Chip installation/2004 Marauder

[Ralph Sr.]

I purchased a computer chip from PSP and I'm looking for help. Where is the computer in the 2004 Marauder? What tools will I need? Is it a big job or something I can do myself? Thanks!
Ralph
:help:

[TechHeavy]

I purchased a computer chip from PSP and I'm looking for help. Where is the computer in the 2004 Marauder? What tools will I need? Is it a big job or something I can do myself? Thanks!
Ralph
:help:
Hi Ralph! I don't know the answer you need, but I guarantee you someone here does and you can expect an answer soon. Just wanted to say welcome to our site! Great MM community here!

:welcome:

[martyo]

I don't think that the 2004's can be chipped. I think they need to be flashed through the OBDII port.

[RF Overlord]

I think some early 2004s have the service port active, but basically martyo's right...

But to answer Ralph Sr.'s question, the PCM is just above and to the left of the steering column, from underneath the dash.

Disconnect the negative terminal from the battery first. THIS IS IMPORTANT!

From under the hood, loosen the 10mm (I think) bolt that secures the wiring harness connector to the PCM and unplug it. It may be easier if you unbolt the cruise control unit from the fenderwell, and move it out of the way.

Remove the hush panel from under the dash...there are 4 of those plastic "christmas tree" fasteners. The PCM should just "unclip" from its bracket...

The service port may be hidden behind a breakaway door in the PCM cover, so just because you don't SEE one, doesn't mean it's not there.

Be sure to clean ALL repeat ALL of the bluish-green conformal coating from the contacts on the service port. This is the #1 cause of no-start or other problems with initial installation of chips. Using one of those lighted magnifiers helps.

After you've done all this, you may find that your chip just doesn't do anything...this may be because the service port is deactivated, as it is on a lot of 2004s...you may want to see if you can return the chip, and get one of the new hand-held tuners (it may be your only option)...they're a LOT more versatile, easier to use, and perhaps most importantly, there's no "warranty-voiding" evidence of their use, as there is with a chip.

[MikesMerc]

ALL 04 Marauders can indeed be chipped. They ALL have the functioning service port.

I beleive we have covered this in the past already.

FYI.

[Mike Poore]

I purchased a computer chip from PSP and I'm looking for help. Where is the computer in the 2004 Marauder? What tools will I need? Is it a big job or something I can do myself? Thanks!
Ralph
:help:

Ralph, STOP!!! Take it to someone who has the equipment and knowhow to install and flash the 'puter. There's shops in your area that can/will do it correctly. Screw it up, and you've smoked a $7,000 engine, and Ford will NOT support you if anything goes wrong with this mod.:twocents:

[nexstar7]

keep mindfull of your warranty. its been posted lots of times about the dealers voiding your warranty if they find out you've been chipped ;)

[carfixer]

Ralph, it can indeed be chipped. Like the others have said, you are better off with a handheld tuner for warranty purposes. The dealer can deny warranty claims if you car has or had a chip installed, it they can easily tell if it was chipped. With a tuner, you can simply "flash" your car back to stock for service visits and nobody will ever know.

If you are gonna use the chip: remove the pcm as indicated above and be sure to clean the terminals very very very well. Once you are done, your gonna love the difference.

[nexstar7]

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what he said is on the money. get a tuner.

[Zack]

Tuners are great for the owner who wants to make a change and leave it alone.
Me, on the other hand has both a 4 position chip and the tuner for 'on the fly' changes.

[jstevens]

I went with a chip.
As far as warranty, dealer must prove chip caused issue.

Plus, this platform that the vehicle was build on has a long history so the odds are in your favor that everything will turn out okay. I've been to 2 dealerships for oil changes and neither has said anything about the chip and gears I've installed.

And I agree, take it to someone that knows what their doing.
I do not do any of my own work as I would rather pay and have it done properly rather than saving money and screwing it up.

[SergntMac]

I purchased a computer chip from PSP and I'm looking for help. Where is the computer in the 2004 Marauder? What tools will I need? Is it a big job or something I can do myself? Thanks! Ralph
Whao...Who-what, is "PSP?" Got a link for us?

You may have purchased a "mod" none of us have ever seen, or tested ourselves. Therefore, all advice we have given you here could be dead wrong, and cost you some serious bucks when none of it pans out. So, fill us in, please?

