Crank No-Start @ 45k miles? (2017 Ford Transit)

This 2017 Ford Transit Connect 2.5L refuses to fire up on a cold start.
The cooling fans are on all the time, and a P0116 is set.
The owner already killed the battery, and wants his van fixed!
Will any parts be required?
LAUNCH DIAGUN:
www.amazon.com...
Enjoy!
Ivan

[@ryanleech4978]

I'm the owner: never had a windshield replaced; haven't needed any repairs yet (thus no cowl removal that I know of, which adds to the mystery); I don't power wash the engine or under the hood; the seat covers are DOPE!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

The seat covers were my favorite part of the van...those were popular back in Russia haha

[@thelostshadowofhanzo]

I believe there is a fault with the Transit Connect (and other transits) with the seal on the cowl.

[@boodro2122]

Did you take it to an automatic carwash? Although, a good rain or melting snow would have allowed water in there.

[@boodro2122]

@@gerardooliver6010 How is that even fitting for a video like this, or this comment section? Oh, you work for them? Geez....

[@xxl531]

Its wiper fluid, its a ford thing the hose has a leak, voldoende makes a cover for the coils😊

[@BoB4jjjjs]

Good to see you are not "The problem is fixed, get it out the door." You are the "What caused the problem in the first place," I like that. Edit: Typo!

[@BoB4jjjjs]

@@mejesse809 Why not blow your own horn. If you try your best to fix it without parts and save the customer money it all helps. However, sometimes the problem is not as straight forward as is sometimes thought. If the fault comes back it will be a bit annoying for the customer, but the problem, so far has been fixed without parts. I think I would have sealed the vents he screwed down with a sealer that can be easily broken again and does not set, just to make sure it stays sealed, but he did check no water came through. However, you have to ask "What caused the screws to be loose in the first place, is this a problem?" Even a known problem with this model? Time will tell. I hope he lets us know if this was a total cure or did it come back!

[@don112049]

I am really impressed IVan. This would have been a $2000 non repair at a Ford shop.

[@danishzd]

May be not, because they start with checking service bulletins and there is one for this problem.

[@ekaftan]

Somebody took out the cowl and forgot to tighten the bolts... Another mechanic creating work for Ivan :)

[@jasonmcnamara2079]

What a beautiful part of the world you live in.

[@PhillipBailey]

The temp sensor circuit is a range switching concept. Due to the fact that temp sensor are not linear they do a good job reporting temp changes when cold but would tend to loose accuracy when hot. So as you mentioned at a specific temperature usually between 170 and 200 the ECM switches ranges by adding a second resistor in parallel to the original resistor thus shifting the voltage back up to around 3.5v to start the cycle over again. If you are only watching the degrees pid you won't see the switch. You have to be watching the actual voltage pid if available or physically measuring across the sensor. Good video. I was thinking I saw a TSB on the water leak but could not find it. Thanks.

[@andrewbancroft6174]

Thats very interesting. So as the temp sensor resistance drops lower as the engine heats up, at a set point the ecu switches "ranges" to apply more current which ultimately ups the sensor voltage and increases resolution? Learn something new everyday!

[@PhillipBailey]

@@andrewbancroft6174 That is basically correct. This is due to the fact that temp sensors are not linear. Don't do a good job of measuring temperature changes when hot, so switching ranges corrects this. They have been doing this since TBI GM's in the late 80's. They just didn't tell us until we were able to see the switch with a graphing multimeter and we asked WTF is happening. As I said if you watch the temperature PID you won't see the switch in voltage. Also remember that if you are seeing a PID in degrees F or C that that is a calculation of the actual voltage drop measure across the sensor. If the sensor is out of range it may substitute a realistic value in its place ie calculate the temp based on other inputs and the displayed PID in degrees may be realistic. Just depends on which manufacturer you are working on. Most systems will display -40F/C with an open circuit but not all. HTH.

[@michaelslee4336]

@@PhillipBailey I’m late to the party watching Ivan’s vids. Your explanation is excellent, excellent, excellent. Thanks.

[@thesteaktc]

Such a simple solution. If only all issues could be fixed like that. So satisfying.

[@htownblue11]

IVAN! Your customers have no idea how lucky they are to have you taking good care of them. You’re a shining example of what a real mechanic should be man. Diagnose the right problem. Only fire the parts cannon when absolutely needed, and confirm the fix. Can’t wait to see you at the 100K subs mark man. Been watching since like 5 K!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thanks for the kind words and your support, TJ!

