Fusion stalls driving down the highway

[ltng7679]

My 2010 Fusion 2.5L was acting up over the weekend. It started to hesitate and then the wrench light came on. Also got the check engine light intermittently. This happened a couple times over the weekend. Had to make arrangements to bring it to the dealer so my wife took it to work. The car coasted to a stop on my wife and 3 year old daughter while they were driving on the highway. They had to pull to the side of the road with no engine power and then restart the car to clear the problem. Luckily there was a shoulder (Sounds like a great safety feature they've incorporated! - Idiots!). Ran a Vehicle Health Report when the check engine light was on and it gave me the "ever so helpful information" that is printed in the ownera manual. Looks like just another Marketing idiot at Ford wanted something to add to his slide show with this useless feature of Sync. All bells and not even a good whistle.

 

Couldn't they have given me 1/2 a code or something? No - that would mean their service departments might be out the $70 diagnostic fee to read the computer.

 

 

Just bought this car 1 month ago with 20K miles on it. Already replaced the alternator now this. Brought it back to the used car dealer who will bring it back to Ford for more Warrenty work. Looks like I'll be dragging down the Ford Fusion Consumer Reports Rating the next time they send me the Survey. The buyers remorse is setting in.

 

I noticed a couple other posts with similar symptoms. Did anyone get the problem resolved and what was the cause? I've got a long trip planned to Virginia from Connecticut with the family in a couple weeks. Would I be better off taking my '98 Explorer with 223K miles on it?

 

Sorry to be whiney - but I'm just a little frustrated. Any help or info would be appreciated.

[fusionff]

That's what warranties are for, let us know how you make out.

[drolds1]

Sorry to hear about that. It happened to me once and it's a frightening experience for sure, especially with your wife and child in the car alone. However, you can get the code read for free at some places, like Autozone. Moreover, your car is still under warranty so you shouldn't have to pay any diagnostic fee to the dealer.

 

BTW, SYNC VHR was not designed as an OBDII code reader. It's more of a maintenance aid.

Edited June 14, 2011 by drolds1

[ltng7679]

Got my car back from the dealer. Here is what they wrote on my Invoice:

"Diag Engine Hours 1.70,

E29.Hesitation, than CK engine, wrench lites came on. car died restarted after a few minutes

cc28

Causual part 9E926

performed eec testing..perforned pinpoint tests code P2135

cked for SSMS or TSBS..None..traced to ETB,monitor TP PIDS.. Replaced

ETB..Clear Codes and road test..OK.TP PIDS Normal"

 

The part they replaced was 9L8Z-9E926-A Throttl 358013

 

Had the car back for 1/2 day now and no problems. Does anyone have a discription for this code? I know that the first light that came on was usually the wrench and the manual made that seem like a transmission issue.

 

I'll let you know in a couple days if it really was fixed.

[bbf2530]

Got my car back from the dealer. Here is what they wrote on my Invoice:

"Diag Engine Hours 1.70,

E29.Hesitation, than CK engine, wrench lites came on. car died restarted after a few minutes

cc28

Causual part 9E926

performed eec testing..perforned pinpoint tests code P2135

cked for SSMS or TSBS..None..traced to ETB,monitor TP PIDS.. Replaced

ETB..Clear Codes and road test..OK.TP PIDS Normal"

 

The part they replaced was 9L8Z-9E926-A Throttl 358013

 

Had the car back for 1/2 day now and no problems. Does anyone have a discription for this code? I know that the first light that came on was usually the wrench and the manual made that seem like a transmission issue.

 

I'll let you know in a couple days if it really was fixed.

 

Hi ltng. :D If you Google code P2135, it is a "Throttle Position Sensor fault code". If you Google "9L8Z-9E926-A", it is a "Throttle Body and Motor Assembly".

 

However, just as an FYI to others: This does not mean if you get a CEL and P2135 code that you should automatically assume it is the TPS/Motor and replace that part. The CEL only points the Tech in the right direction. Then correct diagnostics/troubleshooting must be performed to narrow the issue down to the causal system/component. It would seem in your case that after the required diagnostics were performed, the trouble shooting tree pointed to the Throttle Body Motor and Assembly being the culprit..

