[Bradinnes]

Well, where to start. I picked up a used Ford Focus SE wagon in March. It had low KM on it, about 52,000. It was dirty inside and out though. I cleaned it up and it was proving to be a great family car. I took it in to the local dealership to have some maintenance done. An oil change, fuel filter and there was a strange noise when turning the wheel excessively. They found that the fuel filter was pretty old so they
recommended cleaning the fuel injectors, something I was thinking of having done any way. There was a loose linkage in the front so they replaced it. After that it was running so much smoother and the steering felt better too. Couldn't be happier. Two weeks later, I'm leaving to commute to work just after filling up at the local Esso station. Suddenly the " Check Engine" light comes on. So I pulled over and checked things out. Belt seemed fine and all the fluids were okay. I took it over to the dealership to have them diagnose the issue. I thought it would be a faulty sensor some where. I took public transit to work. Just before walking through the door of the office, Ford calls. " I've got bad news and worse news for you." Uh oh. That's never a good sign. The diagnostic shows the PCM is not functioning... the engine still runs but it's running rough without the engine management system to co-ordinate things. They want 1200.00 CAD for a new one. The worse news was that they had none in stock and no one around did either. It would have to be ordered from the supplier . They couldn't give me an ETA on when it would get there because they have no control over when the supplier ships. At first I said sure because I need a car. then I saw used ones on Ebay for considerably less. So after doing way more research than I should have to, I finally settled on a used one for 195 US plus 30 US for shipping to my address in Canada. I may be in for more headaches, I don't know but it beats 1200 bucks. Also, I contacted Tousley Ford in Minnesota and they could get me a new one for 595.00 plus 100 core charge. So if the used one doesn't work I can still order a new one from them and I'll still be under 1200 bucks.

Okay, any one out there experience PCM failures/problems? If so, I was reading up that it could be a faulty part else where.....something in the ignition system. Possibly the alternator, voltage regulator, coils, etc. The funny thing is, I've read other stories about the dash going crazy and all sorts of weird things before the PCM cut out. I had none of that. The car seemed to run okay, it wasn't fine but it didn't just stop dead. What should I be looking for or at to get to the root of the problem? Or could it just be a faulty computer. Another thing that bugs me.....why the hell is the part 1200 CAD here and 795 US from Tousley! Insane!!!

[Flofocus]

This is the 1st I hear of a a PCM failure on a focus, but I haven;t been paying much attention since selling mine.

In my experience, when all the lights light up on the dash like that its a wiring issue. Most issues are caused by the wires crimping/breaking on top of the hatch area on the hatch backs. We've even seen some of the wire harnesses breaking in the side doors.

what year of focus?

[ZTWsquared]

Further to what Flo said, I've never heard of a PCM utterly failing before - I've heard of wiring harness problems and I've even heard of quite a few instances where the harness simply wasn't pushed properly into the PCM. I assume the dealer checked all that out - maybe not a good assumption though so you should ask.

There is also a company in Mississauga that repairs and reflashes PCMs (and brake controllers too!) and it's relatively cheap. But the dealer can obviously reflash them too, so I guess they're not presenting that as an option.

What dealer did you go to?

[Flofocus]

(05-18-2012, 01:09 AM)ZTWsquared Wrote: I've even heard of quite a few instances where the harness simply wasn't pushed properly into the PCM.

YES! I had stalled on the 401 and an old FC member named jays200zx3 came and picked me up to bring me to Kingston so I could call my wife to pick me up. We had the car towed back to Ottawa where the mechanics proceeded to laugh their ass off at me. I was stuck on the 401 for 3 hours that day, in the rain, and all i had to do was plug the damn harness into the PCM.

[Bradinnes]

It's a 2003 Focus. The lights didn't all come on, only the Check Engine Light came on. Other than that the car seemed fine. Which is why I assumed a faulty sensor. I took the car to Planet Ford in Brampton. They've done work in the past on my other vehicles and this one, the workmanship was always good. They're telling me it needs a new PCM. I can only go on what they say because I don't have the expertise to test it myself or I would. I've read on other forums like Focaljet and Focus Fanatics that an electrical short or problem component can cause a PCM failure but really shouldn't. I have no idea if that's the truth but, from what I'm told, mine is kaput.

Hey ZTWsquared, what company in Mississauga does this. I may be in need of their services. Yeah, the dealer ship wasn't offering any alternatives that would be cost effective. They tend to be like that. I don't know if that's a mandate from Ford or just some dealership policy. In the end I told them to cancel the new PCM and I would source my own. Thanks.

[Flofocus]

Put the old one back in make, sure it is plugged in properly. Who knows, maybe they overlooked something that simple....

PCM is by the passengers side foot well. putting it back in, making sure it is plugged properly shouldn't be too hard, even for a newb.

I'd also check the wires harnesses in the door jambs, especially your hatch/trunk though i can't recall wagon owners having the same issue as hatch owners. it should be obvious - mine was - the wires were cracked, some were already severed. Caused issues with my headlights, cruise control, signals, alarm...it was a mess....

[Keebz]

get another opinion. I have an 03 F350 with a 6.0 diesel in it... took it to the ford dealer to have a new fuel injection control module programmed... they looked at it and i had done a previous repair on the engine harness and they told me that they cant hook up to my pcm... suggest replacing at $1500.00 also that they wouldnt work on my truck because of my repair on the harness....replace $800.00 for part and another $1000.00 for install. All that before they even fixed my original problem. llong story short get a second person to look at it. I found a mechanic at another ford who would program it for $150 and my truck has been running great since. almost 6000 miles on it since the repair.

[ZTWsquared]

Yeah - I've had both good and bad experiences at Planet.

I couldn't remember the name of the place so I did a quick search ... although this name doesn't sound familiar, you might want to check out Danmax on Anson Rd, Mississauga

(05-18-2012, 02:47 AM)Bradinnes Wrote: It's a 2003 Focus. The lights didn't all come on, only the Check Engine Light came on. Other than that the car seemed fine. Which is why I assumed a faulty sensor. I took the car to Planet Ford in Brampton. They've done work in the past on my other vehicles and this one, the workmanship was always good. They're telling me it needs a new PCM. I can only go on what they say because I don't have the expertise to test it myself or I would. I've read on other forums like Focaljet and Focus Fanatics that an electrical short or problem component can cause a PCM failure but really shouldn't. I have no idea if that's the truth but, from what I'm told, mine is kaput.

Hey ZTWsquared, what company in Mississauga does this. I may be in need of their services. Yeah, the dealer ship wasn't offering any alternatives that would be cost effective. They tend to be like that. I don't know if that's a mandate from Ford or just some dealership policy. In the end I told them to cancel the new PCM and I would source my own. Thanks.

[Bradinnes]

Thanks ZTWsquared, I will call Danmax and see if they can help me out. I've got a replacement PCM on the way. It's used but has been reprogrammed. I would still like some one to look at the original PCM and see if the dealership is out to lunch or not. I just can't see the PCM suddenly failing after 9 years with no issues. Thanks for all your help. I appreciate any advice.

[buzz2.0]

ive been working at a ford dealer for 3 years now and i havnt seen any cars/trucks come in for pcm failures...only thing ive seen (which has been mentioned) is the connector being corroded or pins being damaged...now diesel ICM's i see all the time...but thats because of ford's wonderful engineers putting it in the fender, where it can get wet and rot....

[Bradinnes]

Can any one recommend a good mechanic in the Brampton area? I agree a second opinion is required. Something's rotten in the state of Denmark. I'll check around and see if I can find some referrals. As of this moment, I'm sort of stuck with the dealership being that the car is there with the PCM pulled. I plan on going to the dealership tomorrow and look at the PCM and grill the service department about how they determined it was a PCM failure in the first place. Thanks for everyone's advice and council. Cheers.

