[Feral]

I swear I have the absolute worst of luck aswell

2 weeks ago i was driving home in my 02 Blue Wagon and noticed my engine temp go up so i went down the backroads and cooled it down, got home and parked and heard the fans running even tho it was parked and off ( never seen the fans on this car run without the key)

2 days later driving home from work yet again it heats up and im like somethings wrong, this time i heard no fans and it was giving a nice show of pissing antifreeze from the rad cap so i take it to Concept Ford

they say it will take a day to get it in, eh ok fine i still have my 01 gold Focus Wagon thats my never ending project

next day I get a call we have your car in and you need a new computer... i pause and say what????? my car needs a new computer, they say yes the controller for the fan is bad im like theres no way car runs absolutely mint idles great its not throwing codes and im not getting errors with a live scanner.. then i return to the fan controller yes your ECU....

i say fine replace it while your at it replace my valve cover gasket and radcap which i know is not sealing correctly aswell as checking 3 other points of intrest.. she replies theres a problem though the dealer ECU is $1100 and cannot be purchased anymore but we can get you an aftermarket one for $600 im like wait freeze hold on i don't buy aftermarket and Ive never trusted aftermarkets they have done nothing but make my cars run like s**t so being a focus nut i go though my storage bin full of parts i locate and offer 3 Focus ECU's and they say none will work with that car due to mismatched engines (which is total crap due to the fact I know all my focuses are Zetecs) the only reason i would buy an SPI is for a Zetec Swap.. anyways.......

fine ok you win i need my car get the aftermarket.. waiting game goes on and ends up happening on a monday I get a call we need your car for one more day the ECU delivered wont start your car... sighs fine i replied second goes in and i get a call this ecu wont start your car either we need to get another

(im no so infuriated its not funny they have had my car for a week refused known working ECU's with keys and want to keep fu**ing with aftermarket ones) i turned around and said want me to get my project car towed there and you can personally take the ecu out of it because ive tested all 3 in the same car and it started and ran fine" sorry we cannot do that"" fine fix my damn car then

Wednesday i get a call your car is fixed and ready the technition verified both fans turn on via the ecu.. im absolutely speechless anyone knowns both fans only turn on in diagnostic mode to say the wiring is good left is cooling right is A/C and they are not both controlled by the computer so i question how does the technition know both fans are running at the same time all she replies is he knows so i get pissed say im on my way and before hanging up tell her to tell the tech to stick his fingers in the fans to find out

i arrive to the dealer pay the $1700 or so and drive off im not even 2 blocks and the car lunges and lurches and alll my dash lights go berserk im now late for work so i i just baby the car there and back home where i hook it up to my own ford ecu programmer and pull off codes that should be passed on the ecu here are some of them

P1473 Fan Secondary High With Fan(s) Off
P1474 Low Fan Control Primary Circuit Malfunction
P1475 Fan Relay (Low) Circuit Malfunction
P1476 Fan Relay (High) Circuit Malfunction
P1477 Additional Fan Relay Circuit Malfunction
P1534 Inertia Switch Activated
P1520 Intake Manifold Runner Control Circuit Malfunction
P1521 Variable Intake Solenoid #1 Circuit Malfunction
P1522 Variable Intake Solenoid #2 Circuit Malfunction
P1523 IVC Solenoid Circuit Malfunction
P1538 Intake Manifold Runner Control (Bank 2) Stuck Open
P1572 Brake Pedal Switch Circuit Malfunction
P1606 ECM Control Relay O/P Circuit Malfunction
P1700 Transmission Indeterminate Failure (Failed to Neutral)
P1712 Trans Torque Reduction Request Signal Malfunction


im sitting there absolutely dumbfounded at this point
i then switch out the software on my laptop to my obd!! information snapshot software and pull off fords programming and realise at this point that either the tech is an absolute airhead or just stupid

the Vin branding came back <NIL>
the Revision code is not LDC8 its FEEL
then on top of that another set of diagnostics software report back the car is reporting that its a SVT Focus

at this point im flat out ready to torch the car... then with that thought on a hunch i go check a part i remember people here having a problem with

