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I'm new to the forum and hope I am posting in the right location. If not, just let me know please.
My truck is a 2014 Ford F250 Lariat 4X4, 6.2L V8 gasoline. It has 42,950 miles, of which, about 18,000 is towing a 9,000 pound fifth wheel RV. I have traveled all over the country during the last 18 months without a single problem with the truck. The oil has been changed about every 5,000 miles along with the tires rotated.
History:
July 13, 2015, mileage 40650: Had oil changed and 4 new tire installed at the Ford Dealer in Mitchell, South Dakota. This is not my dealership, I was just passing through.
Date unknown but between July 13 and August 8, mileage unknown: While driving, 3 chimes/beeps sound off. Nothing else happens, all gauges and devices show normal.
August 8, 2015, mileage 42,800: While driving, approx. 5 mph, the following messages came up on the center display: "Engine Overtemp", the "idiot" symbol for a wrench, "Service AdvanceTrac", "Starting System Fault".
The engine definitely was not overheating, but it shut itself off. Fortunately, I was pulling into a parking space when it happened and I coasted to a stop. Tried starting it. All idiots lights come on, the radio, A/C, windows, everything works, but it won't start. The messages return. I called for a tow truck and had it towed to the dealer I purchased it from which is Adams Ford in Logansport, Louisiana. Great dealership, by the way. It was a Saturday, so they were closed.
August 10, 11, 2015, mileage 42,800: Dealership tries to start the truck and it starts right up. The dealership says the computer diagnosed the problem as a bad PCM Relay (Part no. F-F80Z14N089AA). I'm not sure how bad it could be if the truck started before they worked on it. Anyway, they wanted to replace it so I said OK. They removed and replaced it, cleared the codes, test drove it, charged me $196.53. I drove off but was very worried that it would happen again.
August 12, 2015, mileage unknown: The 3 chimes/beeps happen again.
August 14, 2015, mileage 42,950: After sitting all night, the truck would not start as before. Same messages. This was during the hottest part of the day. That is mentioned because there was talk about something expanding in the heat of the day which shut the truck off, then contracting in the cool night which allowed it to start up the next morning at the dealership.
1 hour later, I tried it again. It started. Still hot outside, so that should rule out expanding/contracting theory.
It will be going to the dealership Monday, either driven if it starts or by tow truck.
Follow-up: It wouldn't start Saturday morning (today) but would start Saturday afternoon. My confidence in the truck and Ford is beginning to fade away very fast.
I would ask them what codes are present and also what led them to replace the pcm relay. I suspect you have some electrical problem or possibly a pcm problem. The transmission was not overheating was it? I did see that you do tow and it was heat related. If it is the pcm that will be covered under federal emission warranty. Also do some research look for technical service bulletins and also for computer reflashes. All that information is on google. That is too young of a truck to be having these issues.
In answer to the question: It does not try to crank the engine. All lights come on when the key is turned but then nothing except the messages.
INTERESTING UPDATE:
After reading more forums, I ran across someone with similar but not exact symptoms.
She mentioned her rear view camera going out and then coming back on. Mine did that a couple days before the truck stopped the first time. It went out for part of a day, but came back on by itself and has worked since.
She also mentioned the same messages, but with a couple more, but her truck was a few years older than mine.
The interesting thing she found was that when her truck would not start, if she set the emergency brake and then released it, the truck would start. Her ultimate solution was an ignition switch connection that the movement (shocked) of releasing the emergency brake would vibrate it enough to temporarily correct the problem. She had a great dealer working with her to solve that problem. I thought that was weird, but I tried it and it worked.
I tried to start it this morning at 10:00 am, nothing, would not start. I read that woman's post, and at 10:30 am tried the truck again, nothing, the emergency brake was not set. I set the brake, tried to start, nothing. I released the brake and tried it and it STARTED.
I know that isn't the solution to the problem, but is seems to be a major action/reaction clue.
Question: I got new tires about 3 weeks before this happened..... 2 days after getting those tires, while driving on the interstate towing the RV,,,, I heard 3 "beeps",,, I looked at seat belt and emergency brake since they had similar sounds,,,,both was ok. All gauges looked good, so I passed it off. If that was the same chime that the emergency brake makes when you put the truck in gear with the brake set,,,,that may be another clue.