[@miriamvivo4279]

Ivan you are d best heart of gold muy bueno sweet

[@madmike214]

There is a tsb for this same problem on the escapes. The water is coming from the cowl

[@somerandomguy3868]

I was thinking a clogged drain, but that cowl being loose definitely the culprit, nice job

[@djambrosia]

Recently my neighbor ask me for some help on her Ford focus. She was standing there holding the car keys whilst the cars windscreen wipers where slowly working and the door chime was going. I found water intrusion into the fuse box under the dash was the problem. She was convinced the car was possessed lol.

[@steveb.6267]

The owner is very lucky that he brought the car to you. Some other techs could have really taken him for a ride and put a lot of parts on.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

I almost ordered a coolant temp sensor before he brought it over based on the symptoms lol

[@steveb.6267]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics you made the right choice, it could happen to the best of us.

[@mattcat231]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics but we know you better than to fire the sniper rifle at it, lol

[@miriamvivo4279]

Very lucky he did not get ripped off.

[@chillbro8811]

I salute you, sir, for honest and professionalism. Honest mechanics are hard to find now days

[@fredshead3956]

First thing i think of when the cooling fan is running all the time and temp gauge is in the middle, is its gone onto limp home mode...you seemed to have cured all the problems so well done on that....

[@erwinallen2309]

This is what I like about you. You take that extra step which makes all the difference in the world

[@drewukdrew]

So great to see someone wanting to fix the route cause and not just the symptoms. 🙂

[@bigtbigt8717]

It looks like most of these transit connect have this water build up and now we know the cause and fix for it. Thanks for the excellent diagnostics and remedy.

[@on-site4094]

# 1 problem it’s a Ford but the right tech is working on it. The old Ford freestar had a problem with the windshield cowel The water ends up in the computer. Great diagnosis and fix Ivan npr👍

[@cliffordgallagher4531]

I had condensation collecting in the valve cover valley on my Ford also, I installed a little breather.The water started to trip a miss-fire,Never happened again after the breather was installed.

[@czaz00]

Finally an honest mechanic.. I just purchased a 2018 Ford Transit Connect after looking at this video I am a subscriber!! Brilliant hopefully more content to come

[@billneu9520]

A service center loosened those bolts for a return service later, to steal money from the customer. I had a service performed on my car and they willfully removed a small hose off the vacuum system and hid it behind the engine and firewall after about two weeks I had a code on the dash went to a different service center and he found the hidden hose with a smoke test he was an honest person cost me $100 I consider that cheap because I will never go back to that first dealer. Thanks for your videos I never miss one Bill N LINY

[@millerfawaz151]

Surprised it even ran with three coil boots sitting in water. Nice diag! The smart sensor circuit is quite cool too.

[@kellyherald1390]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@mmichaeldonavon]

Enjoyed the diag and fix, Ivan. Once again, you are "DA MAN." 100K Subs. Great news.

[@roxanneabbott8424]

So cool, I was right along with you!! Thank you Ivan!

[@tonymccarthy9273]

Thanks ivan that was good work from you , you found the problem , fixed it , and did the prevention fix aswell , or should I say the cause of the problem , as I've said before you're a good car doctor , from Tony McCarthy from bedfordshire England 👍 👍👍👍

[@Paul1958R]

Ivan, Great video, diag,and NPR fix- thank you! God bless Paul(in MA)

[@themechanic6117]

ive seen this same problem with the same engine in a focus , the windshield washer fluid hose was busted and every time the owner sprayed the windshield it would fill up the spark plug area along with the temperature sensor .

[@garretrocha8]

washer fluid is not the same as water

[@davecaselli1957]

@@garretrocha8 What is the significance ? Just an alcohol solution of some kind. Do you think it would evaporate easier and be less concern ?

[@AddictedtoProjects]

@@garretrocha8 Incorrect. Windscreen washer fluid contains a significant amount of water. In warmer climates, up to 3/4 of the content may be water. In colder climates it goes down. Either way, you have a corrosive liquid waiting to wreak havok with electrical components

[@gillgetter3004]

Had one of those at work, windshield leaked like a faucet. Inside and into engine compartment. Caulked everything around windshield , and cowl area to stop it. Was a PITA !!!!!!!

