17S09 Recall For 1.6L GTDI Cooling system

[team alchemist]

Well i got the call yesterday, head will be in stock next Monday, so should get the car back next weekend

[Ryan_Tango]

Mines at my local Ford dealer having the work carried out now on my Fiesta had to call them about it though never got a letter saw it on ETIS 

[Ryan_Tango]

Well dropped it off they did a health check on it but didn't have the parts needed and have never done one before, it's booked for the 14th August for 3 days and have been given a courtesy car for that time, the health check revealed a puncture, tracking miles out and front tyres needed replacing as well as the punctured rear (too close to sidewall) so booked tyres on the drive getting 4 goodyear eagle f1 3's, read good stuff about them and getting the tracking done altogether costing £375 (£350 for tyres and £25 for laser alignment) Not too bad I suppose  

[team alchemist]

Well got her back Friday 27/07/2018, recall done on the cooling system, software updated, new head and as i was kept waiting for so long all new belts as well, all FOC, they even delivered her back to me so i did not need to go get her, so far very pleased, we let you know how things go.

[stone]

My car went in 2 weeks ago for the recall on Thursday and Friday I get a call saying the car would be returned to my home in 10 minutes on friday, 2 hours later I get a call saying they could not get my car to start and there was a problem with an auxiliary belt. Give them a call Saturday to get an update but no news. Give it till 1400 hours on Monday and no phone call from main dealer so I called them to find the car now had 8 bent exhaust valves, the auxiliary belt had split and got tangled up in the cambelt tensioner which made it get very hot and collapse. Have the car back after 2 weeks but the washer bottle now saying low level, but it is full. Call dealer but they did not return my call not for the first time.

Could this be something to do with software update.

[FatHead1979]

On 8/10/2018 at 9:28 PM, stone said:

My car went in 2 weeks ago for the recall on Thursday and Friday I get a call saying the car would be returned to my home in 10 minutes on friday, 2 hours later I get a call saying they could not get my car to start and there was a problem with an auxiliary belt. Give them a call Saturday to get an update but no news. Give it till 1400 hours on Monday and no phone call from main dealer so I called them to find the car now had 8 bent exhaust valves, the auxiliary belt had split and got tangled up in the cambelt tensioner which made it get very hot and collapse. Have the car back after 2 weeks but the washer bottle now saying low level, but it is full. Call dealer but they did not return my call not for the first time.

Could this be something to do with software update.

I wouldn't think the new issue is related to the software update/hardware changes as the "screen wash" fluid is contained within an entirely separate system to the "Engine coolant".

If you didn't have the "new" issue before your car went in for the warranty work I'd definitely persevere with the dealer (it could be as simple as they may have forgotten to reconnect the sensor for the screenwash tank).

[team alchemist]

Well had her back for almost a month now, water level has not moved, temp is good so fingers crossed all good, on a down note had to have the drive shaft oil seals replaced as they was leaking gearbox oil, on removal inner seal was thinner than the new one so looks like a mod on fords part

[pjrouse]

Just had my 2011 1.6 ecoboost C Max done after 4 cancelled appointments

 

Took 3 days (not the quoted one), and Ive just got the car back and the idle is all over the place (jumping of it's own accord from 1500-200rpm). It used to sit at a rock stead 900rpm.

 

Not happy!!!

[cfc]

Interested to read that, my car also 2011 1.6 ecoboost C-Max.

Car was recalled over three months ago for the cooling system mods. All done o.k. But software update was not available.

Just had another recall notice exactly the same wording as the original so hope this is for the software.

Having read your post, I hope mine will be o.k.

Two weeks time with service. Watch this space.

My car is the only one that my dealer has done, I am a bit surprised about that, plenty of various Fords around here!

[pjrouse]

Good luck - mine is also the first one my dealer has done!

After being told by the mechanic "the car needs to reset itself and readjust" after the BCM, ECU and Instrument Cluster software updates, I have given it 3 days but took it back today.

