GOAT modes unavailable and Sta-Bar Disconnect Service Required

[atxbronco]

Was on the Red Cone trail in CO a couple of weeks ago and ran into a problem. Vehicle is factory Badlands 4 door/Sasquatch/2.7 EcoBoost auto with doors on vehicle at the time.

We were in the Rock Obstacle (Waypoint 2) part of the trail. Bronco was in Rock Crawl mode (4L,Sta-Bar disconnect,Rear Locker). Vehicle is automatic transmission but I had it in Manual 1st gear for more control of shift points. Wanted additional traction up front so I hit the front locker button (vehicle was stationary). Lots of errors and warnings popped up (ABS/Service Advance Trac/Pre-Collision not available, etc), Sta-bar reconnected, exited drive mode, reported 4L unavailable and both lockers turned off. The system basically took all the off-road systems off-line. I pulled over to the side of the trail to investigate.

A few immediate observations.
-no visible damage, no impacts, no cringe events before the problem
-no idea what the real cause of this is
-no idea if hitting front locker button actually had anything to do with this or was just coincidental timing/red herring
-pretty sure 4L stay engaged even though an error message popped up as I was already in 4L and didn't leave M1 gear
-disconnecting the negative battery terminal reset everything and brought back all functionality (included toolkit socket fits battery terminals). Off/door open/door close/wait/door open/on cycles wasn't sufficient.

Finished trail after the successful battery pull reset. Used Rock Crawl, Sta-bar disconnect, rear locker, trail control, trail turn assist and 4L/4H at various times for the rest of the trails that day. Everything was great for several days until a Sta-Bar Disconnect Service Required message appeared at startup (previously in normal drive mode/2H). This message is not going away with a battery reset and the error disables all GOAT Drive Modes (Drive Mode Not Available message if you turn the control). Still have 4L/4H/4A/2H and both rear/front lockers work. No other warning messages. Took it into Ford Dealer for service.

Dealer Service confirmed no physical damage and said the Chassis Control Module tested bad. Waiting on part to confirm this resolves the issue. Will update forum when I have something definitive.

Sponsored

 

[PWillette]

Gremlins suck...hopefully they have you the right fix.

 

[Wanted33]

Man, that's some bad luck Steve. But, it sounds like your dealer is on top of it, and will have you fixed up soon. All the electronics in vehicles these days are the reason I buy an extended warranty. I don't worry about the mechanics, but all those fancy thing-a-ma-jigs concern me.

 

[Theherofails]

My Audi Q7 is back in the shop for the 4th time in as many months for electrical issues. Cameras keep dying. Its an $80,000 vehicle..

Cars these days are just too smart for their own good I think. We are in the Windows 95 days of car automation, so I expect it to get worse.. we still have Windows ME coming up.

Did you have the doors off? Someone mentioned previously that their Bronco was throwing massive shade (and error codes) and the issue ended up being a loose door connector...

 

[tjnoffy]

Man, that's some bad luck Steve. But, it sounds like your dealer is on top of it, and will have you fixed up soon.

Yeah, assuming they have any Chassis Control Modules to send to the dealership. Of course, they could just go yank one at Dirt Mountain!

 

[vrtical]

So it defaulted to Normal mode but still had availability of all the 4x4 engagements?

 

[BroncoAgain]

The fact that just about all new cars are just laptops with wheels scares me about the lifespan of them. The longest extended warranty will be a must for me in the future. ESS, lane control and assist, cameras, multiple batteries and God knows what electronics in the 4xE. This time it corrected itself. We've been sold a bill of goods that all this electronic stuff will do everything just great. In the future your tool box will be a Sat phone to a tow truck.

 

[Mattwings]

Was on the Red Cone trail in CO a couple of weeks ago and ran into a problem. Vehicle is factory Badlands 4 door/Sasquatch/2.7 EcoBoost auto with doors on vehicle at the time.

