F-150 fan clutch issue: second act
Re: this first thread, today I got a chance to hitch up and try out my new $2700 repair (torque converter, valve body, cooling radiator unit, misc. new clamp, fluids, and gaskets). This was supposed t...
Forum Discussion
Update:
Today I returned the Service Advisor's call in person, since I was in the neighborhood. I ended up having quite a good debriefing of the Service Manager's findings on our test ride. Spent almost an hour in his office discussing the matter. I really must say, I've run into some pretty incompetent people automotively speaking over the years, and this guy isn't one of them. He seems pretty sharp on many levels, and more importantly, I believe he's giving me the straight scoop as he understands it.
Not going to get into a whole bunch of detail unless folks want it. The bottom lines are this:
He feels strongly that the prior work needed done (of course he does!) and the first code will not come up again because of the parts they replaced. He has no actual proof that it is, and I have none that it isn't, other than it's still getting hot. He volunteered this info without me having a chance to ask first. He had no prior knowledge I was coming in today, and certainly none I would be grilling him for an hour, so I believe, HE believes it's true. Time will certainly be the arbitor.
He also believes, as I suspected, based on his finding of the test ride, that the heat numbers generated by my trans while towing are reasonable numbers for the load and circumstances imposed on the system, and the main culprit lies in the inability of the cooling system to remove the required heat to keep it from generating alarm codes for excess temperature and kicking the fan on all the time in a failed attempt to bring the temps down.
He claims he has used the diagnostics to rule out poor connections, broken harnesses and fautly sensors to the best of his practical ability, so the truck is getting and giving a proper read on the ATF temps.
That leaves the remaining best probability of clogged up radiator and bypass valve, possibly other restrictions we cannot or have not found as yet. He agreed the bypass, being the lesser and easier expense to remedy, may be the the first step and then the radiator if needed afterward. This is what I've elected to try. He also conceded he has NEVER SEEN ONE FAIL YET, which I find mildly toubling, but not a deterant to changing it out. True, it's 2 visits instead of one, but it's also (in my mind) cheaper,faster, and more likely than the whole radiator changeout.
Good news/Bad news: there isn't a whole lot left to do if the radiator and/or bypass don't take care of it. Then we're back to Ford engineeing's assertion that this is "normal operation". I remain solidly in disagreement on that point.
There was quite a bit more information diseminated but for now, that's all I have time to type. I'm scheduled for the bypass repair on Mon. More later.
Today I returned the Service Advisor's call in person, since I was in the neighborhood. I ended up having quite a good debriefing of the Service Manager's findings on our test ride. Spent almost an hour in his office discussing the matter. I really must say, I've run into some pretty incompetent people automotively speaking over the years, and this guy isn't one of them. He seems pretty sharp on many levels, and more importantly, I believe he's giving me the straight scoop as he understands it.
Not going to get into a whole bunch of detail unless folks want it. The bottom lines are this:
He feels strongly that the prior work needed done (of course he does!) and the first code will not come up again because of the parts they replaced. He has no actual proof that it is, and I have none that it isn't, other than it's still getting hot. He volunteered this info without me having a chance to ask first. He had no prior knowledge I was coming in today, and certainly none I would be grilling him for an hour, so I believe, HE believes it's true. Time will certainly be the arbitor.
He also believes, as I suspected, based on his finding of the test ride, that the heat numbers generated by my trans while towing are reasonable numbers for the load and circumstances imposed on the system, and the main culprit lies in the inability of the cooling system to remove the required heat to keep it from generating alarm codes for excess temperature and kicking the fan on all the time in a failed attempt to bring the temps down.
He claims he has used the diagnostics to rule out poor connections, broken harnesses and fautly sensors to the best of his practical ability, so the truck is getting and giving a proper read on the ATF temps.
That leaves the remaining best probability of clogged up radiator and bypass valve, possibly other restrictions we cannot or have not found as yet. He agreed the bypass, being the lesser and easier expense to remedy, may be the the first step and then the radiator if needed afterward. This is what I've elected to try. He also conceded he has NEVER SEEN ONE FAIL YET, which I find mildly toubling, but not a deterant to changing it out. True, it's 2 visits instead of one, but it's also (in my mind) cheaper,faster, and more likely than the whole radiator changeout.
Good news/Bad news: there isn't a whole lot left to do if the radiator and/or bypass don't take care of it. Then we're back to Ford engineeing's assertion that this is "normal operation". I remain solidly in disagreement on that point.
There was quite a bit more information diseminated but for now, that's all I have time to type. I'm scheduled for the bypass repair on Mon. More later.