Startup first thing in the morning consistently gives the following symptoms:

1)Radio and completely buttons on stereo etc, completely unresponsive to any input for at least 45 seconds after car started

2)Idle varies erratically from between 1000-2000rpm

This is shown here in videos I have taken of startup the last 2 mornings - bear in mind my foot is OFF the accelerator in both videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKzQjgjXkXM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32VwlY0JP0U

This behaviour does improve slightly after some driving but still idle is erratic, just less pronounced.

Took it back to the dealer today where they "factory reset" the BCM and instrument cluster module (the ECU didnt give the option of a factory reset apparently) and if anything it appears worse now with idle still fluctuating between 1000-2000rpm

Car is now going back again next week for 2 days (initially) and guess what - the dealer have no courtesy cars available until October so I have to figure out my own transport whilst they try and figure out what on earth they have done!

[cfc]

Thanks for that, I think!

There does seem to be a trend developing here. I would have thought that after waiting all that time Ford would have got it right.

Did I read somewhere that the 2011 C-Max had different software and that is why we have been waiting so long?

As I said previously, all the pipework etc has been done and so the car should not have a problem, but there would be no warning or power reduction.

My motor runs very smoothly and the idle is perfect. Almost tempted not to have the software update!!

 

[Ryan_Tango]

Had mine done a couple of week ago, they had the car 9 days as they took there time as it was the first one they had done, got a 1.0 ecoboost Fiesta as a courtesy car, being the 100 version it was awful very comfortable but didn't feel safe enough to do some of the faster overtakes.

[cfc]

Just watched the videos from pjrouse (thanks for those) not happy about that. Mine when cold starts with a fast idle, as it should, then reduces slowly with no blips.

Ryan_Tango how was your own car after the cooling system mods and software update?

[pjrouse]

Update

 

After car was back at the dealers for 2 days, they found a cracked Vacuum pipe in the engine which was the cause of the rough idle.

 

Just driven back and all seems OK.

 

Radio still unresponsive for 30-40 seconds after initial start but to be honest I'm fed up of the sight of the dealers and being without a car so I might just live with it

[cfc]

Car was due for a service today and as I had the recall notice (again) two weeks ago dealer also did the software update. That is five, yes five months after the parts were fitted!!

Thankfully the car is running just as before with no radio or other problems so far.

I had thought that something different might have shown up on the display when starting the car, but nothing I can see has changed. Begs the question how do I know it is working correctly unless a coolant problem arises.

[pjrouse]

Complained to Evans Halshaw customer service about the radio and they had the car back and sorted it.

 

Weekend before it went back in I received a coolant level warning which I've never had in over 5 yrs of ownership!

Topped it up but a few days later I could see it had dropped so mentioned it to the dealer when it went back in for the radio - they claim to have given it a once over and found no leak but they topped up the bottle and marked it - lo and behold a week later it's lower again!

No obvious puddle under the car or visible leaks in the engine bay.

Am I going to need a new head and is that covered by Ford?

[Tomson]

2 minutes ago, pjrouse said:

Complained to Evans Halshaw customer service about the radio and they had the car back and sorted it.

 

Weekend before it went back in I received a coolant level warning which I've never had in over 5 yrs of ownership!

Topped it up but a few days later I could see it had dropped so mentioned it to the dealer when it went back in for the radio - they claim to have given it a once over and found no leak but they topped up the bottle and marked it - lo and behold a week later it's lower again!

No obvious puddle under the car or visible leaks in the engine bay.

Am I going to need a new head and is that covered by Ford?

might be the expansion tank - there might be a small leak somewhere letting the coolant boil and seep through a passage. check all pipes are connected and no crud is causing a seal to be compromised.

[AdySaavy]

My husband and I are owners of a Ford Kuga and are having some issues and are wondering if you would be kind enough to give us your opinion. 

