Please note, date is approximate. I honestly cannot remember what day this thing broke down.
While driving, thankfully in light traffic, at 70 MPH, engine began shuddering violently and engine lost a lot of power. Immediately pulled over and shut down. Opened the hood and saw oil was slung all over the engine compartment. It seemed to have originated from the from main crank seal. Call Roadside, they got a tow truck out in about an hour. The dealership had to work its way through Ford's warranty discovery process, which took about 3 weeks. They called and informed me that the piston was cracked and burned through, but they could not determine the cause. There was no evidence of injector failure or hydrolocking, and no evidence of debris ingestion. They did tell me that since the engine had over 6000 hours on it, Ford would not cover it under the ESP. I am fighting it, as the ESP contract I signed did not state a limit on engine hours, only months and miles. The Ford Warranty Administration folks are no help, either. Once I told them that the contract does not state the hours, they told me to take it up with the dealer who sold me the truck.
I spoke with the service writer who is overseeing the repair of my van, and asked him if he could repair the engine. He said no, Ford does not allow dealerships to repair engines, only replace them. Ford Warranty Prior Approval made them take it apart as part of their "discovery process," but Ford Motor Company will not allow them to repair it. Classic.
Seriously, what kind of Diesel engine has a piston crack for no reason? And why is Ford, who have become notorious for using the cheapest parts they can find, so adamantly refusing to consider the possibility that maybe the piston was flawed from the outset? It happens, sometimes.
Please note, date is approximate. I honestly cannot remember what day this thing broke down.
While driving, thankfully in light traffic, at 70 MPH, engine began shuddering violently and engine lost a lot of power. Immediately pulled over and shut down. Opened the hood and saw oil was slung all over the engine compartment. It seemed to have originated from the from main crank seal. Call Roadside, they got a tow truck out in about an hour. The dealership had to work its way through Ford's warranty discovery process, which took about 3 weeks. They called and informed me that the piston was cracked and burned through, but they could not determine the cause. There was no evidence of injector failure or hydrolocking, and no evidence of debris ingestion. They did tell me that since the engine had over 6000 hours on it, Ford would not cover it under the ESP. I am fighting it, as the ESP contract I signed did not state a limit on engine hours, only months and miles. The Ford Warranty Administration folks are no help, either. Once I told them that the contract does not state the hours, they told me to take it up with the dealer who sold me the truck.
I spoke with the service writer who is overseeing the repair of my van, and asked him if he could repair the engine. He said no, Ford does not allow dealerships to repair engines, only replace them. Ford Warranty Prior Approval made them take it apart as part of their "discovery process," but Ford Motor Company will not allow them to repair it. Classic.
Seriously, what kind of Diesel engine has a piston crack for no reason? And why is Ford, who have become notorious for using the cheapest parts they can find, so adamantly refusing to consider the possibility that maybe the piston was flawed from the outset? It happens, sometimes.
- grierjs, Clarksville, TN, US