NEWS & TIPS

Throttle Body and Throttle Pedal Diagnostics

Unlike some other drive-by-wire systems, modern Ford models have one extra signal that the engine controller uses to monitor the driver’s intent. Originating from the throttle pedal, three signal inputs are monitored for rationality. Here, we explore this based on the following condition: 2005 Ford Freestyle with a 3.0L engine surge while driving.

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Keeping the 7.3L Power Stroke^® Diesel engine going strong.

The Power Stroke^® 7.3L was the go-to diesel engine in Ford trucks and vans from the mid-’90s to 2003. For some, it’s an experience of fluids mixing, fuel leaks and no-starts. For others, it’s a super-reliable powerplant that seldom needs more than routine maintenance. Let’s take a look at some of the more common service issues and some easy ways to diagnose and fix them.

Ford has always had a reputation for having a strong and reliable line of trucks. This clout was maintained with a diesel engine option available in trucks and vans rated 3/4 ton and up. The 7.3L Power Stroke^® made its appearance in Ford trucks starting in 1994 and kept them running strong until 2003 when it was replaced by the 6.0L Power Stroke^®. Some have suggested it was replaced for emissions standard changes, and some say it was because of the noise level. Whatever the reason, with about 2 million units sold, this is a very familiar engine to technicians wherever trucks are repaired. Considering these engines are capable of reaching high mileage without breaking a sweat, we will undoubtedly continue to see them in our shops for many years to come.

Engine performance on these beasts of burden is somewhat tame when compared to its modern replacements but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This means the 7.3L is much less likely to burn up drivetrain components, turbochargers or other engine components. When compared with its contemporaries, the power, durability and ease of repair make it the superior engine. A truly mind blowing feature of the 7.3L is the lack of emission control devices. There’s no EGR and sometimes, on the early models, not even a catalytic converter. The internal engine components are also way overbuilt, making this a popular engine to hot rod. Earlier models had forged connecting rods that could easily handle twice the stock horsepower. Some later engines switched to powdered metal connecting rods that would still handle significant power boosts.

One of the most unusual features of the 7.3L (and later the 6.0L Power Stroke^®) is the way it handles the direct-to-cylinder fuel injection. Rather than use a high-pressure fuel rail it uses a high-pressure oil system to boost the fuel pressure right at the fuel injector. The oil pressure in the system can reach 2800-3000 psi that, when amplified in the injector, results in fuel entering the cylinder at up to 18,000 psi. With this much pressure the injector nozzle will simply wear out over time. Around 200,000 miles this wear on the nozzles can alter the spay pattern enough to affect efficiency and make cold start-ups more difficult. Of course, the first test with a long-crank cold start should be checking the glow plug function. But after that, it’s important to consider the age of the injectors. The 7.3L is not a particularly hard-to-start engine. Long crank times may indicate worn injectors that need to be replaced or rebuilt.

This injection system, designed by Caterpillar^®, is called the Hydraulically actuated Electronically controlled Unit Injector (HEUI) system. At the front of the engine, under the fuel filter housing, is an engine-driven high-pressure oil pump. Oil pressure output is controlled by the Injection Actuation Pressure (IAP) control valve at the pump, and is monitored by the Injector Control Pressure (ICP) sensor on the side of the head at the high-pressure oil rail. The high-pressure oil is directed to the top third of the injector where it is controlled by an electronically actuated poppet valve. The oil then presses on an amplifier piston (oil side is six times bigger than the fuel side) that presses a plunger in the low pressure fuel side (lower third of the injector), providing greatly amplified fuel pressure at the injector nozzle. Although it may sound complex, it is the most complex aspect of this engine and it has very few failure points.

