Ford Might Ask Dealers to Install Chips in Unfinished Cars

gpgrim

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Saw this headline recently which is also being reported elsewhere. Could shorten delivery time for MME orders, but this really only works if the schedule slip due to late chips is comparable with the transit time, so dealers don't wind up holding inventory for an extended amount of time. Stay tuned.
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I have a big concern about this based on the widely varying level of talent or care that I have seen at dealerships. Some of the assembly involved use one-time bolts, specific alignments of stressed components and at least some level of quality testing. Can they guarantee this via the dealerships??? They cannot even guarantee that dealers understand the fundamentals of these cars based on the plethora of bad experiences.

Personally, I would rather wait than have an ongoing issue with poor dealer installations.
 

EELinneman

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Saw this headline recently which is also being reported elsewhere. Could shorten delivery time for MME orders, but this really only works if the schedule slip due to late chips is comparable with the transit time, so dealers don't wind up holding inventory for an extended amount of time. Stay tuned.
Another thought: a long time ago I managed a project for a company that produced propane. The highest costs were storage and we developed an algorithm that used weather to calculate usage. By predicting this, they could use customer storage in a predictable manner, transferring all of that cost to the end user and retailer. It seems that Ford is doing something similar. Now, the dealer will have lots full of cars they cannot sell, but have to insure, wash, keep from vandalism, etc all at the dealers' cost. This sounds like an accounting solution rather than an engineering one.
 

timbop

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This is a dealer request, not a Ford request. Dealers want a physical property to show customers, driveable or not.
I drove by my closest Ford dealer yesterday and it is astonishing how empty their lot is. It's a smaller dealership but they had at most a dozen vehicles on a lot that can hold well over a hundred. They did have some used inventory, but I don't see how they can survive without inventory after last year.
 


HuntingPudel

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I do not want anyone handling the ICs going into my vehicle who is not trained in and observant of ESD safety. I have seen way too many “computer experts” and IT guys handling ICs or bare boards without having taken ESD safety precautions. And don’t get me started on the YouTube videos.
 

Maquis

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This is a dealer request, not a Ford request. Dealers want a physical property to show customers, driveable or not.
That's not true, at least in the case of my local dealer. I was there Saturday and they dread this coming. Their service department is fully booked and they don't know how they'll have time to do this added work. There is going to be a real tug of war between sales wanting new cars readied vs normal service work.
 

benk016

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I do not want anyone handling the ICs going into my vehicle who is not trained in and observant of ESD safety. I have seen way too many “computer experts” and IT guys handling ICs or bare boards without having taken ESD safety precautions. And don’t get me started on the YouTube videos.
They most likely wouldn't be actually touching any IC's.
Ford's modules are mostly self contained in a metal enclosure. What would more likely happen is they'd get the module, bolt it on, and plug it in. Depending on the module that could take an hour or a few days to get it installed though.
 

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I do not want anyone handling the ICs going into my vehicle who is not trained in and observant of ESD safety. I have seen way too many “computer experts” and IT guys handling ICs or bare boards without having taken ESD safety precautions. And don’t get me started on the YouTube videos.
So, when you take your car in for repair and it's determined that the chip needs to be replaced, you expect an expert from Ford to come and do it?
 

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From the article, dealers would have to opt in.

Seems like a horrible idea though. Lot full of inventory that can't be sold. Service department getting over loaded and making peanuts to finish assembling a car.
Is the vehicle fully assembled minus the ecu or is half the dash apart? Just under an hours worth of labor .9? .8? We have customer pay work out the door I don't have time to maybe break even finishing someone else's job...what shortcuts can I find. Quality is job one baby!
 

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I do not believe this will affect the Mach E at all. Reason being is Ford has said that the Mach E, Bronco and Lighting are taking top priority which means they are the last to be affect by any chip shortage and they are taking chips from other lines if they are needed.
Basically Mach E delivery times are more or less locked in and there is other things slowing them down and it is not the chips.
 

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I do not want anyone handling the ICs going into my vehicle who is not trained in and observant of ESD safety. I have seen way too many “computer experts” and IT guys handling ICs or bare boards without having taken ESD safety precautions. And don’t get me started on the YouTube videos.
When you mention YouTube videos, are you thinking of this one:
 

EELinneman

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I do not believe this will affect the Mach E at all. Reason being is Ford has said that the Mach E, Bronco and Lighting are taking top priority which means they are the last to be affect by any chip shortage and they are taking chips from other lines if they are needed.
Basically Mach E delivery times are more or less locked in and there is other things slowing them down and it is not the chips.
It might be the tire shortage. A former co-worker of mine spent weeks trying to hunt down tires for an AMG recently. Then, there is this knock-on effect at dealers. https://www.moderntiredealer.com/ar...-the-car-dealership-is-affecting-tire-dealers
 

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So, when you take your car in for repair and it's determined that the chip needs to be replaced, you expect an expert from Ford to come and do it?
The headline here is completely misleading. It is NOT chips being installed it is the computers (ECUs) which are basically black boxes with a connector and mounting screws. If the ECU fails, the entire unit gets replaced. These normally come from suppliers, for example Bosch, and are not necessarily even assembled by Ford.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Might Ask Dealers to Install Chips in Unfinished Cars 1626708896413
 

blue92lx

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One reason I could also see this as a 'fix' is because the dealers are empty. They're essentially open storage lots to put cars so Ford can keep producing them and pushing them off the factory lots. I could see that as the most probable reason Ford wants to do this. Secondarily, it would make the dealerships seems more 'full' and also have MME's to show people even if they can't drive them, which will push more product.

Dealerships are getting crushed right now with no inventory, it makes me wonder how the sales staff are getting paid to stay. Went by the Volvo dealership yesterday to check something on my wife's car and the salesman said they basically don't have anything left to sell. They sold the last 4 XC model SUV's and don't have any predicted stock until August. Everyone is definitely hurting right now, it's a crazy time.
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