On April 2017 Ford sent us a letter notifying us that our vehicle was part of a recall where “... In affected vehicles, localized overheating of the engine head, due to lack of coolant circulation (coolant loss), may cause the cylinder head to crack, causing an oil leak. An oil leak may result in a fire in the engine compartment.” After that Ford, through a Ford dealership, carried out repairs related to this recall in at least three different instances. The paperwork we received advices the Ford Kuga owner to “Monitor coolant level regularly”. Later in January 2018 we made an appointment because our low coolant level light came on, so on 31/01/2018 we took our car to the Ford dealership to get tested. The particular tests ran that they did not show anything amiss with the coolant system. We kept loosing coolant, having to top up the car every 10-14 days so we booked the car in again, taking it to get tested on 07/09/2018. Again, the particular tests carried out did not show anything amiss and there never was any evidence of coolant leaking anywhere that could be seen by just popping the bonnet up. Since we kept losing coolant we started taking photographic records of when our coolant tank was at min and when we topped it up. We kept losing coolant so we took it in again on 31/10/2018 when the particular tests carried out didn’t show any obvious problems but they found that they had to replace the spark plugs. The spark plugs replaced on 31/10/2018 Odometer reading 117273 Km were installed new on 27/04/2018 from our regular mechanic Odometer reading 131297 Km, just 14,024 and they were worn. We kept losing coolant so we took it again on 21/12/2018 upon which date the mechanics at the Ford dealership found the problem. Due to the holidays the fixing would take some time. We went back to pick something up from the car on 05/01/2019 on which date they said that they were expecting a new motor, not to worry the situation was part of the original recall from April 2017 and that it would take time but, as it was recall work, we would not have any costs to pay. On Tuesday, 08/01/2019 we received an e-mail from the Ford dealership asking us for Date of Purchase, Km @ purchase, and Place of purchase and on Friday 11/01/2019 we received another e-mail from the dealership saying that “Unfortunately at this stage Ford have denied any goodwill assistance on the engine replacement required on your vehicle” because “...[t]he issue has been deemed separate from the recall due to the diagnosis carried out in conjunction with Fords technical team and the fact that the recall caused an oil leak outside of the engine through a cracked cylinder head whereas there is a coolant leak into a cylinder. This coolant leak is due to both the cylinder head and engine block being warped beyond specification.”

Do you know what else could have caused for the “cylinder head and engine block [to warp] beyond specification” if it wasn’t the recall issue? We had taken good care of the car, servicing it about every 10,000 Km and the previous owner serviced it at every interval indicated by Ford.

Many thanks!!

 

[KCMICH]

On 1/23/2018 at 9:56 PM, JW1982 said:

Can you send me the link to this full description.

I had it done some time ago and since that I have cooling  system leaks and I had no problems before. I want to check which pipes preciously they had to change or touch in any way.  As I hear from independent mechanic the leak is from the pipe that enters the turbo. Apparently someone must have tightened the screw to hard and it leaks now. 

Please help

 

 

The following parts are installed/replaced during the recall:

New coolant reservoir.
New coolant reservoir cap.
New thermostat.
New coolant bypass valve.
New coolant standpipe with coolant level sensor.
New wiring harness between the coolant level sensor and the EPAS module.
Modification of the battery tray (needed for the new wiring harness).
New, modified coolant hoses (the new hoses have a completely different routing and design than the old ones).
Mounting hardware (Bolts, screws, clips, etc. ).
Reprogramming of the IPC (instrument cluster) with new software.
Reprogramming of the PCM with new software (any remap will be lost).
Filling and bleeding of the coolant system.

 

The full description of this recall (which is applicable on all Ford models with the 1.6 ECOboost) is 56 pages long. 

 

 

 

 

[Kevh17]

We had the recall completed in November and I've had to top up the coolant on a few occasions since but never because the warning flashed up. My wife was driving the car on Wednesday on the way to work and the low coolant level yellow warning. She ignored it, drove a few more miles and went out in it again later on. The red light came on and it cut out on a dual carriageway but there was coolant in the boot so she topped it up and carried on. I checked when she came home and I couldn't see any obvious leaks but the level was normal. She drove it again the next day and the warning came on back again. I topped it up again and drove it instead. Drove another 10 miles or so before and then after work and the warning came on again and level was well below minimum. 

The leak is actually coming into the driver footwell which seems to be an issue with heater matrix but I don't know if it's unrelated to the recall work or whether it's as a result of the work that was done as I've still had to top up the coolant since. Although I've never felt that the footwall was wet until now. 

Do I take it to ford and hope they will do the work for free where it's already booked in for Thursday or take it to my normal garage where they can check it over on Tuesday?

