The Diesel Stop banner
Cancel

KEY FOB VSM ??

4613 Views 26 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  SamTruck, 
Traildust
This is my first post in quiet a while, my truck has been doing great. The only problem has been the continuing door lock and dome lights thing that has been going on for a long time. Now the two OEM key fobs will not work. I tried the reprogram procedure, changed the batteries and checked fuse 19 still nothing. When the key is on everything works power windows, power door locks and dome lights also power seats and power at the 12vdc outlets (cigarette lighter). The key fob will lock all four doors once and unlock the drivers door once with dome lights coming on sometimes for about 30 seconds and others for over 7 minutes. I can drive it like this but I would like to get the key fobs working. My dealer tells me that the VSM is no longer available for my truck, I hope not.
Do I need a VSM or what should I do? Not sure if my signature is still good but the truck is:
2002 F350 Lariat, CC, LB, 4X4 six speed, 7.3
Bill
Reply
Save
Like
21 - 27 of 27 Posts
D
04-07 Ford F250 F350 Multifunction Anti-Theft Keyless Module 4C7T-15K602-AG OEM | eBay

According to the ebay seller in the above link, the two part numbers are interchange. However, I would talk with your dealer service manager to see what he says about that before you have it programmed.
Reply
Save
Like
SamTruck
Ah ok. Yes there is a lot of talk about how different P/Ns work with different trucks - though annoying when you don’t get exactly what you ordered. I am curious if I’ll have the same deal with the one I ordered.

That’s more like it! Unfortunately…. I was expecting something like a buck 70. With waiting, just be sure that your eBay dude doesn’t have a time period for a core return that you don’t miss. I saw some did and some didn’t when I was still looking on eBay.

Also you can plug that new one in to see if it already flashed to a truck of your body style. Before you go to the dealer. Unlikely but never know. If so you saved yourself $170.

Another thought I had…there’s a YouTube vid of a guy that runs a gauge cluster reman shop and shows how he fixes them. 9/10 it’s loose soldered connections on the circuit board. You know, the whole Windows/radio/cluster issues our trucks have when the cluster goes bad. I’m starting to wonder if this is a similar case with our VSMs and if we got one of those very small soldering irons along with the microscope, by resoldering all of our VSM board’s connections if it would work again…
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
Traildust
Great tip about plugging in the replacement VSM just on outside chance it works. That would be really great if it did but knowing my luck, not gonna happen. I will give it a shot soon as I can get to it. The video makes me envious to watch that guy solder. No way I could do that with these 71 year old hands.
Bill
Reply
Save
Like
SamTruck
Agreed!! Good luck, curious if it ends up bringing your truck back to normal! May need to go through your steps to reprogram your fob - turn the key 8 times in ten seconds thing to reprogram your fob to verify functionality… if it’ll even do it without the dealer sticking his hands into your pocket…
Reply
Save
Like
SamTruck
Hey Bill. My VSM came in from Auto ECMs. I installed it as soon as it was delivered by UPS. Feels like the original part fit & finish wise. Original part number for replacement too. Disconnected batteries, plugged in module, reconnected batteries as to not arc connections on this apparently sensitive module. Everything works in the truck again and I have power locks, key fob, door ajar light is off when it should be, and radio off when it should be. I don’t even need to go to the dealer to flash since I guess they did it for me bc I did a replacement with exact match P/Ns. So all said and done I’m in about $450 after I pay for shipping to send my original back for the core charge return and have a 1 year warranty.

Let me know how yours goes once you test it out. Also don’t forget about the 8 times back and forth in ten seconds from OFF to RUN for your key fob programming. Mine instantly recognized my fob again once I programmed it like that, imagine you’ll have to do that too.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
Traildust
Thanks for the update. Great that the VSM you received went so well. I've ran into a problem with my VSM, it's called age I think. Crawled up under the dash to begin pulling my old VSM out and was hit with really bad back spasms so had to abort the mission. I am 71 but up until now this never happened maybe just a bad back. Anyway my dealer tells me they can do it for $350, of course there is no guarantee it's gonna work. So with the $223 I paid for the replacement VSM and the $350 that's $573 should have went your route.
Bill
Reply
Save
Like
SamTruck
Hi folks, if anybody else happens to see this check out this video I made on YouTube that helps you walk through it. Tried to capture as much VSM knowledge I was able to acquire through this repair. Hopefully this helps someone. Reach out if you need anything.
Reply
Save
Like
21 - 27 of 27 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
The Diesel Stop
A forum community dedicated to all Ford Diesel owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about PowerStrokes, performance, modifications, troubleshooting, towing capacity, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
99 & up 7.3L Power Stroke Engine & Drivetrain 6.0L Power Stroke Engine and Drivetrain 99 & up Upgrades and Aftermarket - 7.3L Engine Power Strokes 1994-1997 General 7.3L IDI Diesels (Not Powerstrokes) 1988-1993
Top