Powertrain Failure at the track *update 6/18 **Final**

[ShatterPoints]

Prior to my HPDE I made sure my oil levels were topped off, and during a track day I do not consume much oil. In total DD + Track days I have gone through 2 quarts in 14 months.

At the end of my 3rd session for the day today I came onto the front straight and when I applied throttle the car was way down on power. I coasted at 3500-4000rpm in 3rd and watched all my gauges as I pointed people by. Then for a second or 2 there was a large puff of smoke out of the tailpipe then nothing. The car felt like what I would liken to limp mode in others, just down on power. Cyl head temps were 210-215 and oil temp was 250. As I pulled off the track the car cough sputtered then died. I then got a low oil pressure warning. While waiting to be towed back to the paddock I also got a coolant temp overheat warning. temp on the cyl head read 250 at that point, oil was also at 250. I let the car sit, Honeybadger and I crawled around and did a short visual inspection nothing appeared out of place. I was roughly 2 quarts of oil low, but still on the dip stick. Oil did leak onto the belly pan (mainly passenger side) and none got on the track and the coolant expansion tank is still filled to just below max and is not cloudy or murky.

After a few hours and a tow home I started the car, it struggle bused the crank (low compression) but did start and then ran badly. For the minute or so I let it cough and sputter there was no ticking, knocking, rattle... no abnormal mechanical noises. No new liquids dropped either.

So.... Could this be a blown head gasket? I have googled a bit and it seems possible the valve cover seals, and intake gasket can leak, also you can blow an oil passage only on the head gasket? Also what are the odds that the block + head survived this incident? What else can I check for sans a lift?

I am at a loss on this one. Sure I am going to have it towed to the dealer or even potentially carmax its still within factory warranty and I have carmax warranty too.

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[ShatterPoints]

Here is the last 1-2 minutes of the run. Listening back there is maybe some rattling just before the front straight? I can't tell if it is something mechanical or the exhaust of any of the cars in front.



I obviously was not WOT because of traffic and if anything was suuuper lazy with the throttle. the rattle sounds bad, maybe but then there is no more rattle when I am on the throttle and when I started the car a few hours later.

 

[K4fxd]

I couldn't hear it, lap top, could it have been detonation?

 

[ShatterPoints]

I couldn't hear it, lap top, could it have been detonation?

Potentially, if that were the case. My car is completely stock. What would cause detonation that bad? I've run at COTA a few times before with the same configuration with zero issues. This day was colder and wetter too.

 

[K4fxd]

What would cause detonation that bad?

Hard to say. Many things could have caused it. It's warranty so probably will never know.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Prior to my HPDE I made sure my oil levels were topped off, and during a track day I do not consume much oil. In total DD + Track days I have gone through 2 quarts in 14 months.

At the end of my 3rd session for the day today I came onto the front straight and when I applied throttle the car was way down on power. I coasted at 3500-4000rpm in 3rd and watched all my gauges as I pointed people by. Then for a second or 2 there was a large puff of smoke out of the tailpipe then nothing. The car felt like what I would liken to limp mode in others, just down on power. Cyl head temps were 210-215 and oil temp was 250. As I pulled off the track the car cough sputtered then died. I then got a low oil pressure warning. While waiting to be towed back to the paddock I also got a coolant temp overheat warning. temp on the cyl head read 250 at that point, oil was also at 250. I let the car sit, Honeybadger and I crawled around and did a short visual inspection nothing appeared out of place. I was roughly 2 quarts of oil low, but still on the dip stick. Oil did leak onto the belly pan (mainly passenger side) and none got on the track and the coolant expansion tank is still filled to just below max and is not cloudy or murky.

After a few hours and a tow home I started the car, it struggle bused the crank (low compression) but did start and then ran badly. For the minute or so I let it cough and sputter there was no ticking, knocking, rattle... no abnormal mechanical noises. No new liquids dropped either.

So.... Could this be a blown head gasket? I have googled a bit and it seems possible the valve cover seals, and intake gasket can leak, also you can blow an oil passage only on the head gasket? Also what are the odds that the block + head survived this incident? What else can I check for sans a lift?

I am at a loss on this one. Sure I am going to have it towed to the dealer or even potentially carmax its still within factory warranty and I have carmax warranty too.

Have you done a compression test yet on each cylinder? If so what were the readings?

Are there any DTC’s stored?

Is it possible the CPS took a shit, because if or when it does, it does it at most inoppturne times and the car will not run right, if at all. To replace the CPS, the trans has to be dropped.

 

[ShatterPoints]

Have you done a compression test yet on each cylinder? If so what were the readings?

Are there any DTC’s stored?

Is it possible the CPS took a shit, because if or when it does, it does it at most inoppturne times and the car will not run right, if at all. To replace the CPS, the trans has to be dropped.

