Fords Stall

We're on and transitioning

2004-10-04T22:04:00.000-04:00

Fords-Stall.com is up and highly categorical. I'm transferring posts from here for the next couple weeks as I think a bit more about the long term.

Windstars and Websites

2004-10-02T07:30:00.000-04:00

Soon, darn soon, I'll be relaunching this site as Fords-Stall.com. Domain is registered, host was chosen (total funding only $28/year) and wicked good software was installed for creating a highly functional database that can be thoroughly categorized for easy utilization. I will transfer a few posts but most of the content will be redone.

I'll keep you posted. Or stop by fords-stall.com once in a while (not yet) and see how things are going.

By the way, the only way the small bit of traffic get here are via search engines looking for "windstar + problems". I think the Windstar is actually worse than the Focus! Could it be true?

A Stall in Progress

2004-09-29T20:13:00.000-04:00

When I started this project all I had knowledge of was Blogger.com for software to build the repository of stalling Fords that plague most of humanity. Almost immediately, I realized the limitations of Blogger for this type of application. Blogger's native commenting system stinks and posts cannot be categorized. The latter feature is absolutely crucial if a troubled Ford owner is to make any use of this growing repository of examples. Otherwise it's just an incoherent link farm of anecdotes. I'd like people to find all "2001 Focus" models or all "2002 Windstars" that stall, etc. And a comment system is a strength of blogs. People with common interests can discuss problems without going through the annoying process of registering which is the default practice of every agonizing forum on the net.

I could be accused of poor planning but these limitations only surfaced as I tried to build the database. So, I need to retool in a major way. Here's the plan:

1. Buy a domain, $8. I'm considering the following: fords-stall.com, afordstalls.com, fordsthatstall.com, etc. I want the name Ford to be part of the url in case the Ford Motor Company wants to buy me out so my family and I could move to Tahiti and start pissing some other major company off from a wireless cafe. Leave your suggestion in the comments or email them to me at afordstalls@yahoo.com.

2. Find a cheap host with tons of bandwidth (I'm an optimist). There's lots of them these days. Disk space and bandwidth are becoming cheaper everyday.

3. The biggie. I'll be switching software to Word Press. I can categorize posts till my heart's content and make this repository extremely useful at all stages of its creation.

4. I have to learn how to install Word Press on the host's servers. It's supposed to be easy.

5. I also have some really, really great things going on now personally and I'm busy so these goals may take a while. I'm not worried. Fords have stalled forever and probably always will. I do hope to try to make a dent in the problem. It'll just take a tad longer than I originally thought.

Windstar

2004-09-28T22:40:00.000-04:00

source: alldata.com/techtips/2002/20020322c.html, posted 2002

year: 1998

mileage: n/a, presumably 4 years old

situation: stalling at low RPM (for 3 months), e.g., at stop lights, especially when maneuvering in parking lots. It shivers a little and stops. The Check Engine light hasn't come on and the shop says without the light on, no error code shows.

attempted fixes: "Your vehicle’s engine could drop dead at every stop light and still not set a computer code. From your description it sounds as if there is a basic system problem that the computer cannot/does not control"

comments: This is a tip site that provides Q&A. Isn't this pathetic? Diagnostic codes can't fix this and this is what the garages try to do. Take your car and try to get it to stall and find codes to fix it. So does this stalling thing have a code? It didn't for my case. Ford management should be shot.

Windstar's Next

2004-09-23T21:17:00.000-04:00

Wow. I thought the Ford Focus was a mistake. Man, the Ford Windstar absolutely SUCKED. I'm perusing the ComplaintStation.com as my first database to abstract stalling problems and am moving from the Focus to Windstar since that seems to be dominating the searches that get people here lately. You know the front suspension coils on these pieces of crap routinely break! There's even a few cases where it happens at high speeds. It's amazing.

By the way, in the interest of objectivity I put my own car in the other day and there was a tiny little fraction of entries for the past 4 years compared to any single model Ford. Well, got a lot of data to go through. "Windstar Wasteland", here I come.