 

Hope this helps.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

Edited June 17, 2011 by bbf2530

[ltng7679]

Well it looks like new throttle didn't solve the problem. My wife was driving home yesterday and she said the car hesitated and she looked down and the wrench light was on. The car didn't stop running this time though. The next morning when she started the car the light was off. It's back the dealer with the car. I've got one week to get it fixed before I head down to Virginia on vacattion. One of the reasons I bought it was to have a reliable car for the trip. Looks like this was a mistake. Anyone have any experience with fixing this problem? I'm afraid I'll have to give the dealer some hints to get this resolved.

[MaryBeth]

My 2010 Fusion had a similar thing happen yesterday on the highway. The wrench lite came on and the transmission downshifted immediately. I had to pull over twice on the way to work (with semi's flying past me). :eek5:

When I brought it back to the dealer (I bought it used exactly 1 month ago) the wrench lite came on 2x and then the check engine lite. The service guy said it was the throttle body assy 9E926 part (which they don't have in stock). I was not a very happy customer considering they said it would cost over $500 to fix and nothing was under any warranty. :angry: I've never bought an extended warranty on a car - ever. The dealership manager finally agreed to help out with the cost and get me a rental until my car is fixed. I'm usually a Ford/Mercury devote' but this has not been the best experience for me.

[ehidle]

This is precisely why I never buy used cars, especially low mileage used cars. A used car with low miles just screams "traded in in exasperation due to excessive problems."

[drolds1]

My 2010 Fusion had a similar thing happen yesterday on the highway. The wrench lite came on and the transmission downshifted immediately. I had to pull over twice on the way to work (with semi's flying past me). :eek5:

When I brought it back to the dealer (I bought it used exactly 1 month ago) the wrench lite came on 2x and then the check engine lite. The service guy said it was the throttle body assy 9E926 part (which they don't have in stock). I was not a very happy customer considering they said it would cost over $500 to fix and nothing was under any warranty. :angry: I've never bought an extended warranty on a car - ever. The dealership manager finally agreed to help out with the cost and get me a rental until my car is fixed. I'm usually a Ford/Mercury devote' but this has not been the best experience for me.

 

You bought the car a month ago and didn't even get a 30 day warranty? Was this a private purchase?

 

This is precisely why I never buy used cars, especially low mileage used cars. A used car with low miles just screams "traded in in exasperation due to excessive problems."

 

I don't buy used cars either, but I doubt this was the reason that this one was on the market. The problem with the TB that MaryBeth had is a common one with these cars. It's not an intermittent problem and if it had happened to the previous owner, it's an easy fix at any Ford dealer. It's not the type of elusive thing that makes somebody trade a car in out of exasperation. Besides, she never said what the mileage is but if it wasn't covered under the warranty, it's not a low mileage car

[cmdm0813]

I've had to pull over 5 times because my ford fusion stalled ... in the course of 2 days it got worse, wrench light, engine light etc. the dealership charged me $100 for diagnostics and $600 to replace the throttle assembly! my expensive extended warranty did not cover it (of course!). The car runs ok so far but I don't trust it - feel like I made a mistake buying a ford. I'll be registering a formal complaint. The dealership said he has seen many fords with the throttle problem. Where is Ford when we need a recall? Yeah right!

[con_fusion]

I've had to pull over 5 times because my ford fusion stalled ... in the course of 2 days it got worse, wrench light, engine light etc. the dealership charged me $100 for diagnostics and $600 to replace the throttle assembly! my expensive extended warranty did not cover it (of course!). The car runs ok so far but I don't trust it - feel like I made a mistake buying a ford. I'll be registering a formal complaint. The dealership said he has seen many fords with the throttle problem. Where is Ford when we need a recall? Yeah right!

 

What type of extended warranty did you get? Was it a Ford ESP plan or third party?

 

I've actually thought about replacing my TB as preventative even though it hasn't died on me...

Edited August 29, 2012 by con_fusion

[dffr1]

. I'll be registering a formal complaint. T

 

That is the Only way to correct the problem, I also stated that it is a serious safety issue.

[dffr1]

What type of extended warranty did you get? Was it a Ford ESP plan or third party?

 

I've actually thought about replacing my TB as preventative even though it hasn't died on me...

 

Unfortunately the newer tb,s are electrical - unlike the old cable systems. We have seen them fail at only a few thousand miles - some lasted till 70K.

