Getting my SHO in shape

[04lss]

I recently bought a 2011 SHO, 89k miles.

It has some issues, but I got the ESP for it so im not super worried.
The only thing is I have to pay a 200$ deductible for each visit (regardless of how many repairs are done )
so I want to get the best bang for my buck, but on the other side, if they don't find anything im stuck with the diagnostic fee.

These are in order of how soon I want them addressed. (cruise control is first because its infuriating, the trans 2nd because it may solve the latter issues)

1. Adaptive cruise control doesn't work, if a car gets in front it shuts off I checked and 2 of the three clips are broken and its zip tied in place (fairly obvious what's wrong)

2. The transmission is slamming into 4, When I go to downshift to 3rd using the paddle shifters it takes 2-3 seconds to do it, if the car gets hot, and I drive it aggressively the transmission starts slamming every gear, shifting slowly and not wanting to downshift What worries me is getting the dealership to agree that theres an issue and not just try to sell me a trans flush or something. I checked it the other day and it was about a quart low, it didn't make much of a difference.

3. Shaking/juttering in 6th around 60. When the car gets to around 60 in 6th gear it shakes and jutters any time the throttle is applied, I think its an axle but since there are 4 on the car ...

3(b) Hesitation/rough idle This issue is common but not consistent. With the AC on the car idles really rough (worse than my 01 sportage with 200k miles) and when the car is warm there is this dead spot on the throttle where the car hesitates and acts confused, and after a second it goes This happens intermittently as well, but its a problem in traffic. I did check the turbo piping, almost no oil, I cleaned the two MAP sensors, and I also checked the intercooler and found nothing.


4. The car will sometimes just randomly start pulling left. I got it aligned, and it was pretty good, On the same roads, same speed etc, one day the car will drive arrow straight, the next the steering wheel is pulling to the left if I let go it turns 15* almost immediately


Thoughts on causes, or how to present them to the dealer?

 

[SHOdded]

Yeah, I'd want to compile my TODO list also But paying the fee, nobody works for free, is all I'll say. The good part about it is that even if they don't really do anything the first time, the issues go on record, so you are likely to be taken more seriously the next time, and I don't think the deductible will apply. Small consolation, but it is there. Be politely insistent!

Any codes set in the PCM?

1. Possible remounting or replacement. They will have to check it's not an electrical issue, and for cracks in the housing etc. if they are just remounting.
2 & 3. Very possibly trans issues, IF the car is stock. A bad tune or missing parts the tune expects could also cause problems. When you checked the fluid, was it a normal reddish-pink color, and did not smell burnt, and no debris? Known trans issues include among them valve body, orifice cup, TSS/OSS, etc. I would also check fuel trims at (warmed up) idle, comparing AC off to AC on situations. Engine load management is not working right, it seems.
4. Could be an issue with the EPAS module, or a steering angle/torque sensor.

 

[brucelinc]

I do not mean to add insult to injury and I really hate to ask but.....didn't you notice some or all of this prior to purchase? Hindsight is 20/20 but it would likely have been more cost effective and satisfying to ask that these issues be resolved before signing on the dotted line.

 

[04lss]

I do not mean to add insult to injury and I really hate to ask but.....didn't you notice some or all of this prior to purchase? Hindsight is 20/20 but it would likely have been more cost effective and satisfying to ask that these issues be resolved before signing on the dotted line.

I noticed the wheel bearing, which made it to the we owe, and I noticed the hard shift into 4, but considering the way I was driving it seemed sporty
As far as the shaking, I didn't get a chance experience it, we were on back roads. The hesitation I didn't notice, (like I said intermittent) the idle seemed a little rough, but coming from a VW I figured a good fuel induction cleaning would fix it. Cruise control didn't fail because no one was in front of me during the trest drive. I should have been more focused on the vehicle as a vehicle and less on its sport qualities, but I did have it on a lift, and my dad who is an ASE master tech, looked it over and said there was nothing that raised any flags.


I think what im going to do is take it back to the dealer, and get the Cruise control and the trans diagnosed. Worst case scenario, $300

 

[brucelinc]

Totally understand. These cars are pretty complex. Good thing you have the warranty. Any good dealer will want to make sure these things are taken care of.

 

[04lss]

Totally understand. These cars are pretty complex. Good thing you have the warranty. Any good dealer will want to make sure these things are taken care of.

That's why my daily is a 15 jetta, A lot less to go wrong.

 

[sholxgt]

On # 2 and 3...

My understanding is that these transmissions do best when slightly overfull on fluid. Since you will be taking it to the dealer, I would not overfill, but I would recheck the level and make sure it is right at the full mark and not even a tiny bit low. It may improve both 2 and 3.