Focus

2004-09-22T21:04:00.000-04:00

source:complaintstation.com ID=00048628, posted Aug 04

year: 2001

mileage: n/a

situation: Car driven on 1/4 tank gas would "hiccup" and stall. Upon towing, it'd start just fine for the garage who towed it (undoubtedly after cooling). This person is waiting to have their fuel pump replaced (after 2 months on waiting list).

attempted fixes: Another person on the thread said their fuel pump was replaced but the problem persisted.

comments: No addt'l comments.

Focus

2004-09-22T11:23:00.000-04:00

source: thecomplaintstation.com ID=00039016, posted Feb 2004

year: 2002

mileage: n/a

situation: when coming to a stop, hesitation, then stalling focus

attempted fixes: this happened after the fuel pump module was replaced (so it's a repeat problem)

comments: no additional comments

Recent Searches

2004-09-21T09:54:00.000-04:00

In the most recent update, I mentioned some visitors are actually getting here via search engines. Here's a few recent search expressions and the search engines that were used:

98 windstar stall (google)
tfi modules (google)
ford focus stalling (yahoo)
wants to stall (yahoo)
1998 ford escort iac valve (google)
crown vic egr valve (aol)
causes of engin stalling (google)
tfi ignition (google)
escort stall problem (google)
tfi ignition (comcast)
ltd ford intermittent stalling (shaw.ca)
fords is shit (yahoo)

None of these were made up. Note that the "causes of engin stalling" came from a ford.com server. Maybe if they learned to spell, they could manufacture a vehicle that wouldn't stall.

Fords Stall: Update

2004-09-20T21:19:00.000-04:00

1. Summaries. So far I'm still looking and settling on my format for examples. Realize they are no more than excerpted summaries from the databases listed on the sidebar. These databases contain discussion threads that are painfully slow to download (with a cable connection) and my summaries provide a direct link to the original thread and what I feel are the critical points of the conditions of stalling. I tend to write what I'd like to see and I haven't seen anything this conveniently summarized on this problem.

2. Search. I've had a correspondence going with the folks at blogger.com (by correspondence, I mean begging) asking for categorization of posts. They said it's on their list. Just don't know when the feature will arrive. Until then, I'll have to work on search tools as this repository grows.

3. Model Year. I said in my last update I'd be looking for very recent models to see if this is still a problem (I have no doubt it still is) but a consistent part of this problem is it often doesn't occur until the car is comfortably beyond warranty - about 3 years. So the most recent we might see examples is probably 2002. So I've adjusted my window of useful examples to 1998-2002 (and, of course, more recent if I see them).

4. How are people getting here? Some visit randomly, some friends are jokingly visiting and a significant chunk is coming by way of google or yahoo. This latter category are the most important. The site is actually getting out there and coming up sometimes highly ranked in search engines. People who visit Fords Stall are working stiffs like all of us and trying desperately to find information to arm themselves when they visit their Ford mechanic or their lawyer. I feel your pain and I'm trying to help.

Focus

2004-09-19T21:28:00.000-04:00

source: complaintstation.com ID=00032599, posted 2003

year: 2000

mileage: n/a

situation: My ford focus 2000 has been the biggest disappointment: the gear shift removed itself from the car at a cost ot 396.00, the tire almost fell completely off on the highway, the ingnition switch did not want to work, the engine that could catch on fire at any moment, the brakes that have been done and re-done several times, the trunk that would open when the mood hit, the 13 recalls. I feel a class action suit against Ford is needed. [some of this was edited]

attempted fixes: ha, ha, ha, ha

comments: This isn't a stalling problem, it was just too funny not to share.

Focus

2004-09-19T21:21:00.000-04:00

source: complaintstation.com ID=00039016, posted 2004

year: 2000

mileage: n/a

situation: intermittent stalling, not much detail

attempted fixes: fuel pump module replaced

comments: A followup comment informed this victim of another of many recalls that year on the fuel pump.

Focus

2004-09-19T21:13:00.000-04:00

source: thecomplaintstation.com ID=00022947

year: 2000

mileage: n/a

situation: "2000 Ford Focus shuts down while driving in hot weather. No lights come on and there is no warning. After sitting for an hour or so cooling down, will start again, but will shut down again and again."

attempted fixes: "Have made complaints and paid over $5,000 to fix this problem that Ford can not find the problem"

comments: the clutch has a problem too, this was posted in Aug 2002.