[@rollo32004]

I have the utmost respect for this young man, he's very knowledgeable and informative

[@billziegmond4943]

I waited ntil Saturday morning to watch this video. Morning coffee and a PHAD video is the best start of the day. Bonus no parts required. BTW Ivan sent the item as per our conversation 4pm yesterday.

[@bradleyleben7785]

Heavy snow in he cowl panel. I’ve seen it many times even in these southern climates. 👍. Great vid Ivan.

[@AP9311]

Ivan, great video diagnosis! I actually had a problem with my ECT on my blazer couple years ago, it was wonky, like the gage wouldn't register, causing long crank time, every time i figgled the sensor plug, it would come alive and make it start better. The plug was bad, not salvageable, went to junk yard cut off a pig tail for the plug, replaced it, it's been working great ever since. Wow, holy water!! That's a lot! Glad you figured out what's was wrong! That damn cowl lol. Many thumbs up!

[@lifekludger]

You fix the problem and the cause of the problem. Brilliant as usual.

[@oscartherodent]

Wish there were Techs like you where I live. Always going the extra mile for your customers.

[@porky7753]

Good job Ivan, my trailblazer leaks water at the cowling too. I put a bead of silicone in the middle part to make the water divert to the sides to stay away from the coils.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Great Ivan! Yes you need to figure why the problem happened! Good work as always.

[@emamo1115]

it was great to see how you unfold the problem. Really enjoyed it.

[@Katawesome]

my most favourite mechanic of all time !!!!!

[@tonya9955]

It would be worth researching if there is a TSB for cowl issues on that vehicle.

[@tomh6779]

There is cowl leakage TSB for the full size Transit.

[@johnwaby4321]

You don't need a lot of water to cause you a problem. . At least you found the problem . Nice one 👍👍👍

[@johnjohannemann1220]

Excellent diagnosis and presentation as always!

[@ronaldderooij1774]

Don't understand the criticism on the design. Someone did not tighten the screws. So it leaked. If you don't tighten the bolts on your wheel, the wheel comes off. Nobody is saying that that is a bad design. I don't get it.

[@phillloyd8625]

Ivan, on one of our Fords, we had a leaking windscreen washer nozzle. It caused water to pool in the spark plug wells

[@jamesmcgraw9570]

Beautiful drive, as you take it for a spin

[@jimpie231]

Because of the vibration, I would switch the screws to hex head and add star washers.....great video.....thanks.....Jim

[@neilmurphy845]

I put my Money on the rain water is going on top of the sencor and has corroded it ford transit fans were complaining about the drainage design in 2015 I remembered someone saying it good job Iven for fixing it.

[@cojones8518]

I think it was .... Flooded! I'll show myself out.

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

lol. Ironically it was starved.

[@mmichaeldonavon]

ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha

[@mikeoneill7360]

Awesome.....

[@michaelkane732]

an appearance cover would do the trick, great job as always

[@Frank-pv1hp]

GM did the same thing with their ECT's from back in the 90"s. It gives greater resolution

[@john7017]

Great video! I would dry the cowl area and apply a thin coat of RTV along the seam for insurance. You will still be able to disassemble in the future when necessary. Thanks.

[@PistonShack]

6:53 that's such a coincidence to see well forgotten thermometer. I had the same aux thermometer before on my 1986 VAZ 2106 Zhiguli. That's crazy:)

[@mikeaho4143]

Great job Ivan and NPR AGAIN !! LOVE IT !

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

:D

[@belowme4927]

I'M SURPRISED THE UGLY SEAT COVERS DIDN'T SET A CODE

[@throttletherapy9998]

I'm sure there was an updated software for that!

[@TheWilber09]

You should ask the owner if it had a new windshield installed at some point. That cowl would have come off for that.

[@spelunkerd]

Love your troubleshooting. I find substituted values confusing, I wish the computer would add a label or asterisk to substituted values. Good brainstorming regarding the water source.

[@BobPegram]

Phew! Glad you found the source of the water. I wouldn't have considered it fixed until that water source was found. Completely different topic, but I find that I am totally unused to seeing engine and computer temps near the boiling point of water in Fahrenheit - which I couldn't spell either! If only I knew comfortable temperature ranges for people in Celsius, I could join the rest of the world!

