BlueSVT
FRF Addict
A brief history on the electrical issues I've experienced with my Raptor, to illustrate the frustration and issues I'm currently still dealing with...
August -2011
I took my truck into service for an intermittent "Battery Warning" icon that would appear on the dash. Keep in mind, when this alarm comes in, the voltage is still fine, usually above 13.5v all the time. This would "usually" only come in when I was off road, never on a smooth surface. The alarm would come in... clear... come in... clear... very frustrating.
Dealer took a look, couldn't find anything of course. Said to report if it happens again. Well, each time I go off road it happens! When I ask the service advisor, they can NEVER seem to recreate it. Even if they could, how do you even BEGIN tracing a fault like that.
October - 2011
This damn alarm was coming in every 10 minutes when off road, and would clear after about 15 seconds. Then it gets worse. My iPod music first started cutting out randomly... USB wasn't recognizing the ipod, then it would be fine for a few hours... then not work, etc. VERY FRUSTRATING. Tried my iphone, same thing, so it's not the ipod.
Then it was getting MUCH worse over the couse of the same off road weekend. My entire climate control system would shut down. The Nav display would say "Climate OFF" and it would cut out for a good 15-20 seconds... then come on... then cut off... then come on... This, mixed with the voltage alarm, ipod cutting out, it was madness!!!
November - 2011
Problem persists. Installed an Optima battery, in case a dead cell in the battery was causing issues, or internal plates making contact under hard off roading. Also removed SCT tuner from truck, running bone stuck except intake at this point.
January - 2012
Problem persists, dealership agreed to replace alternator under warranty, as voltage was showing signs of peaks and valleys when fault would come in. They thought voltage regulator on alternator may be the cause.
During next off road trip, the alarm did NOT come in. Thought all was well.
August - 2012
Problem back again, same as before. Now truck at dealer for CEL and 2 shorted-out O2 sensors, and bad exhaust Y-pipe (Both cats siezed up).
While replacing both cats and o2 sensors under warranty, the dealer had a CEL they couldn't clear afterwards. They then replaced the PCM module under warranty as well, suspecting a short! Well... After the second PCM module, SAME CEL and faults, and another shorted PCM module!
So, they then decided to replace the wire loom that runs from the PCM to the transmission and a few other places, suspecting a short somewhere in the wire loom. Well, the finally found a problem!!! On the passenger side somewhere under the truck, they found a bolt that had been driven right through the center of the wire loom during assembly! When tugging on that section, the same battery warning light would appear!
All in all, truck was at dealer for 2 weeks, and received the following parts:
New exhaust Y-pipe with 2 cats
2 new O2 sensors
2 new PCM modules (original one and second one shorted, third PCM ok)
New transmission wire loom
Thinking it's all over... On the way home from the repair listed above, the battery alarm came in AGAIN... 4 times! That is very unusual, as it usually only comes in off-road! So in a way it seems worse.
Truck back at dealer at that point, and they perform a "Master Reset" or some BS, thinking the alarms are still in the memory cache or something?!?! Doesn't make sense, but that's what they do.
October - 2012
Land Rush 1000 event completed with alarm not coming in even once! Good sign so far.
November - 2012 thru March 2013
F*** ME. It's back. Instead of taking back in right away, I documented the times it came in by taking a picture of the fault with my camera, which also showed the mileage each time. Building a list of other small issues as well.
Coming in consistently, every time I go off road. (Very rarely comes in on street)
May -2013
So now my truck is in service once again. Same issue as described above STILL happening, and a few other things:
Battery Warning indication
Driver's side heated seat stopped working
Passenger "Airbag Off" warning always on, when somebody sitting in seat (regardless of weight)
Called me yesterday, said that everything electrically on the battery issue checked out ok (like usual) and that they have another call into Ford. Other issues are still being addressed.
What the hell should I do at this point? This is NOT something that is easy to fix, find, recreate, or even troubleshoot. This issue was happening when the truck was still fairly new, I'm at about 45K miles right now with a 100K mile premium extended warranty (thank god).
If they can't fix the problem, what should my next course of action be? This will SERIOUSLY affect the resale of my truck if not corrected, and I would have to fully discolse any existing issues to a potential buyer. Thankfully it doesn't seem to physically affect how the truck performs and drives... but the fault making the climate controls come on/off, and now other misc. electrical problems makes me think there's something seriously messed up that they can't find!