Focus

2004-09-17T23:52:00.000-04:00

source: Complaintstation.com ID=00006917

year: 2000

mileage: new, complaint registered in 2001

situation: "My 2000 Focus has stalled 11 times in the last 2 months (9 times on the highway exceeding speeds of 110 km per hour and twice in stop & go rush
hour traffic). I need a reliable vehicle to commute to work each day & have found myself absolutely terrified to drive this vehicle at times"

attempted fixes: Female customer was essentially "blown off", "low fuel in the tank" was offered as a potential culprit. No codes could register the problem

comments: Absolutely no results. At least they didn't charge her for the knee-jerk iac valve repair.

Focus

2004-09-16T06:05:00.000-04:00

source	thecomplaintstation.com ID=0285
year	2001
mileage	not provided
situation	"It too hiccups but it also stalls out. It would stop running . . ."
attempted fixes	no fixes described in the thread but someone suggested the fuel pump dies when the fuel is low and another thread contributor said he's replaced the fuel pump 3 times in his Focus zx3 with no success
comments	no additional comments

Note: For examples from thecomplaintstation.com the entire link will not be posted. I'll simply give it the unique ID from the url. The entire link is huge and, if not chopped up, it destroys the formatting of the site. I'm trying to figure out if you can search their database with this unique identifier number so you too, if interested, could go and see the original thread. This summary is better, trust me. Thecomplaintstation.com is absolutely a wealth of info but it's agonizing to read (slow, slow to load threads, etc.).

Focus

2004-09-15T22:30:00.000-04:00

source	www.consumeraffairs.com/ automotive/ford_focus_stalling.html
year	2001
mileage	?
situation	This car suddenly quit running on three occasions.
attempted fixes	fuel pump (3 times), driver module (2x), gas tank (1x)
comments	no resolution

Focus

2004-09-15T22:25:00.000-04:00

source	www.consumeraffairs.com/ automotive/ford_focus_stalling.html
year	2002
mileage	LT 6,000
situation	I will be driving down the highway and the car starts to hesitate and jerk around, then I will come to a stop light and the car completely cuts out. Then it takes about five times to start the car while I'm sitting in traffic with my hazards on. This happens on a daily basis.
attempted fixes	oxygen sensor
comments	Dealer said there was no problem.

Examples and Sites

2004-09-15T21:30:00.000-04:00

We posted an example of a Focus that had a stalling problem. Just to see if it's a useful format. We think it gives "the bullet" on the problem. We'll be abstracting these from various sites that are rich in content but, frankly, not easy to navigate. We're hoping this site can bring this stalling problem in focus to give it emphasis (although there seem to be infinite problems with the Focus in general). We'll first be working on Complaint Station examples since this is a well organized site but slow and convoluted (in our opinion).

We also had a personal communication with a member of the team at Flat Rate Tech. A friend tipped us off to this site where real live Ford mechanics and enthusiasts take questions. This site too is a wealth of information in the form of threaded discussion groups. Again, we'll be working on this source too in the future.

Focus

2004-09-15T21:09:00.000-04:00

source	thecomplaintstation.com
year	2001
mileage	1,400
situation	"It feels like it wants to stall at the light. The dealer told me yesterday they need to REBUILD the engine! At 1,400 MILES!!!"
attempted fixes	no fixes attempted
comments	no comments

Fords Stall: Update

2004-09-14T06:01:00.000-04:00

It's been about a week since Fords Stall was born. This site was created in an attempt to help those many millions of Ford owners with their stalling vehicles. So far, all we've done is brain storm and skim the surface of a few search engines looking at the depth of the problem (to make sure there is one) and decide how we can contribute uniquely to this horrible injustice.

Our Findings:
1. It is a problem. A big problem that affects literally millions of Fords. In 2001, a pivotal settlement was linked in an earlier post: the USA Today piece where Ford, recognizing they had a big ignition module failure affecting almost every model in their line, merely paid (mostly) lawyers almost $3 billion and took almost no action. NO recall. Those stalling heaps are still out there.

2. We figured after this, they'd get scared and fix the problem. Searching more recent model Fords quickly revealed they did absolutely nothing to change anything. Very recent models are still plagued with the stalling problem. Apparently $3 billion isn't that much for Ford.

