Posted on 03/26/2011 7:49:43 AM PDT by chickadee
Yesterday, I decided to take my relatively new car out for a spin. Due to a combination of ugly winter weather and health issues, I hadn't driven the car in a couple of months and wanted to give it a spin to keep its "juices" flowing.
I got in the car and tried to start it. Nothing. All the symbols lit up and went nuts, but no sound of cranking.
Fortunately, Ford gives new owners 5 years of Roadside Assistance. Ford's service responded quickly and professionally. The technician came prepared with a "box" to start the car in my garage. It wouldn't start. He had discovered a loose battery connection, which he tightened, but still "no go". He was familiar with the vehicle and tried one or two adjustments before deciding that the car was in lockout mode.
After consulting the manual, he determined that the car's computer was not recognizing the key. He presumed the loss of coding was due to the "dead" battery. He said the dealership would need to repower the battery and reinstall the codes before the car would start.
I contacted the dealership and they said to arrange with Roadside Assistance to have it brought to them and they would reinstall the codes.
Longish story short - it turned out that the battery was not dead - not even low. Ford has a program built into it that if a car is not started in 50 days, it goes into lockdown mode to conserve the battery. To protect the battery from itself and its constant computer analysis.
Once the dealership discovered that the battery was fine, they contacted Ford who explained the above to them (even the techs were unaware of the 50 day thing.) The cure was simple, disconnect the negative lead for 30 seconds, reconnect and all was well.
Meanwhile, two service calls to the house and the car had been loaded on a flatbed and towed across town.
Wow. Ain't technology great?
That is interesting and I am sure we will learn of other interesting differences regarding the advanced technology. Actually, this seems smart on Ford’s part but what is not smart is not informing the owner. The owner’s manual likely contains the information but it would appear to me that fact and possible others, which represent radical differences from previous automobiles, should be highlighted.
I'll share another interesting event. My wife is extremely pleased with the Hyundai Sonata she bought in 2009. However, with around 50,000 miles on the car the automatic transmission began exhibiting a loud thud when downshifting as you approach a stop.
I elected to take it to the dealer for its next service interval and explain the occurrence to the service manager. I had no more finished saying, the transmission has a problem, when he asked, is the problem with down shifting. I said yes and he responded with “it needs a software update”. I was a bit startled to say the least but there was a service bulletin on the topic. He was quick to point out that it was not a recall. My wife picked up her car and drove away with the problem solved.
Ain’t it good to know that disconnecting the negative lead is still in fashion? :)
Your story is interesting. Now I am feeling guilty about something else - I should check for any Sync software updates or I may find a clunking sound in my transmission:)
This car is like having a second pet.
Imagine if Ford had just put one paragraph in the owners manual about this. You would have been on your way in 15 minutes and your battery would have stayed charged over 50 days of non-use in cold weather (pretty impressive in my book). A small blurb in the manual could have taken the car from zero to hero.
Yes look at the want ads/for sale look for classic cars. Like the model T ford. 8*>~
Your comment is right on the money. Ford hasn’t made this information common knowledge or the Roadside tech would have known and the dealership certainly would have.
Try changing the cabin air filter on a 328i from the late 90s. Try finding a non BMW brand of some of their funny bayonet nubbed tail lights that aren't the 180 degree opposing kind. Try ANYTHING on one and find out they don't want the owner to do it.
That said, I've owned 5, still own two. However, they don't last forever. After 10 years they pretty much need all the usual stuff replaced plus a few extras...it is an expensive car to keep maintained in the manner it needs to be.
In the 90’s I had a friend who had a 60’s Volkswagen Stick shift beetle..He had reworked the engine & other parts of the car over for many years, many times.
It ran great and he could always fix it himself. ha.
Wonder what he is driving now..ha.
Sounds like my cablebox...
I am hoping the new Focus will be a winner, because I want to come back, but I also want a car servicable for 200k miles.
we can~!!!
"I am not accustomed to talk rot", replied Travers.
"Then, for a beginner, you do it dashed well". And I think you will admit, ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls, that that was telling him.
I've owned Hondas and they were good but the last one I got in 2009, a 4 cyl Accord (second one), couldn't pull a greased stick out of a cat's ass. No power whatsoever, unlike the EXACT same-equipped model I got in 2005. Plus, the gas mileage was consistently 5 miles per gallon lower. Go figure.... CHEVY, GM, CHYSLER? HELL EFFING NO! I don't buy government anything.
Posting before reading since 2005.
Funny that scene came to my mind as well. classic
Sounds like the biggest problem there is communication. There’s no good reason why their roadside assistance guys didn’t already know about that feature. Any feature that might turn the car off should be high on the list of things you tell your own maintenance/ tech support guys. It should have been a five minute fix with only one call and no tow. But apparently corporate kept it a secret, so it got stupid.
The next morning, after a meeting at a factory near Ulm (aka the Middle of Nowhere), it failed absolutely.
Happy ending was that the nearest rental agents apologized that they didn't have another Scorpio for me but would a BMW 700 series with five speed stick be OK? "Uhhh, yeah, sure thing" with the biggest s*** eating grin of my life.
It’s a 2010. I bought it new in August at the end of the model year. It’s a pretty wonderful car. I traded in a ZX2.
You need to work on your reading comprehension.
I have been doing that since 1998
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