More on tricky vehicle fixes
I want to take a second swipe at the intermittent motorhome drivability problem (discussed last week) because it may further convey some of the difficulties and concerns and possible solutions getting a tough issue resolved with a modern vehicle.
David lives in Oregon at a considerable distance from the four Ford dealerships in his entire state that service Class A motorhomes, so it is difficult for him to bring it in to look at this intermittent problem over and over. The other issue is that a dealership that performs warranty repairs is not reimbursed by the manufacturer unless it actually performs a listed labour operation, and typically the time it takes to duplicate an intermittent fault or perform lengthy diagnostic time might be not compensated. A fault that can’t be duplicated at the time of service is a nightmare for all involved!
As a former GM dealer shop foreman, I would often drive a customer’s vehicle home and back as if it were my own for perhaps a week or more until I was lucky enough to encounter the situation with the appropriate diagnostic tool in hand. David’s problem is so erratic/intermittent that multiple dealers have failed to encounter the fault or take action to look very far into it.
One of the pitfalls of automotive lemon laws is it makes the dealer reluctant to attempt a repair unless there’s a documentable reason to proceed, and a potentially favourable outcome, as it counts as strike one, two or three in a potential buyback case. It makes complete sense as a business decision to say “NTF” (no trouble found) instead of trying something helpful. I wonder if the doghouse (engine cover) was ever lifted.
David’s frustration and fears of a safety concern due to power loss has him contemplating a lemon-law buy-back case. Oregon’s automotive lemon law is less favourable to consumers than some in other states, and even if he prevailed, he’d be facing a significant ($20K) financial loss (vehicle is bought back at depreciated value).
I had recommended a Ford VCM-2 customer flight recorder be temporarily loaned and attached, but the dealer and Ford corporate both declined to step up. Yesterday, my students Brian and Jesus drilled deep into the $70 US Autel ML529 scan tool I just purchased for personal use, and to share in class, and found it has a data recording feature. I never would have imagined such an inexpensive tool would do this. The ML529 is an upgrade for the previously recommended ML519 tool. Perhaps David might take matters into his own hands, purchasing such a tool and taking a movie of the 25 or so available OBD-II generic parameters the next time the symptoms surface (scanner is previously connected and awaiting a “record” command).
Two caveats: The OBD-II data list is not nearly as extensive as the manufacturer’s tool, and the recording is only of the time after being triggered, as opposed to before/during/after on a manufacturer’s tool. About half the fuel cost for another dealer repair attempt, and it might get David on base with justification for additional diagnostic procedures due to a captured irregular parameter.
Another recommendation, especially considering the inconvenience, fuel costs for repair attempts and potential financial loss of a buy-back, is to throw perhaps $500 at this in diagnostic time for a really sharp dealer or independent diagnostic tech to physically burrow in, checking PCM (powertrain control module) power and grounds, and critical sensor inputs, using a graphing multimeter or lab scope as the motorhome is driven and connectors are wiggled.
Sometimes an intermittent fault leaves little clues even when it’s not acting up large. Physical inspection of connector seating and pin-fits and wiring harness routings are also prudent, as this problem showed up before the wheels even left the parking lot when purchased as a new vehicle.
The fault might lie somewhere between the coach builder and the Ford chassis/powertrain as a build boo-boo. Reimbursement may be a long shot, but a solid fix is a game-changer for enjoying the motorhome as it should be. Look for a tech with ASE Advanced Engine Performance L-1 certification, these are the best at what they do! Brad Bergholdt is an automotive technology instructor at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, California. Readers can send him email at bradbergholdt@gmail.com; he cannot make personal replies.