Mine has the 60ish mph stutter as well, but it's so mild that most people would not feel it. I think it's a problem that is most common with non-PP cars. I guess some Explorer owners notice it as well. Someone smarter than me has likely figured it out. It seems to be the converter trying to lock at 1400 rpm give or take. It then is locking/unlocking which feels like a stutter. I will be trying a different program to see if the stutter can be removed.

 

[SHOdded]

That's why my daily is a 15 jetta, A lot less to go wrong.

Did you buy it new?

 

[04lss]

Did you buy it new?

Yes, and ive been **** about maintenance, I don't drive it hard, The dealer group I bought it from guarantees the engine as long as I own it (as long as they do the maintenance)
It has the luxury where I want it (heated seats, auto up and down windows) and is basic where I don't ( manual: seats, ac, headlights )

 

[marius883]

I recently bought a 2011 SHO, 89k miles.

It has some issues, but I got the ESP for it so im not super worried.
The only thing is I have to pay a 200$ deductible for each visit (regardless of how many repairs are done )
so I want to get the best bang for my buck, but on the other side, if they don't find anything im stuck with the diagnostic fee.

These are in order of how soon I want them addressed. (cruise control is first because its infuriating, the trans 2nd because it may solve the latter issues)

1. Adaptive cruise control doesn't work, if a car gets in front it shuts off I checked and 2 of the three clips are broken and its zip tied in place (fairly obvious what's wrong)

2. The transmission is slamming into 4, When I go to downshift to 3rd using the paddle shifters it takes 2-3 seconds to do it, if the car gets hot, and I drive it aggressively the transmission starts slamming every gear, shifting slowly and not wanting to downshift What worries me is getting the dealership to agree that theres an issue and not just try to sell me a trans flush or something. I checked it the other day and it was about a quart low, it didn't make much of a difference.

3. Shaking/juttering in 6th around 60. When the car gets to around 60 in 6th gear it shakes and jutters any time the throttle is applied, I think its an axle but since there are 4 on the car ...

3(b) Hesitation/rough idle This issue is common but not consistent. With the AC on the car idles really rough (worse than my 01 sportage with 200k miles) and when the car is warm there is this dead spot on the throttle where the car hesitates and acts confused, and after a second it goes This happens intermittently as well, but its a problem in traffic. I did check the turbo piping, almost no oil, I cleaned the two MAP sensors, and I also checked the intercooler and found nothing.


4. The car will sometimes just randomly start pulling left. I got it aligned, and it was pretty good, On the same roads, same speed etc, one day the car will drive arrow straight, the next the steering wheel is pulling to the left if I let go it turns 15* almost immediately


Thoughts on causes, or how to present them to the dealer?

Can't comment on the other issues you are having, but the issue with the car pulling to the side is the sand issue I'm having. sometimes it'll go straight, sometimes it'll pull badly to either side, for me it pulls to the right usually. And usually harder during braking. I think it might be related to a calibration tsb for the electric power steering.

 

[04lss]

So, the Low oil Pressure issue just jumped to the top of the list. On the way to work this morning the light came everytime I stopped, I had to put my foot on the gas to make it go off. It stopped when I was almost to work, but clearly the issue is devolving.
I have two problems, 1. how do I make the issue show up at the dealer? before today it came on twice, and then nothing.
2nd issue is that even though my dealer claims to have "Punched" my warranty, the Ford protect people still cant see it. I talked to another dealer (local) who suggested I go to the General manager, especially after the other issues (loosing my We owe, forgetting to have my sign the auto draft form which almost revoked my loan)

Should I park the car until my warranty activates and hope the dealer can figure it out?

 

[SHOdded]

How long has this light been coming on now? How long did you drive this time before the light started coming on? You should mount a camera (phone or otherwise) for the entire trip to capture the event next time it happens. I would drive VERY cautiously from now on, as the cause is unknown. Could be a low oil level, could be a leak, could be engine bottom end, ... Better yet, park it as you suggested.

Has anyone had the Engine Oil Pressure Switch go bad? Would be a "simple" fix ...

Engine Oil Pressure (EOP) Switch

Material
Item Specification
Motorcraft® Thread Sealant with PTFE
TA-24 WSK-M2G350-A2

Item Part Number Description
1 14A464 Engine Oil Pressure (EOP) switch electrical connector (part of 12C508)
2 9278 EOP switch
Removal and Installation

1. With the vehicle in NEUTRAL, position it on a hoist. For additional information, refer to Section 100-02 .

1. Disconnect the Engine Oil Pressure (EOP) switch electrical connector.

1. Remove the EOP switch.
   • To install, tighten to 14 Nm (124 lb-in) plus an additional 180 degrees.

1. To install, reverse the removal procedure.
   • Apply thread sealant with PTFE to the EOP switch threads prior to installation.