[@SmittySmithsonite]

I remember Paul Danner showing this "stepped" voltage in a thermistor before. My memory is fuzzy, but on the older ones I thought he said the 2 different resistors were in the thermistor itself. My '95 S10 plow truck will change voltages midway through a warm-up cycle. If I wasn't watching the meter when it happened, that would've really threw me for a loop! I was trying to figure out the cause of a high idle condition in that TBI 4.3 manual trans. Never did find it. Has a new idle valve, and all vac leaks fixed. I suspected the thermistor, which is why I was testing it. It was good / normal. In the end nothing worked, aside from turning the screw down in the TBI itself. Helped quite a bit. Still too high, but better. I had a '05Trailblazer here before with a misfire on the rear cylinder (the hardest one to reach, naturally). Same thing - pulled the coil, and there was a mini swimming pool in there! No clue how the water got in this one, since it didn't have that valley like this Transit did. I ended up coating the plug and boot with dielectric grease, and also went heavy on it around the top cover of the boot, to help it seal better to the valve cover. It worked! We'll see if it makes it through the rest of the winter dry.

[@kinglangren]

Yeah I was thinking temp sensor at first . Nice job with the short and long term repairs.

[@stevejones8665]

Every fault has a reason🤔find the reason then fix the fault and hey presto no more fault in future.😊👍👍Great Job well done Ivan.👍👍

[@arthurfricchione8119]

Ivan nice repair no parts required. Just don’t use It on a rainy day Hope all is well Artie 😊

[@baxrok2.]

Impressively thorough and thoughtful fix Ivan. A very important lesson. Thanks!

[@edthompsom9368]

Nice to see someone else using Caig Deoxit

[@bostedtap8399]

Great diagnosis and prognosis Ivan. Thanks for sharing.

[@VedafoneYT]

In order to seal the cowl perfectly and make it super clean in addition to clear the original drain tube or hose that may be clogged... You should disassemble the cowl and clean it externally specially the rubber seal to the body above the engine and also the engine should have over cover to protect it from water spilling due to rain or water condensation.... Good work Ivan

[@eseybold1]

pleasure to watch as always !

[@robertmoura6336]

Once I had an Ford KA a little sub compact with DOHC head and the frost plug was leaking and it accumulated coolant in the valley, it had plug wires instead of coil. Nice fast work

[@vinces8974]

Great video Ivan, You set a good example With your in-depth honest repair .Thankyou

[@rainbowdiamonds2865]

Sehr gute diagnose Ivan. Bleib gesund Bruder.

[@armandolios4561]

Ivan...hat's off. "Fixed for good".

[@tenmillionvolts]

They had to put the screws right in the channel of the cowling. Just made to leak as soon as one srew comes loose or washer starts to deteriorate. Knowing them, they probably sell a washer kit to be replaced at every service

[@greg778123]

Another no parts required 🤙 Hopefully you’ll be able to figure out my 0mph Cruise control in my 2017 rav4 one day I really want to try to

[@dendkmac]

damdest thing I ever saw, never seen anything like it, nicely done

[@pontiacsrule8761]

Great job. After the repair you need to see what is causing this issue which you did. I can't believe you were able to clean up those pins. Thought for sure you were going to replace that connector.

[@ptrck6]

The temp sensor connector boot is allowing water to enter that chamber. I’ve had bad valve cover gaskets leak oil in that chamber and cause temperature problems. I had to use a mighty vac to remove oil from there and clean the connector

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

Great diagnosis Ivan!

[@oldman3454]

You deserve a double thumbs up, well done!

[@robertmedina6875]

Wow Ivan! Your home is beautiful!

[@williamgagnonroadboxservice]

My daughters 06 Ford Explorer with a V-8 all the plastic clips on the Cowell would drip water down on the intake and fill up the rear spark plugs both sides I took a piece of plastic and ran along the bottom of the Cowell to deflect the water after taking the Cowell apart and putting RTV where all the clips go in no problem in about six months

[@robinrousseau1087]

I think they had the winshield replaced

[@kellyrjohnson7693]

Good possibility. I don't know if the Connect was offered with a SoundScreen windshield, but if it was, and the OEM glass is still there, it'll have a fairly large SoundScreen logo visible from the driver's seat.

[@jumpinjojo]

That would be my guess.

[@HUBBABUBBADOOPYDOOP]

I've seen it done on YT- I think it was a trunk? Put camera and bright light under hood, close hood- pour water on windshield, record results.

[@klc317]

Great work. I enjoy your thorough diagnosis process on your videos.

[@ToyotatechDK]

That water intrusion is from the blocked drains below the windshield. Ford Denmark did a recall on this issue some time back

[@Airman..]