Thanks

[FatHead1979]

On 3/29/2019 at 6:38 AM, Kevh17 said:

We had the recall completed in November and I've had to top up the coolant on a few occasions since but never because the warning flashed up. My wife was driving the car on Wednesday on the way to work and the low coolant level yellow warning. She ignored it, drove a few more miles and went out in it again later on. The red light came on and it cut out on a dual carriageway but there was coolant in the boot so she topped it up and carried on. I checked when she came home and I couldn't see any obvious leaks but the level was normal. She drove it again the next day and the warning came on back again. I topped it up again and drove it instead. Drove another 10 miles or so before and then after work and the warning came on again and level was well below minimum. 

The leak is actually coming into the driver footwell which seems to be an issue with heater matrix but I don't know if it's unrelated to the recall work or whether it's as a result of the work that was done as I've still had to top up the coolant since. Although I've never felt that the footwall was wet until now. 

Do I take it to ford and hope they will do the work for free where it's already booked in for Thursday or take it to my normal garage where they can check it over on Tuesday?

Thanks

As far as I know the recall work doesn't go anywhere near the driver's side footwell and the heater matrix pipes so I doubt you'll be able to get Ford to fix it using the "you must have broken it when you did the recall work" line.  The rubber o-rings that seal the 2 sections of the matrix pipes tend to degrade/rot over time and because the coolant is under pressure it's able to force its way past the tired rubber.

 

The rubber o-rings are cheap to purchase but an absolute git to change due to a lack of access.  If you get on your knees and lean into the footwell with a torch, you should be able to see 2 aluminium pipes with black clips compressing the 2 sections together.

[Kevh17]

On 4/1/2019 at 1:26 PM, 1979Damian said:

As far as I know the recall work doesn't go anywhere near the driver's side footwell and the heater matrix pipes so I doubt you'll be able to get Ford to fix it using the "you must have broken it when you did the recall work" line.  The rubber o-rings that seal the 2 sections of the matrix pipes tend to degrade/rot over time and because the coolant is under pressure it's able to force its way past the tired rubber.

 

The rubber o-rings are cheap to purchase but an absolute git to change due to a lack of access.  If you get on your knees and lean into the footwell with a torch, you should be able to see 2 aluminium pipes with black clips compressing the 2 sections together.

Thanks mate. Had a bit more of a look at similar issues and it's been in to my normal garage today who have said it's the o-rings. The car is apparently in bits but they're unable to source the o-rings at the minute. Happy to leave it until they can as it's either a couple of quid on top of the labour or hundreds for a new matrix if they can't source any.

[FatHead1979]

2 hours ago, Kevh17 said:

Thanks mate. Had a bit more of a look at similar issues and it's been in to my normal garage today who have said it's the o-rings. The car is apparently in bits but they're unable to source the o-rings at the minute. Happy to leave it until they can as it's either a couple of quid on top of the labour or hundreds for a new matrix if they can't source any.

They should be able to source them from Ford, I used my nearest Trust Ford at the time AND they had them in stock so I guessed it was not entirely uncommon for them to fail.  I suspect the main reason is if people have the anti-freeze concentration too high i.e. to much anti-freeze and not not enough water.

[iantt]

1 hour ago, 1979Damian said:

They should be able to source them from Ford, I used my nearest Trust Ford at the time AND they had them in stock so I guessed it was not entirely uncommon for them to fail.  I suspect the main reason is if people have the anti-freeze concentration too high i.e. to much anti-freeze and not not enough water.

The seals are no longer available from ford for the MK3 . New modified heater matrix is the official fix. 

But I would ask your dealer for the MK2.5 o rings as they maybe the same size and are available.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Genuine-Ford-O-Ring-1342708/1009741693

[FatHead1979]

9 hours ago, iantt said:

The seals are no longer available from ford for the MK3 . New modified heater matrix is the official fix. 

But I would ask your dealer for the MK2.5 o rings as they maybe the same size and are available.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Genuine-Ford-O-Ring-1342708/1009741693

Wow, that sucks.  Has the "modified" replacement matrix got single length pipes by any chance i.e. no mid point join?

 

Just checked eBay and there's a couple of sellers offering MK3 specific heater matrix seals here, I'd give it a punt for £5.99.