are just missing sub-modules like a seat control module. Ford is so ambiguous about what is going on that no one has a clue as to what to expect.

 

[Apple Blossom]

So I was talking to my long suffering salesman yesterday. They had some F150s that were on order arrive about a week ago. They had stickers on a window detailing each of the modules missing and these were delivered to the customers. I have no details but expect to gather more information when I get an oil change in my 2018 Edge tomorrow. The oil change that should not have had to happen on my watch. Go Team..

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