Changed to 20" wheels and tire now have check engine light

[sredmyer]

I just bought a new (to me) 2011 King Ranch CCLB F-350. After owning a 2008 King Ranch CCLB F-350, I love just about everything about this truck. I do however have a problem that I am thinking surely others have encountered and solved.

My 2011 truck had the 18" wheels on it from the factory. I had 2011 King Ranch 20s on my 2008 truck so I insisted the dealer swap them out when I traded it in. So now my new 2011 truck has factory 2011 20 inch wheels. The problem came when the dealer tech tried to change the tire size in the trucks computer. He set the size to the 20s that were just installed but that caused the check engine light to come on. I didn't thin to get the code but the message he saw on the IDS was "wheel size axel ratio invalid" or something like that. Anyway after getting the check engine light he tried setting the truck back to the 18" tire size that was on it before...check engine light still on with same message.

So has anyone else encountered this? Has anyone figured out how to fix the issue so that the truck knows it is riding on 20 inch tires and does not give the DTC?

Thanks,
Steve

[Andrew010]

What gear ratio does your truck have? Camper package?

I know there's several combos that won't work together in the trucks computer. I believe 20" wheels and the camper package won't work, or something along those lines.

[sredmyer]

Originally Posted by Andrew010

What gear ratio does your truck have? Camper package?

I know there's several combos that won't work together in the trucks computer. I believe 20" wheels and the camper package won't work, or something along those lines.

I dont think the truck has the camper package (at least there is no mention of it on the original window sticker) it does however have the 11300 lb. GVWR package.

That said, the IDS system did allow the tech to set the 20" wheels size and the truck accepted the setting. Problem showed up after he (the tech) thought he was finished and I got in the truck to leave. When I noticed the light I obviously told them about it and they looked at it a while and even returned the wheel size setting to what it was before but the check engine light remains on with the same code.

Is there anyway around this rediculous restriction.

Thanks,
Steve

[LFD132]

Not to sound like s smart azz, but I would find a tech that knows what he is doing. The fact that the let you leave the dealership with a check engine light that they caused is pretty sorry.

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[sredmyer]

Originally Posted by LFD132

Not to sound like s smart azz, but I would find a tech that knows what he is doing. The fact that the let you leave the dealership with a check engine light that they caused is pretty sorry.

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This is not really the techs fault (I don't think). I bought the truck from a dealer in Miami on Monday (Memorial Day). They did not have any techs on duty when I bought the truck so they just sent the trucks to a local tire shop to swap the wheels. The tire shop was unable to do the programming required to change the wheel size so I just drove the truck home (to Louisville) with it thinking it had the factory 18" wheels. Once home I took the truck to my local dealership to get the tire size setting changed. The tech hooked up the IDS and went about resetting the wheel size. The system allowed him to make the change but then when he went to disconnect the IDS the check engine light was on indicating the "Wheel size or Axel ratio setting does not match hardware". He has tried pretty much everything including returning the wheel size setting (which is all he changed) but nothing will cause the light to go away. He was perfectly willing to stay and continue to work with it but he really didn't have any ideas as to what to do. I needed to get home so I told him I would just go ahead and take it and return tomorrow (today now). He had sent a request off to the Ford tech hotline so hopefully he will have an answer when I get there today.

Am going back to the dealership now so I will post the result to let you all know what he figures out.

Steve

[cajun11screw]

About to do the same thing. One maybe dumb question, is the only reason you having ford set the computer to 20 inch wheels is to have the speedometer correct?

Thanks

[Summitman]

The tech sounds like he knows exactly what he's doing. The problem is that Ford didn't do a 20" tire on a 3.31 geared truck, only 3.55 gears. I've ran into this problem before. Here's what you need to do.

I'm guessing you have 3.31 gears in your 2011 truck. When he go's into the program, tell him to change the gear selection to 3.55 & the tires to 20". That will cure your problem.

[sredmyer]

Originally Posted by cajun11screw

About to do the same thing. One maybe dumb question, is the only reason you having ford set the computer to 20 inch wheels is to have the speedometer correct?

Thanks

Yes that and everything else related (odometer, MPG calc).

FYI, mine appears to be ok now. I just drove it for a few days on the 20 " setting (with the 3:31 axel setting as well) and the light eventually went out.

Steve

[cajun11screw]

Thanks