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beedude's avatar
beedude
Explorer
Mar 21, 2018

V10 Engine shutdown limp mode in heavy rain

I am new to this forum and have not filled in my profile but I want to get this out to folks as it can be serious. While driving in heavy rain my engine suddenly went into limp mode which means your engine is still running but you have NO accelerator. As it was, we were on an interstate and had to make an emergency pullover in heavy rain. But that is not what I want to say. My engine had ingested moisture into the air filter and shut the engine down. Had I known at the time I could have pulled the air filter and moved to a safe place but instead we spent six hours on the side of the interstate.

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Seeking Advice

7 Replies

  • JoeH's avatar
    JoeH
    Explorer III
    Jun 26, 2018
    Get a scan gauge-- not only does it give you good info about all your engine functions but also with a push of the button, you can clear the codes.
  • beedude's avatar
    beedude
    Explorer
    Jun 25, 2018
    Back to update on the limp mode issue. My MH is a 2013 Bounder with the air filter housing 3" inlet right behind the grill. Happened again this weekend but changing the air filter on the side of the road did not fix the problem. Had it towed and when it was dropped from the hook it had reset and was running fine. Had the code pulled at the shop and it pointed to the throttle response sensor. So, I have snorkeled the engine using a piece of dryer duct to run from the 3" inlet up into an area under the hood hopefully away from the rain wash. I ran this 300 miles this morning with no apparent effect on the motor. No rain so I am not sure of the efficacy. Not a good feeling.


    Oh, I tried calling several shops to ask for help as I was sitting on the side of the road. All told me the limp mode had to be reset. That may be true but it also resets if you tow it about 20 miles. Must dry it out. I think I'm going to invest in a bat operated blower.
  • chuckbear's avatar
    chuckbear
    Explorer
    Mar 21, 2018
    Pulling rainwater into your air intake is indeed your problem as others have mentioned. Unfortunately, the "fix" from Ford according to the TSB is no longer available. If you Google Ford F53 air intake modifications, you will find some info on how others have fixed the problem by building a "snorkel". It works great and is not difficult to build. In the meantime, replace your air filter and be sure to carry spares if it rains again. Chuck
  • zigzagrv's avatar
    zigzagrv
    Explorer
    Mar 21, 2018
    Welcome to the forum.

    This is a known problem on early V10 F53 chassis. The air intake faces downward allowing water from the road to be sucked into the filter. There is a TSB from Ford as someone mentioned that moves the air intake up away from the road.
  • 2oldman's avatar
    2oldman
    Explorer II
    Mar 21, 2018
    Let me guess, you clicked Forum Help and Support to get here.
  • kerrlakeRoo's avatar
    kerrlakeRoo
    Explorer
    Mar 21, 2018
    Best suggestion is to get an OBD II code reader. You can then scan for the problem and reset the computer as needed.
  • sch911's avatar
    sch911
    Explorer
    Mar 21, 2018
    What year MH is it? Ford issued a TSB to fix this type of issue in the early mid 2000's.

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