Outstanding work Ivan

[@IBenZik]

Clear Polyseamseal applied to the screws/bolts of that windshield cowl. It works for bathroom tubs and sinks and it will break free when you need to replace the wiper motor.

[@ismarmeskovic]

Great diag and repair Ivan 💪

[@jtt1989]

Apply silicone to rubber boot groove and reinstall correctly. Don’t leave like you did to “vent”, The boot is a seal not a vent. It will just fill up with water again and you will have a callback. The cowl water leak is a separate issue from the leaking boot. It just brought to light the weak rubber boot seal. With the rubber boot seal fixed in accordance to the TSB as on similar other Ford setups, you should be able to flood the engine bay with water (not saying it’s good thing) and the cavity will be dry.

[@neverstoplearning382]

amazing as always mr Ivan.

[@glennallen7129]

Cool video Ivan! Thanks for sharing!

[@rode3016]

Nice catch. I'll have to watch for that on my transit work van. Might be a good idea to put some silicone in those screw holes. Sure a bad design, by ford.

[@jamesu]

Thanks for the video Ivan. I never really liked ford's use of cylinder head temp without a coolant temp sensor on these engines.

[@jakeelenbaas971]

Nicely done. My buddies 2013 Fusion had over temp indication issues where the temp would be erratic and over temping while he was driving. The Ford Dealer performed a cooling system recall on it then diagnosed the overtemp as a blown headgasket because a small puff of smoke came out of the tail pipe on a cold start in the morning. I had already done dye testing indicating no hydrocarbons were coming out of the cooling system. I ended up finding that the coolant sensor was leaking internally and coolant was shorting out the connector. Ford wanted to change his engine for a bad coolant temp sensor....

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Wow that would be a scam lol

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

Had water in there on my Hyundai. Caused misfires and rusty spark plugs. . In my case it was the rubber seal between the hood and the cowl. Fixed by smothering it with silicone grease.

[@scottgraham9205]

I had exactly the same problem with my daughter's Hyundai, ended up pulling a length of rubber cord into the hollow of the cowl seal.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

@@scottgraham9205 thanks for the idea, I will give that a go. The silicone grease has created a horrible mess however it has rejuvenated the seal but it's still not quite tight enough.

[@lrdisco2005]

Ivan strikes again!

[@inothome]

It has to do with the heat cycle, same issue on Yamaha Waverunners with the SHO engine. The spark plug well gets hot when in use, water collects near the boot. Then when you shut it off the spark plug well cools and forms a vacuum and pulls in the moisture over the lip and through the boot. Solution was when washing the engine after a ride to pop the boots to let them air dry in between rides. Only took one set of ruined $20 each spark plugs to remedy that issue. Never had water fouled plugs again. Of course, popping your boots off in a truck is more of a hassle, but limiting the water exposure like you did and leaving the one loose will prevent the vacuum from forming and slowly building up water in the well. No parts fixes are the best!

[@alanjackson4397]

Tape of piece of vacuum hose on your shop vac You can reach in there and remove the water

[@zoompodandco2097]

My zetec engined focus filled the plug wells, the water was dripping in through the washer jets, sealing around them slowed it down but didn't stop it completely.

[@md2k8]

This customer should have bought a 2012 Mazda 5 instead. It has the similar, 2.5 L four-cylinder engine displacement and the horsepower is a bit less than the 2017 Ford Transit Connect. The reliability on the 2012 Mazda 5 and the 2017 Ford Transit Connect is the same, but the 2012 Mazda 5 is more reliable. The 2017 Ford Transit Connect is fairly reliable. Anyway, they are both great smaller minivans. The Transit Connect just could not turn on the engine, but it is a simple repair and it was so cheap to repair. The older, gas-guzzling minivans (e.g. the 1994 Dodge Caravan and others) were just way too expensive to repair and had numerous amount of problems - these older vehicles are already in the garbage dump. Everything for repairs costs a lot more than the purchase price.

[@stephendee7839]

The temp sensor seal was there to stop water getting in. The cowl was obviously the source of the water (common ford design issue) but I think that there is also a seal issue somewhere because water got past them. I would look closer at the coil seals and also put a little rtv on the temp sensor seal.

[@Pr0ph3cy-k5z]

I had a 98 Ford F150 that had the water issues. Everytime it would rain hard, water would get down inside of my sparkplug tubes, causing misfires. The rubber seal at the back side of my hood and firewall was bad.