Dear All
Technical help needed asap Replaced a 51 plated Mondeo that was working perfectly but high mileage in 2005 for a newer model Ghia 2.00 TDCI (9704 miles on the clock from a Ford main dealer). Took delivery August 2005. This new car started playing up almost immediately.
Two issues - first the brake lights - I would brake and the lights wouldn't come on or alternatively they would activate when no brake pedal/hand brake had been touched.
Secondly the vehicle would just loose all power. Almost lost my life on the A12 trying to visit my kids. By August 2006 this had happened three times. Had the vehicle checked out under warranty - 3 injectors replaced. Collected the vehicle September 2006 and was returned immediately for the same problem. 2 more fuel injectors replaced. I was told that the reason was "dirty fuel". In November back again all fuel injectors replaced and the injection pump. Again I was accused of using dirty fuel. Dec 2006 guess what back again more injectors replaced. Mileage 39,221.
By July 2007 all the same problems had returned. surging, cutting out, smoking and the brake lights still had a mind of their own. Was told the vehicle was high mileage - not even 50,000 on the clock - I remember the days when 200,000 was high mileage!
Sept 2007 taken into another Ford main dealer. Went in for diagnostics - was told a new engine was needed - conrods bent, rocker head damaged, pistons twisted with lots of loose nuts and bolts. In pieces and not driveabe (drove in!). Then informed two weeks over my warrantly - this car had been in Fords workshops 8 times in two years and had been serviced - problems just never resolved. Now carless and trying to get recognition from Ford's that there is an underlying problem with this vehicle. I've been told that "unofficially" that this is a known problem with this model and that there is even an internal memo floating around Ford's stating this. Fords Customer Relations Department are useless and are just looking for a way to say that Ford's can do no more. Searched this Forum and found loads of similar stories - same thing - even accused of using dirty fuel as well.
Help please - desparate - can't afford another car - still paying for this one! Really fed up with trying to fight my corner with this huge organisation - one Customer Relations person actually made my wife cry with her officious attitude.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 14/11/2007 at 21:48
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You will need to fight in th ecourts, but will need engineer back up to prove your case. it's wonder others have not done this, Transits seem to have this problem too search their site.
It seems to be a Common Rail issue too, good old mechanical injector pumps went on and on.
best get petrol next time,easy to deal with, I did
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There's another fellow on here taking them to court over a similar issue. Maybe get in contact with him and join forces? Pity there is no messenger system on this forum.
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Aprillia
Any further details on the other person who is taking the matter to court? I would really like to compare notes with this person.
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artjo
A cautionary tale - shame it's not an isolated one! Ford have obviously caught VW's death-wish.
It was interesting to see the co-existence of a brake light fault and an intermittent total loss of power - did it ever actually stop, or just drop to idle? The brake lights coming on cut off the fly-by-wire throttle for safety reasons.
Sue the last dealer. If you drove in normally, then all that damage must have happened in their hands - an over-enthusiastic road tester that missed a gear?
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Screwloose
Total loss of power - scary stuff! It cut out while I was overtaking doing about 60mph on the A12 - I almost killed myself and the person in the vehicle behind me.
Currently the last dealer is trying to charge me for 9 hours work dismantling the vehicle. The vehicle drove in and I asked for a dianosis of what was causing the continuous problems. No one told me the vehicle would have to be dismantled to give a diagnosis - it is literally in boxes.
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artjo
I'd still sue the last dealer for damaging the engine - his defence that this is a well-known problem with these engines may prove useful......
To think that most or all of this could be down to one maladjusted brake pedal position sensor....
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artjo
Welcome to my world. My TDCI fuel injection is shot to pieces and Ford won't fix up under warranty. They are citing "contaminated fuel". Problems with these engines seem to be more common than they should be and blaming the fuel is Ford's 'Get out of Jail Free' card.
You are correct when it comes to Ford Customer Services, they have twenty different ways of telling the customer to get lost.
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Screwloose said: >>It was interesting to see the co-existence of a brake light fault and an intermittent total loss of power - did it ever actually stop, or just drop to idle? The brake lights coming on cut off the fly-by-wire throttle for safety reasons.>>
It is possible that this car only had a brake light fault and the dealer mucked it up in trying to diagnose a fuel system fault that wasnt there, in fact how sure are they that it is so damaged now?
Did you notice whether the cruise control was working OK, in the same way as Screwloose says the brake light switch also overides the cruise control.
I would write to Ford CC outlining the info you have established re brake light switch and fly-by-wire and also sue the dealer or take to small claims court.
Also what happened to the warranty?
(Re high mileage - I had goodwill work from the Ford dealer at 70k miles and great response from Ford CC at 100k miles, now on 123k.)
Edited by cheddar on 15/11/2007 at 11:43
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I trust you are aware that most systems these days reduce power forced by the ECM if the brake lights are on.
Becomes apparent if you ever want to warm up green brakes & drive down the road with feet on both pedals the power falls away.
I hope you sue the pants off em
Doc
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Dodgy brake light wiring might cause power loss, but not 'surging, cutting out, smoking' as per original post. I would hope the dealers would also spot this early on...
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Aprilia
I was going on the cutting-out being cut-to-idle caused by the brake light fault [switch or GEM module] and, yes, the dealers should have fixed that a long time back.
Engine damage of that severity sounds more like water ingress - I wonder if the dealers have looked for signs or are sticking with dirty fuel?
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Aprilia says: >>Dodgy brake light wiring might cause power loss, but not 'surging, cutting out, smoking' as per original post. I would hope the dealers would also spot this early on... >>
If a faulty brake light cuts the f-b-w throttle when you have you foot down then then that could be described as cutting out, if you are on the overrun and you go to accelerate and nothing happens then that could be described as power loss, if it then cuts back that could be described as surging and under those circumstances it would chuck out a bit of smoke.
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