 

They only guarantee Ford has is that their stealers will get wealthy servicing these fusions...

[motorcyclist]

Electric throttle controls have been out for better than 10 years, even some motorcycles have them now. It is like anything electronic, you are going to have a small percent of failures, but most will likely last the lifetime of the vehicle. my brother had a 2000 saturn with over 200k, original electronic throttle. It is just like electronic ignition systems most will last the vehicle life, but you can always find a few people who have experienced failures with them. as for the fusion throttle, I do not know if they have had higher then normal failures or not, but I am inclined to believe that the failures are about the same as with the other mfg's. Yes it would really be a pain to have it fail anywhere, but I doubt that there was ever an automobile built that will never experience any mechanical or electrical failures of some componants.

[SVT_MAN]

I had this exact same problem on my car. I actually had it happen once at about 40,000 miles and then I drove it for another month before it did it again. I took it into the dealer after the first time and they could not get the vehicle to reproduce the problem nor could they get any codes. After I took it back a second time (and it stalled in a roundabout on the way to the dealer), the car was acting up more and more frequently. The tech was finally able to reproduce the issue. After running the code, the dealer told me it was a short in the throttle position sensor, which makes sense - but doesn't make it any less terrifying.

 

In any case, I'm out around $550 for the fix after parts and labor.

 

I'm filing a complaint with the NHTSA on this one.

 

I know Ford would never do this because of *gasp* cost, but this terrifying experience could be avoided pretty easily by using a principle that IT has been using for at least 40 years. It's called a protective fail-safe. I.E. Back up.

 

If Ford put in an additional throttle position sensor that would take over if the computer detected the error code, it could switch over to that sensor until you can get to Ford to have them replace the part. In a world where a failure means that you can barely drive the vehicle at all, that would be a lot less scary.

 

I know that the drive by wire makes vehicles more efficient and get better mileage and the sensor is more accurate and all of that, but honestly ... what's wrong with a cable? Unless the cable snaps, it's dead reliable. I bet the gentleman with 223k on his 98 Explorer probably has never had a problem with his throttle cable.

Edited September 1, 2012 by SVT_MAN

[FusionDiffusion]

I know Ford would never do this because of *gasp* cost, but this terrifying experience could be avoided pretty easily by using a principle that IT has been using for at least 40 years. It's called a protective fail-safe. I.E. Back up.

 

If Ford put in an additional throttle position sensor that would take over if the computer detected the error code, it could switch over to that sensor until you can get to Ford to have them replace the part. In a world where a failure means that you can barely drive the vehicle at all, that would be a lot less scary.

 

Well, you might be surprised to learn they actually took the time to think about failure modes, and you'll be happy to learn there are actually two throttle position sensors used to "check" the validity of one another. There are also three accelerator pedal position sensors for the same reason. If a discrepancy is found, the computer will decide what sort of failure mode is appropriate. In the case of a TPS discrepancy, a P2110 code is issued (wrench light) and the car enters forced limited RPM mode. The throttle will sit in it's default position (slightly open) and the computer will stop throttle commands (effectively the throttle control is disabled). This allows the car to "limp home" at a speed of up to 30 mph. I know it's still frustrating, but having a way to move the car still is better than the engine completely shutting down (it can do that in very rare circumstances too). It enters this slow limp mode immediately because it's better than risking a stuck open throttle creating an uncontrolled acceleration incident.

 

The reason they use electronic TBs is for better fuel economy (every bit counts these days) through the use of torque management when valve timing is being adjusted or the transmission is shifting. The throttle actually closes slightly during shifts to reduce the strain on the transmission and smooths out the shift. If you didn't have an electronic TB, you would feel quite a bit of jerking or hesitation during all the complex powertrain control events, so it's almost a necessity with modern vehicles. Use of an electronic TB also simplifies things (and reduces costs) by removing the need for an IAC valve, throttle cables, and cruise control servo. With an ETB cruise control is just an extra bit of computer programming, no extra hardware needed (minus steering wheel buttons).