I dig around and disconnect the pigtail to the front Fan Diode Unit and to my disgust its melted and charred
I call them and tell them theres this part i asked them to check earlier (points of intrest comment) they told me its perfectly fine

these beg to differ (pictures added later)

so i return the car tell them to replace the diode and there all laughing at me because the diode has nothing to do with the cooling fans and the fact its melting burning and eroding is not a safety matter i then loose it and walk up to random people including people looking to buy cars and ask does this look safe and would you leave this in your car and scare off at least half the buyers after stating the service manager and mechanic said this poses no threat should not be replaced and has nothing to do with cooling the engine

so i get into a short verbal with either the parts manager or service manager i then go out and get ready to leave sit in the car but something just stops me dead in my tracks and i pop the hood and im standing there in awe i spot something immediately that i cannot believe they would leave the plastic crossover cooling pips that criss cross behind the rad that clip to the front support are dangling and leaning on the exhaust.. right about then i absolutely LOOSE IT and people come running out i just spent close to 2 grand and everything under the hood is an absolute MESS i turn around point at the service manager and tell him to get the F*** away from my car i turn around and tell the Tech to step away from my car and grab another person and ask whats wrong with this picture and he points out several things that are now broken that were not when this started the sales manager starts to defend the mechanic and i just say shut up and fix it as i stood there

at this moment now my car will not idle right will not run right and again has a check engine light but after the response of the service manager im just tired and fedup with there bullshit she responded back oh the computer just needed a master reset which all and all again is bullshit

im just going to let the car run like crap and if it dies or catches fire ill make them replace my car because it seems they cannot FIX them

i may end up parting this Wagon and just getting another seeing no one cares, the dealers are absolute idiots and its costing me now more then what my insurance paid for it

(please note im not blasting all dealers just Concept/Capital Ford)
I hope your reading this Concept ford you will remember my car its the one with the Focuscanada.net stickers on the back with the bra on the front

P.S. Ive never owned an SPI in my life, nor have i had a duratec Both those engines IMO are 2 of Fords many failures

yeah Ford said theres nothing wrong with this and said i should not of replaced it.... I beg to differ and im sure you all will agree

---

and before anyone asks

Yes I still have Wagon #2 and Wagon #3 but i also now have a side wrecked Focus Wagon with a manual (Zetec) and a rear end hit Zetec Wagon that are both running that i hope to find body's for heh
I want the manual Transmission for my project car but need time to pull it out and stick it on my #2

[Oscar The Grouch]

Yeah I would lose it too. Although some of your post is a little confusing (grammar issues), I'd complain right to FOMOCO.

[Feral]

yeah i lost my email address and had to have DP fix it, and was writing that while on the phone trying to deal with another Irate person (Tech support but it had nothing to do with it i guess he just needed someone to vent on LOL) heh so i was a tad mind bent if you need clarification tell me where and ill go re-write it.. I'm just having a lovely month..

[Scorcher000]

WOW dude, This sounds just like my lovely time I had at Ford too.

First thing first. I've learned f**k the dealerships. I know some of you work there but... no!!

Take it to a Midas over a Dealership.

I hope you can get through to someone up top if you contact them and PS I have a duratec and I beat on it everyday for the past 7 years and I've never had an issue. Just sayin lol

Good luck!!!

[sonic_mikey]

next time anyone has an issues, you come see me @ CT on the corner of dundas and trafalgar in oakville , we'll fix you up right.

[Feral]

Props to the Dura.. I have nothing against Duras I have a total hatred to the SPI's they drop a seat engines toast and its fords design fault... duras run fine run great but they are interference and they also love blowing coilpacks like no tomorrow..

eh i just needed to vent and warn people... ive been tinkering with my project focus for a few years but work and real life got my attention pulled away. i will not give up or abandon my project car hence i have no time to monkey with the other i just wanted it fixed luckily i was out of town and didn't need it hence i got away without a rental

but im still in line with there was no issue with the ECU to begin with and they hosed me.. that and the fact they refused to use a used FORD ECU find me a replacement Ford ECU no they pushed and pressed for the aftermarket junk that doesn't even properly fit in its cradle... they used plastic scraps to make it fit snug in the cradle i will eventually get pissed off enough to yank the ecu out and throw in one of my spares and honestly i won;t care if it cries its missing abs or theres an airbag fault the cars running like an absolute turd and they refuse to look at it anymore they told me we cannot devote the time to your car and look into why its Lurching and the idle lopes badly.... i still think they stuck someones SVT programming into it as its still bitching its missing the Air intake controller and other parts only a SVT has like the VCT

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Who says i wont drop it off anyways it still needs severe repairs due to this dealership repair... ill pay the labor ill get you a rad fan setup from one of my parts cars probably have you pull the whole fan assembly off the car now and put the other into it i honestly do not trust what they have done i really don't and i asked the mechanic did you even look at the control devices under the hood or even OPEN my hood.. he replied "no, the ford computer told him theres a fan fault and that was it so he said its the ecu" and nothing else and tested nothing else

[ZTWsquared]

wow - bag o s**t man. sorry to hear this.

