2013 Explor main computer destroyed engine?

[ken10]

last week my explorer began to miss and stall, i had it towed to the nearest dealer here in western pa, and they began to diagnose the issues. after replacing 3 coils they claimed that the main computer malfunctioned causing an issue in the 5th cylinder bending the rod and damaging the cylinder. bad news is the computer is under warranty but i am at 72,000 miles and power train warranty has expired by mileage....they want $6,100.00 for a new motor...ford opened a case number but has said that it is consequential damage not covered .....crazy, has anyone heard of something like this?

 

[peterk9]

last week my explorer began to miss and stall, i had it towed to the nearest dealer here in western pa, and they began to diagnose the issues. after replacing 3 coils they claimed that the main computer malfunctioned causing an issue in the 5th cylinder bending the rod and damaging the cylinder. bad news is the computer is under warranty but i am at 72,000 miles and power train warranty has expired by mileage....they want $6,100.00 for a new motor...ford opened a case number but has said that it is consequential damage not covered .....crazy, has anyone heard of something like this?

Welcome to the Forum.:wavey:
It is very unfortunate that this had to be your first post here. In the almost 6 years I've been on here I don't recall another similar incident. I don't know what the warranty guidelines set out but I would hope that since the failure of a warrantied part cause the subsequent damage that some compensation should be paid.

Peter

 

[ken10]

thanks, ive actually been a member here since 2012 and really liked reading all of the remarks on this forum....i purchased my explorer and have little issues until now

 

[blwnsmoke]

Exactly what Peter said, if a covered/warranteed part takes out a non covered part, that non covered part is covered by warranty.

The simple question is, if the failed part didn't fail (computer), would the motor still be good? If the answer is yes, it should be covered.

You definitely need to fight this, pure BS if the above is true (computer is covered and took out motor)

Also as he stated, this is the 1st I have read of something like this happening.

What warranty do you have that covers the computer at 75K but no coverage on the motor?

 

[reserved50]

something sounds really weird, why would a rod bend because of a bad coil. Did the injectors get stuck open and the shop etc tried to crank it when the cylinder was full of fuel and then the damage occurred?

 

[ken10]

yes that is kind of what the service tech told me, that the fuel caused the excess pressure, they said that they scoped it and saw the damage...i am at a loss for word and have not really had any response from the dealer who is supposed to contact the regional ford tech?

 

[reserved50]

I don't have much advise but if it a regular dealer you frequent you could talk to the manager first. If they cant help you in the next little while you could call the Ford customer service line and explain your situation, they might be able to assist, especially if you bought the vehicle new and have other Ford products. Last resort is to have a shop buy a used engine which should reduce the amount by half.
If it was me,I would not accept the fact that I would be paying the bill out of my pocket, once you do that you're out of luck since they don't have to assist you in any way due to the subsequent damage from what they're saying.

 

[Brad C]

Two words come to mind if Ford fails to honor their warranty...Small Claims.

 

[bigdude2468]

What if any codes were set? I HIGHLY doubt that that a stuck injector would allow enough fuel to enter the combustion chamber to bend a rod. Injectors pulse and even when they leak the engine runs rough, gas mileage sucks and the extra fuel will set a code almost immediately. O2 sensor can tell which bank, 1 or 2 is rich. Remember that the fuel vaporizers as soon as it hits the hot engine. A head gasket leak can allow coolant to enter a cylinder after the engine is shut off and then when the engine is started a bent rod could occur. I have never heard of an engine being "hydro locked" on fuel, that why they call the condition "Hydro locked which is water / coolant. Once the engine is shut off the fuel pump stops so fuel cannot enter the engine even with a stuck injector.

 

[dco43054]

something sounds really weird, why would a rod bend because of a bad coil. Did the injectors get stuck open and the shop etc tried to crank it when the cylinder was full of fuel and then the damage occurred?

Exactly.

No offense, but there seems to be something missing from the story here.

 

[ken10]

at this point i am at the mercy of the dealer (which i did not buy it from as this happened just as that snow storm hit last week and triple a towed it to the nearest ford dealer) others i have spoken with said the same thing about the hydro lock, that that sounds crazy. maintenance and oli changes have all been done at the Ford certified quick lanes and were done regularly, quicklane guys offered the back up to show but they said ford should have it, how do you get to the bottom of this and who do you trust to be honest, i came out of a meeting at US Foodservice at 2:30 last Friday and it ended up at the dealer around 4:00 and it still sits there.

 

[blwnsmoke]

You still didn't answer the question which is extremely confusing. What type of warranty do you have that covers the computer but not the motor? Drivetrain is 5yr/60k and after that, there is no longer a warranty.

Second, it is possible for a fuel injector to stick open and melt down a cylinder. Although different type of motor, I've seen Diesel motors in all 3 brands melt a piston because an injector stuck open. It doesn't take long if the injector is open and just dumping fuel into it.. the EGTs raise considerably.

