[Maureen]

Well today it was pouring rain on my morning commute. I get about 1 block away from my work and my check engine light comes on. This car is only 147 miles in! 3 days brand new! I get very worried and call my dealer service dept right away. They immediately say to come in, and say they'll get me into a rental quickly.

I take my lunch hour to go over there, and they treat me like a VIP! I was quickly taken to the car rental they have on property, radio'ing over to the gentleman who will take me there, saying I was a VIP and needed to be in a car quickly and back to my work. I was in, left my baby car, and in a 2011 ford focus in a snap!

5 hours later, they call me, say it's fixed and I can come pick it up. I tell them I can be there in 15 minutes but it's close to 5:30 pm and they close at 6pm but they say they'll wait for me. (to which I was there in plenty of time, so it was fine!)

They described it as a "well known fix" and the engineer they emailed at ford knew exactly how to fix it, and they had a response in 15 minutes. They had to replace a purge valve. (why it took them 5 hours, I'm not quite sure)

I'm certainly very very glad I purchased the extended warranty and the maintenance agreement. I didn't have to pay a dime! And was treated like a princess!

They even joked the car wasn't even put in my name yet, it was so close to my purchase date. They still had it listed with the dealer paperwork.

Happy ending... My car seems fine and it's all well documented.

Anyone else have to replace a purge valve?

 

[mysticbluebmw]

No purge valve problems but several others. I've never owned a car this problematic in my entire life. I'm very disappointed in the quality and reliability of this car...

 

[keishafgtx]

i have had a few problems too so far, my a/c compressor went the first day, they also treated me very well and i was put in a 2011 fiesta right away.. what problems have u had so far mysticbluebmw?

 

[Maureen]

You know what? When I was at the service department, they said they had two 2012s need a/c compressor units replaced. They hadn't had any 2012s yet with a purge valve sticking yet. I guess the a/c compressor unit is pretty common.

 

[Maureen]

As I heard someone else write recently: my saga continues. The check engine light is on and they can't fit me in until Monday. I have to get a rental again! Or a shuttle to work. This sucks!
Posted via FF Mobile

 

[completely_focused]

Is it for the purge valve again or something different?

 

[keishafgtx]

they never took mine for a pdi (pre delievery inspection) if they had they would have noticed the a/c wasnt working and it was making noise

 

[Maureen]

I'm not sure yet. Is there a way I can find out what the check engine light is on for???

 

[completely_focused]

I'm not sure yet. Is there a way I can find out what the check engine light is on for???

The only way to know is to use a ODB computer capable of reading the codes. I have a mechanic friend that I always use to figure out what the codes are. It's probably for the same purge valve but I would have thought your dealer would have had some one check it for you since it only takes a minute to check.

 

[edingeek]

Autozone can read codes for u for free.

 

[mikebontoft]

It's a new build year..... of course there will be bugs (not like anyone wants to hear that though)

purge valve, under the car around the fuel tank. At least that was the last one I did yesterday.

 

[mattlqx]

Glad you were able to get a rental quick with your extended service plan. Looks like your money goes somewhere. But whether you had that or not the repair still would've been free as that's obviously a standard warranty item.

 

[Maureen]

Ok so the bad news is... they did like 5 different tests (so they say) and the Ford Engineer didn't get back to them right away, but it looks like the computer that "turns on the check engine light" has to be replaced, because it was throwing codes left and right.
So they are going to order the computer and should take 1 day to come in... That means it gets installed on Wednesday and I pretty much am stuck with the rental until Thursday-ish?
I leave for a trip to California on Saturday! And I'm hopeful the car gets fixed and home before I have to go to my airport early morning Saturday. Then I'm out of town for a week, and the car wont be driven during that time. (no spouse to help me)
I'm worried that when I get back, and I get the same issues, that they'll think "well its been a week so something must have been going ok for awhile."
*Very concerned!*

 

[fla2smoker]

Ok so the bad news is... they did like 5 different tests (so they say) and the Ford Engineer didn't get back to them right away, but it looks like the computer that "turns on the check engine light" has to be replaced, because it was throwing codes left and right.
So they are going to order the computer and should take 1 day to come in... That means it gets installed on Wednesday and I pretty much am stuck with the rental until Thursday-ish?
I leave for a trip to California on Saturday! And I'm hopeful the car gets fixed and home before I have to go to my airport early morning Saturday. Then I'm out of town for a week, and the car wont be driven during that time. (no spouse to help me)
I'm worried that when I get back, and I get the same issues, that they'll think "well its been a week so something must have been going ok for awhile."
*Very concerned!*

Maureen,
If the check engine light comes on again. It is no fault of your own and they will remedy it, no matter if it is one week or one month or one year later. The problem is documented, don't let that interfere with your trip.

 

[completely_focused]

Isn't that the main computer that sends a DO to the check engine light? That's a very odd thing to go bad on a brand new vehicle.

 

[darcar]

I know you must be disappointed to be having these troubles from the onset. Don't let the fact you'll be away bother you. If you have problems when you come back, they still are obligated to fix them. Plus, they can see from your mileage that you barely used the car. Hopefully, they will get to the bottom of this and you'll be fine from then on.

 

[Maureen]

Yes, I can see your point. They will be able to tell that there is no "new" mileage.
I'm stressing over "what else could go wrong" before I even know it's fixed!
I did not get a phone call from service today, so I don't know if anything has changed since yesterday. The plan was they would get the new computer (it must just be a new motherboard huh?) and install it on Wednesday. So hopefully tomorrow after their tests they will call me.

 

[mattlqx]

Isn't that the main computer that sends a DO to the check engine light? That's a very odd thing to go bad on a brand new vehicle.

Yes, that'd be the ECU. Unusual, but not surprising for it to fail right away if it was going to have a problem at all.

 

[Maureen]

Ok, at this point I'm mad and venting, I know there is absolutely nothing I can do. I am interested if any of you can translate what this guy was talking about.

Here's the update on my car: The ECU has to be "manufactured differently" and shipped directly from the manufacturer to the dealer. It has not yet been released from the manufacturer, and no ETA either. So the glitch has to be solved by moving the "shape" of the ECU around. (He really spoke to me like I was dumb - I hate that, but now I don't really have the right terminology to figure out what really is happening.) I even had to ask "it is called the ECU right?" and he said "right". What an [][][][][][][], just speak to me like a human.

So, on the upside, during my trip to California, I get to keep my rental car without paying for it, that way I have a car when I get back from my vacation on the following Sunday when they are closed. (phew!)

 

[henryd1981]

Yes, I'm resurrecting an old thread, but just came across a video about faulty purge valves on 2009-up Fords.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6dsQoq73aE