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Powertrain malfunction, How screwed am I?

mybikeisred

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I know I’ve seen a thread or two about this. I tried to search for them and found one, but it was kind of unclear what the resolution was.

So here’s my situation, my first alerts came Saturday night. Check 4x4, pre-collision assist not available, service engine soon. I just hit the OK button on the steering wheel and cleared them, bronco was driving fine. I drove it on Monday, no warnings, no issues. Today, when I started it up, I got a whole bunch of warnings. I cleared them with the ok button, shut it off, started it back up, drove fine for about a half mile, then lost a lot of power and I get powertrain malfunction, check 4x4, pre collision assist, service vehicle, etc. Then on my way home a couple hours later, everything was fine for 10 miles, then the warnings came back and I lost power for the last two miles.

Scheduled an appt at the dealer for tomorrow morning. I assume it’s safe to drive there, about 16 miles.

So can anyone tell me what has solved this issue for other people? Is there anything I should make sure the service tech is aware of? From a similar thread, it seemed like people’s service techs tried all kinds of random sounding things, and many people never posted about any final fix. Do I have a lemon?
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bmsehlke

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Still waiting on mine, but have read many instances where the main fuse block has a loose ground and everything starts throwing codes. Tightening the ground wires has fixed many problems for new owners. And…. Then there’s the complete engine failure in some also. Good luck… service departments everywhere are undermanned and under trained.
 
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mybikeisred

mybikeisred

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Still waiting on mine, but have read many instances where the main fuse block has a loose ground and everything starts throwing codes. Tightening the ground wires has fixed many problems for new owners. And…. Then there’s the complete engine failure in some also. Good luck… service departments everywhere are undermanned and under trained.
That was the first thing I did, tighten stuff up in the fuse box and seat the fuses better. I thought maybe it did the trick, but ten miles later, the codes came back. I’m not sure how undermanned my local service dept is, I was able to get an appt first thing tomorrow, but undertrained sounds about right from what I hear.
 
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mybikeisred

mybikeisred

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lasttj

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Just wondering if you run the chance of a warranty issue if you drive it to the dealership knowing it has issues. Maybe call them first and see if it should be towed?
 

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I know I’ve seen a thread or two about this. I tried to search for them and found one, but it was kind of unclear what the resolution was.

So here’s my situation, my first alerts came Saturday night. Check 4x4, pre-collision assist not available, service engine soon. I just hit the OK button on the steering wheel and cleared them, bronco was driving fine. I drove it on Monday, no warnings, no issues. Today, when I started it up, I got a whole bunch of warnings. I cleared them with the ok button, shut it off, started it back up, drove fine for about a half mile, then lost a lot of power and I get powertrain malfunction, check 4x4, pre collision assist, service vehicle, etc. Then on my way home a couple hours later, everything was fine for 10 miles, then the warnings came back and I lost power for the last two miles.

Scheduled an appt at the dealer for tomorrow morning. I assume it’s safe to drive there, about 16 miles.

So can anyone tell me what has solved this issue for other people? Is there anything I should make sure the service tech is aware of? From a similar thread, it seemed like people’s service techs tried all kinds of random sounding things, and many people never posted about any final fix. Do I have a lemon?
Hi there! This doesn't sound like an experience we want you to have with your Bronco. Could you please send us a PM with your VIN and the name and location of your Ford dealer? I'd be happy to see how I can assist you on my end.
 
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mybikeisred

mybikeisred

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Clubs
 
Just wondering if you run the chance of a warranty issue if you drive it to the dealership knowing it has issues. Maybe call them first and see if it should be towed?
They said to drive it and to call them if I don’t make it.
 
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mybikeisred

mybikeisred

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So, at the service dept, they pulled up a whole bunch more codes that didn’t even show up for me in the bronco or ford pass app. After the tech started trying to figure out the problem, the one that he couldn’t wrap his head around was P-2138, it has something to do with the gas pedal. They said they needed to order a whole new gas pedal assembly. From that, I thought I knew what must be the problem. I had installed one of those sprint boosters that some guy was selling on here. It’s like a pedal commander to reduce throttle lag. I’ve had it on there since day two and it actually makes a big difference. It’s the one that has like 18 settings, 9 in sport mode and 9 in race mode. I had put it on there, set it to race 9, and disconnected the little display thing that you use to change the setting.

So I told them about it and had them take it out. So far, no more codes have popped up, but there’s nothing really definitive that that is what was causing the problem. They said maybe the pcm module just couldn’t handle it. They said maybe even if I put it back in, but didn’t leave it on the highest setting, it might be fine. So I’m gonna leave it off at least for a few weeks, and maybe if it doesn’t throw any more codes, I might try putting it back on a lower setting.

It didn’t create any warranty issues, there was no charge for the visit. I had also informed them of the forscanning that I had done. I know some people have been questioning whether or not it could cause warranty issues. The guy didn’t seem to care, he was just happy that I told him about it, in case it might help in diagnosing any problems.

My service dept was great too. Cypress Coast Ford in Monterey, CA. They don’t have the best reputation, but I guess none of them really do. People are always quick to give the negative feedback, but when things go smoothly, it’s quickly forgotten, so you never hear much positive feedback about any of these places. They got me in first thing the next morning. I made the appt through the ford pass app, I was contacted about a half hour later and asked if I needed it towed there. They said they didn’t have any loaners, but I suspect they just save the loaners for the really pissed off people. They did shuttle me back to my house, and then sent the guy back to pick me up to come get my car back. I live about 35 minutes from the dealership. The lady that I dealt with in the service dept was awesome. Very friendly. I hope this is the end of this problem.
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