Venting about my 2013 Convertible - Help
9/8/13, 08:33 PM
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Venting about my 2013 Convertible - Help
I just bought a 2013 convertible V6 Premium with manual transmission and 14000 miles on it. Carfax is clean as is dealer service records. I bought it over the internet from and out of state Ford dealer and had it trucked to me. I received it Thursday morning at 7 about 4 miles from my house. I started it in the parking lot and walked around it and noticed one of the tailights was not lighting - not the whole thing, just the furthest right light.
I got in it to drive it the +/- 4 miles home and realized I had weird electrical stuff happening. The center stack (all radio and AC stuff) was flashing on and off like a Christmas tree. The bell was ringing and the message center kept flashing low tires and doors open, etc (none were). Also all the warning lights on the dash were flashing on and off. It drove ok, nevertheless. While on the way home I dialed the owner of the Ford Dealership I bought it from. He assured me that he drove it about 30 miles in the last two days and it was perfect. He also said - just take it to the local dealer and whatever it is - it will be fixed under warranty.
I got to my house and parked it in the garage and called the local dealer to make an appointment for 2:00 on the same day. I then went to meetings I had scheduled until about 1:30. I went home to pick up the car to take it to the dealer. It behaved perfectly for the 8 or so miles to the dealer. I got it there and they didn't take it in because it was fine at the time. I also told the service writer about the tail light. They looked at it and noticed it had condensation in it so they ordered a replacement under warranty. Friday (the next day) they left me a message that the light was in.
I drove it about 100 miles between Thursday and Friday and it behaved perfectly.
Saturday morning I drove the car to home depot. It was fine going there. I got in to drive to the grocery store (about 5 miles away) and the electronics freaked out again. I turned it off and waited about 10 minutes then restarted it and it was fine. I drove to the grocery store and then back to the dealer (about 10 miles). This time they took it in and gave it a good once over. They found a leaking pinion seal and a bad bushing on the sway bar (I heard a clunk in the rear over bumps). They changed the tail light while it was there. Fortunately, the electronics acted up briefly for them so they ordered a new body control module. They think this will fix the electrical gremlins. Again, I drove it the rest of Saturday and it seemed fine.
Today I woke up and had to run an errand. Sure enough it acted up again so I pulled off the road, turned it off, waited 30 seconds or so and started it back up and it was fine all day. On the way home from dinner tonight everything seemed great and then, about 3 miles from my house the radio display for Sirius quit showing the station and song. Functionally it was fine but I just couldnt tell the station. Ironically, the same display line is used for volume and was fine and it worked for some other functions - but not the Sirius stuff.
WTF - has anybody had similar issues? I have now had the car 3 days and about 300 miles. Very worried about the future...I really appreciate your comments.
I got in it to drive it the +/- 4 miles home and realized I had weird electrical stuff happening. The center stack (all radio and AC stuff) was flashing on and off like a Christmas tree. The bell was ringing and the message center kept flashing low tires and doors open, etc (none were). Also all the warning lights on the dash were flashing on and off. It drove ok, nevertheless. While on the way home I dialed the owner of the Ford Dealership I bought it from. He assured me that he drove it about 30 miles in the last two days and it was perfect. He also said - just take it to the local dealer and whatever it is - it will be fixed under warranty.
I got to my house and parked it in the garage and called the local dealer to make an appointment for 2:00 on the same day. I then went to meetings I had scheduled until about 1:30. I went home to pick up the car to take it to the dealer. It behaved perfectly for the 8 or so miles to the dealer. I got it there and they didn't take it in because it was fine at the time. I also told the service writer about the tail light. They looked at it and noticed it had condensation in it so they ordered a replacement under warranty. Friday (the next day) they left me a message that the light was in.
I drove it about 100 miles between Thursday and Friday and it behaved perfectly.
Saturday morning I drove the car to home depot. It was fine going there. I got in to drive to the grocery store (about 5 miles away) and the electronics freaked out again. I turned it off and waited about 10 minutes then restarted it and it was fine. I drove to the grocery store and then back to the dealer (about 10 miles). This time they took it in and gave it a good once over. They found a leaking pinion seal and a bad bushing on the sway bar (I heard a clunk in the rear over bumps). They changed the tail light while it was there. Fortunately, the electronics acted up briefly for them so they ordered a new body control module. They think this will fix the electrical gremlins. Again, I drove it the rest of Saturday and it seemed fine.
Today I woke up and had to run an errand. Sure enough it acted up again so I pulled off the road, turned it off, waited 30 seconds or so and started it back up and it was fine all day. On the way home from dinner tonight everything seemed great and then, about 3 miles from my house the radio display for Sirius quit showing the station and song. Functionally it was fine but I just couldnt tell the station. Ironically, the same display line is used for volume and was fine and it worked for some other functions - but not the Sirius stuff.
WTF - has anybody had similar issues? I have now had the car 3 days and about 300 miles. Very worried about the future...I really appreciate your comments.
9/8/13, 08:50 PM
#2
Mach 1 Member
Would try to not get to stressed out about it. On most vehicles now just about everything runs through the Body Control Module. If it is bad it can effect many things. Car may seem like it has lots of "Gremlins" when it is really one issue. Keep us updated on the progress. Congrats on the new car.
9/8/13, 09:39 PM
#3
Never heard of anything like that on these cars, but it would drive me insane having just bought it used. Electrical problems scare the hell out of me on a car.
9/9/13, 05:28 AM
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As stated on the other forum you posted on, take pictures or a video of when it acts up (do this at the side of the road safely), then present it to the service advisor.