Based on these early findings, here's our short term plan:
a. Since most people replace their cars every 5-7 years, we'll be working on search algorithms in Google and Yahoo to find recent cases of stalling Fords. We still have to work out our format for case reporting, so in the future, searching for them will provide useful information (conditions of stalling, age of the car when affected, attempted repairs, etc.).

b. We've pimped ourselves to Google using Adsense ads to earn a few bucks (hopefully). What will we do with the cash? My feeling is low level employees (sales people, mechanics, etc.) probably know exactly what the problem is, how to fix it and why Ford won't do it. And, because many big companies treat their lower level employees like shit, we should be able to grease them a bit and make them spill. We'll pay them but keep them anonymous. Yes, we're planning to report on interviews once in a while as we visit Ford lots, take test drives and talk up the staff.

So, help us out and click those ads on the margin. Every click is another boot in the ass for Ford's upper management. They're yacht's not stalling, your car is - go click!

c. Work on search tools for the site to enhance its utility. This will actually take more technical skill than we have and will take a while to figure out.

d. Frequency of posting. We'll see. More frequent posting boosts site ratings on search engines, but we're shooting for a bit more quality. We don't want to continue the incoherent link-dump we've started.

We here at Fords Stall have day jobs and this will be done in our spare time. But it will be done. Check back for case studies, interviews and other stuff.
Click - we're begging.

Say Hello to My Little Friend(s)

2004-09-11T23:17:00.000-04:00

Thinking about this site, I wondered who is going to visit and what do they want to see? The people who will visit this site (eventually) will be a significant fraction of the planet since Ford is a ubiquitous vehicle and most of them stall. What will they want to see? Not my wit. Solutions. No one likes the L-word, but lawyers help us all when we're at our nadir. Included in the links section on the side bar will be oodles of them. Lawyers. Maybe some of them will help you get what you deserve. I hope you find them useful.

Someone Benefits

2004-09-11T22:33:00.000-04:00

At least someone benefits from Ford selling shit vehicles. Lawyers. This is a link to a lawyer site. It's propaganda for them using the 2.7 BILLION dollar settlement from 2001 I posted on earlier. Flawed ignition-system you know.

A Few Things

2004-09-10T06:01:00.000-04:00

This is a public experiment. I added a few features on the site. It's all free as long as I give credit where due (hence the few little scattered icons).

First, if you have links that may help a desperate Ford owner, send them to me: afordstalls@yahoo.com and I'll incorporate them using Blogrolling, neat software.

Second, at the bottom of the page is a SiteMeter icon, click on it for current stats. Maybe this stalling thing isn't such a big problem and no one cares; hits will tell.

Third, I've submitted this site to one of my favorite resources on the web Research Buzz. This site promotes information-rich, searchable content. I'm hoping to get a nod from them. Unfortunately, I think it's a bit optimistic at this time.

Finally, comments. Comments are a great way to publicly discuss a post (click the link to use it). Don't worry, no information is collected and your name will not be attached to a communist petition; it can be as anonymous as you like. It's your thoughts I want. I'm not a demographer.

Thanks.

Ford Settles Ignition Lawsuit - NOT

2004-09-09T22:01:00.000-04:00

I saw this headline and laughed when I noticed the date, 2001. They may have gone through an expensive legal settlement for an "ignition-system flaw", but, judging from the number of available anecdotes still floating around, no solution was found. The ignition-flaw caused the vehicles to stall in traffic. If affected a mere "millions" of automobiles.

F250 (1989)

2004-09-09T21:38:00.000-04:00

There's a site for Ford Truck enthusiasts with forums for, uh, problems. Here's a staller that someone posted about in September '04:

" . . . and after the trucks is driven for about 20-30 min, then sitting at an idle, the engin rpm will fluctuate badly, ending up with the engin stalling, thought I had the problem licked, by disconnecting spout readjust timing a bit. helped a little, but caused more power loss, and it still fluctuats, read codes, and these are the parts I have replaced

IAC valve, tps, egr, all distrib components, coil, high pressure fuel pump, fuel pressure reg, pcv, Now I have just resently removed all emissions!HELP PLEASE!

The IAC valve, in my limited experience is cheap and always replaced first and never solves the problem. The second most often replaced part is the coil. That doesn't help either. In fact, nothing solves this problem. The engine gets hot, it stalls in some awkward location. You sit until it cools and it starts. Those instructions should at least be written on the sticker for these pieces of crap.