Ugh.
August -2011
I took my truck into service for an intermittent "Battery Warning" icon that would appear on the dash. Keep in mind, when this alarm comes in, the voltage is still fine, usually above 13.5v all the time. This would "usually" only come in when I was off road, never on a smooth surface. The alarm would come in... clear... come in... clear... very frustrating.
Dealer took a look, couldn't find anything of course. Said to report if it happens again. Well, each time I go off road it happens! When I ask the service advisor, they can NEVER seem to recreate it. Even if they could, how do you even BEGIN tracing a fault like that.
October - 2011
This damn alarm was coming in every 10 minutes when off road, and would clear after about 15 seconds. Then it gets worse. My iPod music first started cutting out randomly... USB wasn't recognizing the ipod, then it would be fine for a few hours... then not work, etc. VERY FRUSTRATING. Tried my iphone, same thing, so it's not the ipod.
Then it was getting MUCH worse over the couse of the same off road weekend. My entire climate control system would shut down. The Nav display would say "Climate OFF" and it would cut out for a good 15-20 seconds... then come on... then cut off... then come on... This, mixed with the voltage alarm, ipod cutting out, it was madness!!!
November - 2011
Problem persists. Installed an Optima battery, in case a dead cell in the battery was causing issues, or internal plates making contact under hard off roading. Also removed SCT tuner from truck, running bone stuck except intake at this point.
January - 2012
Problem persists, dealership agreed to replace alternator under warranty, as voltage was showing signs of peaks and valleys when fault would come in. They thought voltage regulator on alternator may be the cause.
During next off road trip, the alarm did NOT come in. Thought all was well.
August - 2012
Problem back again, same as before. Now truck at dealer for CEL and 2 shorted-out O2 sensors, and bad exhaust Y-pipe (Both cats siezed up).
While replacing both cats and o2 sensors under warranty, the dealer had a CEL they couldn't clear afterwards. They then replaced the PCM module under warranty as well, suspecting a short! Well... After the second PCM module, SAME CEL and faults, and another shorted PCM module!
So, they then decided to replace the wire loom that runs from the PCM to the transmission and a few other places, suspecting a short somewhere in the wire loom. Well, the finally found a problem!!! On the passenger side somewhere under the truck, they found a bolt that had been driven right through the center of the wire loom during assembly! When tugging on that section, the same battery warning light would appear!
All in all, truck was at dealer for 2 weeks, and received the following parts:
New exhaust Y-pipe with 2 cats
2 new O2 sensors
2 new PCM modules (original one and second one shorted, third PCM ok)
New transmission wire loom
Thinking it's all over... On the way home from the repair listed above, the battery alarm came in AGAIN... 4 times! That is very unusual, as it usually only comes in off-road! So in a way it seems worse.
Truck back at dealer at that point, and they perform a "Master Reset" or some BS, thinking the alarms are still in the memory cache or something?!?! Doesn't make sense, but that's what they do.
October - 2012
Land Rush 1000 event completed with alarm not coming in even once! Good sign so far.
November - 2012 thru March 2013
F*** ME. It's back. Instead of taking back in right away, I documented the times it came in by taking a picture of the fault with my camera, which also showed the mileage each time. Building a list of other small issues as well.
Coming in consistently, every time I go off road. (Very rarely comes in on street)
May -2013
So now my truck is in service once again. Same issue as described above STILL happening, and a few other things:
Battery Warning indication
Driver's side heated seat stopped working
Passenger "Airbag Off" warning always on, when somebody sitting in seat (regardless of weight)
Called me yesterday, said that everything electrically on the battery issue checked out ok (like usual) and that they have another call into Ford. Other issues are still being addressed.
What the hell should I do at this point? This is NOT something that is easy to fix, find, recreate, or even troubleshoot. This issue was happening when the truck was still fairly new, I'm at about 45K miles right now with a 100K mile premium extended warranty (thank god).
If they can't fix the problem, what should my next course of action be? This will SERIOUSLY affect the resale of my truck if not corrected, and I would have to fully discolse any existing issues to a potential buyer. Thankfully it doesn't seem to physically affect how the truck performs and drives... but the fault making the climate controls come on/off, and now other misc. electrical problems makes me think there's something seriously messed up that they can't find!
Ugh.
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