head gasket blown

[Sharon]

I'm Desperate Can Anyone Help?
Our 1998 Ford Explorer, 4.0 liter EFI SOHC, has been sitting for two weeks at the dealership with a blown engine that Ford will not repair even though we purchased the extended service plan and it is still under warranty ($4,350.00 minimum to replace engine.)

One week prior to the blow-up, the A/C system was repaired under warranty to the tune of $800.00 and then proceeded to not work again by the following Friday. While on the way to work on the next Monday the truck's temperature gauge light came on (no check engine light) and immediately the engine lost power. Luckily it was 5:00 am so losing power at 70 mph didn't kill my husband. The dealership didn't know what went first the head gasket or the thermostat. Upon removing the thermostat they discovered it was clogged with this dark gray thick residue that is soft enough to smush between two fingers, but the radiator cap is clean.

Service tech said someone had put "stop leak or something" in the cooling system and they would not cover it. The thermostat has already been replaced a year 1/2 ago because it was not working and the system was flushed and refilled at a "blue oval dealer." A different service manager friend of ours said the antifreeze has broken down and the additives clogged the thermostat. The truck has had all necessary maintenance performed on schedule and has been into the dealer over 17 times for various problems.

Has anyone ever seen this before and do you know of any information that I can access to prove to Ford this is their problem and they need to fix it? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks

1998, Ford, Explorer
4.0 liter EFI SOHC
Automatic transmission
70,000 miles
Fuel Injection
ABS brakes
P/S - A/C - Cruise control
Rack and pinion steering

 

[Robert]

Try calling Ford Consumer Relations first. The number is in your Owner's manual. I believe it can also be found at Ford's website (www.ford.com). If they don't provide a satisfactory answer, ask for the Zone Reps number and try them next. If you still don't get the results you want you will have no choice but to talk to an attorney if you want this resolved in your favor. Be sure and point out to the dealer that Ford is the only one that has ever worked on your Explorer and have the paperwork to back up your statement. If they still refuse, advise them of the steps you will take. Sometimes that is enough to get them to reconsider. Sometimes it's not.

 

[JDraper]

Try what Robert has said. As for the stop leak comment, if someone had put stop leak in the radiator, it would show up all through the cooling system, not just at the thermostat (I.E. your radiator cap should have residue on it, and apparently it doesn't). Is it possible that the "dark grey residue" in the thermostat is actually a piece of gasket material that fell into the system when the thermostat was replaced and has now broken down and clogged the system?? I'd make sure I got the tech to put in writing the stop leak comment and I'd also get a piece of the material that was in the system. That way you have a paper trail to fight with.

 

[mrboyle]

To add to what Robert and Jeff said, ask the Ford tech to show you exactly what this "residue" is and take a sample of it. If they ask why, tell them that if they want to play games you are going to have the sample chemically tested for content in order to prove that it is not stop leak. (you don't really have to have this done, just do it in order to let them know you aren't going to take their **** lying down) I also agree with Jeff that if there was stop leak in the system it would be in the entire system, not just the T-stat Plus, the only stop leak that I know of that is dark grey in color is "silver seal" and if it was in your cooling system there would be shiny little silver flakes floating around in the coolant. I have also never heard of a blown head gasket causing the t-stat to fail, it is always the other way arround.

 

[Sharon]

Thanks

Thanks for the support
Thanks for the ideas.
Talked with the dealership owner and gave her the real scoop and what they were in for if they didn't find someone at Ford to give up this unsubstantiated guess. She didn't understand their stubbornness either but gave the "I'm the middleman" line too. I promptly reminded her that that was her choice. I suggested that she make some strategic phone calls herself because I didn't believe she wished to be in the middle of a very public battle. My father is a retired Ford lifer with 34yrs in mgt., my grandfather worked with HF and HFII, and my sis is the widow of the late Gene Bordinat of Mustang fame, VP of design, and even had the Bordinat Cougar named after him. All these photos would make a great news story don't you think.

Plus this is the 2nd lemon we have had from Ford in the past 8 yrs. I had a Villager that puts this story to shame. New transmission as soon as the warranty was up, constant electrical problems the could not fix and blamed on my cd player, side window fell off while I was driving my kids, ABS system turned itself on while stopped and lurched me into the intersections at stop lights, they never could find the problem, but I did. The ABS module was not shielded properly and it would become possessed under high power tension lines, Service tech didn't believe me until I made him drive it under one while I was in the car. After a loud "oh ****" he called in the Ford techs who didn't belive him, who then called in the Bosch guys who didn't know why but wanted the module but also wanted me to pay for it. Not that stupid! They want it they pay for it. After that the final straw was the plastic gas tank leaked fuel. 2 different fuelhoses has already been replaced under recalls but the problem was the tank was cracked on top and they wouldn't fix it even though Ford had already dropped the tank twice. Somehow I cracked the tank ON TOP! Needless to say I could not in good conscience sell this to another family with children in it so we sent it down to the bros farm in Tenn to hall hay.
Made the mistake of not getting the extended warranty and didn't have enough info to fight. Oh and by the way all of the electrical problems seemed to disappear after the new module was put in.

I'm alot smarter and more stubborn now!!!
Have the extended warranty, Have all the receipts from the 20+ trips to the dealer, Have the thermostat/antifreeze sample/radiator cap for the truck, have the lab info of where the other dealership sent off the sample to be tested, have the TSB's, Have the Oasis files, Have the addresses of Bill Jr and the Board, Have a brain, and have my Grandfathers stubbornness!

I appreciate the support and will keep you posted. New Zone rep is to call me ASAP after re-reviewing the facts. Thanks!

 

[JDraper]

You might also want to look into the lemon laws in your state. With that many trips to the dealer, you might qualify.......