Ford F150 Letdown and warning

[2Travelers]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

You absolutely want to put some sort of plastic glue over the crack area. The first thing that the customer service guy said was that it was probably a cracked tail light. He seemed surprised when I said the tail lights were undamaged.

I'm not sure how waterproof that backup light area is from the sensor area so definitely seal the crack. Most of these types of situations on the F150 forum started with a cracked tail light.

Ron

Will do. I'll start my search for an effective glue/sealant. The trick will be finding one that will flow into the crack to create the seal or perhaps one that can be neatly applied on top of the crack without leaving a gooey mess. I recall reading some time ago about a crack sealant for hairline cracks in fiberglass that would flow in and close up gaps. Maybe that will work.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by 2Travelers

Will do. I'll start my search for an effective glue/sealant. The trick will be finding one that will flow into the crack to create the seal or perhaps one that can be neatly applied on top of the crack without leaving a gooey mess. I recall reading some time ago about a crack sealant for hairline cracks in fiberglass that would flow in and close up gaps. Maybe that will work.

Just FYI Google Search - glue for cracked tail light

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Perry Butler

We have a 2019 F150 Lariat with the 3.5 EB engine and had a 2015 F150 XLT 3.5 EB. We’ve always been able to use BLIS with our 5.0 by telling the F150’s it’s a conventional trailer (not a 5th wheel or gooseneck). Last week was the first time we’d pulled the camper since April.

The BLIS works fine when the camper is not hooked up, but won’t work when the umbilical is connected. Yes, I’ve tried reprogramming the BLISS but when I go to do the final step it tells me I do not have a conventional trailer, even though I’ve told the truck it’s a conventional.

After 24 hours of rest the battery reads 12.2v. Once started it reads 13.7v. What readings were those who replaced their batteries getting?

What should the normal reading be? My readings should be in the normal range.

Two days ago, before hooking up I decided to try setting up BLIS for our camper again. WITHOUT the camper connected it went through every step and it claimed BLIS was setup. Yesterday we drove down to the Mississippi River Rendezvous and the blind spot worked great with our 5.0.

So, the key to remember for us is, do NOT have the umbilical hooked up when doing the initial BLIS setup.

Also had the time and looked up when a battery needs to be replaced. Ours is still good at 12.2v after 24 hours. YMMV.

All is well now.

Perry

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

There's good and bad with tech in vehicles. For example, automatic braking, blind spot detection and collision avoidance systems have already saved numerous lives.

Hi: rbryan4... I'm so grateful knowing I can't fall out of my Ram. If I open the door with the truck in gear it puts itself in "Park". Can't even drive it over a cliff, and jump out, although I've looked for one a few times!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[2Travelers]

Originally Posted by Centex

Just FYI Google Search - glue for cracked tail light

Thanks for the link, and to everyone for the advice and for flagging a potential problem.

I have come to appreciate the collective wisdom to be found here on this forum.

[Mojave Bob]

You might be thinking of Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure.

[Ron in BC]

Oh boy, just when you think....................

So, to recap, I agreed to a total repair bill of $1900 to install a new BLISS module in the tail light and demanded that they use my existing, in perfect condition tail light housing and not chuck it and have me pay an additional $1400 for a new one. Service guy wasn't happy about that and said it'd mean that I wouldn't have any warranty on the repair.

Phones yesterday, truck done, just a little tidying up and wash to do.

Phones today, guess what, it's still showing error codes! Further more there's more corrosion on the short wiring harness. One that they could plainly see when quoting me the cost to repair. So he's saying that it's going to end up about $3500.

My wife and I looked at each other and both knew the phrase going through each others head "we're going to war". We're not strangers to negotiation and litigation. We're rather things were dealt without having to play hardball but if we have to we do.

So down to the dealer to look at the removed tail light. Service rep belligerent and saying I told you to buy the whole tail light assembly. OK, done dealing with you.

So our $1,900 tail light repair that ballooned into a $3,500 bill got settled out for $600. Not bad for a mornings work. The smart ass service rep almost went into shock when I handed him the settlement document. That's the total including parts? he kept sputtering.