 

If you want to know more about the throttle control logic, you can read this: http://www.scribd.co...hrottle-Control

Edited September 1, 2012 by FusionDiffusion

[con_fusion]

I had this exact same problem on my car. I actually had it happen once at about 40,000 miles and then I drove it for another month before it did it again. I took it into the dealer after the first time and they could not get the vehicle to reproduce the problem nor could they get any codes. After I took it back a second time (and it stalled in a roundabout on the way to the dealer), the car was acting up more and more frequently. The tech was finally able to reproduce the issue. After running the code, the dealer told me it was a short in the throttle position sensor, which makes sense - but doesn't make it any less terrifying.

 

In any case, I'm out around $550 for the fix after parts and labor.

 

I'm filing a complaint with the NHTSA on this one.

 

I know Ford would never do this because of *gasp* cost, but this terrifying experience could be avoided pretty easily by using a principle that IT has been using for at least 40 years. It's called a protective fail-safe. I.E. Back up.

 

If Ford put in an additional throttle position sensor that would take over if the computer detected the error code, it could switch over to that sensor until you can get to Ford to have them replace the part. In a world where a failure means that you can barely drive the vehicle at all, that would be a lot less scary.

 

I know that the drive by wire makes vehicles more efficient and get better mileage and the sensor is more accurate and all of that, but honestly ... what's wrong with a cable? Unless the cable snaps, it's dead reliable. I bet the gentleman with 223k on his 98 Explorer probably has never had a problem with his throttle cable.

 

Ouch, sorry to hear about the cost on this for you. Seems kind of high. The parts are like $170 and there are like 4 bolts to remove. Hopefully the new one will be better. By the way, did you notice any difference in shifting after the TB was replaced?

 

Thanks

[dffr1]

This allows the car to "limp home" at a speed of up to 30 mph

 

Maybe in theory - BUT this does not seem to apply to our fusions. Mine died multiple times and need to come to a complete stop EVERY time, I do not recall anyone else who had these problems say that they were able to limp home - why would you limp home when you could find a safe place to stop and reset and drive normally for a while ?

 

I have seen the limp home feature in may cars - and have heard many people talk about it - but it is usually for overheating and other failures - it disables the AC - continually runs the rad fan and lets you limp home...

[FusionDiffusion]

Restarting works because the throttle body problems are fairly intermittent as problem go. I'm sure you've read how some people can go months between incidents. But if the TBs actually had a more severe problem (i.e. it stays broken after it breaks), then you would really want the limp capability instead of having to call a tow truck since restarting would not restore normal operation. I should note that the accelerator pedal is disabled in limp mode, so you would have to slowly work up to 30 mph with your feet off the pedals (it would probably take a minute or two to reach that speed). This would require some observation for the unaware to discern, so I imagine most people would simply characterize this behavior as "the car shutting down" and pull over rather than recognize they just have a severely limited amount of engine power, hence the common (and incorrect) classification as a "stall". Of course if you were on any kind of hill it would be possible that you would have no net acceleration or possibly roll backwards in limp mode, so you would obviously have to stop in that situation.

 

There are many different types of failure/limp modes for different systems. You describe the failure mode for overheating, but there also limp modes for transmission failure, sensor input failures, etc.

[drolds1]

Maybe in theory - BUT this does not seem to apply to our fusions. Mine died multiple times and need to come to a complete stop EVERY time, I do not recall anyone else who had these problems say that they were able to limp home - why would you limp home when you could find a safe place to stop and reset and drive normally for a while ?

 

I have seen the limp home feature in may cars - and have heard many people talk about it - but it is usually for overheating and other failures - it disables the AC - continually runs the rad fan and lets you limp home...

 

Limp home mode for overheating shuts off fuel and spark to half the cylinders. The deactivated cylinders act as cool air pumps to lower engine temp.

Edited September 3, 2012 by drolds1

[benk016]

Mine has been doing this randomly for the last several months. I finally let the dealership have my car over night and they were able to recover the wrench light error after 9 hours of searching in the logs. However since they couldn't document the error before my warranty ran out Ford refused to honor it under the warranty even though it was brought in other times for that issue while in warranty. I was able to buy one from another dealership for $140.00 and put it on myself. My dealership wanted $500 to put one on for me. They did waive the diagnostic fee for me since I had bought 2 cars from them in the last year. Just wanted to let people know my story since I've seen many cases that the dealership can't find the code after re-starting the car. The code IS stored in there, it just takes several hours to find.