2014 PIU questions

[Cobra Jet]

Hey Fellas,

I haven’t been on the site in a while after selling our older Explorer years ago. I’ve provided tech on this site and some good posts, so I’m not a newbie to Ford products. In fact, I still have my 94 Cobra and also own a 2018 S550 (2nd S550).

So been looking at the 2013+ Explorer PIUs in online ads etc. I came across a 2014 which seems to be in decent shape, no visible signs of crash damage from all pics viewed.

I have even went as far as locating a copy of the 2014 Ford Fleet pdf which gives a bunch of info on standard PIU features and of course “optional”. I also went through the (30) pages here in this very PIU sub-forum, but still have questions if some of you PIU owners would be kind enough to educate me and provide some further insight:

1) What is fair pricing for the earlier damage free 2013-2014 PIU’s?

2) Besides the “exhaust” concerns that made the national news, are there any other mechanical issues to be made aware of regarding the earlier PIU’s? Such as trans or engine concerns, especially examples for sale with accrued mileage of 90-100k+?

3) Besides the Standard Features listed in the Ford Fleet brochure for 2014, how can I tell what “Available Features” or “Available Packages” the original ordering Municipality may have equipped it with? Can a window sticker be generated by the VIN, or is this not possible with gaining more info on PIU orders?

4) In the 2014 Ford Fleet pdf, it states that the PIU 6-speed auto transmission is “Police calibrated”. Exactly what does that mean and can anyone give more details about the calibration?

5) Are all 3.5 PIU’s turbo’d and if so, single or dual? May be a dumb question to some, but it doesn’t state anything in the Fleet brochure and I’m a Mustang Enthusiast, I don’t follow the Ford truck or SUV line closely.

The 2014 unit I have seen advertised is equipped as such:

3.5 engine
Column shift
Keyed ignition switch (don’t see any push button start)
Black & White
160mph Certified Calibration speedometer
No “Ecoboost” or “Flex Fuel” branding or labels anywhere on exterior (unless removed?)
No roof rails
Rear passenger doors have what appear to be the lock button locations, but from pics I can’t tell if the lock buttons exist or if they are just plugs/caps
Single driver side spotlight removed
Cloth interior w/ rubber floors and complete cloth rear seating
No cage or front/rear divider (unless if equipped, it’s gone now)
No fog lights
4” Center steak display
No rear camera that I can tell (would it be located above license plate?)
Center console has what appears to be factory buttons and dial on it, but can’t tell exactly what they are from images

Thanks for any further info!

 

[RhinoQuartz]

Hey Fellas,

I haven’t been on the site in a while after selling our older Explorer years ago. I’ve provided tech on this site and some good posts, so I’m not a newbie to Ford products. In fact, I still have my 94 Cobra and also own a 2018 S550 (2nd S550).

So been looking at the 2013+ Explorer PIUs in online ads etc. I came across a 2014 which seems to be in decent shape, no visible signs of crash damage from all pics viewed.

I have even went as far as locating a copy of the 2014 Ford Fleet pdf which gives a bunch of info on standard PIU features and of course “optional”. I also went through the (30) pages here in this very PIU sub-forum, but still have questions if some of you PIU owners would be kind enough to educate me and provide some further insight:

1) What is fair pricing for the earlier damage free 2013-2014 PIU’s?

2) Besides the “exhaust” concerns that made the national news, are there any other mechanical issues to be made aware of regarding the earlier PIU’s? Such as trans or engine concerns, especially examples for sale with accrued mileage of 90-100k+?

3) Besides the Standard Features listed in the Ford Fleet brochure for 2014, how can I tell what “Available Features” or “Available Packages” the original ordering Municipality may have equipped it with? Can a window sticker be generated by the VIN, or is this not possible with gaining more info on PIU orders?

4) In the 2014 Ford Fleet pdf, it states that the PIU 6-speed auto transmission is “Police calibrated”. Exactly what does that mean and can anyone give more details about the calibration?

5) Are all 3.5 PIU’s turbo’d and if so, single or dual? May be a dumb question to some, but it doesn’t state anything in the Fleet brochure and I’m a Mustang Enthusiast, I don’t follow the Ford truck or SUV line closely.

The 2014 unit I have seen advertised is equipped as such:

3.5 engine
Column shift
Keyed ignition switch (don’t see any push button start)
Black & White
160mph Certified Calibration speedometer
No “Ecoboost” or “Flex Fuel” branding or labels anywhere on exterior (unless removed?)
No roof rails
Rear passenger doors have what appear to be the lock button locations, but from pics I can’t tell if the lock buttons exist or if they are just plugs/caps
Single driver side spotlight removed
Cloth interior w/ rubber floors and complete cloth rear seating
No cage or front/rear divider (unless if equipped, it’s gone now)
No fog lights
4” Center steak display
No rear camera that I can tell (would it be located above license plate?)
Center console has what appears to be factory buttons and dial on it, but can’t tell exactly what they are from images

Thanks for any further info!

