Ford OASIS system - anyone with experience? Cool stuff.....

I visited my buddy last night who is a Ford engineer and now regional service-side exec to discuss my 2700 RPM bump. (He is also a Porsche owner and car nut.) He said, by the way, my issue is most likely a software issue and he let me know the crazy tweaks they do behind the scenes to the software in our ECU (I think Ford calls it their PDU?). I will visit my dealer today to discuss...

Anyway, he noted Ford has a really cool system called OASIS. He said if this issue was on a Ford, the dealer would give you a devise that plugs into your OBD2 socket and you just drive around. When your issue happens, you press a little button. The system then records engine data 30 seconds before and after you pushed the button (there must be a memory buffer that revolves data). The dealer then takes the unit, and the data is uploaded to Ford's database (located at Ford, not the dealer) and comes back with a recommendation for the dealer service tech. He implied the diagnosis was automatic..... but if required, an engineer reviews the data. Ford then uses this database to make tweaks to their programming and constantly updates the engine programming. They then occasionally will issue a TSB for say "rough idle at cold temps" where the tweak is applied but he also said there are many other changes not documented that address other minor issues in a given software release. Sometimes the resolution is for the dealer to just re-flash the PDU, others may be to replace a part.

I never heard of this system or how it works. Sounds really cool for both its technology, but it takes the diagnosis of odd problems away from the local tech and puts it in the right hands... the engineers at the helm.

Anyone have any direct experience with this Ford system?

Peace
Bruce in Philly

yes, cool, but I hope the recorder is in the device they plug in, not in the PDU/EDU itself. Big brother watching you, if it's in the car and not the device.

.... this system.

[www.carchipconnect.com]

Finished my work on this a while back. I wrote the firmware in the device that talks to the OBD2 controllers in the vehicle and then turns around and passes this data up to a higher level. The device even has remote diagnostics capabilities.

Have one in both of my cars. Since the device has GPS I can track the cars' movements while for instance while the cars are in the dealer's service department. I like to email the SM and let him know my car is in the wash bay before he is told by the tech.

but as a data guy I have long thought it would be great to capture all of the sensor data all the time and automatically detect anomalies. One of the first diagnostic steps of many problems is to check the values of a relevant sensor.

Hi Bruce,

OASIS is actually Ford Motor Company's dealer service site (Online Automotive Service Information System (OASIS).). The dealerships use it to look up any and all information on a vehicle ie recall info, warranty repairs, extended warranty info, dealer bulletins etc.Here is the official name of the device: [www.motorcraftservice.com] but we always just call it "the black box".

Anyway, it is a very good way to diagnose intermittent problems. We have had customers drive with one for weeks waiting for the symptom to reoccur, and this records the data needed to repair the issue.

Regards,

PS. we have been using these at our Lincoln dealership for years.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2013 09:24PM by SPG356. (view changes)