GEN 2 Powertrain Malfunction question

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

JustDennis

Active Member
Joined
May 13, 2020
Posts
72
Reaction score
19
Location
Upstate SC
I have a 2017 802A SCREW with 33K miles. On 7/11, I was driving about all of a sudden got the wrench message and the Powertrain Malfunction error. I was just driving normally and had just left the house - maybe 2 or 3 miles. I turned around and came home. After searching on here and reading thru the threads, I disconnected the battery for about an hour and reconnected. The message was gone, the adaptive shifting was reset and the truck drove normally. I continued to drive until 8/15 when the message reoccurred while driving. Again, normal driving and I had been driving about 30 minutes or so. I reset again and so far back to normal.

Here's my question(s) - has anyone else experienced anything similar and if so have you found the root cause? Secondly, I plan to take the truck into the dealer when/if it happens again. The truck still has the powertrain warranty and I want to get it noted. Hopefully they can find something. Is there anything else I should be doing or checking? Thanks for the feedback.

Love the truck but hate driving anticipating a message any minute. My truck has been dynoed if that makes a difference.
 

FordTechOne

FRF Addict
Joined
Jul 29, 2019
Posts
6,398
Reaction score
12,494
Location
Detroit
I have a 2017 802A SCREW with 33K miles. On 7/11, I was driving about all of a sudden got the wrench message and the Powertrain Malfunction error. I was just driving normally and had just left the house - maybe 2 or 3 miles. I turned around and came home. After searching on here and reading thru the threads, I disconnected the battery for about an hour and reconnected. The message was gone, the adaptive shifting was reset and the truck drove normally. I continued to drive until 8/15 when the message reoccurred while driving. Again, normal driving and I had been driving about 30 minutes or so. I reset again and so far back to normal.

Here's my question(s) - has anyone else experienced anything similar and if so have you found the root cause? Secondly, I plan to take the truck into the dealer when/if it happens again. The truck still has the powertrain warranty and I want to get it noted. Hopefully they can find something. Is there anything else I should be doing or checking? Thanks for the feedback.

Love the truck but hate driving anticipating a message any minute. My truck has been dynoed if that makes a difference.

When that message appears, there will be DTCs in one or more modules. Your best bet is to get it to occur and drive straight to the dealer or have it towed. Do you have any mods?
 
OP
OP
JustDennis

JustDennis

Active Member
Joined
May 13, 2020
Posts
72
Reaction score
19
Location
Upstate SC
When that message appears, there will be DTCs in one or more modules. Your best bet is to get it to occur and drive straight to the dealer or have it towed. Do you have any mods?
I have a Whipple CAI, intercooler, Magnaflow full exhaust with downpipes and a dyno tune.

I just checked the DTCs that were still stored since I hadn't reset them. They were:
U0401 - Invalid Data received from ECM/PCM
U0140 - Lost Communication with Body Control Module
U0554 - Invalid Data Received from Accessory Protocol Module
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
JustDennis

JustDennis

Active Member
Joined
May 13, 2020
Posts
72
Reaction score
19
Location
Upstate SC
Update - I took the advice. Called the dealership and they suggested I get Ford Roadside assistance to tow it. They towed it to my dealer and I got a call back yesterday. The Service Manager just called and said the wiring from one of the O2 sensors was too close to the exhaust and the wires melted. The resulting short is causing the problem. It will take a couple of days to get the new O2 sensor. In the meantime, he is going to do the "fix" for the intermittent tailgate opening.

Hope this fixes the issue. Makes sense to me
 

Bowewelding

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2017
Posts
204
Reaction score
46
I have a 17 aswell and about a year into owning it from New I got the wrench light. Long story short, my dealer could not figure it out. After changing the harness from the trans to the pcm, an alignment, changing the abs module, the restraint module, and over laying a new wire under the passenger seat. The light still comes on with similar codes as your, (different modules losing communication). I requested a manufacturer buy back and they approved it. I turn it in this next Wednesday and then I'm shopping for a 2020 in Oxford white..im going to check the o2 sensor wire after reading this post though
 
OP
OP
JustDennis

JustDennis

Active Member
Joined
May 13, 2020
Posts
72
Reaction score
19
Location
Upstate SC
So just got a call from the dealer. Truck is ready and he said it is fixed. Evidently the wiring to the O2 sensor melted and they also replaced the lead wiring harness it connects to. They put in the fix for the intermittent tailgate opening. I'm headed to pick the truck up and will report back after a bit.
 
OP
OP
JustDennis

JustDennis

Active Member
Joined
May 13, 2020
Posts
72
Reaction score
19
Location
Upstate SC
Update - Seems the O2 and wiring replacement has corrected the problem. No codes and the truck is running great and shifting smoothly. I really hadn't realized but a lot of the rough running and shifting I was experiencing must have been coming from the melted wires. Hopefully this has fixed the wrench/powertrain malfunction errors.
 
Top