Can't answer all your questions, but can give some insight on a few of them.

2) Longevity concerns - water pump on this generation is internal, and has failed without warning on other owners. Can flood engine with coolant, requiring new engine/rebuild. Preventative maintenance would be to replace it between 100-120k miles. Good news is that it isn't very common, just prone to it.
Transmission - as far as I can tell, all PIUs get the 6F55 transmission which has been used in Ford vehicles for 10 or so years now and mechanical failures are uncommon. Sturdy transmissions, keep up on changing fluids. Sensors will usually need replacing before mechanical components.
PTU/transfer case - filled with a very thick "lifetime" fluid, that Ford changed their mind about servicing at the mid generation refresh to needing it every 30k miles. Possible point of drivetrain failure, good to keep an eye on. Verify service has been done, if not, drain and flush fluid before purchase. Drain and flush after 1k miles again, then return to 30k intervals.

3) Window stickers seem to be notoriously difficult to locate. Ford seem to have pulled the ability for owners to generate their own sticker. Might be able to have some luck on blueovalforum, maybe a Ford employee could look into the system to see if it can be generated.

5) PIUs came equipped with either the 3.7L NA V6 or the 3.5L TT V6 (ecoboost). You have the latter (with twin turbos).

You won't have push button start and badges are usually removed, but it is an ecoboost. Interesting that you have a cloth interior, I thought PIUs came with vinyl seating.

Sorry I couldn't answer all your questions, but hope this helped!

 

[peterk9]

Welcome back and welcome to the 5th gen. Forum.

Peter

 

[KayGee]

My local dealer was able to print window stickers for all of the piu vin's I gave him. You can also get build info from ford etis site.

Post pics and maybe some can help you with more details. Cloth rear seats aren't terribly common and I would assume most patrol units are ordered with the STD vinyl rear seats. Factory center consoles are also somewhat rare. Some agencies will leave some or most of the aftermarket consoles in their decommissioned units - it varies.

I thought I've seen some early Pius with the na 3.5 and fwd, but never really researched anything before 2016 as I don't care for the look of the earlier ones.

As far as price, they are all over the map. I haven't looked at prices on them in a while, but j seem to recall those with ~100k miles were going for between 10-15k. Less with damage/issues and more with lower miles and no damage/issues. Just browse eBay and the net to confirm. There are only a few places that regularly resell them and others that just dabble with a unit here or there.

 

[pdxgeek]

Etis shows nothing for my 16 PIU unfortunately.

 

[KayGee]

Etis shows nothing for my 16 PIU unfortunately.

I can't even count the number of Pius I looked up on etis (probably several hundred) and every one had info. What is the vin you are looking up?

 

[RhinoQuartz]

Etis shows nothing for my 16 PIU unfortunately.

Try this link - VIN Decoder - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

 

[Eric Z]

Try this link - VIN Decoder - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Thanks for the link, much good info there

 

[RhinoQuartz]

Thanks for the link, much good info there

Its a little generic in the details, but is a decently comprehensive list.

 

[KayGee]

That link just provides the most generic piu info.

What is the vin that doesn't exist in etis?

 

[Skullcandy]

Got my 2014 3.5 Ecoboost PIU with cloth front and back seats and center console for $11,900 from a Ford dealer in Council Bluffs IA.

 

[RhinoQuartz]

Got my 2014 3.5 Ecoboost PIU with cloth front and back seats and center console for $11,900 from a Ford dealer in Council Bluffs IA.

I had forgotten that modifications and upgrades could be made to PIUs from factory. Gonna have to go hunt down the order guide.

 

[pdxgeek]

What is the vin that doesn't exist in etis?

1fm5k8at3gga78650. It shows up, but only shows an explorer picture and nothing else. It works for my '16 RS with no issues. Funny enough, it doesn't work on the VIN decoder site.

 

[KayGee]

All the info is in ETIS.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Can't answer all your questions, but can give some insight on a few of them.

2) Longevity concerns - water pump on this generation is internal, and has failed without warning on other owners. Can flood engine with coolant, requiring new engine/rebuild. Preventative maintenance would be to replace it between 100-120k miles. Good news is that it isn't very common, just prone to it.
Transmission - as far as I can tell, all PIUs get the 6F55 transmission which has been used in Ford vehicles for 10 or so years now and mechanical failures are uncommon. Sturdy transmissions, keep up on changing fluids. Sensors will usually need replacing before mechanical components.
PTU/transfer case - filled with a very thick "lifetime" fluid, that Ford changed their mind about servicing at the mid generation refresh to needing it every 30k miles. Possible point of drivetrain failure, good to keep an eye on. Verify service has been done, if not, drain and flush fluid before purchase. Drain and flush after 1k miles again, then return to 30k intervals.