Along the way I learned a couple of things. One is that Ford had a problem with condensation with these units. Guess what the solution was. Put in weep holes for the condensation to drain out! Got a news flash for you. Holes that can let water out can let water in. Two, dealers wanted Ford to recall this style tail light but they didn't. Many more people have had this problem than I even suspected. That was an admission from them during our amicable chat.

So, owner's of 2015-19 some ground work has been laid if you have problems with all your electronics going crazy.

I probably shouldn't post this until I've driven my perfectly running truck home. After all, what could go wrong?

Ron

[Tosh]

Holy Humidifucation, Batman!


I think the Joker's behind this sinister scheme....


Time to clean out my garage, so I can park my gen14 F-150 inside where it will be safe - from the world....

[Rossue]

Hats off to you Ron- too many people cave and just pay the ripoff bill.

Care to expand on how you reached the $600 settlement?

[Starbrightsteve]

3 years ago, my blue heeler cross chewed the cable under the passenger seat. Hardly any brakes, very little power steering, dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree,no cool/heat fan. With a wire stripper and crimper I fixed the wires(with my wife's help cause I am color blind) . the dog chewed through 9 wires in the cable. I couldn't believe it when everything worked like normal and it still does. That's a 2016 f150 with a 2.7.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by ericbirk

As a guy who does industrial automation for a living...

I'm hypocritical in some ways as I am not one for the latest flashy gadgets, despite my profession. I don't need the most power, or cooled seats (even though they are pretty nice). All I need is a vehicle that will never let me down.

I don't think that's hypocritical at all. Industrial automation is all about making things work effectively and efficiently; flashy gadgets are the opposite.

[MyronL]

Ron, your story is too sad to be told. Bummer - Hope Ford will do right by you. I remember the old days when problem solving was not a technical challenge. Damn, if it isn't the flex capacitor it's a hole in the tail light.

We were towing Scamp west on the interstate some years ago and late in the day in Indiana the Tahoe started doing real bad things. No power, serious engine trouble, doing like 6 mph -had to get fast to the nearest dealer. Had no clue, since had a tune-up days earlier.

Got lucky, found one, unhitched, they took it right in to investigate. Thought it was the end of that trip.

The guy came out smiling half an hour later with his diagnosis. Back at our old country home in leafy Sussex County some animal, a squirrel, a mouse, a chipmunk ?? had made a home for itself under the hood in the cozy confines of the air filter.

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I don't think that's hypocritical at all. Industrial automation is all about making things work effectively and efficiently; flashy gadgets are the opposite.

Not sure what you mean. In my 2019 Expedition I have BLISS and other safety features. Maybe that's "flashy "- or you meant something else. With the 2021 Transit- it has a host of features that I benefit from every time I'm on the road.

Side sensing applies particular brakes when a side wind of a certain velocity occurs. More importantly with newer models that have electronic steering the radar puts pressure on the steering wheel to keep you in the lane.

I like it.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

. . . So our $1,900 tail light repair that ballooned into a $3,500 bill got settled out for $600. Not bad for a mornings work. The smart ass service rep almost went into shock when I handed him the settlement document. That's the total including parts? he kept sputtering.

"The settlement document"? Did you have a mediation clause in an extended warranty? A third-party settlement? Or what? How long did it take?

Don't leave us hanging!

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Care to expand on how you reached the $600 settlement?

Originally Posted by MrLynn

"The settlement document"? Did you have a mediation clause in an extended warranty? A third-party settlement? Or what? How long did it take?

Don't leave us hanging!

No extended warranty and the truck was almost a year out of warranty.

There are two options to resolve these types of situations. One can be handled by senior service mangers, with differing amounts of authority, at the dealer level. They're given points to work with. The points are based on things like, did you buy the vehicle there, did you purchase an extended warranty, did you purchase a service contract etc. Well we got zero points for all those things but we did have some facts on our side and they had the knowledge that the design was suspect and a recall had been discussed but not implemented. So, a bit of calm polite negotiation knowing that they know if we go the CAMVAP route they'll probably not do well.

CAMVAP is a free independent arbitration service in Canada and the ruling is binding for both the customer and Ford. Going this route has the potential for resulting in bad PR for them. Ford seems to prefer the "in house" route.

Yes, in fact the result is a settlement document. I enjoyed handing it to the bozo service rep and watching him read it in disbelief. Didn't take all that long, some folks know when it's time to cut the crap and settle.