Do they want $6,100 for a motor installed or just the motor?

You can get a motor for $3,465 through Ford.. $2,500 is extreme for labor..

http://parts.autonationfordwhitebearlake.com/oe-ford/dl2z6006a

 

[ken10]

the power train warranty has expired as it has 72,000 miles, the kenny ross tech said that the computer is under warranty but consequential damage was not, he said the motors are 3,900 and 2,100 to install plus the 900 ish i owe them for the work so far.....honestly their responses to me all last week were comical as it was to be done on Mon, then Tues...Wed ,as they tried to fix ..then they said the rod was bent causing cylinder damage caused by the misfiring, everything as i stated here in these threads is as it is, i am a small business man who has 2 fords (E350) and my car is my livelihood, there is no hidden agenda here, i am numb

 

[peterk9]

blwnsmoke, the "under warranty" part also confused me as well. Not aware of any extended warranty coverage except on the APIM and the 'steering issue'.

Peter

 

[ken10]

as i read the ford warranty manual, there appears to be longer warranty for the computer related pats, ECU etc. i am simply going by what the tech has told me at this point...hoping that a ford factory guy can help make sense

 

[blwnsmoke]

the power train warranty has expired as it has 72,000 miles, the kenny ross tech said that the computer is under warranty but consequential damage was not, he said the motors are 3,900 and 2,100 to install plus the 900 ish i owe them for the work so far.....honestly their responses to me all last week were comical as it was to be done on Mon, then Tues...Wed ,as they tried to fix ..then they said the rod was bent causing cylinder damage caused by the misfiring, everything as i stated here in these threads is as it is, i am a small business man who has 2 fords (E350) and my car is my livelihood, there is no hidden agenda here, i am numb

No one is saying you have a hidden agenda. It is more about when someone comes on a forum, they are obviously emotionally tied to their vehicle especially when given a large bill/estimate. Being we are not there in person, it is difficult for us to always get the whole story because usually parts are left out (not on purpose) OR we may think of things that you wouldn't think of.

I just looked up the warranty for you and here is a screenshot of it.

That is the only warranty that comes with the vehicles straight from the warranty guide.

 

[ken10]

nothing is being held back, i dont know what i dont know...read pages 18 and 20 on the link below. this is possibly why they told me that the computer is covered, i do appreciate everyones input, these things happen and how they are handled is how a business is judged, i am expecting some cooperation from ford but understand the business side as well

https://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/2013Warranty.pdf

 

[blwnsmoke]

nothing is being held back, i dont know what i dont know...read pages 18 and 20 on the link below. this is possibly why they told me that the computer is covered, i do appreciate everyones input, these things happen and how they are handled is how a business is judged, i am expecting some cooperation from ford but understand the business side as well

https://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/2013Warranty.pdf

I see now. Was not aware of the 80k warranty. So I will revert back to my previous statement. If a covered part fails and destroys a non covered part, that non covered part is covered.

I've had things covered by Ford specifically because of this.

Be nice and respectful with Ford CS. I have always played the nice card and tried to be neutral when dealing with them. "I know I'm not covered BUT I don't feel ....." they covered 50% of a thermostat failure at 102,000 miles on one of my vehicles. I know it isn't a motor BUT it had 102k and we're under no obligation to do anything.

 

[boominXplorer]

The reason the rod bent is after a long struggle of throwing ignition coils on it guessing at the problem the tech jumped in car, turned the ignition to on and sat and played with the scanner. If you turn the ignition on with a stuck open injector it will fill that cylinder with gas, enough to hydrolock an engine and bend a rod the next time you hit the key.

Unfortunately enough I had a customer of mine have the exact situation with his 06 E150 van. Was smoking but not knocking at all when he took it to the dealer. When they called him and said it needs a motor he didn't believe it till he got there and turned the key. It was a jackhammer and bent 2 rods. Ended up being an internal short in the pcm commanding 2 injectors to just stay open.

 

[reserved50]

ditto, but very tough to prove, if the vehicle stalled and you had it towed to the dealer without trying to restart it they might have caused the damage. Like I said, tough to prove but that's what probably happened but I'd guess most people would probably have done the same thing.

Usually emission components have a longer warranty like O2 sensors and engine computers and catalytic converters.

Best bet now is play nice with them and stand firm on your ground.

The reason the rod bent is after a long struggle of throwing ignition coils on it guessing at the problem the tech jumped in car, turned the ignition to on and sat and played with the scanner. If you turn the ignition on with a stuck open injector it will fill that cylinder with gas, enough to hydrolock an engine and bend a rod the next time you hit the key.

Unfortunately enough I had a customer of mine have the exact situation with his 06 E150 van. Was smoking but not knocking at all when he took it to the dealer. When they called him and said it needs a motor he didn't believe it till he got there and turned the key. It was a jackhammer and bent 2 rods. Ended up being an internal short in the pcm commanding 2 injectors to just stay open.