3) Window stickers seem to be notoriously difficult to locate. Ford seem to have pulled the ability for owners to generate their own sticker. Might be able to have some luck on blueovalforum, maybe a Ford employee could look into the system to see if it can be generated.

5) PIUs came equipped with either the 3.7L NA V6 or the 3.5L TT V6 (ecoboost). You have the latter (with twin turbos).

You won't have push button start and badges are usually removed, but it is an ecoboost. Interesting that you have a cloth interior, I thought PIUs came with vinyl seating.

Sorry I couldn't answer all your questions, but hope this helped!

No, you definitely helped with your reply!

So the seller had the wrong engine listed in the ad, it is not the 3.5, but IS the 3.7.

With that said, you had mentioned possible water pump concerns; is your mention of being proactive about possible water pump concerns strictly for the 3.5 (since I had originally said the ad stated a 3.5)? Or does that water pump concern relate to both the 3.5 and 3.7 engines?

 

[Cobra Jet]

My local dealer was able to print window stickers for all of the piu vin's I gave him. You can also get build info from ford etis site.

Post pics and maybe some can help you with more details. Cloth rear seats aren't terribly common and I would assume most patrol units are ordered with the STD vinyl rear seats. Factory center consoles are also somewhat rare. Some agencies will leave some or most of the aftermarket consoles in their decommissioned units - it varies.

I thought I've seen some early Pius with the na 3.5 and fwd, but never really researched anything before 2016 as I don't care for the look of the earlier ones.

As far as price, they are all over the map. I haven't looked at prices on them in a while, but j seem to recall those with ~100k miles were going for between 10-15k. Less with damage/issues and more with lower miles and no damage/issues. Just browse eBay and the net to confirm. There are only a few places that regularly resell them and others that just dabble with a unit here or there.

Do I have to become a member of Ford Etis in order to utilize the site?

Yes, the pricing is all over for sure; because I’ve been googling, looking on eBay and Craigslist and there’s really no “base” price (street or retail) to really narrow down to for trying to see what is a good or fair deal.

I wanted to post pics, but unless I’m really overlooking something on this particular forum, I don’t see any way to “attach” a pic? Can someone please point it out (I’m on a ton of forums and can attach pics, PDFs, etc. and truly feel really stupid asking how to post a pic HERE... when I can’t find the attach button... lmao)....?

 

[Cobra Jet]

Got my 2014 3.5 Ecoboost PIU with cloth front and back seats and center console for $11,900 from a Ford dealer in Council Bluffs IA.

How many miles was on yours when you purchased at that price, under 100K?

 

[RhinoQuartz]

Do I have to become a member of Ford Etis in order to utilize the site?

Yes, the pricing is all over for sure; because I’ve been googling, looking on eBay and Craigslist and there’s really no “base” price (street or retail) to really narrow down to for trying to see what is a good or fair deal.

I wanted to post pics, but unless I’m really overlooking something on this particular forum, I don’t see any way to “attach” a pic? Can someone please point it out (I’m on a ton of forums and can attach pics, PDFs, etc. and truly feel really stupid asking how to post a pic HERE... when I can’t find the attach button... lmao)....?

To upload files, you have to buy an Elite Explorer membership - https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?account/upgrades
Its $20/yr, if I remember correctly. Or you can do a detailed write up post, and the admin, Rick, may give you one on the house.

 

[KayGee]

To upload files, you have to buy an Elite Explorer membership - https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?account/upgrades
Its $20/yr, if I remember correctly. Or you can do a detailed write up post, and the admin, Rick, may give you one on the house.

Not poo pooing the membership, but there's no need.
Just use imgur to host your photo and add the image link to your post just the way Al Gore imagined things....


Etis membership is free. Just register for it. Use a burner email if you are concerned.

 

[RhinoQuartz]

Not poo pooing the membership, but there's no need.
Just use imgur to host your photo and add the image link to your post just the way Al Gore imagined things....


Etis membership is free. Just register for it. Use a burner email if you are concerned.

True, but with a membership, pics are uploaded to the server, so they're saved for as long as it's running. Some image hosting sites are taken down or links become corrupted, so the image is lost.

Plus, with membership you're supporting the site and get rid of ads. Worth it for me, but I spend too much time on here as it is lol.