Ok, this is strange! HELP! Warning lights - NO CODES.

[redone17]

In the middle of a 3 hour drive going 65 on the highway in heavy rain and low 30s temps - dash lights started going nuts. I was in 4A.

Everything from Check Engine, Check 4x4, Powertrain Malfunction, ABS, Hill Start Assist, Collision Assist, AdvanceTrac, Emergency Brake…all blowing up.

I immediately pulled over and before coming to a stop switched to 2H. No problem. Check 4x4 & Engine Light go away - the rest remain.

I shut down the ignition and detach the negative terminal for a few minutes. Worried that I’m on the side of a highway in the dark w/o hazards on and my son in the passenger seat - I reattached it after just a couple of minutes and started the engine. No problems. Brakes seem to be engaging. All sensor lights are still lit. Including ABS.

Check FordPass App. No alerts. Check OBD Reader. No DTC codes.

We get back on the road. Keep it in 2H for the remainder of the trip (had another 50 miles or so). No drivetrain or braking issues.

Front sensors are gone. Auto-high beams aren’t working (indicator isn’t even illuminating when rotating switch). Cruise control isn’t working - (SET) illuminates but doesn’t lock in when hitting the button.

I tried to switch to 4H & 4A in the parking lot once we got to our destination and no issues. I didn’t rotate the wheels at all. Weather is getting worse tonight and we’re hitting the slopes about 40 min away. Really hope I have 4A/4H handy.

Any suggestions?

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[Brian_B]

You need to hook a scanner up. Probably a wheel speed sensor but a lot of things can cause that. There will be a code set, but FordPass/ProCal won’t necessarily see them.

Disconnecting the battery will reset it, but if something is broke (like a WSS) it will just fault back out again as soon as you start moving

 

[redone17]

You need to hook a scanner up. Probably a wheel speed sensor but a lot of things can cause that. There will be a code set, but FordPass/ProCal won’t necessarily see them.

Disconnecting the battery will reset it, but if something is broke (like a WSS) it will just fault back out again as soon as you start moving

A scanner different from OBD?

 

[Brian_B]

A scanner different from OBD?

Depends on the reader. The code is probably flagged in the ABS and/or AWD modules. Not all readers can scan all modules - but if you are certain those are getting scanned it would be curious to wrench out without a code

 

[redone17]

Depends on the reader. The code is probably flagged in the ABS and/or AWD modules. Not all readers can scan all modules - but if you are certain those are getting scanned it would be curious to wrench out without a code

Ok. That makes sense. I’m using an OBDLink MX+. Pretty sure it covers all bases.

Only thing I can think of immediately is there were DOT trucks presumably dumping brine. I guess I’ll check my harness connections at the bumper.

 

[Brian_B]

Ok. That makes sense. I’m using an OBDLink MX+. Pretty sure it covers all bases.

Only thing I can think of immediately is there were DOT trucks presumably dumping brine. I guess I’ll check my harness connections at the bumper.

Yeah that hardware can for sure.

I’ve seen it wrench out with excessive wheel slippage, and it clears when you restart, but it has a ABS/AWD code that stays until reset - similar code as bad WSS

 

[redone17]

Yeah that hardware can for sure.

I’ve seen it wrench out with excessive wheel slippage, and it clears when you restart, but it has a ABS/AWD code that stays until reset - similar code as bad WSS

Stumped on why nothing’s showing up. Usually the FordPass app would blow up as soon as any of those warnings come up. It has in the past for my 2021 anyhow.

 

[redone17]

Still nothing in the system. Headed to the mountain. Will report back.

 

[redone17]

@Brian_B

thanks for your input. My buddy in service said L/R wheel sensor as well. Part ordered

 

[redone17]

150 miles back home and nothing out of the ordinary in terms of drivability. Just a million alerts and dings over and over.

This type of situation could have ruined someone’s day or vacation. I’m glad I have a decent sense of how this truck operates and an understanding that it was safe to drive otherwise. But, a normal day to day driver would have called a tow truck and had their trip ruined.

The fact that a minor sensor issue is so common and can cause so much havoc and panic is pretty infuriating.