If your "PSP" is a typo for Paul's HP, (PHP) it's cool. If not, we may be giving you directions to Hell.

[QWK SVT]

Whao...Who-what, is "PSP?" Got a link for us?

You may have purchased a "mod" none of us have ever seen, or tested ourselves. Therefore, all advice we have given you here could be dead wrong, and cost you some serious bucks when none of it pans out. So, fill us in, please?

If your "PSP" is a typo for Paul's HP, (PHP) it's cool. If not, we may be giving you directions to Hell.
I think it's probably Power Surge Performance (http://www.powersurgeperformance.net/index.asp). They have made a good name for themselves, in the Lightning community. Didn't know they offered anything for the MM. They use diablo chips...

[MarauderMark]

Ralph, STOP!!! Take it to someone who has the equipment and knowhow to install and flash the 'puter. There's shops in your area that can/will do it correctly. Screw it up, and you've smoked a $7,000 engine, and Ford will NOT support you if anything goes wrong with this mod.:twocents:



Heed this warning!!!!!!!!!this operation cost me over $1,300.00 trying to do myself.. :help: :help: :help:

[Marauderjack]

DR sent 3 chips for 04 MM's to a South Florida dealer and none of them worked!! :mad2: :mad2:

If you "open" the blocked service port you will cause warranty problems if the dealer sees the EEC has been tampered with!! Do yourself a favor and get a tuner with three different programs installed.....the possibilities are endless!! :D

Marauderjack :bandit:

[RF Overlord]

this operation cost me over $1,300.00 trying to do myself
DR sent 3 chips for 04 MM's to a South Florida dealer and none of them worked!!

'jack: Does this mean the service port WAS disabled in those cars?

[MikesMerc]

NO.

What it means is that either the chips were bad, or the dealer did not know what he was doing. Its that simple.

FYI...I'll say it again...ALL 04s can accept the chip. This has been confirmed by Steve Babcock via several conversations with the production engineers. Steve, Lidio, and I have talked at length about this issue and the answer is solid.

Okay...that's settled:)

As far a tuner or chip. Well its just personal preference. A tuner is a great idea for those that don't mind "waiting" to flash the car. Saving warranty issues is a very good reason.

For me, the flip chip with multiple settings is the only way to go. I really like the ability to change to one of my 4 programs "on the fly"...it literally takes 1 second. I installed the chip myself in about 45 minutes and that inluded running the cable for the flip chip into my dashboard. I also have had it in and out severl times without issue to adjust the multiple programs I keep on it. I mean no disrespect, But I cannot imagine how it could have cost anyone $1300 bucks because of it. Unless of course they tried to do something silly like conntect the chip with the ignition is the "power on" postion or damaged the gold fingers by sanding them with something other than a scotch brite pad :nono:

To each their own on this one.

[CRUZTAKER]

Ahhhhhh!!!!!

Slow down everyone. The poor guy's head is gonna spin if and when he returns to this thread.

What we all can agree on is that HE SHOULD HAVE ASKED FIRST.

We have vendors here that have the products with the tried and true programs we all use.

The argument over tuners and chips is rIdiculous! The tuner is great for folks who fear voiding warrantys and deal with generic programs. The chip is the ONLY way to go for SERIOUS programming changes at various levels of performance. End of story.

The big issue here is that this fellow went to another vendor and aquired not only a Diablo, but one with who the hell knows program on it. BAD IN TWO POINTS.

Diablo chips for Marauder owners are basically DONE for us as NONE of our pioneering tuner folks support them any longer. This includes THE man, Jerry W. at superchips, Dennis Reinhart, and Lidio at alternative auto.

I have the PDF files for chip installation, and YES, one can do it themselves if they have the ability to READ and follow instructions in less than an hour. I wouldn't trust a third party other than those mentioned above to do this install.

Foremost.....SEND THE DIABLO BACK IMMEDIATELY, you won't get the support you need in the future. Call Dennis and get one of the new Superchips CHIP.

