GEN 1 PCM Error Code

[HEYSEEOH]

Hey, so I've been battling this problem for a few weeks now. I'll copy/paste what I posted on another forum that hasn't led to anything solving it just yet. It's not a Raptor but has the motor/trans just the same, so hopefully someone might have heard of this problem.

POST 1

Alrighty, I'm having trouble with my truck, 2011 F150 Limited with the 6.2L. I have just over 125,000 miles on it. This problem has happened back in 2017 except it was more related to the recall but similar effects. In 2017, I was doing around 65 on the highway and the truck downshifted into second and started bucking pretty badly when I got it slowed down and off the highway. The check engine light and wrench light on the dash came on at that time. At any rate, the truck was stuck in second gear, even in manual shift mode. Had it towed to a shop and they changed out a few shift solenoids and it worked...

...Until a few weeks ago when I parked it with no troubles, then when I started it back up after work it was automatically stuck in third gear and the wrench came up on the dash. I couldn't get it out of third gear now. Same trouble except a different gear and I wasn't moving when the truck locked itself into third. So I had it towed to a local dealer to fix hoping it was covered under the recall. Well they said the symptoms didn't match the recall and after further diagnosis on November 11, Ford told me the PCM was bad and needed to be replaced. Just under $1500 later I had a new PCM and no codes...

...Until yesterday, December 4, I had the same problem yet again. Locked into third gear after I let the truck sit while I went grocery shopping. So I limped it to an auto parts store in the next shopping center. I pulled the codes and got a P0960 and a P0962. The P0960 is "Pressure Control Solenoid A Control Circuit / Open" pending. The P0962 is "Pressure Control Solenoid A Control Circuit Low" permanent. Hoping for a good result I cleared the codes on the scanner and drove it home stuck in third gear.

I pulled the neg battery cable off to reset the code once I got home and was so frustrated I just connected it back after a few minutes and went into the house for the night not expecting anything. I came out this morning, December 5, and started it and to my surprise the code was cleared and it was shifting fine...

...Until after work today, December 5, it locked down again except in fifth gear. I pulled the battery cable again when I got home to clear the code and put it back. Haven't tested it out yet. Still just frustrated with it, plus I had other things to get done. I don't know if I'm more frustrated with the fact that I paid Ford $1500 to change the PCM that evidently wasn't a problem at all or that the problem won't go away. I've spent $2300 at 2 different mechanics (1 being a dealer) to fix this problem and it still persists.

Does anyone have any ideas on what this might be?

POST 2

I've contacted Ford about what is going on, waiting on them to contact me back. A new problem that I noticed this morning, December 6, which definitely tells me it's an electrical issue is that while driving it sometimes feels like it has a huge misfire and slightly bucks and the RPMs bounce 4-500 RPM up and down pretty rapidly. If I wasn't watching the gauges this is what I would have thought but I had the gears pulled up to watch and see what the transmission is doing. What it does is it'll go from, and this is just an example of what I saw this morning and is not limited to it, it jumps from 5th or 6th gear and back to 1st while the RPMs bounce around a bit and then straightens itself out and switches back to the proper gear after 5 seconds or so. This tells me it's a short or bad connection somewhere.


EDIT - I just saw some posts about the leadframe in the 6R being part of the recall. It was the exact same symptoms that I felt this morning. I had the leadframe replaced as part of the first fix in 2017 however that was before they acknowledged a recall on them and maybe I got another bad one when it was replaced?

 

[MTF]

@HEYSEEOH

Wow, that sucks that the dealer made you buy a new PCM!
It could have been something with the PCM but I doubt it.
Unfortunately going to the dealer feels like your getting rip off but you problem will get fixed eventually by letting them figure it out.
These days with all this computer crap it's hard to find a shop that can do what a dealer can do.

NOW
That's all transmission issues,
Input and output shaft speed sensor!!!, wheel speed sensor, ABS senor, valve body(valves/selenoids, o-rings and seals) and Leadframe assembly and bulk head connection.

There may be other things wrong in there but these are the common issues when there's a problem.

