Another recall? On-board diagnostic system

[punisher]

Ford sent me a letter that says there is another recall for the On-board diagnostic system. What will they do when they fix it? Will they change the computer in anyway making it less powerful to decrease the emissions? I don't want Ford touching my car unless I know what they are doing. Thanks for the help.

 

[Alec]

It's probably just an update for the engine control software. They shouldn't modify it in such a way to decrease the power of the engine. In fact, it might optimize the engine more to give you better power, mileage, etc. From what I hear, the SOHC is a good engine, but needs to be refined more to become more reliable and powerful.

Just make sure to remove any chip you may have before you take it in

 

[Stephen]

I agree, probably just an upgrade. I havent recieved any such notice so maybe its just one batch.

 

[DarkFox1]

no mail here.. I'm a '97 but I'm v8.. perhaps thats why.. but I know what you mean.. I wouldn't want ford messing with my vehicle either.. every time they do they mess up something.. even if its something little like my station presets.. they still mess something up

 

[95ExplorerLtd]

Yeah dont you hate when they have to mess and change your radio stations just to drive it around back and into the shop?

 

[Stephen]

Best is when they change everything to drive it into the carwash!

 

[DarkFox1]

never taken mine to a carwash.. I've heard they canb scratch your paint, but I get mine back from the shop.. having something like.. my oil changed.. I'll get it back.. my mirrors will be all moved, my seat and my stations will be changed.. why?? do they hafta cruise around town to change my oil? heh it takes me like a week to get back into my "just right" after they disturb it like that

 

[Alec]

I used to always be mad when I got my car back and everything was moved and changed. So before I ever take my car in, I make it "shop ready." I tilt the steering wheel all the way up, move the seat a bit forward if going to the car wash, a bit back if the shop (who's gonna be driving it, the short Hispanic car wash guys or Bubba at the shop?), turn the radio and A/C off, turn all the A/C knobs to vertical-they never touch them when all 3 are vertical, and retard the timing on the ignition controller so my engine sounds more tame and idles better (rather than optimizing it for WOT and boost operation).

 

[briantf]

Snotty tone to the notice (didja notice?)

I was a little bent about the notice for my wife's truck:
"Your vehicle has still not been in for service for this recall" - like I ignored their first three messages. Whatever.

I'm less and less impressed with Ford the Company (I already despise the service departments of my two local dealers).

My wife and I are discussing the merits of a Jeep Grand Cherokee for the new truck - I would never have considered such a thing a year ago. Too bad. We'll keep the Fords we have, but I don't see any new ones in our future.

Regards,
Brian in CA

 

[DarkFox1]

I'm afraid I'd have to agree, I've been looking at a tahoe.. but thats just dreaming.. I don't like any of the new ford vehicles coming out and I am in distaste with their seemingly careless mistakes and required recalls.. I can't trust a company with this many problems.. at least those that leak out

btw, the cherokee is nice.. but I prefer the larger suvs like the tahoe or yukon.. the small ones are getting too curvey and car like

 

[briantf]

Recalls OK, how they handle them is not

My biggest gripe up til now was the dealer support (which is really bad for Jeep around here as well), and I can only kind of hold Ford responsible for that.

However, with the troubles I've had with warranty service, recall timeliness (getting the recall info quicker from M$N than from Ford???) and problem resolution, I'm not the Ford fan I used to be.

I'm sure GM/Chevy have their own raft of issues to deal with. I know for a fact that two people I know with the new Chevy trucks had their whole enignes replaced due to badly cast blocks that barfed oil and water everywhere (one was a 1/2 4x4, the other a 2WD Tahoe). We're familiar with the problems that Explorers have b/c we're on an Explorer board.

Jeeps have their own issues, as well. The thing about a Grand Cherokee is the straight axles and the room - the back seat seems bigger than our Explorer. The thing about the Navigator is the room, alone - it would NEVER go where we go in our Explorer and Ranger.

I wish I thought things would get better at Ford....

Regards,
Brian in CA

 

[Stephen]

Ford is a horrible company, but GM is no better. If you ask me, GM vehicles are the worst qualitywise on the road today. After 20,000 miles they rattle so much that you'd think the vehicle was 10 years old.

I've owned GMs and Fords, Ford is a better car.

 

[Jim F]

I recently got the snotty reminder letter regarding the reprogramming recall. If I remember right the original letter said it was a program change to better detect a massive fuel leak in the system. The part that really bothered me was the line that said it must be done before your next registation renewal AND the DMV may ask to see certification that it had been performed.

I have not gotten it done for two reasons 1) there messing with the computer and 2) there messing with how the engine handles the fuel. My dad had a recall done on his 88 Cherokee which replaced an oxygen sensor to a better one and his mileage dropped off significantly. He is actually looking for an old style to get his mileage back up.