From the response you provided on the other site, you mentioned it acted up briefly when it was in for service, and a module was ordered. Hope this is the fix.
From the response you provided on the other site, you mentioned it acted up briefly when it was in for service, and a module was ordered. Hope this is the fix.
9/9/13, 12:48 PM
#9
don't rely on Carfax alone. just recently there was an ABC report (and others in the past);
http://abcnews.go.com/US/usaa-policy...ry?id=20156236
lots of flood cars from Hurricane Sandy and other disaster areas somehow seem to get clean titles. that said, being your MY is 2013, hope your problems aren't related. wish you a speedy repair so you can enjoy top down cruzin'.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/usaa-policy...ry?id=20156236
lots of flood cars from Hurricane Sandy and other disaster areas somehow seem to get clean titles. that said, being your MY is 2013, hope your problems aren't related. wish you a speedy repair so you can enjoy top down cruzin'.
9/9/13, 01:13 PM
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^ Yup, glad somebody else said it first...clean title means virtually nothing in another state/country, easy to bypass rules and insurance companies are apparently among the worst offenders.
That is exactly the type of symptoms you see with modern "flood cars". OK one minute, screwed the next. For ever. Wasn't really an issue 25+ years ago, but with electronic-controlled everything in the cars...
Hope it's just the module they said, but hard to believe when the dealer guy said it was fine for 30 miles. And now it's not at all. You know, powering up wet electronics will just about guarantee ruining them, not so bad if they've completely dried out after a dunking...which can never happen with a flood car as they are powered when they got wet. The moisture in the tail light makes me suspicious too, not that it can't happen on its own, but with the other symptoms...
That is exactly the type of symptoms you see with modern "flood cars". OK one minute, screwed the next. For ever. Wasn't really an issue 25+ years ago, but with electronic-controlled everything in the cars...
Hope it's just the module they said, but hard to believe when the dealer guy said it was fine for 30 miles. And now it's not at all. You know, powering up wet electronics will just about guarantee ruining them, not so bad if they've completely dried out after a dunking...which can never happen with a flood car as they are powered when they got wet. The moisture in the tail light makes me suspicious too, not that it can't happen on its own, but with the other symptoms...
Last edited by cfraser; 9/9/13 at 01:14 PM.
9/9/13, 02:02 PM
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Like you I have been cynical over flood / hurricane issues. The selling dealer says it is not - but I contend they may not know due to who knows where they got it. I asked them point blank. I also asked the same question of the dealer that is now doing my repairs. They swear they can tell and that my car is unequivocally not a flood damaged car. FWIW - there are no insurance claims of record tied to my VIN. I guess I am now of the opinion that even though there is something going on, that the Ford dealer has expressed their commitment to make things right and it looks SO GOOD that it will not hurt my feeling if it takes some time and component replacement to rid ourselves of these electrical demons. 
9/9/13, 02:21 PM
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A sign of water damage can be seen with green corrosion on some of the power pins in a connector. Take a couple of connectors apart under the dash and see if you can see green on the pins or even water in the connector. If not, I wouldn't worry about it.
Something to consider could be the ignition switch. I have seen it were the key is not back far enough from start or too far back that strange electronic things will happen. Even had a van stop shifting properly because of it.
Might not be the problem but you can test it when the problem starts happening just wiggle the key and see if it stops.
Hope this helps.
Something to consider could be the ignition switch. I have seen it were the key is not back far enough from start or too far back that strange electronic things will happen. Even had a van stop shifting properly because of it.
Might not be the problem but you can test it when the problem starts happening just wiggle the key and see if it stops.
Hope this helps.
9/9/13, 03:22 PM
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Try to not get overstressed. Let the dealer do his thing, hopefully he will get her fixed the first time. I'm not a very smart feller, but electronic thingys are a PIA sometimes. The BCM should take care of your problems. Good luck, and congrats on the new drop top.
BTW, when you turn it off, and it clears up is probably a sign of the body control module being bad. My Wifey's '11 GT threw a CEL, and went into limp mode. You could turn the engine off, let it set for a bit, start it up and it would run fine. But, it would do the same thing again at no set intervals. It was the throttle body sensor. Electronic thingy.....
BTW, when you turn it off, and it clears up is probably a sign of the body control module being bad. My Wifey's '11 GT threw a CEL, and went into limp mode. You could turn the engine off, let it set for a bit, start it up and it would run fine. But, it would do the same thing again at no set intervals. It was the throttle body sensor. Electronic thingy.....
9/10/13, 06:03 AM
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I just bought a 2013 convertible V6 Premium with manual transmission and 14000 miles on it. Carfax is clean as is dealer service records. I bought it over the internet from and out of state Ford dealer and had it trucked to me. I received it Thursday morning at 7 about 4 miles from my house. I started it in the parking lot and walked around it and noticed one of the tailights was not lighting - not the whole thing, just the furthest right light....
Congrats on the new ride! Please make another appointment with your dealer and PM me. Send your VIN, dealer, mileage, full name, and best daytime number so I can escalate this to the customer service manager for your area.
Deysha
9/10/13, 06:58 PM
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I PM'd Deysha as she requested but I did not ask for her help at this time as the dealer is keeping me satisfied at this point. At this juncture, I am waiting for parts to arrive. Should they encounter difficulty in solving my problems, I will definitely take Deysha up on her offer.
9/11/13, 08:18 AM
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I stopped by the dealer and the parts are in. Specifically, the pinion seal, the sway bar and the BCM. They are keeping the car and I should get it back tomorrow night. I sure hope this fixes all the problems. I think there will still be a radio issue though...but I was able to show them the video of the radio problem.