Edge and MKX Intermittent "Jerkiness"

mchan68 · August 9, 2010

Okay. About two weeks ago, my service manager had me driving an '08 Edge home every night, including the entire weekend in the attempt to reproduce a "slight harness" at highway speeds. I ended up putting on about 453 kms. on this car not able to reproduce the customer complaint. The story goes, "it happened three times on the drive from Michigan back to Toronto". She hasn't been back so far.

Okay, now I have an '09 MKX (same vehicle) that I've been driving home every night since Tuesday night, up to and including this weekend with a similar complaint. Apparently this vehicle has been in three times prior, attempting to address this complaint. So far, the servicing tech has reflashed the PCM to the latest and greatest level. S.S.M. # 21227 has been done in an unsuccessful attempt to resolve to the customer's satisfaction.

Has anyone else ever received similar complaints on these vehicles? I've been driving this thing home with the IDS hooked up and datalogger with a grocery list of PIDs, ready and waiting for the unsual to happen, and my trigger finger ready to hit that RECORD button to no avail so far.

Aaron · August 9, 2010

Check out the ISS and OSS they can make it do fucky stuff.

tsb for it somewhere.

Adam_Dodson · August 10, 2010

I have felt it on multiple flexs and edges. We have multiple complaints of this as well i think Jim had about 5 of them at one point. One customer even said it was so bad the tires locked up...i think Jim replaced an OSS on one as per hotline but I never heard if that fixed it or not.

Jim Warman · August 15, 2010

Checked valve body.... replaced OSS.... air tested (as good as you can with no factory test plate and those wierd openings).

NADA.... ZIP..... ZILCH.... MUKWAY....

Ford has announced (to us, anyway) that this is the nature of the beast....

HOOAH

Aaron · August 17, 2010

The hotline told you it's a normal condition, Jim? Or is it a SSM or soemthing floating about somewhere?

Thanks!

Jim Warman · August 22, 2010

Hotline has called this a "normal" condition.... I would be pissed if it was my car...

I never did get a recording with a "smoking gun" on it... but some interesting actions the odd time. I'll try to remember to post one or two - I think they are still on an IDS.

mchan68 · August 22, 2010

Okay. Well, the MKX arrived back on our doorstep today. After a lengthy conversation between myself, the other tech in the shop (the one who did the original reflash) and the customer directly, it appears that the symptom can only be duplicated after an EXTENDED drive, so I guess driving it only the 37 kms. each way from work to home and vice versa may not be enough to re-create the random "harsh jerking" at highway speeds and the "stalling" at stops. This customer filed a CuDL contact and was recommended to bring it to another dealer. Well, low and behold this vehicle has now set a P1336 in memory with a "check engine" light on. Now comes the million dollar question. WHAT caused that DTC to set? Is it CKP sensor itself, or the fact that the vehicle stalled at some point, causing a loss of crank signal? Due to the extremely intermittent nature of the symptom, I highly doubt the CKP sensor or wiring could be faulty.

A little off topic here, but I do notice that when shutting this vehicle off and removing the ignition key, the driver's seat does automatically move all the way rearward (I guess to facilitate exiting the vehicle), BUT fails to move back to its originally set position when getting back in and starting the vehicle up again. I have to re-adjust it every time. I don't know if this has any bearing on anything.

Jim Warman · August 22, 2010

What you are seeing with the seat is probably the easy entry/ easy exit feature. The memory recall feature is actived with the integrated key transmitter. There is a procedure for programming seat and mirror positions to the keys - page 95 in the owners manual gives the procedure.

I've seen a few vehicles that the owners appear to be unaware they have this feature...

None of the transmissions I was dealing with had problems at speed - I have to wonder if you aren't having a torque converter issue or some funky phasers? No codes? VDR out of the question?

mchan68 · August 22, 2010

What you are seeing with the seat is probably the easy entry/ easy exit feature. The memory recall feature is actived with the integrated key transmitter. There is a procedure for programming seat and mirror positions to the keys - page 95 in the owners manual gives the procedure.

I've seen a few vehicles that the owners appear to be unaware they have this feature...

Understood Jim. But just by the sheer inconvenience (annoyance?) of having to re-adjust the driver seat to a safe seating position EVERY time I got in it to drive, I am surprised there was no mention or complaint of this by the owner. Yet he appears very bothered by this very intermittent symptom that I tried with my best efforts to duplicate.

Originally Posted By: Jim Warman

None of the transmissions I was dealing with had problems at speed - I have to wonder if you aren't having a torque converter issue or some funky phasers? No codes? VDR out of the question?
Well, it appears that we have TWO complaints. One is the random harsh engagements at highway speed cruising, and the other is an intermittent stalling that has now set a P1336 as I mentioned in the post above. And no, we don't have a VDR nor does any neighbouring dealer that we can borrow from. Funny you mention phasers, I was just discussing that this morning with the other tech and pointing at that this engine has never "been into". Given the location of the CKP on this particular engine setup, it wouldn't be far fetched for a torque converter issue too. The problem is, what test steps is there to go through to narrow it down to that with 100% certainty?

Jim Warman · August 22, 2010

Adjusting the drivers seat? What'd you do before everything came with power seats? Posted Image Programming the seat position might upset your customer so I'd mention it to him before I did anything.

Check TSBs real close... there is one for replacing cam phasers before a particular production date... may not apply to yours but you don't know if you don't look.... FWIW, I'm seeing a LOT of TSBs falling through the cracks lately (I saw the broadcast message about E-box air filter restriction.... and got stung by one about two weeks later - yes there is a TSB and it doesn't come up with expected search symptoms - old fart memory is kinda neat, I can remember shit that happened 40 years ago as if it was this morning..... but I can't remember what I did this morning).

Modern diagnostics are getting very elaborate.. the info a scan tool offers is nearly astounding (except those new fangled HEGOs). But... if a concern doesn't happen often enough to at least set a "code pending", the VDR is nearly your last chance. Ours let's me down just as often as it offers good direction - but some of that has to do with refining your PID choices, customer attitudes and assumptions (often, simply installing the VDR can "cure" a concern) and honing your data stream interpretation skills.

My use of the VDR is a lot like my guitar playing skills.... the drunker you get... the better I sound Posted Image