My boss has a 97 XLT with the SOHC and he got the letter and has gotten it done without any noticable difference, but he doesn't watch his mileage.

 

[briantf]

Great service from Dealer, I almost fainted

I took my wife's truck in yesterday - I called the day before, they fit me in. This is the same dealership that a year ago kept her truck for two occasions over four days and fixed NOTHING.

I didn't recognize a soul in there, I guess they cleaned out their service dept. completely. With 50K on the truck, with 31" muds (I forgot to take them off and put the BFG's back on), I walk in and say "oh, yeah, there's still an open RO for stuff you never fixed."

The service guy and I chatted, he was helpful and polite, took me in to chat briefly with the shop manager. He was open to searching here (the search feature was broken) about the GEM's unit causing that transfer case thump, because they had never heard of it.

They fixed the OBDII thing, they fixed the cam tensioners, AND they replaced the throttlebody - ALL IN ONE DAY! Heck, they called me at 3:30 to pick it up!!

They couldn't duplicate the thumping, and correctly pointed out that the muds made it pretty tough to hear. They asked me to bring it back with street tires when convenient and they would look at it again.

Like I said, I about fainted at the 180 degree turnaround of that service department. They heged a little about the mileage issue for warranty items (that should have been repaired - not their fault, the prior staff's issue), but were very concerned that I was satisfied with their service efforts and that I had a positive feeling about them.

Dang!!

Regards,
Brian in CA

 

[Tekeman]

I wonder if Ford messed up my truck with the recall. It was done to the stock engine (unsuperchipped). After the work, I installed headers and my plugs and wires. When i reinstalled the chip, the truck wouldn't start. Superchips reburned my chip. It now started but my check engine still comes on with the chip in. I read the codes and called Superchips again. They just sent a replacement chip (Superchips have been great to me). The truck really hauls with the new chip, but the check engine light is on again. Chipless I'm fine. I had no check engine lights at all last year so what gives now? Somehow the new Ford software and the Superchip are not communicating well. I'm going to have Fords run the code check this time and see what they can tell me.

Make sure if you do the recall to have Ford tell you what the new code is. They didn't tell me and we had to take it back in to get read - a hassle - they even wanted to charge me for their trouble. NOT!! They should have told me the code changed with the recall. They said they "don't recommend" running with a chip. We said "it's our truck we'll do what WE want" just give us the new code!

 

[Tekeman]

Has anybody else had recall problems, especially with the OBD stuff.

 

[Stephen]

I still havent even recieved the recall, but I was late getting the Firestone and sway bar stuff too.

We'll see. I'm getting ready to put the truck in for the 90,000 mile check, I'll ask them about it then.

 

[Tekeman]

READ !!!!!!!!!

DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT DO THE OBD II UPGRADE IF YOU RUN A PERFORMANCE CHIP. FORD TELLS ME THAT THE UPGRADE IS IRREVERSIBLE BY THEM. EVEN MY PROPERLY CODED SUPERCHIP WILL NOT WORK WITH THE NEW PROGRAM. THEY TRIED WORKING ON MY CODES FOR AN HOUR TODAY AND KEPT GETTING FAULTY AND INCOMPLETE CODE READS.

ANYONE ABLE TO DECIPHER P0134/P0141/P0155/P0161 ETC. I THINK I READ THESE ARE HEATER CIRCUIT FAULTS BUT THE DEALER SAID A LOT PERTAIN TO THE OXYGEN SENSORS. ALL THESE READS WERE WITH THE CHIP IN. EVEN WITH THE CHIP OUT I GOT CHECK INCOMPLETES. WOULD ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT MY FMS HEADERS FLOW A BIT BETTER.

I WILL BE ON THE PHONE WITH SUPERCHIPS TOMORROW. I WAS TOLD I CAN:
A) GET THE CHIP PROGRAM TO WORK
B) FIND SOMEONE TO GET MY ECU BACK TO ORIGINAL
C) FIND AN UNUPGRADED ECU

BTW, ANYONE HAVE A 97 1/2 5.0 ECU WITH CODE XDT2 THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER IN NEED OF??

SO LEARN FROM MY MISFORTUNE, DONT DO THE UPGRADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SOMETIMES IT SUCKS TO BE A TRAILBLAZER

 

[RytM1]

Don't feel so bad, I just took my truck in 4 days ago, and they still have it (my suggestion is the fuel evap system, but they are in the process of trying to bend me over the counter, and have checked about everything but that). Anyways, when calling to keep me updated, the service advisor told me that they couldn't get my truck started, and asked if I had a performance chip in it (she had forgotten I told them it was in there 2 days prior when I dropped it off). It seems that I never received anything from Ford about the upgrade, and the tech took it upon himself to do it, rendering my chip obsolete at this point....Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!