Intermittent electronic problems

[EricPinMidway]

My 2017 Limited was great up to just under 100k. About that point, got in at the grocery and the touchscreen wouldn't come on. Was near the dealer so drove straight there. Of course, when I got to the dealer and got out to talk to service advisor I turned it off. When I restarted, the screen came back like normal. Advisor says sometimes it just needs to reset, nothing to worry about and unless they see it and diagnose, Ford won't cover under warranty. I later learned from this forum that it's a frequent issue with the APIM module and I'm now past warranty so if I fix it'll be out of my pocket.

More recently, I've had intermittent issues with door locks. The driver door wouldn't lock or unlock with the proximity button on the handle - I had to use the fob or the numeric pad on the door. After a week or two, started working again. last week, the front passenger door won't lock/unlock unless you physically push the lock button down when you get out or pull the door handle from inside to open. All other doors lock/unlock fine. Research indicates possible issues with the BCM.

I'm very disappointed with the electronics in this vehicle. I had an 03 Honda Odyssey with 300k miles and no electronic/electical issues - everything that I've had to do on it was mechanical wear/tear you'd expect with that many miles. 1999 silverado - same thing, still no issues. I know there are lots more computers running these newer cars but I'd expect them to last longer than the loan payments. This was the first Ford I've ever owned and will probably be the last - very disappointed and frustrated.

 

[J_C]

I'm not sure how much of the wiring and troublshooting for a '14 applies to a '17 but that is where I'd start, get the workshop manual download linked in my sig below, pick ONE of the failing features (I'd try a simple one first) and troubleshoot it.

Just as a sanity check, I'd check the battery voltage. Low battery can cause all kinds of phantom faults, and if your '17 is still on the factory battery, it's probably due for replacement.

 

[MrPlat]

Ever since I've owned my '18 the IA on the passenger door has been intermittent. The dealership always says they can't reproduce the issue. I can't seem to figure out what causes it to stop working, but it randomly decides it'll start working again for a few weeks at a time.

I replaced the battery right after purchasing (it sat on a lot for about a year) and it didn't make a difference as far as that door handle is concerned.

 

[MrPlat]

Ever since I've owned my '18 the IA on the passenger door has been intermittent. The dealership always says they can't reproduce the issue. I can't seem to figure out what causes it to stop working, but it randomly decides it'll start working again for a few weeks at a time.

I replaced the battery right after purchasing (it sat on a lot for about a year) and it didn't make a difference as far as that door handle is concerned.

Sorry to necro the thread, but I finally got this resolved after a few years of back-and-forth with the dealership. It turns out that the issue is related to the main wiring harness that is inside the vehicle. The dealership removed EVERYTHING from the interior of the vehicle to replace the harness, and put it all back together. The door handles both now work properly. The full repair price is in the neighborhood of $4,000, but Ford paid for 90% of it because my complaints before my b2b warranty was up. Sure, it sucks paying the $400, but it sure beats the rest of the stuff that would have ended up dying afterward. I was told this harness controls basically everything on the interior of the vehicle. Just not safety equipment.

Interestingly enough, there was a '19 Explorer waiting to be done when mine was completed and when I went out to see the vehicle in the shop there was an Edge in another bay having the exact thing done to it. This is a known issue within Ford, but they are just repairing them as the issues pop up.

 

[peterk9]

Appreciate the report on the issue you were having.
Happy New Year.

Peter

 

[mguy13sport]

The BCM can get wet and cause all kind of random issues. Its possible to DIY a replacement BCM but if you got the warranty that's even better.