[Dennis Reinhart]

DR sent 3 chips for 04 MM's to a South Florida dealer and none of them worked!! :mad2: :mad2:

If you "open" the blocked service port you will cause warranty problems if the dealer sees the EEC has been tampered with!! Do yourself a favor and get a tuner with three different programs installed.....the possibilities are endless!! :D

Marauderjack :bandit:


The same program that is installed in the tuners is burnt on to the chips, I sent three and the car had a NO Start situattion so the chances of three chips being bad are very slim. I asked Jerry W about this and he was the EEC engineer that worked for the company that Ford assined to do all the testing for the Marauder if you would have done a search, you would have seen I have told the members here why I do not recomend Chips for the 04. Its because the service port on the EEC can be turned off, Ford leaves out two micro resistors out of the cicuit board which opens the terminal board on the EEC, so the chip will not work and with it installed the car will not start. I never knew this, till the dealer sent me the EEC and we found this, I took pictures of the the EEC and sent them to Jerry he confirmed this and maybe not all 04's are turned off, this one car was. I just dont take the chance I only use tuners on them.

I sent that dealer tuners and the cars scream one of them was a FHP car. :beer:

[CRUZTAKER]

.... Ford leaves out two micro resistors out of the cicuit board which opens the terminal board on the EEC.........and maybe not all 04's are turned off,.....
Thank you Dennis, I can now add this to my future replies in regard to chipping 04's.;)

[Dennis Reinhart]

Barry again I am not saying all 04 have the port turned off, I am saying I have sold over a thousand chips and I have never, had three different chips not start a car, unless the service port was off or the EEC had been flashed, the dealer sent us the EEC and the port was off, and all 05's have now gone to this and even some older Fords had the EEC port off, Ford Rangers do it all the time,

The same tunning data that goes in the chip goes in the tunner, and with the tunner there is no chance of denied warranty, one of the FHP cars we did yesterday was one of those cars from that dealer and it was flashed and the car ran great, the troopers loved driving my BLUE CAR

We had a real good time, we are going back Tuesday.

[SergntMac]

Seems to me that once you break the door out to gain access to the service port, you're screwed. L/M doesn't have to find your chip, they can stand on the damaged door as evidence of EEC tampering. Moreover, right may be on your side regarding warranty repairs, however, once you are "voided," what do you do about your needed repairs while that fight goes on? YOU PAY.

IMHO, avoid a chip when you can. If you get the Pro Racer program along with your handheld, your programming possibilities are endless.

[MikesMerc]

I have told the members here why I do not recomend Chips for the 04. Its because the service port on the EEC can be turned off, Ford leaves out two micro resistors out of the cicuit board which opens the terminal board on the EEC, so the chip will not work and with it installed the car will not start. I never knew this, till the dealer sent me the EEC and we found this, I took pictures of the the EEC and sent them to Jerry he confirmed this and maybe not all 04's are turned off, this one car was.

Just FYI the guys here in Dearborn beleive that if we see a car with the port turned off or eliminated that it was likely a replacement EEC for that particular car. The production engineer who would know this confirmed that no MM left St Thomas with the port deactivitated or eliminated. This has already been looked into at length by a some vendors whose product designs were based on it. This was not guess work.

That said, I still think the tuner is an excellent choice anyway. If I didn't have a need for an on the fly change of program, I'd certainly go the tuner route.

[RF Overlord]

The production engineer who would know this confirmed that no MM left St Thomas with the port deactivitated or eliminated.

Uncle......!

[jstevens]

I think the tuner and chip are a personal issue and should not weigh heavily for the warranty concerns.
I've said it before, our vehicle has a long history and therefore should not be tempermental. Plus chip must be proven to be cause of issue.
The day my warranty is voided is the day I will write off the dealer and manufacturer.

[maraudernkc]

Ralph, You would be better of using the SCT 9100 handheld tunner that will hold several programs including your stock program. The dealer will never know that you have touched it. If you take it in for service just put the stock program back in. You can buy one from Dennis Reinhart.




I purchased a computer chip from PSP and I'm looking for help. Where is the computer in the 2004 Marauder? What tools will I need? Is it a big job or something I can do myself? Thanks!
Ralph
:help:

[CRUZTAKER]

BTW: Where IS Ralph?

Maybe we wait for him to actually come back to HIS thread before we kill each other.:P

[jstevens]

I agree Barry, Ralph, please report to the office.