Flash Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM)
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 8 other vehicles, including the 2006 Ford RV Cutaway, 2006 Ford Pickup, 2006 Ford F550 Super Duty, 2006 Ford F450 Super Duty, and 2006 Ford Econoline. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The flash EEPROM is an integrated circuit (IC) within the powertrain control module (PCM) and the fuel injection control module (FICM). This integrated circuit contains the software code required by the PCM to control the powertrain and by the FICM to control the fuel injectors. One feature of the flash EEPROM is that it can be electrically erased and then reprogrammed without removing the PCM or the FICM from the vehicle. If a software change is required to the PCM or the FICM, the modules no longer need to be replaced, but can be reprogrammed. The reprogramming is carried out through the data link connector (DLC).