Escort

2004-09-09T09:01:00.000-04:00

From Heidi's blog. No, Heidi, it's not just the "TFI Module Failure" that causes the stalling. It's some asswipe CEO who doesn't want to solve the problem. Thanks for your story though. The world needs to hear it.

Search Strategy

2004-09-09T08:03:00.000-04:00

I generally type in "stalling ford" in google and get new hits daily, but for kicks, here's how things look for one particular search in Google and Yahoo search engines:

expression	Google Results today	Yahoo Results Today
"stalling ford"	185	98
"stalling chevrolet"	19	2
"stalling dodge"	34	1
"stalling hyundai"	0	0
"stalling renault"	6	3

This may not mean much but the relative numbers may be meaningful. Time will help sort this out.

F250

2004-09-09T07:23:00.000-04:00

Another one from the forum called KII Electronic Publishing Group (described in a previous post):

I Have a 99F250 v10. Love the truck but on occasions it just stalls in the middle of freeway, or city street driving. The fuel light comes on first and if you give it alot of gas it will restart, otherwise goes completely dead and you have to restart (while coasting). Anyone have that problem? The dealer can't locate the problem and has been unable to replicate it when I bring it in.

I'm afraid more people than you will ever know have had that experience and no one to date can fix it. Except Ford. And they don't want to.

Crown Vic

2004-09-09T07:15:00.000-04:00

Here's a letter from Enjoy the drive. It's a stalling Crown Vic:

Q: Nelson found us on the web and writes: Last summer on a family trip out to the western United States, our '92 Crown Vic would suddenly lose power and roll to a stop. When I immediately tried to start the car, I was unsuccessful. However, after letting the car set on the side of the road for about 20 minutes, the car would start right up, and off we'd go. This happened three times that day. I should also add that it was a very hot when this happened, and we were pulling a 5X8 utility trailer packed with our camping stuff. The engine was running a little hotter than normal that day, but the temperature gauge was well within the "normal" range. I've heard theories about "vapor lock", bad gas, etc. What do you think?

A: You could throw new parts at the problem all day, but that would not be the way to go. Instead, get the problem diagnosed, then just buy the one part you really need to solve the problem. Now you could take it to a garage and et them sort it out, or, you could buy the diagnostic tool yourself and do it all on your own. This is the way we like to do it.

Nelson, a Crown Vic is a gorgeous car but this won't get better. Destroy this vehicle and buy something else.

A Whole Slew of Them

2004-09-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

A forum called KII Electronic Publishing Group is a great gearhead site that lists tons of bulletin boards about car problems. There are literally hundreds of stalled Fords with owners who need help on this site. Here's one:

Posted by Rick on August 22, 2004.
I made a post yesterday, this is a cry for help. My ford stalls after about 10 seconds of running. I look into the carb and this is what I find. I can start the truck and it runs for 10 seconds or so then the gas stops flowing. If I let it sit for a minute then it will start and do the same. I have checked the fuel filter, not obstructed, disconnected it at the carb and while turning engine over I have gas flow. There is no other fuel filter on the truck other than the inline one. I have checked the fuse to the fuel system, it is good. I have dual tanks with a fuel pump in each one. The fuel shut off hasn't tripped, I have checked it. The dual tank switch is working, both tanks do the same thing.
Now, the problem is related to both electric fuel pumps, and I have ran out of ideas. I wished I had a mechanical fuel pump, this would be great to isolate and fix it. I have called the Ford dealer and naturally they want it in the shop at 60 bucks an hour. Have any ideas what could be the problem? Is there a solonoid or something that is in the system to stop the pumps from working? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance for the advice. Rick

I feel your pain Rick. I'm no mechanic but don't bring it to the shop. Drive it off a cliff, it'll be cheaper in the long run.

Windstar

2004-09-08T15:30:00.000-04:00

Wow. I didn't know Windstars even do this! Here's a Ford Windstar Complaint. A low velocity stall, imagine that:

Question by LK Holland Submitted on 7/16/2004
My 1998 ford Windstar stalls when stopped and when going around corners. I've had a diagnostic test ran and it 's response was that my fourth gasket thing was misfiring. Since then I've replaced spark plug NKG, wire set, and new coils. can anyone help?

