I just bought a used 2002 4x4 Supercrew. I have 2 problems with the truck. I have been to the deal for warranty work and they can't seem to fix it.

Removing the ignition key- About 50% of the time when I put it in "Park" I can not rotate the ignition switch all the way back to the point I can pull the key form the ignition. If I take the transmission back to "Drive" and then to "Park" it will then allow me to rotate the ignition switch all the way and take the key out.

Noisey driver window - There is a light rumbling or popping noise as the power window goes up and down. The only window that does this is the driver's window.

Can anyone help me point the mechanics in the right direction? Is there a recall or technical service bulletin I can reference to help them get it fixed?

 

"Removing the ignition key- About 50% of the time when I put it in "Park" I can not rotate the ignition switch all the way back to the point I can pull the key form the ignition. If I take the transmission back to "Drive" and then to "Park" it will then allow me to rotate the ignition switch all the way and take the key out."

If its happening 50 percent of the time you need to take back to the dealer and keep stuffing it in thier face till they figure it out. Either the key cylinder is binding, the key chime switch is hanging up the cylinder(service message), or there is a problem with the linkage or cable adjustment.

The grumbling noise MAY be the spring on the regulator, and this is very common on the F series and they could possibly put a new regulator in it for you to get rid of the noise, but it will only come back. It only does it on the drivers door because that is the one that gets maximum "exercise". Eventually if used a lot the all will do it. If its real loud and annoying then a regulator replacement with its new spring is the only fix.(that I am aware of) Other possibilites are simply lubrication needed on the regulator rails and or window runs. Also there is a black plastic trim piece along the b pillar side that can make a creaking noise when rolling up and down. It can have some spray lube sprayed under it and some dry silicone sprayed on the window run back side to alleviate that. Unfortunately Ford has VERY FEW service messages on window noise operation. I deal with these noises every day and check OASIS everyday for new messages but Ford leaves us Techs hanging for the most part on finding a way to cure all the various squeeks, creaks, and rattles. And dont pay squat for doing it either.

 

I tried to tell the mechanic that the problem appeared to be related to the putting of the transmission lever in to the park position and that a loose linkage or something might be the problem. He ignored that and proceeded to take the ignition key cylinder out and replaced some part. Problem persists. It happened again on the way home from the dealership. Assuming he was right and that the ignition key cylinder was sticking in some way I tapped lightly in it to see if it would allow the key to rotate fully back. No cigar. I then very, very gently took the gear shift from park back to neutral than back to park and the ignition key cylinder rotated all the way back the the key came out.


As far as the windows- I checked. 3 of 4 make this grumbling noise. It is a real shame that there is little or nothing that can be done for this. This is a real show of poor quality.

Thanks for the help.

 

What he replaced was the chime switch which is a known fix for sticking lock cylinder. Sticking in the start position and not fully returning to the run position. You just need to let them know that didnt fix the problem. He read a service message and applied the quick fix and appearantly it worked fine while in shop. Appearantly a followup road test or two was needed to do a good verification of repair but that is often not done when shops are swamped with repair jobs.

 

Hello Homer,

So do I understand you are a Ford mechanic? What do you think I should do about the noisey power windows? It is a shame that a 2002 model with only 20K miles has a problem like this that can not be fixed.

Maybe I should try another dealership next trip? I intentionally went to a dealership where I could talk with a mechanic while I gave the details of my problems, but the results were the same as when I used to take my GMC to a talking head at a dealership. They knew nothing about the cars or trucks and thought it was just perfectly adequate to say, "Sorry we couldn't find anything".

I know they talk with a lot of people that know nothing about cars, but some people do. They can offer valuable troubleshooting information to avoid them coming back to the dealership repeatedly. Know any tricks on communicating with a dealership successfully?