The most common service issues in the HEUI fuel system are the seals on the fuel injectors, the ICP sensor and the IAP control valve. The fuel injectors will eventually wear out, and high pressure pumps can fail, but this is much less likely than failing sensors and leaking seals. Fuel injector seal leaks will usually manifest in oil mixing with the fuel. Since the oil pressure at the injector is many times higher than the fuel delivery pressure, oil leaking in the injector will push backward through the fuel pump and can even contaminate the fuel in the tank. Reseal kits are available, but if the engine is nearing 200,000 miles it might be wiser to replace the injectors to restore some lost performance from worn or dirty injector nozzles. ICP and IAP problems will typically result in setting Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) that can be diagnosed electrically. The more common failure is the ICP sensor, and its symptom will be a long cranking hard start or no-start condition. Simply unplug the sensor and try to start the engine. If it starts immediately, you likely have a failed sensor. You can also look at the sensor connector. Much like a failed oil pressure sensor (which is really an oil pressure sensor), the ICP will often leak when they fail.

Electrically testing the fuel injector should be done with caution. The Injector Driver module (IDM) supplies 115 VDC to the injectors so piercing wires and testing directly is dangerous and should never be attempted. The first test to perform is the KOEO injector buzz test. By activating the test with a scan tool, all of the injectors will buzz for two seconds, then each injector will buzz in numerical sequence for about a second each. Simply listen for any injectors that fail to buzz. The next test will be to remove the valve covers and directly test the resistance of any suspect injectors. Anything outside of 11-18 Ohms means it’s time to replace the injector. When removing the valve covers, you’ll also notice another unique feature (and common failure point) of the 7.3L. The wire harness for the glow plugs and fuel injectors is actually built into the valve cover gasket. It’s important to test before and after the gasket/harness as it has been known to fail electrically.

All of the Power Stroke^® 7.3L engines are turbocharged. The turbocharger increases power, efficiency and greatly reduces the negative effect of altitude on engine performance. The units are made by Garrett and have subtle differences through the years. All of them are fixed geometry and that means fewer moving parts. Early models don’t have a wastegate or even an intercooler and later models added the wastegate, intercooler and an Exhaust Back Pressure Valve (EBPV) to increase efficiency in warming the engine up. Problems with the turbocharger are rare, but the bearings can fail. Bearing failure will typically manifest in significant amounts of noise. Don’t be too quick to condemn a turbo if you find oil in the intercooler pipes. There is a PCV system that will ensure you will always find some oil in the intake. Ford has a warning in the manual that indicates seals will not typically fail without a bearing failure and that you shouldn’t replace a turbo for an oil leak on most models. One relatively common turbocharger problem you might run into is when the EBPV sticks closed. Symptoms you might notice would be a lack of power at higher RPM accompanied by an increase in noise like a jet engine. In some models the EBPV is optional and is part of the “cold weather” package. By the early 2000s the EBPV was standard on all 7.3L turbos.

Cold starts are often a big concern for diesel engines. The way diesel fuel burns it inherently makes them difficult to start cold. The primary way to overcome this is by putting an electric heater in the cylinder (called a glow plug) to pre-heat the cylinder and help atomize the initial fuel charge. When you turn the key on you will notice a light on the dash stating “wait to start.” This is indicating that the glow plugs are warming up. A problem in the glow plug system will typically manifest in colder temperatures with a long crank time and loads of white smoke. Often, if the glow plugs aren’t working properly, the engine simply won’t start.

Your first test is checking the glow plug relay “ON” time. The amount of time the relay stays engaged is determined by the engine oil temperature. Below freezing this can be up to 2 minutes and over 90 degrees it might turn off immediately. A lower than expected “ON” time indicates an open circuit or failed glow plug. Testing involves unplugging the connector at the valve cover gasket and testing resistance through each glow plug circuit to ground. The reading will be different depending on the engine temperature, but each glow plug should have a similar resistance and they should be between 0.1-2.0 Ohms resistance. Open circuits will require removing the valve cover to test the connector and isolate the glow plugs. As a shortcut, you can use a conventional test light (incandescent bulb) connected to battery positive and check for light at each glow plug connection at the valve cover. Do not back-probe for these tests as it will absolutely skew your results. When the relay doesn’t come on at all, it’s time to test the relay. These relays are similar to the fender mounted starter relays and they will fail in a similar way. Test for power on the two large posts. The covered post is battery positive, and the uncovered should be hot when the relay is engaged.

