Limp Home Mode

[NoVaGT]

The car seems to have some sort of issue. 100% stock, just got it's first oil-change, 6500 miles.

Driving to work, the power ended, it was rev-limited to 3K or so RPM, and the wrench light came on. In the middle of D.C. morning rush-hour traffic, it was quite disconcerting. Thankfully there was just a few miles left in my drive to work.

Oil pressure was fine (I did check the oil when I got to work, it's fine), temps were fine, A/F ratio was fine. I figured it rained all night long, and something that wasn't supposed to get wet, did.

Ford Roadside Assistance is sending a flat-bed, and it's being taken back to the dealership I bought it from.

Just venting. I'm a little irritated.

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[Ebm]

The car seems to have some sort of issue. 100% stock, just got it's first oil-change, 6500 miles.

Driving to work, the power ended, it was rev-limited to 3K or so RPM, and the wrench light came on. In the middle of D.C. morning rush-hour traffic, it was quite disconcerting. Thankfully there was just a few miles left in my drive to work.

Oil pressure was fine (I did check the oil when I got to work, it's fine), temps were fine, A/F ratio was fine. I figured it rained all night long, and something that wasn't supposed to get wet, did.

Ford Roadside Assistance is sending a flat-bed, and it's being taken back to the dealership I bought it from.

Just venting. I'm a little irritated.

Get rid of the POS and get something with better build quality.

 

[NoVaGT]

Get rid of the POS and get something with better build quality.

Let's wait for a diagnoses before we start ranting on build quality.

 

[NoVaGT]

Flat-bed driver got here, asked what was wrong. I decided to start the car to see if the check-engine wrench light was still on.

It was off.

Whatever.....maybe some h2o got on the MAFS or something. Dunno.

Hopefully the drive home will be un-eventful.

 

[jkstang78]

I have a 2015 GT and sometimes when it rains really hard I get a wrench light that comes on. I have checked it for codes and find nothing. I thought it might be the C.A.I. I had put on. So I went back to the stock air intake this winter for now to test it. But we have not had heavy rain. So I am still waiting to see if it makes a difference. I do think it is the vents in the hood that let water drip on to things. I noticed on the passenger side there are electronics that get wet. I plan on changing the hood since mine has the Corrosion issue and Ford will not fix it. I am going to get a hood that has no vents in it. I am currently looking at the Cervinis cowl hood.

 

[jkstang78]

I have had at least 2 documented times of this happening. I now have 35k on the car and maybe it has happened a couple of more times since then.

 

[Zinc03svt]

Did you buy the car new or used?

 

[ugstang17]

The wrench (limp mode) used to be more limited. Throttle body positioning, throttle pedal positioning, MAF, and drive by wire as they apply in pre 15 models to mention a couple of the few. The S550 15-17 has added more conditions that will generate this and the 18+ has gotten even more reliant upon limp mode than ever. Heck Dodge puts their cars in limp mode if the TPMS system malfunctions. So it could be worse. WHo knows maybe Ford is doing that on 19+ models. They keep adding more all the time.

I can't imagine unless it were a complete downpour and you are running open element that water would have intruded onto the MAF to cause this. Wrench mode should be associated with a code and that code should reside in memory even if the wrench mode clears itself. If you did not notice a change in your steering you MAY be able to rule out anything in the electric steering assist area.

Run to a parts store and do a diagnostic check for codes if you have no means of doing this yourself.

A 13 Boss 302 is sounding more intriguing these days...with a nice little centri setup on it needless to say.

 

[NoVaGT]

Did you buy the car new or used?

New.

 

[NoVaGT]

The wrench (limp mode) used to be more limited. Throttle body positioning, throttle pedal positioning, MAF, and drive by wire as they apply in pre 15 models to mention a couple of the few. The S550 15-17 has added more conditions that will generate this and the 18+ has gotten even more reliant upon limp mode than ever. Heck Dodge puts their cars in limp mode if the TPMS system malfunctions. So it could be worse. WHo knows maybe Ford is doing that on 19+ models. They keep adding more all the time.

I can't imagine unless it were a complete downpour and you are running open element that water would have intruded onto the MAF to cause this. Wrench mode should be associated with a code and that code should reside in memory even if the wrench mode clears itself. If you did not notice a change in your steering you MAY be able to rule out anything in the electric steering assist area.

Run to a parts store and do a diagnostic check for codes if you have no means of doing this yourself.

A 13 Boss 302 is sounding more intriguing these days...with a nice little centri setup on it needless to say.

Interesting.

So there's a bajillion more reasons the car will go into LHM.

Brilliant.

I didn't notice a steering feel change, but I was focused on oil pressure and trying to get the last few miles to work with 3.75 HP.

 

[bluebeastsrt]

Oh yea, there's a sh!t ton of reasons that can cause the wrench light. It popped up on my car when I broke the intermediate shaft in the transmission while drag racing. Good luck duplicating it for the dealer.

 

[vernonator]

I have had that issue once - I am in a '16 GT with the Ford Powerpack 2 installed (GT350 CAI and MAF). Was visiting my cousins and the car was outside overnight in 5" of rain. Did not even think about it, jumped in started off and about 1/2 mi it bucked hard, went into limp and the CEL came on. Sure enough the CAI box had water standing in the bottom and it was sucked into the intake. The MAF sensor was FULL of water...dried everything out and reset the code and all was fine.

 

[NoVaGT]

Oh yea, there's a sh!t ton of reasons that can cause the wrench light. It popped up on my car when I broke the intermediate shaft in the transmission while drag racing. Good luck duplicating it for the dealer.

The car isn't headed to the dealer. It's seems to be fine right now, so I sent the flat-bed driver on his way.

 

[bluebeastsrt]

I wouldn't worry unless its a recurring thing. My jeep has a random misfire when it rains real hard. It goes away as soon as the motor heats up.

 

[Zinc03svt]

New.

The only time my car since June 2018 has gone into limp mode was around 127-129 mph the car hit a limiter and went into limp mode with wrench. Once stopped I shut the car off and it cleared. 300a non drag mode car. Tuner was able to find it in the TCU code and remove it and a bunch of other (rpm limiters) in the higher gears. Weird that a pp1 car would have such a thing...?

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