---

I called Master Performance Plus in Brampton. It was recommended on this site. He told me it's quit possible that it has failed. He's seen it before many times. Now the unit might not be mismanaging the engine, it may be just sending a check engine signal. However to get rid of the light a new PCM is required." The dealership is not ripping you off", he said. So, that seems to be that. I'll wait and try the used PCM I bought and see what happens. I'll keep you posted.

[ZTWsquared]

IIRC the car was running went you took it to Planet (which IMO def questions the whole idea of a PCM failure) so just ask them to put the car back to the condition you brought it in, and if you're lucky, reconnecting the PCM might just be the fix.

I'm sure they quoted you a time for diagnostics (1 hour?) so for sure you'll have to pay that, but it shouldn't be much more than 100 + tax - but that doesn't mean you're obligated to have it fixed there.

With the car running you can take it anywhere you want, eg: Danmax in Mississauga.

edit: what was the cel code anyway - did they ever tell you what it was? I don't know about the info from the Master guy - there is no where in Canada that has as much practical consumer experience with Focus as those on this site - and I've never heard here or on the US sites of any problems like that with the Focus ECU.

(05-18-2012, 11:04 PM)Bradinnes Wrote: Can any one recommend a good mechanic in the Brampton area? I agree a second opinion is required. Something's rotten in the state of Denmark. I'll check around and see if I can find some referrals. As of this moment, I'm sort of stuck with the dealership being that the car is there with the PCM pulled. I plan on going to the dealership tomorrow and look at the PCM and grill the service department about how they determined it was a PCM failure in the first place. Thanks for everyone's advice and council. Cheers.

---

I called Master Performance Plus in Brampton. It was recommended on this site. He told me it's quit possible that it has failed. He's seen it before many times. Now the unit might not be mismanaging the engine, it may be just sending a check engine signal. However to get rid of the light a new PCM is required." The dealership is not ripping you off", he said. So, that seems to be that. I'll wait and try the used PCM I bought and see what happens. I'll keep you posted.

[Mystake]

my pcm fried in my focus, so I was told by shanahan ford in new market.

it had a few weeks earlier been reprogrammed by fraser ford, had several bits of the engine harness redone etc, days before that had the engine swapped.

when it had fried, the alternator was also replaced (by shanahan)

my replacement pcm was 85$ from a local wrecker, which the dealership sourced. they made the calls, had the part brought in. I had found one for 65$ at hilltop auto wreckers (where I got my engine) but it was for an auto so it didn't work (but they waited for me to bring it and tried it, before they confirmed and brought the other pcm in from whoever they sourced it from)

[Bradinnes]

I wasn't so fortunate, Mystake. The dealership offered me one option. A new one for the same price I could buy a new iMac 27" for and that was it. I asked if a used one would work and they said they don't order used parts unless they can't get new. So I was left to source my own. The replacement PCM is on it's way. Last time I checked it had gone through customs and should be on a truck headed to Toronto.

For all those who wanted to know.....I found out the code that came up on the scan and how they determined the PCM needed to be replaced. I'll just copy a paste exactly the e-mail I received from Planet Ford's Senior Service Advisor :

Code P0132 was present in the PCM, performed approperiate pinpoint
test as per shop manual, pinpoint test concludes, replace PCM. Code
P0132 is for oxygen sensor voltage too high even with o2 sensor
disconnected PCM was reading 1.5 volt for o2 sensor. Once we install
supplied PCM, if any other issues or codes arise, there will be
additional diagnosis and charges required.

So that's how it was decided that my PCM had failed and needed replacing. Too bad Shanahan Ford is a little too far out of my way. Sounds like true customer service to me, not just lip service. Planet Ford is okay if you have a new car and it's under warranty or you have a service plan. They don't seem too concerned about your pocket book when it's on your dime though.

I also did phone Danmax in Mississauga the end of last week sometime, Thursday I think. I wanted to know if they could test my old PCM and fix it but the guy seemed more concerned about how the dealership came to the conclusion that the PCM had failed. He wanted to know the codes etc. He never even let me ask if they could test it. So today I intend to phone and talk to some one there, now that I have the code and diagnostic process. Let's see if they can give me an answer on if they can repair the old PCM or not.

[Mystake]

Shanahan ford also cut me a break on the labour to drop my tranny because they admitted at the time, that, as I put it to them, they reached the point where they were throwing parts at the car until they got it right. Also told me all their techs looked at the car and none could figure it out.

Too bad they're too far outta the way. Despite me spending 2000$ there they still cut me a break a bunch of times. I did have to pay for a brand new maf though.

Sounds like where you're at is kinda fishy. Paying more for diagnostics if more issues arise? If new PCM doesn't fix it and it's not tr issue then they didn't diagnose properly.


Edit. I paid one diagnostic fee at shanahan ford and the car spent two weeks there. Had a bunch of wiring replaced, a tranny dropped, a new alternator put in, new maf all on that same diag fee.

[Bradinnes]

Wow!!!! That's all I can say. I guess I'm getting the shaft. I'd be surprised if they didn't charge me a parking fee for my car to stay at the dealership. I will avoid Planet Ford for a while. It'll be a dark day indeed if I walk through their door. I won't say never but this experience has put a whole new light on their operation. Depending on how the rest of this experience goes, I'm thinking of filing a complaint with Ford.

[ZTWsquared]

(05-25-2012, 02:07 AM)Bradinnes Wrote: Wow!!!! That's all I can say. I guess I'm getting the shaft. I'd be surprised if they didn't charge me a parking fee for my car to stay at the dealership. I will avoid Planet Ford for a while. It'll be a dark day indeed if I walk through their door. I won't say never but this experience has put a whole new light on their operation. Depending on how the rest of this experience goes, I'm thinking of filing a complaint with Ford.

I'm sorry for what you're going through but you will only get more heartache and more frustration in going to Ford - you will spend the time and effort and hear nice words back ... but at the end of the day they will tell you to go back to the dealership and work it out with them.

If you're serious you'd be better off starting up planetfordservicesucks.com and making your point that way - at least then other potential customers of theirs will be forewarned and you might do some good.

[Mystake]

Yeah ford sucks for complaining about dealerships.

To add another tidbit of detail, Fraser ford ate about 700$-900$ of my money and gave me
My car back still broken and claimed it was fixed. Altogether I had spent 4000$ on the car, 2000 between Fraser ford and an engine swap(done at aero hill engine rebuilders, dont ever go there they Upcharged me 100$ on the day I picked up the car) and engine(hilltop auto wreckers in aurora), 2000 at shanahan. That may be part of why they cut me a break. Possibly also because as mentioned they were throwing parts at the car. Can you believe I paid 600$ for an r&r on a tranny, from a dealership? (they asked me before doing it, admitted it might not solve anything but it did! Won't explain why cause
In typing from my
Phone)

Honestly ford dealerships are for the most part really shitty. Find a good mechanic you trust. I did and I've never looked back (at ford)... Too bad for you I'm in Ottawa now.

[Bradinnes]

Well, I received my replacement PCM on Thursday. Only took 5 days to get to me, I mean that in a good way. Opened the box Thursday night and had a look at it. It was like new and it was already programmed. It was also the upgraded unit for my car. Couldn't have been happier. Took it to Planet Ford Friday morning. They installed it on Friday but I wasn't able to pick it up until Saturday morning. So I've been driving it all weekend and no "Check Engine" light so far. I hope that's the end of this story. I did keep my old PCM and I'll be looking into if it's worth repairing or not. If there's any more issues with the PCM, I'll let every one know. So far so good. Thanks for all the help and advice.