There is obviously an ongoing issue that seems to bed showing up more frequently. Dealers are doing their best but they really don't know what the issue is. Ford does not seem to be offering much help from what I've read on the forum and experienced myself.
As you said, there are a few threads with similar symptoms.
Since a car that dies and does not restart can be a safety issue I wonder if we should all be filing reports with the NHTSA?
Ok I had something strange happen the other day , I was towing the fifth wheel up North to go camping , I had noticed the time before that when I used the lane change signals that it only flashed three times when in tow haul , normally it is 5 times it was annoying but I didn't think too much of it and would get it checked out the next time at the dealers for an oil change. Anyway as I said I was towing it up North, when out of the blue, tire pressure chimes and warnings came up on the dash , I pulled over and checked the tires and nothing was wrong, it cleared itself a few mile down the road, but it repeated the warnings about three more times at different tire positions. I had to make a hard stop at a set of traffic lights and then the trailer brakes not connected warning came up!! and it felt like I had no trailer brakes , thinking it was a fuse I waited until we got to the campground a few miles up the road and checked all fuses , none were blown. Then I checked the trucks plug for the trailer, at first I couldn't see anything wrong, as it was semi dark but it felt a little funny when I replugged it back in , so I got a flashlight and lo and behold, one of the pins had bent over, I straightened it up, plugged it back in and everything went back to normal including the number of flashes and no more tire pressure warning lights....
You mean like this?
Truck was going approximately 50mph when this happened. Gauges dead, engine overtemp, wrench symbol. Turn it off and it won't restart, won't turn over...starting system fault....service advance track...hill descent control fault
It wasn't overheated because I had driven about 3 blocks from my house in the morning. Dealer can't figure it out.
I was able to get it to restart by using my SCT programmer to clear the DTCs which it said there were none. Has happened a few times now.
I found one video on yout00b of someone with the "Service Advance Trac" and "Hill Descent Control Fault" issue which mine had been doing for a while. Turns out his problem was a bad ABS sensor...another guy had the same issue, only broken wire to the ABS sensor.
Yes, that sounds like the problem. The SCT solution might be coincidence as my truck just decided to start and run on its own after a while. Please post what you find. It will probably be a particularly clever owner or wrench who solves the problem. Ford corporate does not seem to be much help so far.
Saratoga NY? I have to look at the schedule but I plan of going to the track something this weekend or next week.
Btw, there are multiple threads on this forum with the same problem.
It's the wiring harness connector right where the parking brake pedal is. I had the same problem a few weeks back while on vacation....the local dealer there was no help. I had all the same issues mentioned as well as a no start so the truck was towed in. Released the brake coming off the roll back and everything started working so the dealer politely to me to get lost. I drove it home and pulled the harness down and pulled the connector apart. No start and all the same lights. No broken pins that I can find. No issue since. I was hoping to recreate the issue for the local dealer at home but I can't get it to do it anymore since I put it back together. The harness connector is attached to the bracket for the parking brake. The shock from releasing the brake is obviously making a contact issue. The harness has a latch to prevent separation but it still must move to create a connection issue. I'd guess over time broken pins could be an issue. The bad part is that is looks to be the harness it for everything so if there is any issue the truck will be dead. Also from day one my air bag light would flash when the parking brake was released. Hasn't done it since. Hope it will help someone....it really sucks being stranded with a new vehicle that won't run. I'll place a solid bet if you have the issue and squeeze the plug together you truck will run.
That is great information. Thank you for taking time to post your findings. A current Ford mechanic told me Ford no longer solders the pins on many of their connectors which is causing them a lot of headaches. I think I will talk to my sealer and even if I have to pay them for their time I wil have them take that connector apart, check it out just for the piece-of-mind.
Would you mind if I copy your post to another thread on this forum for so others who are having this same issue can have access to your post?
Share it as much as you like. My local dealer is great to work with so I am trying to get the truck to act up for them to see the problem. The solution is pretty easy. Pull the harness away from the brake pedal and attach it somewhere else.
Also something to note. When my truck acted up I could not scan it, I carry a scanner with me on trips. The scanner will not connect. After you the harness is connected again you will be able to scan it. I never got any codes.
08-14-2015, 04:31 PM