An often-neglected component in diesel engine maintenance is the fuel filter service. The filter is due as often as every 15,000 miles under severe duty. That’s more than twice as often as a gasoline engine. The 7.3L Power Stroke^® has taken this chore and made it about as easy as it can be. The filter housing is under the engine cover, front and center. On the back of the filter housing is a bright yellow lever to drain the filter before opening it up. The output of the drain is on the front of the engine block about halfway down on the right side. Simply connect a length of hose and a catch can underneath it and open the lever to drain the fuel and any water from the filter housing. This is also a great way to take a fuel sample without opening the filter. When you do open the valve be sure to double check, after your repair, that the fuel isn’t continuing to leak from the pipe.

The filter is removed by unscrewing the plastic cap. Early models simply use a screwdriver across the cap for leverage, while later models have a half-inch drive socket fitting in the cap for easier removal. On a side note, be sure and check the heating element in the fuel filter housing when you get the filter out. The wire arching around the middle is a heating element. Should it become corroded and break it can short out, blowing the #64 fuse in the central fuse block and ultimately leading to no-start due to the loss of key on power at the PCM. Conversely should you find fuse 64 burnt, check the fuel bowl heater before you replace the fuse and call the repair complete. Once you’re ready to reassemble, close the drain valve and have an assistant cycle the key on to fill the filter housing to about 1.5 inches from the top. If it’s too high it will overflow and make a mess when you put the new filter in. Too low and you might suck air into the fuel rail. On assembly, apply a little diesel fuel to lubricate the gasket, then carefully tighten the cap down. There isn’t a tightening specification other than “until the housing is just making contact with the gasket” so making it very tight isn’t necessary — just snug. Once again, double check that you have no leaks when the job is done.

One last simple tip that might save you some big headaches is in diagnosing a possible camshaft position sensor (CMP) failure. It doesn’t happen all that often anymore thanks to an improved sensor design, but CMP sensors can occasionally fail. Since this engine doesn’t use a crankshaft position sensor, the only RPM signal is from the CMP. If it isn’t working the engine won’t run and neither will the tachometer. When you have a cranking no-start, take a quick peek at the tach. If it doesn’t move or jumps intermittently, suspect and test the CMP sensor. The sensor is mounted between the water pump and crankshaft pulley just to the right side. It picks up its signal using an exciter ring on the cam gear. There have been a couple updates to the design of the sensor to improve reliability. You can check FSA 07S57 to see if your specific application applies. This is a great example of when to use a genuine Motorcraft^® part. The original is black with a gold colored bracket. If you’re using an aftermarket part, you may not know what the color scheme is. (NOTE: Aftermarket parts may not use a color scheme, so you may be using an old design.) The replacement part with improved reliability is gray with a sliver bracket. To test the sensor, look for 7.5 volts between the yellow wire at the sensor and ground, and a frequency of 130 Hz at idle and 500 Hz at 2500 rpm. Due to the difficult location and the necessity of the engine running to test, it might be better to “test” by swapping in a known good part.

The 7.3L Power Stroke^® is a prime example of a balanced powerplant that’s straightforward in its design, strong, reliable and comparatively easy to maintain.

Motorcraft^® and Power Stroke^® are registered trademarks of Ford Motor Company.

Motorcraft — your one-stop shop for everything brakes.

While the majority of brake jobs focus simply on brake pads, Motorcraft^® offers everything your customers will need for a complete brake service. Our full lineup of products includes new brake pads, coated rotors and calipers, as well as hub and bearing assemblies. Each part is built for extreme durability, with easy installation right out of the box.

Additionally, all of our brake pads are dynamometer tested and provide noise-dampening insulators, shims and attaching hardware. Plus, their beveled friction edges or “chamfers” help eliminate vibration for smooth stops.

Our coated rotors offer an anti-corrosive silver coating for a stylish and clean appearance with open wheel designs, and their coating helps inhibit corrosion and helps improve long-term balance.

