This is getting old....

[muslhed]

I am becoming more & more unhappy with this Ford. As soon as I decided to sell it, I think she decided to revolt!

First, I started her up one morning, and she was running very rough....like running on 6 cylinders rough. Low end torque was non-existant, where it was previously adequate. After a few minutes of driving, the rough idle would go away. Low end power however, would not improve. As you know, the Ford house can't seem to decipher anything unless there is a "Check Engine" light on. After a week of this rough running, the check engine light finally came on, and I took it into the local Ford house to get it checked out. About 30 minutes after I dropped it off, they called me to let me know my car was ready. They said that they just needed to download a few "updates" for it. Didin't seem quite right, but the check engine light was now off, and it never started with a rough idle again.

Here is where I am confused & frustrated. Ever since they "down-loaded some updates", power is non-existant. It runs fine. Doesn't even miss a beat. No check engine light or anything. But it feels like it has about 150 HP.......not 300 HP!

When I bought this car brand new last December, if I felt a little free-spirited, I could gouge on it coming around a dry, paved corner, and just drift her like nobody's business! She would even spin the tires a little from a dead stop on dry pavement. Now, with 10K miles, she won't even attempt to spin the tires on WET pavement!!! Not even while coming around a corner under full throttle @ 15 - 20 MPH! It is truly sickening! I thought they were supposed to run better with the more miles you put on them, but mine has gotten significantly slower! It feels like I have about 2000 lbs in the trunk, and I am pulling a boat as well! I don't get it.

Here's the worse part. My wife's '03 VW GTI smoked my A** today from a 30 MPH punch!!! Truly sickening. The Ford house has no clue, because it runs fine.

BTW, I live in East Texas, and it is quite humid outside....maybe that has something to do with it....I dunno.

Sorry for the long-winded rant....... I'm through now. Thanks for listening!

Jeremy

[duhtroll]

Humidity should help, not hinder.

I would say that when you got your "updates" you got the tamest, MPG-oriented programming available. That's what FoMoCo offers. The beast on a leash is their idea of fun. I don't think anyone here was happy with stock programming.

You really need a custom tune. It does wonders for this car. This is done either by ordering a chip (old way) or getting a tuner and doing it yourself or getting a program from one of the great tuners on this board, of which there are several folks that have good programs for you.

Thanks,
-A

[muslhed]

Well, it was stock programed before they "updated" it. It used to run dramatically better than it does now! Do you think they detuned my car when I took it in? I wouldn't think I would have to buy an aftermarket chip just to get it to run like it did when I bought it stock, 10K miles ago. I understand that an aftermarket chip or re-programer will make it run better than stock, but it is running waaaaaay worse than stock! And, like I said before, I thought it was supposed to run better with the more miles you put on it! This is just crazy!

[merc406]

Maybe they gave you a Grand Marquis tune. :bigcry: But seriously take it back and demand a better running car.

[David Morton]

Get a second opinion, dude. Take the thing to another dealership. Programming doesn't just 'go sour' and if you woke up one day and it felt like it was running on six cylinders, updates are NOT the problem! Your service department is seriously deficient in the high-tech department if you took it in for a "rough idle/no power" compaint and they only did updates. Big red flag there, man. Your car is broken. Take it to somebody that can fix it.

[Fourth Horseman]

Get a second opinion, dude. Take the thing to another dealership. Programming doesn't just 'go sour' and if you woke up one day and it felt like it was running on six cylinders, updates are NOT the problem! Your service department is seriously deficient in the high-tech department if you took it in for a "rough idle/no power" compaint and they only did updates. Big red flag there, man. Your car is broken. Take it to somebody that can fix it.

:stupid:
What David said. Go to different dealership service centers until you find a group of people that will work with you. There's no excuse for this kind of thing. Good luck!

[rookie1]

see if you can find a Ford SVT dealership. I bet one of the SVT techs will fix you up in under an hour.

[muslhed]

There is an SVT dealership near here, so I may give them a shot. Maybe they will be able to offer some help. I'll give it a shot. One question though. How will they be able to decipher a problem that does not present itself until you try to enjoy the power these cars have? I mean, if you drive it like a normal human (or an old blue hair), you would never know there was anything wrong. Most dealerships service departments aren't gonna do any free-spirited driving in a customers car just to verify that low end torque is non-existant. I've been down that road before. Any suggestions?