We were in the Rock Obstacle (Waypoint 2) part of the trail. Bronco was in Rock Crawl mode (4L,Sta-Bar disconnect,Rear Locker). Vehicle is automatic transmission but I had it in Manual 1st gear for more control of shift points. Wanted additional traction up front so I hit the front locker button (vehicle was stationary). Lots of errors and warnings popped up (ABS/Service Advance Trac/Pre-Collision not available, etc), Sta-bar reconnected, exited drive mode, reported 4L unavailable and both lockers turned off. The system basically took all the off-road systems off-line. I pulled over to the side of the trail to investigate.

A few immediate observations.
-no visible damage, no impacts, no cringe events before the problem
-no idea what the real cause of this is
-no idea if hitting front locker button actually had anything to do with this or was just coincidental timing/red herring
-pretty sure 4L stay engaged even though an error message popped up as I was already in 4L and didn't leave M1 gear
-disconnecting the negative battery terminal reset everything and brought back all functionality (included toolkit socket fits battery terminals). Off/door open/door close/wait/door open/on cycles wasn't sufficient.

Finished trail after the successful battery pull reset. Used Rock Crawl, Sta-bar disconnect, rear locker, trail control, trail turn assist and 4L/4H at various times for the rest of the trails that day. Everything was great for several days until a Sta-Bar Disconnect Service Required message appeared at startup (previously in normal drive mode/2H). This message is not going away with a battery reset and the error disables all GOAT Drive Modes (Drive Mode Not Available message if you turn the control). Still have 4L/4H/4A/2H and both rear/front lockers work. No other warning messages. Took it into Ford Dealer for service.

Dealer Service confirmed no physical damage and said the Chassis Control Module tested bad. Waiting on part to confirm this resolves the issue. Will update forum when I have something definitive.

Thanks for sharing and glad the computer "logic" at least kept you mobile.

 

[IDyeti]

Oh that's a great trail to lose 4lo on. /s

How was the traction coming down from the top of Red Cone, on the one way part? Rear tires want to get sideways at all?

 

[atxbronco]

Oh that's a great trail to lose 4lo on. /s

How was the traction coming down from the top of Red Cone, on the one way part? Rear tires want to get sideways at all?

Traction was great! Had a guy following and watching for this specifically as we were all curious to see how Bronco performed. Put it in Trail Control at 3.0 mph and let the computer do it's thing for both descents. I'll confess my first instinct was to lock it in 1st gear and engine brake it the way down but I did want to test this system. Performed flawlessly.

 

[IDyeti]

Traction was great! Had a guy following and watching for this specifically as we were all curious to see how Bronco performed. Put it in Trail Control at 3.0 mph and let the computer do it's thing for both descents. I'll confess my first instinct was to lock it in 1st gear and engine brake it the way down but I did want to test this system. Performed flawlessly.

Excellent to hear!

My Xterra Hill Descent did okay, handled the first steep section fine but the second one there's video of my wife screaming to turn it off. LOL I've see Jeep's version on this trail too and it does horrible, got all kinds of sketchy to me.

 

[atxbronco]

Update: No update...

Local dealership says Ford can't identify chassis control module part number. Frustration mounting as this dealer is giving off the hard "pound sand..." attitude as they really don't seem to care. Will try dealership next to the Bronco Off-Rodeo site as that is close by.

 

[bloominguez]

Update: No update...

Local dealership says Ford can't identify chassis control module part number. Frustration mounting as this dealer is giving off the hard "pound sand..." attitude as they really don't seem to care. Will try dealership next to the Bronco Off-Rodeo site as that is close by.

Oh, good plan! Maybe the Broncos as the Off-Roadeo have some parts......

 

[da_jokker]

Side note, during my entire Off Rodeo (Moab) the instructor never told us to use the goat modes.

Basically we staid in Normal, and just manually pushed buttons (4L, 4H, lockers, SBD, etc)

I thought it was odd, but knew the Bronco has Goat Gremlins so figured it was a Fight Club scenario.

 

[SVTLightning]

Side note, during my entire Off Rodeo (Moab) the instructor never told us to use the goat modes.

Basically we staid in Normal, and just manually pushed buttons (4L, 4H, lockers, SBD, etc)

I thought it was odd, but knew the Bronco has Goat Gremlins so figured it was a Fight Club scenario.

This is why I always wanted a manual shift t-case to go along with my manual tranny.

Sponsored