Motorcraft coated friction-ready caliper housings are 100-percent pressure-tested to help deliver leak-free performance. Plus, their high-gloss coating helps guard against rust and corrosion and come fully assembled with new dust seals, O-rings, boots, bleeder screws, copper washers, slide pins and installation hardware.

Lastly, our hub and bearing assemblies provide over 90-percent coverage for Ford and Lincoln vehicles. They also come lubed and sealed to help protect from water, mud, slush and silt, and the inner and outer raceways are designed to help extend service life. In addition, sensor rings and sensor wires are included to help ensure accurate ABS controller signals, and a micro-ground hub-to-rotor surface helps minimize lateral runout and pedal vibration. Plus, the ABS components and bearing preload are 100-percent tested for added confidence.

Not only will you find everything you need when it comes to brakes, you’ll also find what we call the Motorcraft Advantage. This means all our products are competitively priced to suit customers’ various budget and vehicle needs, including older and higher-mileage vehicle repairs. Our expanded product lineup provides parts coverage for most Ford and Lincoln vehicles. And we come recommended by Ford Motor Company. Plus, as with all Motorcraft parts, our brake parts are covered by the two-year Service Parts Warranty (SPW), which provides unlimited mileage coverage for Ford and Motorcraft parts, including labor* and with no commercial exceptions.

*Limited labor costs. See your seller for a copy of the limited warranty. Do-it-yourself customers are not eligible for labor reimbursement.

Motorcraft^® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.

Give the Motorcraft^® Advantage to Your Super Duty^® Diesel Customers

As Super Duty^® models equipped with 6.7L Power Stroke^® Diesel engines (2011-2015) accumulate miles of service, many owners may need turbocharger replacement. 

Short of buying directly through the dealer, the only option independent repair facilities have had for 6.7L turbocharger replacements were third-party offerings, created through reverse engineering. That’s no way to build a part.

Now there’s another choice: meet the Motorcraft^® 6.7L remanufactured turbocharger for Ford Super Duty trucks.

This is big news – a first-to-market Motorcraft remanufactured turbocharger, and the only one that’s built to Ford Engineering specifications.

It not only meets the rigorous remanufacturing test requirements of Ford Engineering, it exceeds them. And it’s backed by the Motorcraft two-year/unlimited-mileage warranty, labor included,* with no commercial exceptions.

Motorcraft remanufactured turbochargers are built utilizing OEM quality balancing equipment, which provides low out-of-balance specification in the turbocharger remanufacturing industry, helping reduce noise and vibration, and enhancing life span.

It’s competitively priced and remanufactured in the USA** … that sure sounds like a win-win situation for both you and your customers.

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*Limited labor costs. See your seller for a copy of the limited warranty.

**Assembled in the USA with domestic and foreign parts.

Motorcraft^® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.

The upside of going with quality window lift motors.

Motorcraft^® is expanding coverage of its line of window lift motors with 14 new parts numbers. As always, it offers OEM fit and quality at a competitive price for Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

Innovation, upgrades and rigorous durability testing help ensure long-lasting performance and easy installation. The direct-fit wiring harness needs no splicing. OE connections help deliver reliable electrical connections. All the mounting hardware comes in the box. And attachment points match vehicle mounting points with precision.

The high-torque motors are lubed during assembly for quiet operation and, thanks to their power, help prevent premature failures caused by adverse weather or worn linkage.

These motors are made of 100 percent new parts and engineered to meet Ford NVH standards, so taking a chance with anything else just doesn’t make sense.

In addition to their reasonable pricing, there’s no core charge. And they’re backed by Ford Motor Company with a two-year limited warranty* that covers unlimited mileage with no commercial exceptions.

New Motorcraft window lift motors are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers.

*Limited labor costs. See seller for a copy of the limited warranty.

Motorcraft^® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.

MIG Plug Welds Secure A-Pillar, Windshield Installation

Replacing the A-pillar on a 2013 and later Ford Fusion can involve removing laser welds in the windshield flange area that interfere with removing the A-pillar. The new A-pillar must then be welded in the windshield flange area, and MIG plug welds can be substituted for the laser welds in this application, spaced roughly 25 mm between plug welds.