 

[Kboyts]

I had simlar lights. My issue was a broken wire in the harness on the rear axle leading to the passenger wheel speed sensor. Just got that fixed last week.

 

[Brian_B]

When I had a similar issue - all the GOAT modes broke, the ABS stuff (cruise control, auto braking, etc) broke, and it refused to shift into 4Hi, but I still had 4Lo - so not all was lost.

Mine definitely had a code telling me which sensor though (although I kinda knew because I broke it trying to pull it out)

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

When I had a similar issue - all the GOAT modes broke, the ABS stuff (cruise control, auto braking, etc) broke, and it refused to shift into 4Hi, but I still had 4Lo - so not all was lost. Mine definitely had a code telling me which sensor though (although I kinda knew because I broke it trying to pull it out)

Where are these little gremlins, and do you have a photo? When I was doing the Off-Roadeo our guide talked a lot about the wheel speed sensors and how all the GOAT modes use a lot of data from them for real-time adjustments. My thought was, “Great, until a sensor fails.”

Update: Nevermind, found an earlier thread, where @Brian_B was hooking people up a couple years ago, same issue (with photos):

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...nsor-any-cause-for-concern.71158/post-1891672

 

[Brian_B]

Where are these little gremlins, and do you have a photo? When I was doing the Off-Roadeo our guide talked a lot about the wheel speed sensors and how all the GOAT modes use a lot of data from them for real-time adjustments. My thought was, “Great, until a sensor fails.”

I do have some posts around here that have all the DTC codes (I think), but it was a little over a year ago - right around Thanksgiving 2024, if anyone wants to go digging, it was across about 3 threads.

Long story --

Weekend before Thanksgiving kid goes out for his first solo drive, and decides to tackle the snow up in the mountains. He gets stuck and calls right around 5pm (just before it gets good and dark). I had just got a set of GY SAS takeoffs, and was ready to try them out in the snow. So we went up to go get him and decide to go the short way - up and over the mountain to get to him. I had an awful time, once the snow got deep (over 30" near the peak) the tires just gave up, and we ended up winching out every few hundred feet. Got within about 3 miles of where the kid was stuck (almost to the top and on the way back down the backside) but couldn't get any further before it got too dark and we got worried. We headed back down the mountain and called in the sheriff since it would take us another 4 hours to go around the londway. They brought the snowcat up and got him, we got him back home around... 4am.

A few days later, the snow has settled a bit, we go up to get his truck. Again, as soon as we hit the snow - nothing but getting stuck. (fortunately he was only about 1/4 mile past the snow line when we went the long way around the mountain) Wrench icon left and right. Kept resetting it by shutting off the Bronco, but it would pop back up almost immediately in the snow in 4Hi. Kid noticed the front tires weren't engaging at all. I did not have a code reader with me at the time, we winched up the last 1/4 mile to his truck, got his truck out, and limped back down the mountain.

Got home - troubleshooting, I found out my FAD wasn't engaging at all. I fiddled with it, manually engaged the axle, and all seemed good. But in the troubleshooting I had broke a wheel speed sensor yanking it out too hard and damaging the sensor. At first I was blaming the GY's... but apparently I was stuck in 2wd the entire time, and in light of that, those GY's did pretty darn good in the snow.

The FAD seemed to work after that, but now I had a WSS out. Took a few days to get a WSS in. But once I got the WSS fixed - all was good. I suspect the FAD issue was due to a failing battery (it died about 2 months later) and it was just "weird electrical gremlin". But the subsequent WSS was definitely me yanking it out and damaging the thing.

Anyway - the symptoms for both were the same -- Wrench icon, loss of collision assistance, loss of cruise control, loss of all GOAT modes, loss of 4Hi, flood of alarms on FordPass... but it would drive, and it still shift (or at least try to) into 4Lo.

 

[redone17]

Damn! What a story.

So, this is 100% related to the sensors - that’s no doubt. I guess I hope it’s a sensor itself and not a harness - because that what’s on order. Now the question is why am I not getting FordPass or DTV codes…that’s worrisome. I’m going to hook it up to Forscan later and check that scan.

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