[Scorcher000]

Thats what all techs do. The slap the computer on and say oh your a/c must not be working when the car is clearly on FIRE lol

I really don't think techs today have have a dam clue what they are doing and from what I know most dealerships hire fresh graded techs with little to no experience working on them.

Ford costed me about $6000, well $2000 to me and the rest was picked up by Statefarm. But they refused to fix everything else that was wrong with mine like airbag module, cluster lights, 12v plug plus more. Also when I picked the car up I had been told that had to disconnect my throttle cable due to the fact it was stuck on WOT for a mechanic moving it out of the building. Ya thats right they beat on my baby to the point the TB was jammed Wide Open.

Sorry to thread jack but every time I see threads like this it brings me back to an unhappy place. But now when I walk in to get a rare part or two from parts I walk past and the service guy is, oh Good morning sir. I just simply say, Go f**k Yourself! hahah

[Feral]

you know what Rant away =) people need to know and i see no threadjacking anywhere

yeah thats why i have a habit of looking under the hood after anything to do with repairs LOL (unless i did it)

if your still needing parts.. just ask i have plenty lol ;D

[meford4u]

Scorcher....that's a pretty broad statemment. All techs do .....blah blah blah.

My son is a Ford tech that continually upgrades his studies and yes, they are supposed to recommend issues to the customer (you want to call it upselling, okay).

But his cars don't come back. He fixes them right the first time. The way I taught him.

Need a good tech?

He's at Mohawk Ford in Hamilton and I will pass on any information if needed.

[Feral]

i need to dig a bit but i want a true ford computer.. aftermarkets suck the people who made this one seem to have no clue what they are doing because it took 3 tries to get one to start my car and my old one started it fine..

also please im not bashing ALL techs theres no grounds for it or is that needed this particular one just flat outright said its ok and safe to drive with a connector slowly burning and melting itself away and that the fan diode had nothing to do with the operation of the cooling fans yet its wired to them XDXDXDXD

P.S. not all aftermarket parts suck just from companies who have no clue what they are doing and hiring people who cant read....

[hardk0re]

The stock computers are pretty rugged, they fail because of wiring issues, if that doesn't get resolved then your not going to fix your problem, just the computer that broke because of it. If it was even broken in the first place... Looks like you've got a whole lot of corroded connectors, etc. Now is actually the season for this, the salt got in there when it was cold outside and wet and now when its hot the heat is letting it do its awesome corrosion thing it does so well with metal.

[Feral]

heh i checked all the connectors there clean when i purchsed the car i used diletic grease on most of them i could not get to that one cuz well i never noticed it it was neatly tucked under the spiderweb of crossover rad pipes...

i also highly doubt my computer was the issue but that dealer when i presented all the evidence very quickly defended the person even the service manager told me the connector had nothing to do with the rads... ehhh whatever that was the last time that cars ever going to that dealership i had to walk into the mechanics bay and take my diode and pigtail back he knew they were bad because the pigtail was in a bin and the diode was in the guys toolbox they also refused to give me my computer back and very quickly told me the computer was already sent back which is total and utter BS because i saw it on the bench with SE wagon in marker on it... i eventually grew tired and at that point i was ready to see how well my fans really were working by stuffing that mechanics face into them but i opted just to bitch about the broken tabs and the fact the hard plastic crossover pipe was hanging over onto my exhaust and leave.....


and I believe your focus is still lingering around my area i still see that metallic dark grey focus with FC.net tags ive yet to have time to chase them down and find out tho XD there ALWAYS going down the connecting street to mine and i can hear it from my basement LOL

[02_svt_guy]

P1520 Intake Manifold Runner Control Circuit Malfunction
IMRC is SVT only. Sounds like you had a bad connection of sort.. possible electrical fire and this ford dealership just threw parts at it at your expense.

I used to work at a Ford dealership and i have to say i feel for ya man. I also believe that mechanics should specialize or only work on things they are capable of. You found yourself between a bad Service advisor and a mechanic who was just plain lying to her cause he had no idea what was wrong with your car.

[Scorcher000]

(03-30-2012, 12:08 PM)meford4u Wrote: Scorcher....that's a pretty broad statemment. All techs do .....blah blah blah.