Begin the job by heating the offending laser welds and removing any trace of them, aggressively cleaning the metal surfaces to present bare metal surfaces where the MIG plug welds will be installed. Later-model A-pillars will have flanges added to allow good mounting to the vehicle, so drill or punch 7.5 to 8 mm holes in the bracket sheet of metal spaced about 25 mm to 40 mm apart, or ideally wherever the original spot weld was. After making sure everything is clean, clamp the flange sheet onto the body back sheet.

It is good to test weld two pieces of the same metal together away from the vehicle, before taking on the whole pillar, to make sure the test weld is sound and has penetrated through both sheets. Special clamps are available to hold the flanges’ base metal together, with space in the middle for the torch to weld the plug weld. The rear face of these clamps is offset so it can fit over flanges. Hold the welding torch wire in the center of a hole (not at the edge of the hole and not at an angle) to avoid creating a weak weld that might not penetrate into the back sheet.

Begin welding in this upright position and keep the welder that way until the hole is almost full of weld. Then move the welder outward in ever-increasing circles until the plug weld is done. The MIG welding machine power should be the same as that used for most other welding, since the metal sheets are the same thickness.

This weld penetration is needed, where the molten pool is just breaking out of the reverse of the back sheet and both sheets are securely welded together.

Install correct windshield and relevant accessories

If installing or reinstalling the Fusion windshield, be aware that the windshield is a very important structural part of the vehicle, contributing to the strength of the roof and A-pillars, and safety of the driver and passengers in case of a collision. The windshield helps to manage collision energy and is an integral part of advanced safety systems and installing a replacement windshield mandates consideration of many factors.

Ford specifies that if any of the following conditions exist, the fixed glass originally in the vehicle must be discarded and a new fixed glass installed.

• The fixed glass is the windshield glass and equipped with a camera bracket.
• The fixed glass is the windshield glass and is equipped with adhesive moldings.
• The fixed glass is the windshield and equipped with an Advanced Head-Up Display (AHUD).
• The fixed glass is RIM encapsulated.
• If equipped with a Head-Up Display (HUD) projected on the windshield or a camera bracket, the replacement windshield must have locating pins and spacers to ensure proper alignment. With a head-up display, the windshield must be installed with specific gaps to the A-pillar and roof, as outlined in Ford/ Lincoln workshop manuals.
• If equipped with a forward-facing camera, it will need calibration.
• When installing, the replacement windshield should be supported by certain additives:
  • Apply BETASEAL 43538 or equivalent body primer to damaged clear-coat areas that did not expose bare metal. Ford/Lincoln identifies BETASEAL 43538 or equivalent primer.
• Ford/Lincoln specifies Motorcraft^® Ultra-Clear Spray Glass Cleaner/ZC-23 (ESR-M14P5-A) to clean the inside of the new fixed glass.
• Apply either of the following to the new fixed glass: Dow Urethane One Step Glass Primer/ BETAPRIME 5500/5500a/5500SA
  • Sika Urethane Metal and Glass Primer/Sika 206 G+P
  • Ford/Lincoln specifies BETASEAL Express Dow Urethane Adhesive and Sika Tack ASAP Urethane Adhesive

Motorcraft^® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.

Motorcraft^® fuel filters – made specifically for Ford diesel engines

There are a number of important things to consider when choosing a fuel filter for a diesel engine.

Perhaps the most important factor in choosing a fuel filter is to make sure the filter was built specifically for that diesel engine. For example, Motorcraft® fuel filters are built specifically for Ford diesel engines. Because Motorcraft fuel filters meet demanding OE specifications, including the latest Ford engineering enhancements, you can be confident they can help a Ford diesel engine achieve its peak performance.

What to know about diesel fuel contaminants

Anyone who has worked on diesel engines knows how sensitive they are to contaminants. The five major contaminants that commonly affect diesel engines are water, mineral dust, metal particles, soot and organic wax/paraffin-microbial growth. Any of these contaminants can seriously damage a diesel engine.