The warranty activation issue - yeah, you got to work it up the chain at the dealership first. Bring in a copy of your warranty paperwork when you meet the GM/owner etc. If that does not work, contact FordService at @FordService on Twitter to see if they can assist in any way, hopefully it won't come to having an attorney involved ... Servicing at an alternate Ford dealer would seem to be prudent in the meantime, you may have to pay OOP now, reimbursement later

 

[04lss]

How long has this light been coming on now? How long did you drive this time before the light started coming on? You should mount a camera (phone or otherwise) for the entire trip to capture the event next time it happens. I would drive VERY cautiously from now on, as the cause is unknown. Could be a low oil level, could be a leak, could be engine bottom end, ... Better yet, park it as you suggested.

Has anyone had the Engine Oil Pressure Switch go bad? Would be a "simple" fix ...
View attachment 2859
Engine Oil Pressure (EOP) Switch

Material
Item Specification
Motorcraft® Thread Sealant with PTFE
TA-24 WSK-M2G350-A2

Item Part Number Description
1 14A464 Engine Oil Pressure (EOP) switch electrical connector (part of 12C508)
2 9278 EOP switch
Removal and Installation

1. With the vehicle in NEUTRAL, position it on a hoist. For additional information, refer to Section 100-02 .

1. Disconnect the Engine Oil Pressure (EOP) switch electrical connector.

1. Remove the EOP switch.
   • To install, tighten to 14 Nm (124 lb-in) plus an additional 180 degrees.

1. To install, reverse the removal procedure.
   • Apply thread sealant with PTFE to the EOP switch threads prior to installation.

The warranty activation issue - yeah, you got to work it up the chain at the dealership first. Bring in a copy of your warranty paperwork when you meet the GM/owner etc. If that does not work, contact FordService at @FordService on Twitter to see if they can assist in any way, hopefully it won't come to having an attorney involved ... Servicing at an alternate Ford dealer would seem to be prudent in the meantime, you may have to pay OOP now, reimbursement later

Every time the light comes on I check the oil. I drove maybe 5 minutes before it came on this morning, but its been over a week since it happened last.
There is a little noise when the engine is cold, sounds like the piston slap everyone has been talking about

As for the dealer, I did talk to ford over chat yesterday, Since the Finance guy was dodging my calls I asked them to open a ticket. Im going to give them till tomorrow to contact me. Since the dealer is almost an hour away, id rather not have to drive up there. The transmission is getting worse as well, so something needs to be done, the car is verging on un-drivable, completely unacceptable considering I just payed 14k for it. If anyone is in Virginia, id recommend avoiding leckner ford in King George.

 

[04lss]

I drove it home yesterday and didn't get any warnings, drove it around last night and in this morning, still no warnings.
I know on older GMs the oil pump had a pressure valve of sorts , I wonder if its equivalent here might be sticky.

 

[04lss]

Update:
Thursday I tried calling the General manager at the dealer, was told he'd call me back, never happened. Friday morning I called ford customer service. I told them about the issues ive had getting them to talk to me, and some of the other problems. The ford rep called the dealer and I FINALY got someone to talk to me. The Finance manager basically claimed he couldn't put in the warranty as it was because the car was CPO, so he added 1k miles. (doesn't make sense to me, but its working now) I also ended up with a lower deductible, It was a massive pain, but its delt with. (fords looking into the issues too)

I called around and found a dealer that could get the car in yesterday. The Oil pressure light has been fixed with a new sending unit. They couldn't get the trans guy to look at it yesterday, but the tech who did the other stuff confirmed my trans isn't working right.
On the other side, They did confirm my Adaptive cruise control isn't working all three clips are broken and its zip tied on. (I knew this already) Unfortunately, its classified as "impact damage" and the warranty wont cover it. I need to figure out a way to mount the sensor now, because im not spending 800 for a new one.
Hopefully im getting an answer about the trans today. Fingers crossed they replace, but I doubt that.

 

[SHOdded]

Definite progress. Glad Ford could step in and assist +1 to them! They may end up partially rebuilding the trans, most commonly it's the valve body and torque converter, sometimes some clutches.

 

[04lss]

Definite progress. Glad Ford could step in and assist +1 to them! They may end up partially rebuilding the trans, most commonly it's the valve body and torque converter, sometimes some clutches.

Either way, as long as it works. I wonder if I can use JB weld or something on the Radar sensor. Its really frustrating not having cruise control. Im going to florida (10 hours down 95) and there is no way im taking a car with no cruise control.

 

[SHOdded]

With the trans the way it is, would you want to make that trip in the SHO anyway?

 

[04lss]

With the trans the way it is, would you want to make that trip in the SHO anyway?

Well, the trans should be fixed under warranty well before then. They're diagnosing it today.

 

[GHNorth]

I wonder if I can use JB weld or something on the Radar sensor.

My daughter had a rip in the rear bumper cover of her Suzuki Forenza, and I used Gorilla Glue and a piece of tin can to reinforce it, and it held together for several years (at least until she sold it.) Strong stuff!!