i have posted about this before but i cant find the thread so im reposting. i have a 97 contour gl 2.5. the car stalls while driving and wont start for awhile. it turns over but it dont start. before it shuts off the overdrive off light flashes. it has been to ford 5 or 6 times over the past month and a half and ford cant find the problem. they have replaced all 4 02 sensors, the MAP sensor, somehow cleaned the IAC and replaced 2 broken wires they found that went from the MAP sensor to the PCM. i have replaced the spark plugs and wires and the PCM. its an intermittent problem and doesn't seem to happen during any specific driving conditions. Ford says it was running rich and thats why they replaced the oxygen sensors.
-
Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.
You can register to join the community.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Unknown Problem
- Thread starter Ghost2308
- Start date
zorrex
Enjoys the Abuse
A common problem is the MLPS. Get your codes pulled. So far all they have done is ENGINE work. A problem with the ENGINE won't make your O/D light flash, on the TRANNY would. Stupid dealers :nonono:
zorrex
Enjoys the Abuse
they said they tried pulling codes for it but didnt find any. the light comes on right before it shuts off so i would assume the light wasnt on long enough for a code to show up.
...bring it to a real mechanic. Dealerships suck nuts, as you can tell.
well i would but ford has been trying to fix this problem for free since we paid them the first 2 times for a problem they didnt fix. i figure eventually after their done replacing every possible cause before they find anything i'll have all those ford parts for free.
zorrex
Enjoys the Abuse
http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/s...mber=1040336&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1
Yes they do. I posted a link on how to change it as well. It'll cost you about $50 for the part, depending on the dealer.
EDIT: But don't go jumping to conclusions or anything. It could also be the VSS or something else. However, it wouldn't hurt to check the alignment of the MLPS yourself if you can figure it out...
Yes they do. I posted a link on how to change it as well. It'll cost you about $50 for the part, depending on the dealer.
EDIT: But don't go jumping to conclusions or anything. It could also be the VSS or something else. However, it wouldn't hurt to check the alignment of the MLPS yourself if you can figure it out...
Last edited:
Ford should hook up their scanner and drive it to retrieve the tranny codes. The codes are usually lost when the engine is turned off unless it is a hard code. Then it is stored in the PCM and the Check Engine light will come on.
The VSS, MLPS, or TSS sensors should not stall the engine if they are not working. It might drive "rough", but it should not stall the engine.
The VSS, MLPS, or TSS sensors should not stall the engine if they are not working. It might drive "rough", but it should not stall the engine.
Last edited:
no theres no cel. and the OD off light just comes on before it shuts off. it doesn't stay on. actually it doesnt even come back on when the car starts again. i dont think ford has even encountered the problem yet. everytime they got the car back it runs fine which is making it very difficult for them to find anything wrong with it.
well tonight it did some new stuff. it doesnt even seem like the same problem anymore. the overdrive is turning itself off and on and the cel light came on. when the cel light came on i shut the car off and turned it back on and it was gone. drove it 10mins to advance auto parts and got them to check the light and there was no code.
mrecoolgar
CEG'er
If it was a SHO I'd say a crank sensor.
As far as the stalling and unable to start until later on.
But the OD light confuses me.
As far as the stalling and unable to start until later on.
But the OD light confuses me.
What is the condition of the engine wiring harnesses? If the wires are in bad shape the conditions you are mentioning could be happening because of this. The recall period is over but I post it to show you a possible cause.
http://www.contour.org/FAQ/FAQ.php?s=probs&displayid=24
http://www.contour.org/FAQ/FAQ.php?s=probs&displayid=24
FavoriteMystaque
Hard-core CEG'er
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2004
- Messages
- 1,192
Even the battery could be quitting or poor/corroded wiring..
At least the dealership is standing behind their work.well i would but ford has been trying to fix this problem for free since we paid them the first 2 times for a problem they didnt fix. i figure eventually after their done replacing every possible cause before they find anything i'll have all those ford parts for free.