I'll help. Trade it in, it will do this forever.

Recalls: Ford TFI Ignition

2004-09-07T14:08:00.000-04:00

A great story from 2000 with a helpful 2002 update.
And, more on the TFI Module.

At least it only affects millions.

Focus: Letters of Warning

2004-09-07T09:23:00.000-04:00

Another stalling problem that could affect 670,000 vehicles is described in this piece from Auto Safety.org. Highlights:

"stalls unpredictably" is a key part of the problem
tends to occur between 20,000 and 30,000 miles (conspicuously close to 3 years old)
Ford told NHTSA there is no safety problem,but "...stalling is not desirable."

Not desirable indeed. Lock these guys up with the Enron Bastards.

Focus

2004-09-07T08:29:00.000-04:00

A letter from NHTSA regarding stalling Ford Focus (it's not just trucks!). It's from Clarence Ditlow (executive director of the Center for Auto Safety - a DC non-profit), dated November 2003 to Dr. Runge of the NHTSA. Here's an excerpt.

Dear Dr. Runge:
In closing its investigation into stalling on the 2000-02 Ford Focus without a safety recall, NHTSA is gambling with Focus owners' lives that they won't be killed or injured when their cars stall. This is bad law and bad safety.

Recalls

2004-09-07T08:06:00.000-04:00

I mentioned a while back about 360,000 Ford Escape (useless pieces of shit) were recalled. Well, that number is somewhere around 300,000. Here's the brief version from Consumer Reports, one of the least biased consumer sources that exist. You have to pay to get the full version, but this at least provides a strong piece of evidence that this problem is big and widespread. It says to: "Have dealer reprogram powertrain control module.". Ha! when my truck was serviced, they replaced all kinds of modules with no luck.

In The Beginning

2004-09-06T21:54:00.000-04:00

When I was young I desperately wanted a Ford F-150. A brawny vehicle that was NOT pretty. Dull red or blue or even primer grey, police hubcaps, lifted a bit, two wheel drive and it absolutely had to have a bench seat. I grew up and got enough money to get my Ford but didn't feel right buying an old vehicle. I wanted to age my own. I bought a 1996 portofino blue Plain Jane F-150. Grey interior, bench seat, automatic, rear-wheel drive: perfect. I paid it off in about 3 years and that's when it started stalling.

Stalling. Without notice. Intermittently.

Sure, there were work-arounds but no dealer or local mechanic could ever fix it. At the risk of going to hell, I traded it in. I was sad. I wouldn't get to nurse my old truck to the mature, respected bubba-mobile I so lusted after as a youngster.

So, what's the purpose of this site? Before giving up on my truck, I started trying to find out the solution to its woes in the biggest anecdote collection in the world, the internet, and found scrillions of people as frustrated as I. A short while ago, Ford even had the balls to publicly recall 360,000 Ford Escapes for intermittent stalling. I know they know how to fix it, but for some short sighted business reason or another, decided not to. Assholes. I think this is one of the biggest crimes of the auto industry and here, on this forum, I'd like to collect a repository of stories of people as pissed as I. Some of my goals:

1. Document this crime.
2. Take the Ford Motor Company down. They deserve it.
3. Help others vent.
4. Get famous - or at least get interviewed on NPR.
5. Use a really nifty tool - a blog - to solve a problem.

That's it. Check in to see how things are going once in a while and if you are burdened with one of these pieces of irreparable shit, email me and I'll post your story (try to keep it brief, I won't edit it much, I'm really busy).

Mail me at afordstalls@yahoo.com
I may or may not get back to you, but I WILL post your story and someday we'll beat those bastards.

Fords Stall

We're on and transitioning

Windstars and Websites

A Stall in Progress

Windstar

Windstar's Next

Focus

Focus

Recent Searches

Fords Stall: Update

Focus

Focus

Focus

Focus

Focus

Focus

Focus

Examples and Sites

Focus

Fords Stall: Update

Say Hello to My Little Friend(s)

Someone Benefits

A Few Things

Ford Settles Ignition Lawsuit - NOT

F250 (1989)

Escort

Search Strategy

F250

Crown Vic

A Whole Slew of Them

Windstar

Recalls: Ford TFI Ignition

Focus: Letters of Warning

Focus

Recalls

Categories

In The Beginning