How the design of a Motorcraft fuel filter protects a diesel engine

The Motorcraft FD-4625 diesel fuel filter for the 6.7L Power Stroke^® Diesel engine not only filters dirt and water better than aftermarket diesel fuel filters, but also has a larger filtration capacity than the competition to collect and filter diesel impurities, which helps the engine to maintain peak performance levels.*

The Diesel3Tech+^™ filter media in Motorcraft fuel filters provides dual stage filtration to achieve filtration efficiency above 98% for 10 microns, above 99.8% for 30 microns, and filtering particles as small as 4 microns. The primary filter uses four high-performance materials, and the secondary filter adds an additional dual layer filter media.

The hydrophobic plastic mesh in the primary filter and the special coalescent felt layer in the secondary filter remove over 98% of water that passes through the filter. Other aftermarket filters did not perform as well in testing, offering only 65% – 81.2% water removal efficiency, putting your diesel engine at risk.

Additionally, the Motorcraft FD-4625 diesel fuel filter is constructed with conductive resins to aid in electrostatic discharge.

Improved longevity and reduced fuel pump noise. The Motorcraft FD-4625 diesel fuel filter contains air-bleed orifices in the box filter which are not present or obstructed on aftermarket filter offerings. The calibrated air-bleed orifices allow for degassing, which helps improve longevity and reduce fuel pump noise.

Optimal filtration with optimal fuel flow. For a diesel engine to perform at its best, the fuel filter must protect the engine from damaging contaminants without restricting the flow of fuel to the engine. The advanced design of a Motorcraft fuel filter provides a balance of effective filtration, filtering out all five major diesel fuel contaminants, with the benefit of optimized fuel capacity. The result is a diesel engine that is able to achieve its peak performance.

Reducing unwanted ignition sources. To address the possibility of unwanted ignition sources, Motorcraft fuel filters feature a conductive resin that dissipates static electricity, reducing the chance of plastic degradation and/or corrosion, which could lead to spontaneous ignition.  Aftermarket competitor filters utilize standard resin, not conductive, which does not provide the needed electrostatic discharge, putting your engine at increased risk.*

More filter surface. The Motorcraft FD-4625 diesel fuel filter for the 6.7L Power Stroke^® Diesel engine has 20% more filter surface than that of the standard aftermarket filter. The reduced filter surface of aftermarket filters leads to reduced life and affects cold start performance.*

Dependable gaskets and welding. To ensure that Motorcraft diesel fuel filters perform to the highest standards, gaskets and welding meet OE specifications and are designed to be tight, strong and durable. The Motorcraft FD-4625 diesel fuel filter for the 6.7L Power Stroke^® Diesel engine is constructed with superior welding that can withstand 14 bars of burst pressure, while the aftermarket competitor filter is susceptible to excessive welding flashes, causing risk for part handling, installation and filter media damage when flashes project into the filter.*

All these factors combine to make Motorcraft diesel fuel filters the best choice over competitive filters. Motorcraft diesel filters are designed specifically for the 6.7L Power Stroke^® Diesel engine, meet demanding OE specifications, offer more filter surface, deliver superior filtration of the five major diesel fuel contaminants, promote optimal fuel flow, reduce unwanted ignition sources, and feature dependable gaskets and welding. Motorcraft parts are designed to fit right, the first time, and are fully backed by Ford Motor Company. Motorcraft stands behind its products with a limited warranty covering two-year unlimited mileage, labor included** and no commercial exceptions.

Recommended Motorcraft^® Fuel Filters for Ford Diesel Engines

For 2010 – 2017 Super Duty^® 6.7L diesel engines: Motorcraft FD-4615 Fuel Filter

For 2017, 2018 and 2019 Super Duty 6.7L diesel engines: Motorcraft FD-4625 Fuel Filter

For 2018 and 2019 F-150 3.0L diesel engines: Motorcraft FD-4627 Fuel Filter

*Based on a comparison of Motorcraft FD-4625 vs. generic fuel filter and PTC-PFD 4624 fuel filters.

**Limited labor costs. See seller for limited-warranty details.

Motorcraft^® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.