Our little private "going to war" saying between each of us is just a short form of saying, OK, it looks like we've got some work to do. No yelling or shouting, just calm negotiation, good knowledge of options and reality work well.

Ron

[MrLynn]

Thanks for the explanation, Ron. Sounds like you know a great deal more about the business than many of us do. Then, you had also spent time researching the problem, and knew about others' experiences. But how did you know about 'points'?

Anyway, congrats on a successful conclusion to your negotiations.

[MyronL]

Everyone has a boss. I too was wondering what arbitration led to an agreeable settlement. Ron, good to know your good fortune was that Ford has smarter people up the chain of command than that dumb-ass service rap.

[escape artist]

Hi: Ron in BC... Now you can safely say "I have seen the light"!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

But how did you know about 'points'?

Originally Posted by MyronL

Everyone has a boss. I too was wondering what arbitration led to an agreeable settlement.

The advantage of negotiating in a polite respectful manner is that the other person is more likely be more receptive and helpful, even maybe develop a bit of empathy. I knew that there was a process where an issue is settled on a share basis with Ford, the dealer and the customer each paying a share, I just didn't know how much. That kind of came out during our amicable chat after I laid out some facts about known faults etc. and asked what Ford and dealership could do for me.

Myron, this wasn't the formal arbitration process, this was just a friendly chat discussing the problem and a solution. The arbitration process is an independent process. Companies don't like it because the outcome is final. They'd rather deal with it in a way where they have a lot of control on the outcome and knowing the customer is satisfied and the issue is resolved. From the customer point of view, if they are satisfied with the outcome then there're saved from a much longer process with an unknown outcome.

Anyway, just drove the truck home the dealership, all good.

Time to load up the truck and head up to some lakes before they freeze over.

Ron

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I've long joked that cars have gone from me being able to fix them at the side of the road with a screwdriver and vicegrips to vehicles that when I look in the engine compartment all I see is a bunch of stuff that I don't recognize. None the less I've considered that my 2.7, 10 speed to be the best tow vehicle that I've ever had and there's been quite a few.

Yesterday my opinion changed. Backed the truck and trailer into the driveway night before last using my mirrors. Hopped in yesterday ready to pull out and the first thing that caught my attention was that the seat back was angled forward! What the heck, how could that be! Anyway, adjusted it and headed off, got into heavy traffic and scanned my mirror for traffic. Crap, how did the bottom of the mirror get pushed in? Non-responsive to pushing the button. Drove on the highway like that, shoulder checking, until a rest stop. Pushed hard on the mirror and got it back into position.

While on the highway I got Cross traffic system faults, blind spot faults, TPMS faults, no heater or climate contols, no idle stop button, the list goes on.

At that point returning home seemed like the prudent thing to do and we did. I fully expected that when I connected my OBD2 reader I'd get some codes that would help pinpoint something. No codes and none pending?

Totally stunned that there could be a problem that would affect so many functions. Then totally shocked when I went to the F150 owners website and started researching the problem. There were folks in 2015 reporting the same list of malfunctions. And the complaints continue up through the years. Stories of folks leaving their vehicles at the dealers for weeks at a time, getting new ones under lemon laws etc. This situation has gone on for a long time and it doesn't appear to have a definitive cause.

So I have an appointment at the dealer for next week but I don't have high hopes. I hope this doesn't result in me throwing large amounts of money at a continuing problem. In the interim I'll continue researching the problem, checking connectors and the BLISS system etc.

But, again, what is hugely disappointing is that a problem can affect so many systems and also that it's existed for a long time and Ford hasn't eliminated the source of the problem.

Still best tow vehicle ever? We'll see.

Ron

Sorry to hear Ron . Reason I keep my old girl and still see lots on the road . For all the money being charged things should not fail . And back in the 70 ‘s purchased a brand new F 250 , long bed for wait for it ,3800 total out the door . Never a problem . Reason don’t have her ex husband got her or I would still have her . So listening , talking to others and there problems ,etc and just hope for this girl to keep us letting us keep driving her . Found out our engine is a Windsor , made in Canada goes good with our trailer .Anyway hope what is wrong is found and not a big problem ! Maybe see you in February ,at Quartzite . Take care Ron . Pat