My son is a Ford tech that continually upgrades his studies and yes, they are supposed to recommend issues to the customer (you want to call it upselling, okay).

But his cars don't come back. He fixes them right the first time. The way I taught him.

Need a good tech?

He's at Mohawk Ford in Hamilton and I will pass on any information if needed.

No your right... I'm sorry not all techs. I recall i took my gf's focus there for some front suspension warranty and they were fantastic about it. They didn't even try to push for anything else too. Tell your son to go to other dealerships and teach the rest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Feral]

(03-31-2012, 06:11 AM)02_svt_guy Wrote: P1520 Intake Manifold Runner Control Circuit Malfunction
IMRC is SVT only. Sounds like you had a bad connection of sort.. possible electrical fire and this ford dealership just threw parts at it at your expense.

I used to work at a Ford dealership and i have to say i feel for ya man. I also believe that mechanics should specialize or only work on things they are capable of. You found yourself between a bad Service advisor and a mechanic who was just plain lying to her cause he had no idea what was wrong with your car.

Thats what I told them and the person there said thats impossible, i said its not an SVT is nothing but a modified Zetec thats designed with alot more performance and alot more controllers.. I got a stupid look back then blamed the car yet again and I told them right there if the car is loping its having running and idle issues and it still does to this day. either way it may end up going to one of the dealers that have been mentioned in the post but dont be surprised if it arrives dead or on a flatbed because im sure it will end up that way, currently im stuck i don;t have the money for another computer that dealership sucked $2000 from me for just the computer, the valve cover gasket, pigtail and diode

(03-31-2012, 09:15 AM)Scorcher000 Wrote:

(03-30-2012, 12:08 PM)meford4u Wrote: Scorcher....that's a pretty broad statemment. All techs do .....blah blah blah.

My son is a Ford tech that continually upgrades his studies and yes, they are supposed to recommend issues to the customer (you want to call it upselling, okay).

But his cars don't come back. He fixes them right the first time. The way I taught him.

Need a good tech?

He's at Mohawk Ford in Hamilton and I will pass on any information if needed.

No your right... I'm sorry not all techs. I recall i took my gf's focus there for some front suspension warranty and they were fantastic about it. They didn't even try to push for anything else too. Tell your son to go to other dealerships and teach the rest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

anyways heres the receipts from the repairs and yes i forgot to mention that i had the tie rods done and I knew they were shot, hit a speedbump sounds like a post went though the frame.. also the Ran on 2 cylinders is bullshit because it was running and idling better then it does now

[garythewolf]

l wonder why you didnt check the problem out yourself??? you have all the tools,,l have 2 focus, a 2001 sedan and a 2003 wagon and before they go in to get repaired l use my scanner jus to see what area the problem is in,,,saves a lot of yelling and making enemys,,,,right???

[Feral]

I did, I got no codes or errors, I noticed the correction states that the car was running on 2 cylinder ( yeahhh right) anyways I did do all my pre-diagnose things but i had to leave out of town for the weekend and i told them to check the diode pack i told them it was overheating the cars running fine its not tossing a code but its overheating, I do know when i put it on defrost the AC fan kicked on but the cooling fan i never heard when it did warm up and when it started to piss a stream from the lip of the overflow thats when i said it had to go in.. i didn't need the car so i dropped it off.. my schedule is messed up and very spurratic im now on call 24/7 this is why my project car is still going on 2 years after i started ill find the link for it if your interested

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http://www.focuscanada.net/forum/showthr...p?tid=1879

[NOS2Go4Me]

IMRC is also a SPI thing. It had a solenoid that actuates tumble flaps that alternate intake manifold airflow between short and long runners, depending on engine RPMs.

Try getting a Zetec ECU from a used parts dealer. Double points if you can find an identical ECU code to the one you already have. I believe there was about 15 distinct Zetec ECU codes in all, maybe 20 tops.

You should be able to bolt it all in.

Good luck man.

[garythewolf]

thats right, no light, no code,,sorry yu are so busy, but it will change and you will have more time for the cars,,lm getting rocker panels replaced on the 01 for the wife and the cover gaskets were changed on both of them,,l get Mcgregors auto wreckers to repair anything l cant do, they treat me well and they have used parts or new,,lm still able to change the oil and keep the motors cleaned up,,this is a perfect site to learn all your focus weakness,,wonderfull site indeed,,,have a good day and stay away from that F,,,kin dealership,,,find a retired mechanic and be friends eh