Zorrex; I was a Ford Dealership technician for 15 years and I assure you, I don't suck nuts. There are a lot of good techs working at dealerships, it's the management that screws things up. Go talk to the tech, in most cases you will find out they will bust their nuts for you, not suck yours!
You would not believe how many times I would have a customer state, or the service writer state that one thing happens, and what really happens is completely different. The R.O. probably stated "check engine light came on and car stalled" so that's what the tech checked. If at all possible, talk to the tech who is going to work on your car. That way there is no question about what is really happening. Please don't denegrate every tech, you've probably not even talked to one.
Management and the revolving service writer door is why I quit wrenching. I really loved solving the problems that had been at 4 other shops in town before they finally broke down and brought it to the dealer.
At least I got my free cruise from Ford before I left!
In the end your guess may be correct, The MLPS is the same thing as trans range sensor. Just a different name.
zorrex
Enjoys the Abuse
It is a good generalization that dealerships suck nuts, and most will agree, but you are probably an exception. My parents have had such problems with their vehicles at their dealership. My mom got tugged around for over 6 mos. between this that and the other thing because she had a cracked intake manifold gasket, a KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART NO LESS. You would think they'd be able to take care of her appropriately but they fumbled around with that car forever. And plus you hear all these horror stories ALL the time about dealers. It's definitely a better option to go to a TRUSTED mechanic who can run live data scans on your vehicle! What is the point of just getting the code and making a bunch of ASSumptions when you can live data scan and, most commonly, identify the problem?
The dealerships have the best tools for this. We were required to buy a WDS at a cost of $10,000 each to keep the franchise. It was an excellent diagnostic tool at the time that could do stuff Snap-on Modus can only dream about. Now Ford has moved on to better/cheaper equipment utilising the Panasonic Toughbook. They are not cheap, The VCM to communicate between the PC and Car are $2000 each. Most dealerships have at least 1, plus a Modus ($7000 at last check) and a Genisys, etc.It is a good generalization that dealerships suck nuts, and most will agree, but you are probably an exception. My parents have had such problems with their vehicles at their dealership. My mom got tugged around for over 6 mos. between this that and the other thing because she had a cracked intake manifold gasket, a KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART NO LESS. You would think they'd be able to take care of her appropriately but they fumbled around with that car forever. And plus you hear all these horror stories ALL the time about dealers. It's definitely a better option to go to a TRUSTED mechanic who can run live data scans on your vehicle! What is the point of just getting the code and making a bunch of ASSumptions when you can live data scan and, most commonly, identify the problem?
The reason Dealership techs get a bad rep is because of management, not techs. Like I said before, techs fix or try to fix what is written on the ticket. Most of the time this is completely wrong! The service writer probably just got out of his job at McDonalds. This again is the managements fault. They let the good service writers go because they have to pay them too much. Go talk to the tech, if they won't let you, then dump the dealership, not the tech who works there. Ford training is by far the best for working on a Ford. Find a Ford tech certified in the areas you need work on and I gaurantee he is the best trained person for the job.
a cracked intake manifold gasket, a KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART NO LESS.
If YOU knew it, then the fact that it wasn't replaced was on YOU.. You are AWARE of a KNOWN problem, and you DON'T push to MAKE SURE it was fixed??
Circumstantial, at best.. I hear horror stories about back yard mechanics and auto-repair places not being EQUIPPED to do the job, even though they dive in to the car tearing it apart. Those people end up with a half-apart car and either "have" to pay more to fix a problem that has spiraled, OR, pay to reassemble the car back to a non-working order only to go somewhere else..And plus you hear all these horror stories ALL the time about dealers.
You think the FORD dealership can't do live scans???It's definitely a better option to go to a TRUSTED mechanic who can run live data scans on your vehicle!
Again, you think the FORD dealership can't do those things? ALL places can make ASSumptions.. but to generalize and try to say one place (based on franchise alone) does it only, is ludicrous.What is the point of just getting the code and making a bunch of ASSumptions when you can live data scan and, most commonly, identify the problem?
ALL places mess up. To think that all Ford dealerships "suck" and that local mechanics are always a better option seems that you are ASSuming a little much, huh?
Last edited: