Engine "locked up" on a 2003

  • Thread starter Thread starter gnorrell
  • Start date Start date
Ross said:
Actually, they make a device like this that you put a 9V battery into and then plug it into your cigarette lighter. I have one at home. I wonder if using this device will keep your presets, but still erase the other black box info from the past?
Click to expand...

Ross,

Please don't confuse the Black Box with your PCM.
They two are very different.

While you can reset your PCM, you can't reset the Back Box.
Even if you were interested in resetting the Black Box, all you would lose is the snapshot it took for the very last few seconds you were driving.

There is a keep alive feed to the PCM, but I think it is a separate circuit from the keep alive in the radio.
You would have to try it out and report back to us what happens.
 
Thanks for the help. As you can see, modern electronics eludes me. What ever happened to the days of just changing points, plugs and condenser? :confused:
 
Clearing the KAM (keep alive memory) by disconnecting the battery (5 minutes is all you need) will return your EEC to the baseline calibrations. This is basically fuel trim and knock. If you have a chip, the chip's calibrations become your baseline. Your EEC's adaptive controls work the same whether it is using the factory calibration's or a chip's.

Mitch
 
Time for a new thread?

I thought that we had an engine locking up somewhere in here ;)
 
MitchB said:
Clearing the KAM (keep alive memory) by disconnecting the battery (5 minutes is all you need) will return your EEC to the baseline calibrations. This is basically fuel trim and knock. If you have a chip, the chip's calibrations become your baseline. Your EEC's adaptive controls work the same whether it is using the factory calibration's or a chip's.

Mitch
Click to expand...

Mitch,

5 minutes is for clearing out any MIL Codes.
20+ minutes is for FULLY resetting the PCM including the Keep Alive Memory,
and all 'LEARNED' attributes such as Idle Quality and Automatic Transmission Shift Points.

Check your Ford Service Manual.
 
MENINBLK said:
For what it is worth, rebuilding an engine from the bottom up is more costly than a complete short block swap.

Owner negligence finalizes in a seized engine, thrown rod, etc..., not an engine rebuild.

To tear off the Oil Pan on a FWD car, requires also tearing off a big part of the subframe that surrounds the oil pan.
To tear off the Oil Pan on an SUV requires to drive the car off road which is something that less than 1/2% of all SUVs actually see during their lifetime.
Soccer Moms don't drive off road, unless their are chasing the soccer team...


I'll never forget the customer that came into the Buick dealership that I worked at.
He drove a 1990 Buick Century with the 3300 V6.
He had 30,000 miles on it and NEVER changed the oil.
When the Service Manager asked him about it, he claimed that the technology used to build the engine
was so good that it didn't require any service at all for 100,000 miles.
The Service Manager asked him if he had ever seen the Mobil Oil TV Commercial,
and then said to him, "You can pay it now, or you can pay later. Later comes much faster than you think."

The following day, guess who's Buick Century ended coming into the shop on a hook...
Threw not ONE, but THREE RODS through the side of the block.
Click to expand...


Kinda sounds like a local lady who bought a BMW 3 Series and never changed the oil for 40k miles. At 40k miles, the engine siezed and she threatened to sue the dealership saying that such an expensive car should never need to have it's oil changed...............

People who neglect to maintain their cars just make me sick. The ones who are guilty of this out of arrogance, make me even more angry than the ones who do this out of stupidity.............
 
My original thought was based on a dealer using info from the computer to dispute a "locked up engine" claim if he, the dealer, could claim abuse of the engine or trans by the driver.
Sorry :depress:
 
Talked to dealership today. They seemed to want replace the engine, but said Ford told them they had to tear down the engine determine the source of the failure, then contact Ford again see if it could be repaired or be replaced based on what they find. Then they would have to order parts and wait on those whatever they might be. So no word until at least next Wednesday on even how they will proceed.
 
That makes sense since they want to tear it apart. Haven't done anything but drive fast on the highway and take of quick from a stop light when able. Nothing I would consider abuse especially for a performance car. Changed the oil at 5K intervals with the factory motorcraft oil always ran 91 or higher octane fuel. Car only has 17k and there was plenty of coolant in it and the mechanic even siad the oil looked like it was two days old. No warning lights came on prior to problem.
 
Last edited:
gnorrell said:
Talked to dealership today. They seemed to want replace the engine, but said Ford told them they had to tear down the engine determine the source of the failure, then contact Ford again see if it could be repaired or be replaced based on what they find. Then they would have to order parts and wait on those whatever they might be. So no word until at least next Wednesday on even how they will proceed.
Click to expand...

If it has been less than ONE YEAR since you purchased your Marauder, INSIST that the engine be replaced with a NEW ENGINE.
The assembly line is still working and they can pull an engine for you.

FORD usually replaces entire assembles within the first year,
so question why they want it torn down.
 
The dealership called today and said the crankshaft had broken. They said they had asked for engine replacement but Ford said since their was no damage to the upper half of the engine they will replace the lower half and have it running next Thursday. Makes sense since there was not sound or smoke when it went out. I have 19K on the warranty and if they don't fix it right I figure I'll know it before then.
 
gnorrell said:
The dealership called today and said the crankshaft had broken... no damage to the upper half of the engine
Click to expand...

Our motors are interference motors. If the crank broke, at least some of the pistons would have contacted the valves. The engine will have valve and piston damage.

Can you get some pics of your engine while its apart, especially the crank?

Hope you get it back soon.
 
Unfortunately not. I was on a road trip when this occurred and the car is 70 miles from my house. Seems if they fix it incorrectly they'll just have to turn around and do it again. If I have any more problems and they do not replace engine there always the lemon law.
 
Should you file a report?

It might be helpful, I don't know, to file a report with the NHTSA.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

Whether crankshaft failures are going to be an issue (or not), I think that there might be a few former V8 SHO owners that are getting nervous. :(
 
Last edited:
gnorrell said:
The dealership called today and said the crankshaft had broken. They said they had asked for engine replacement but Ford said since their was no damage to the upper half of the engine they will replace the lower half and have it running next Thursday. Makes sense since there was not sound or smoke when it went out. I have 19K on the warranty and if they don't fix it right I figure I'll know it before then.
Click to expand...
Everyone thought I was crazy when I posted this. I wish I had more info but I am still trying to find out what is going on too.
 
Mad4Macs said:
It might be helpful, I don't know, to file a report with the NHTSA.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

Whether crankshaft failures are going to be an issue (or not), I think that there might be a few former V8 SHO owners that are getting nervous. :(
Click to expand...


The V8 SHO owners just plain royally got screwed, which still has my jaw dropped. I just can't believe that Ford was willing to screw some of their most enthusiastic customers like that. However, the important thing, is going to be that we stay together so that it doesn't happen to us if this becomes an epidemic. There is strength in numbers, and we must not be afraid of flaunting our presence............
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top