FICM OBD Codes and Repair Guide

Is your 6.0 Powerstroke having trouble starting?

Getting terrible fuel economy?

Do you have a check engine light with any of the following OBD codes?

(Injector circuit low voltage)

If so, you might be experiencing FICM failure. This is a common issue for these trucks, and I think most 6.0’s will have problems with the FICM at some point in their lifetime.

What the heck is this FICM thing you might ask?

• 

  Ford 6.0 Powerstroke FICM 4C3Z-12B599-ABRM

  Check Price
  Amazon

  as of September 8, 2023 11:56 pm

  Features

  • $250 refund with return of your original module
  • Upgraded control board over Ford & International OEM replacements - 5 YEAR WARRANTY!
  • We will contact you for your VIN to ensure proper programming
  • Remanufactured in the USA

The Fuel Injection Control Module – is an electronic module in charge of deciding the amount of fuel to deliver to each of the cylinders. It does this by relaying voltage to close and open each cylinder’s fuel injector, to deliver the pressurized fuel with the correct timing.

As your truck racks up mileage, the FICM starts having trouble in doing its job correctly. A big issue with these is with the solder on the output circuit board. Over time, the solder fails on the connections for the components of the board, and as a result the output voltages drop below the required parameters.

This causes the injectors to not open and close when they should, leaving you with a truck that is impossible or very difficult to start, even more so a problem in cold weather. Also, depending on how shot your module is, you may have already noticed a real drop in your fuel economy,

Damage to the FICM is mostly caused when your batteries or alternator are too weak to do their jobs adequately. These 6.0’s come with only an 110 amp alternator, the same kind that Ford uses on some of their passenger cars, not very robust at all for the powerstroke needs.

This is a bad thing because when cranking your powerstroke, the glow plugs and just the required starting electronics can draw about 230 amps. You can easily see the issue of having a weak electrical system there. A good practice is to periodically check your charging system, especially the batteries.

If your truck isn’t your daily driver, you can extend the life of those expensive batteries by using a desulphating smart battery charger. If it is already too late for your old batteries, it might be time to upgrade to AGM batteries.

An upgraded alternator can also make a big difference in the life on the onboard electronics. A higher amperage alternator for the 6.0 powerstroke is a very good upgrade for your truck’s electrical system.

Testing for a failed FICM

In order to verify if you are in need of a FICM repair or replacement, you will want to check the output voltage on the module itself.

You will need a multimeter and an assistant to perform this test:

1. Remove the coolant reservoir with a 10mm ratchet and place aside or remove
2. Locate the FICM and the pinout cover
3. Use a T20 Torx bit to remove the two cover fasteners
4. Set your multimeter to DC volts and attach the negative lead to the battery negative terminal.
5. Touch the positive lead to the pin on the FICM that is closest to the driver’s side. Don’t led your lead touch the case!
6. Have your assistant turn the key on, but not to start
7. Read the voltage, it should be right at 48v and no higher than 49v or lower than 47v.

How to fix your FICM

There are a couple of different ways to go about fixing your defective fuel injection control module, the best option is simply repairing the part that has failed in most people’s broken FICM. By far, the most module issues that people experience come from a failed power supply circuit board.

The good news is that the FICM power supply board is a cheap and easy fix.

This fix works for the 6.0 control module found in late 04-07 Super Duty pickups, and the Econoline vans, which also used the same module up until the 2010 model year I believe.

The actual repair is pretty simple, once you’ve gotten your FICM out of the truck, you just have to open the case and remove the Torx (T10 and T20 bits are required) screws to get at the circuit board.

A new power supply board can easily be found on Amazon:

• 

  Dorman 904-229 Fuel Injection Control Module

  Check Price
  Amazon

  as of September 8, 2023 11:56 pm

  Features

  • Direct replacement - this FICM inverter board replaces the original board on certain Ford and Navistar vehicles to restore operation when the original unit fails from excessive heat and vibration
  • Cost-saving solution - when FICMs fail, it's often only the power board, not the controller board and housing that make up the entire module; save money by just replacing broken board
  • No programming required - if you replace the entire module, you need to reinitialize it using professional tools, but not if you replace only the inverter board with this repair kit
  • Improved design - since the factory board fails from excessive heat and vibration, this unit features additional securing compound to help prevent it from failing the same way again in the future
  • Ensure fit - to make sure this part fits your exact vehicle, input your make, model and trim level into the garage tool

The best part is that by just replacing this board, the repair is a fraction of the cost of replacing the entire module as a whole part.

The below video is the best walk through that I have seen for this repair, as you can see it really isn’t that terrible of a job.