I don't have a scan tool. Been lazy about that. If the cps goes would that cause a seal to fail and result in an external leak?

 

[SmokinAces]

Hey @ShatterPoints , sorry to hear about your dilemma. That sucks man. Was intently waiting to see what you came up with, for a custom coil spring setup.

 

[ShatterPoints]

Hey @ShatterPoints , sorry to hear about your dilemma. That sucks man. Was intently waiting to see what you came up with, for a custom coil spring setup.

Pending teardown // diagnosis I might still be on schedule for the suspension setup. At worst it will be a set back till January or so. Not optimal but hey.

 

[mattballislife]

Prior to my HPDE I made sure my oil levels were topped off, and during a track day I do not consume much oil. In total DD + Track days I have gone through 2 quarts in 14 months.

At the end of my 3rd session for the day today I came onto the front straight and when I applied throttle the car was way down on power. I coasted at 3500-4000rpm in 3rd and watched all my gauges as I pointed people by. Then for a second or 2 there was a large puff of smoke out of the tailpipe then nothing. The car felt like what I would liken to limp mode in others, just down on power. Cyl head temps were 210-215 and oil temp was 250. As I pulled off the track the car cough sputtered then died. I then got a low oil pressure warning. While waiting to be towed back to the paddock I also got a coolant temp overheat warning. temp on the cyl head read 250 at that point, oil was also at 250. I let the car sit, Honeybadger and I crawled around and did a short visual inspection nothing appeared out of place. I was roughly 2 quarts of oil low, but still on the dip stick. Oil did leak onto the belly pan (mainly passenger side) and none got on the track and the coolant expansion tank is still filled to just below max and is not cloudy or murky.

After a few hours and a tow home I started the car, it struggle bused the crank (low compression) but did start and then ran badly. For the minute or so I let it cough and sputter there was no ticking, knocking, rattle... no abnormal mechanical noises. No new liquids dropped either.

So.... Could this be a blown head gasket? I have googled a bit and it seems possible the valve cover seals, and intake gasket can leak, also you can blow an oil passage only on the head gasket? Also what are the odds that the block + head survived this incident? What else can I check for sans a lift?

I am at a loss on this one. Sure I am going to have it towed to the dealer or even potentially carmax its still within factory warranty and I have carmax warranty too.

Dude, I had a similar issue happen to me this weekend. Except I was on the second warm-up lap of the first session of the entire weekend.

I was coming out of the bowl at chuckwalla in third and off the gas. Next thing I know my engine was vibrating pretty badly, I lost oil pressure and my car was puttering along.

I was able to slowly drive off track. Once I parked her in the paddock and turned the car off the oil came gushing out.

We put the car on stands, removed the under cover and looked around. Filter was fine, plug was fine, everything was connected.

Had to tow it back home 140 miles and the initial diagnosis from the dealer is that they expect to find a rod in the oil pan.

 

[ShatterPoints]

Called around to a few ford dealerships. None had availability until June 30th to start looking at the car. So I took it to carmax, hoping to cheese a faster diagnosis. The quote from the tech was that there is no oil in the car and it is clearly an issue with internal oil consumption.

They stopped whatever diagnosis they were doing and called me since they did not want to void Ford's warranty. They also found a dealership which can get the car in for diag next week. So I'll be in hurry up and wait mode.

This is definitely a strange twist. How could there be no oil? but the oil and coolant temps remained fine and oil pressure did not drop until seconds before the motor sputtered and quit.

-More to come

 

[SmokinAces]

Called around to a few ford dealerships. None had availability until June 30th to start looking at the car.

that is unreal. What are they so busy doing? Are they short on manpower? Which dealership are they planning to send it too?

 

[09cs]

Called around to a few ford dealerships. None had availability until June 30th to start looking at the car. So I took it to carmax, hoping to cheese a faster diagnosis. The quote from the tech was that there is no oil in the car and it is clearly an issue with internal oil consumption.

They stopped whatever diagnosis they were doing and called me since they did not want to void Ford's warranty. They also found a dealership which can get the car in for diag next week. So I'll be in hurry up and wait mode.

This is definitely a strange twist. How could there be no oil? but the oil and coolant temps remained fine and oil pressure did not drop until seconds before the motor sputtered and quit.

-More to come

Is anything showing on the dip stick? I'm assuming you checked the oil after this happened?

 

[ShatterPoints]

Is anything showing on the dip stick? I'm assuming you checked the oil after this happened?

Yes, Kevin and I looked at the dip stick. There appeared to be a small amount on the very bottom. Not just residue, I got my oil changed less than 500 miles ago. Oil was just below the second fill hole. I have not experienced any sort of oil consumption like this in the year I've had the car.

 

[ShatterPoints]

Also no oil was found leaking from the filter. Everything appeared to be snug with no externally obvious issues.

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