Also while you are clearing the current CEL with a battery disconnect, after three CELs in three drive cycles it becomes permanent.
And cannot be cleared by a battery disconnect, only a reflash of the PCM or Ford dealer using there laptop and software can clear it.

Get yourself a OBDII reader that can clear codes, so you can document codes and find out what codes they are.
There not that expensive.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KTVM8TM/?tag=fordraptorforum-20

I'm sure you read all these but I'll post it up.
Code P0960:
https://www.obd-codes.com/p0960

Check this out!!!: If this was my truck this what I would buy (part# PA68301) and have installed
I tried to search for this part number but no luck, I would call Tascaparts at Tasca Ford, they usually have the best dealer prices.

And this:

​

 

[HEYSEEOH]

MTF, I appreciate your help. I'm going to go wrestle with Ford when I get out of work in a little bit. From everything that I've read it was what I thought all along and they refused to fix it and made me pay for something that was never part of the problem. Going to drive the truck around and get on video the transmission down shifting on me and going back to the proper gear.

 

[MTF]

Let the service manager watch the first video,
but you know how that goes, techs don't like to be told what's wrong or could be wrong.

The whole lead frame is definitely the main issue in my opinion.

I learned something new myself, I didn't know that there is an updated valve body assembly.

 

[1BAD454SSv2]

Check your wiring harness ,under truck, passenger side right above pass side exhaust pipe where it attaches to the exhaust manifold see if that harness is laying on the pipe . Mine did i started to get a miss , i caught it right away . Burned one wire to the heated oxygen sensor. The transmission wires are in the same bundle.

 

[FordTechOne]

Check your wiring harness ,under truck, passenger side right above pass side exhaust pipe where it attaches to the exhaust manifold see if that harness is laying on the pipe . Mine did i started to get a miss , i caught it right away . Burned one wire to the heated oxygen sensor. The transmission wires are in the same bundle.

Excellent advice.

OP - As mentioned previously, dealership blatantly misdiagnosed the issue as PCM. I’d encourage you to go back to them and ask for at least a refund of the labor for the “diagnosis”; it’s bad enough that you had to pay for the part, but when you pay labor, you’re expecting an accurate diagnosis and proper repair. They provided neither.

 

[HEYSEEOH]

Excellent advice.

OP - As mentioned previously, dealership blatantly misdiagnosed the issue as PCM. I’d encourage you to go back to them and ask for at least a refund of the labor for the “diagnosis”; it’s bad enough that you had to pay for the part, but when you pay labor, you’re expecting an accurate diagnosis and proper repair. They provided neither.

Well. Just heard back from the dealer. They said the solenoids in the valve body are shorting the PCM causing the PCM to malfunction and need replacement along with "main control" or what I call the valve body. Another $1500 repair. They refuse to do the 16N02 extended service or whatever. I call it a recall, they call it something else. Please let me know something.

EDIT - This doesn't seem right to me. It clearly has all the symptoms of the "recall" but they say it's the valve body causing it. It seems to me that they are trying to cover their butt by saying it was the PCM to begin with but it was because of the solenoid in the valve body frying the PCM. And since they have the transmission cracked open to "replace" the valve body they could just fix what was wrong to begin with at my expense. But it's so ethically wrong it makes me think twice about it. But it also doesn't seem likely that a pressure control solenoid would grenade the PCM like that.

 

[MTF]

It's the Leadframe assembly as well as the solenoids that would short out the PCM

Man, I hope you're getting the complete valve body + Lead frame installed.

I would get a new PCM on their dime, what's to say the one they made you buy isn't damaged now because of their mistakes.

 

[HEYSEEOH]

It's the Leadframe assembly as well as the solenoids that would short out the PCM

Man, I hope you're getting the complete valve body + Lead frame installed.

I would get a new PCM on their dime, what's to say the one they made you buy isn't damaged now because of their mistakes.

They're covering the PCM under warranty. But they're telling me just the valve body and not the lead frame and that they can't just replace the solenoid(s) shorting the PCM.

 

[MTF]

The Lead Frame is like $300, it's up to you but I'd get it done anyway.