I took my 2020 Ford Expedition to the dealership because I noticed some jerking while stopping. They said the spark plugs were bad, so they wouldn’t be covered under the warranty, and they want to charge me $900 to replace them and reprogram the vehicle. They also said if I don’t have the spark plugs replaced there, I need to pay a diagnostic fee of $179, and if I want the reprogramming later, it’ll be $362. I’m just confused because I didn’t think spark plugs would need reprogramming. Has anyone had this happen to them before? Update: They told me the reprogramming is for the transmission so it can relearn how to drive after the jerking issue, which I think was already done by another shop a few months ago when they fixed a different part. Feeling a bit lost on this one.
The ESP won’t cover reprogramming, but replacing spark plugs doesn’t usually require it. If they clean the carbon buildup from the intake or throttle body, they might need to reprogram, though. Sometimes after a tune-up, the engine can idle too low because of the learned settings, and that’s when they may suggest reprogramming.
@Dany
So, does that mean I can just disconnect the battery for a while and reset things? Doesn’t that work to clear everything out?
Stella said:
@Dany
So, does that mean I can just disconnect the battery for a while and reset things? Doesn’t that work to clear everything out?
My brother said to do that, haha! But I’m pretty new to car stuff, and since I’m 4’11” and don’t know much about cars, I’ll probably just pay for the repairs to avoid messing anything up or voiding the warranty.
@Monroe
Disconnecting the battery won’t void your warranty, so you’re good there.
@Monroe
Your brother’s right! If you disconnect the battery, it resets the computer’s memory, so it has to relearn how to run things, including the idle strategy. After reconnecting the battery, a 30-minute drive should help it get back to normal. Just a heads up, though, a tech told me that on 2020 and newer Expeditions, the computer keeps its memory even if the battery disconnects, so you might need to take it back to the shop if it’s acting weird.
@Hunter
Yeah, that won’t work on the 2020 Expedition. The computer is built to hold onto the memory even if the battery is disconnected.
Dakota said:
@Hunter
Yeah, that won’t work on the 2020 Expedition. The computer is built to hold onto the memory even if the battery is disconnected.
Well, things sure have changed! I guess they’re making it harder for us to do simple resets ourselves now.
@Hunter
Exactly! It feels like everything’s designed to make us go back to the dealership for repairs.
Dempsey said:
@Hunter
Exactly! It feels like everything’s designed to make us go back to the dealership for repairs.
Yeah, it’s all about getting you to pay for dealership services. Definitely frustrating.
@Dany
If the shop’s not being difficult, resetting the adaptive settings should only take about 3 minutes. No reason to charge extra for that. If they’re telling you that you need reprogramming just for spark plugs, I’d question their competence, honestly.
@Riley
I tried to call today for clarification, but my service person wasn’t available. They said everyone handles their own customers, so I’ll have to speak with her tomorrow.
Yes, you’ll have to pay for the diagnostic fee if it’s not under warranty. But it’s not true that reprogramming is needed after replacing spark plugs.
Lewis said:
Yes, you’ll have to pay for the diagnostic fee if it’s not under warranty. But it’s not true that reprogramming is needed after replacing spark plugs.
It’s under the ESP warranty, does that change anything? I still don’t get why they said the reprogramming is necessary even if I do the spark plugs myself.
@Monroe
Spark plugs are considered maintenance items, so they’re not covered by ESP. That’s probably why they said the reprogramming wouldn’t be covered.
Lewis said:
@Monroe
Spark plugs are considered maintenance items, so they’re not covered by ESP. That’s probably why they said the reprogramming wouldn’t be covered.
I miss when spark plugs were just an easy 5-minute job! Now it’s like they’re buried somewhere impossible to reach, and you need a whole new map just to find them.
@Rooney
Honestly, Ford’s been making spark plug replacement easy on most of their cars for the past couple of decades. It’s really not that tough, though.
@Monroe
There’s no need for reprogramming, but when I replace spark plugs, I clear the codes, do another misfire test, and if everything looks good, I relearn the misfire monitor.
@Monroe
Usually, only a single spark plug would be covered if it fails, but if a part causes the plugs to go bad, that could be covered.
Your vehicle shouldn’t need reprogramming just for spark plug replacement, but there may be software updates available. Your service advisor should be able to help you with that information.