[martyo]

Humidity should help, not hinder.

Under what theory?????????

:confused: :confused: :confused:

[CRUZTAKER]

Under what theory?????????

:confused: :confused: :confused:
The SBC theory = High humidity means one does NOT need a grounding ESD wrist strap to work with static sensitive circuit boards....:lol:

This from techs with 30 years in the bussiness. Experience dating back to pre-circuit pack days.:banned:

[RF Overlord]

one does NOT need a grounding ESD wrist strap to work with static sensitive circuit boards...

Barry:

I never use a wrist strap...I alway touch my tongue to one of the high-voltage filter caps and that discharges all the static...funny thing is, I never remember actually working on the board...

[Dr Caleb]

Barry:

I never use a wrist strap...I alway touch my tongue to one of the high-voltage filter caps and that discharges all the static...funny thing is, I never remember actually working on the board...

That explains a lot. :) Did you ever have one of those funny guys who would toss you a 10,000 microfarad electrolytic cap - fully charged?

I think too that I'm going to take your advice as well. The last few times I've had her out, she seems sluggish somehow. It's not rough or anything, but I just can't seem to get that little chirp into second anymore.

Someone pointed out links to the SVT website, and I found two Blue Oval Certified dealers in my area. Surprise surprise! Nethier are the dealer that I've been dealing with!

[RF Overlord]

That explains a lot.

I'll bet YOU were the funny guy doing the tossing...

Bastage.

[rookie1]

There is an SVT dealership near here, so I may give them a shot. Maybe they will be able to offer some help. I'll give it a shot. One question though. How will they be able to decipher a problem that does not present itself until you try to enjoy the power these cars have? I mean, if you drive it like a normal human (or an old blue hair), you would never know there was anything wrong. Most dealerships service departments aren't gonna do any free-spirited driving in a customers car just to verify that low end torque is non-existant. I've been down that road before. Any suggestions?

The SVT guy will be familiar with your engine/drivetrain combo. Just make sure you communicate your exact problem to him. They are also used to their customers wanting to drive fast.

[the fat bastid]

wasn't there a tsb or some such directly related to the 'rough start' problem?
As for what else it does i havent a clue. some members here have got that update with no problems....lets hope they respond

[Fourth Horseman]

Could it be a sensor feeding the computer with bogus information? I mean, not so far off that it throws a code, but enough to really screw up timing or something?

Does the car smell like it's running rich or anything? I wonder if it'd pay to re-seat some connections to things like the mass air-flow sensor, etc. I'm probably way out in left field on this, but it's something to try.

[David Morton]

...Most dealerships service departments aren't gonna do any free-spirited driving in a customers car just to verify that low end torque is non-existant. I've been down that road before. Any suggestions?I believe you have experienced the anus stretching that some lazy tune-up techs give customers with warranty complaints and often try to get away with. They just want to hook-up the computer, do a download and ship it. :beer: They don't want to get out the manual and perform the checks listed for your complaint. They're getting paid to do them, but it's a case of "Let's say we did and not." If they're telling you they can't drive it fast to reveal the complaint, that's like asking you to give them a kiss after the stretching. :baaa:

Go someplace else. Chances are very high that when you got the car back still broken, they won't be much better the next time.

You have a dealership problem mostly. Your complaint sounds like somthing that's easily fixable, just time consuming.

SVT dealerships have access to dragstrips and 2-1/2 mile oval tracks so they can get out there and wind it up. :rolleyes:

[Dr Caleb]

I'll bet YOU were the funny guy doing the tossing...


Nope, can't say as I ever did that. I've never done the taste testing thing for circuit diagnosis, although I have done the lick-a-battery trick more than once. But never for a car ;)

I always found variable power supplies a handy tool to let the magic blue smoke out of electronics though :evil grin: 220v 3 phase can embed chips in the ceiling too . . .

[hitchhiker]

Nope, can't say as I ever did that. I've never done the taste testing thing for circuit diagnosis, although I have done the lick-a-battery trick more than once. But never for a car ;)

I always found variable power supplies a handy tool to let the magic blue smoke out of electronics though :evil grin: 220v 3 phase can embed chips in the ceiling too . . .
Nothing you can't do with a big enough capacitor!

:lol:

D.