Sensor failings. You could have one too!

[Marvinmadman]

A small shop rag caught all the fuel that sprayed out. Just wrap it around the fitting as you unscrew it after you break it loose. I used 12mm and 15/16" wrenches. Both the line and sensor are SS, so that's why the threads might gall so easily. Luck of the draw because no antiseize is used from the factory.

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[Cardude99]

Just confirmed my 18 has the old BA sensor. I guess I need to purchase the new one for piece of mind.

 

[TorqueMan]

man screwing mine out totally chewed away the threads! it was completely bound and there was no going back, hopefully I can get a new fuel line fast..
used the 12mm and the 24mm as instructed.

Sorry to hear about that. Can you give us more details? Was there any visible corrosion or contamination on the threads? Any evidence of thread sealant? Was it just the threads in the fuel line that were damaged, or were the threads on the sensor damaged too? Do you think the threads were damaged by removing the sensor, or were they possibly damaged during initial installation?

This is the kind of problem I worry about when someone suggests a "simple" repair. If the part is malfunctioning, by all means replace--you really have no choice. But if it ain't broke...

Well, you know the rest.

 

[Marvinmadman]

It's still a simple fix for him with another line. JS.

If it ain't broke, wait for it to break and hope you catch it before it leans your fuel mixture to the point of...

Well, we know the rest.

 

[Manders Mustang]

It's still a simple fix for him with another line. JS.

If it ain't broke, wait for it to break and hope you catch it before it leans your fuel mixture to the point of...

Well, we know the rest.

If it aint broke, fix it when you buy a new moto for 5k, because you cheaped out and didn't want to attempt/try a preventative measure for a few bucks before it exploded.



That said; slow and steady wins the race with removing these things it seems - lets nt go shagging our fuel rails threads.

 

[Redcruzer]

As a service tech for complicated electrical mechanical devices for nearly thirty years ( non automotive) I’m a trust but verify kind of guy. This fuel sensor thing is interesting and I’ve been following it for awhile now wondering if there is really something to it as these systems are complicated and one failure can often imitate another and these things can be hard for a tech to track down for many reasons. I think Juben’s work is as close as we’re going to get anytime soon and I truly appreciate him sharing with us. Coupled with mounting Facebook failures claiming the sensor is the issue, I think there’s a very good chance that there’s something to this. I can’t imagine hearing anything from Ford unless legal feels their already screwed so I’m past the tipping point and ordered my sensor last Friday and will be installing it this week.

 

[Cardude99]

When you swap out the sensor is it necessary to remove the back seat and disconnect that plug or can that be skipped? That is one thing holding me back, that and I'm stock so I'm going to wait until I start to mod.

 

[MakStang]

No you don’t have to. Simply wait for the car to completely cool down (I would wait overnight) and you will have almost no fuel coming out while unscrewing the sensor.

 

[Marvinmadman]

I did my swap about 5 minutes after shutdown. Small shop rag soaked it up and didn't spill a drop. Maybe a couple tablespoons if I had to guess.

 

[Regs]

Bout to stick my foot in mouth -- I now have a CEL and taking it in tomorrow. Engine seems to be running fine though. It has a FP tune. I will let you know what they discover.

 

[TorqueMan]

It's still a simple fix for him with another line. JS.

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. Then she swallowed a spider to catch the fly, then a bird to catch the spider, then a cat to catch the bird...

Every repair is simple until something goes wrong.

If it ain't broke, wait for it to break and hope you catch it before it leans your fuel mixture to the point of...

Well, we know the rest.

Does anyone have evidence beyond speculation that a malfunction of this device is the primary cause of their EcoBoom? I understand people claim to have data logging a lean condition, which can certainly lead to catastrophic engine failure, but is there any evidence that the failure of this sensor was the primary cause? Has a failure of one of these sensors caused an engine failure on a stock motor?

I still have nearly 50k miles/4 years of warranty remaining on my car. In my case, if this device malfunctions and causes an engine failure then I get a new engine. That seems preferrable to CAUSING damage attempting a "simple" repair, thereby providing Ford a reason to deny a warranty claim.

My weighting of the pros and cons may certainly change depending on what I hear from Ford, or after I'm out of warranty. For now, I'm willing to let Ford take care of required engine repairs.

 

[Marvinmadman]

That works for you. Many of us are tuned and would like to eliminate this potential failure for a cheap $20 bill. I swear I feel a difference in power delivery with the new sensor in place.:shrug:

 

[joeint]

I swear I feel a difference in power delivery with the new sensor in place.:shrug:

I'm with you I swear I feel a power difference with the new sensor. I had no problem before I changed the sensor. I let the cat sit overnight and used a 12mm and a crescent wrench no wd40 it came right off with no gas at all. Two-minute job now I have a little piece of mind.

 

[Marvinmadman]

Another thing I try to avoid is a shop monkey working on my car at all. That's a big roll of the dice if you ask me. Nobody will do a better job replacing my engine than I will. Loaner cars are not my cup of tea either.

 

[Turbong]

This is turning borderline insane, who would even want to even go through the process of having a blown motor on the side of the road, waiting through the process, making sure they do it right the first time to get your car back on the road. The part is 20 dollars, at worst you strip it out and you buy the whole line for 40 bucks, this isn't rocket science, you're not replacing some aftermarket sensor from JMS to be like "there is the culprit of why we denied your warranty", and what tech would even look at a stock sensor for let alone investigate a genuine sensor as a cause for denial? Doesn't make any sense, you far more likely to get denied by changing your own oil that's how small chance is.



The only way I can see an issue is 1 you over torque it causing stripping and fracture

2, you don't hold the line properly in the process.




For install it is recommended you do it when the engine is completely cool and line is depressurized, also there is less chance of stripping since metal expands when hot. Spray small amount of WD-40 let it sit for a few minutes. Now when attempting to unscrew with the socket make it's not at an angle, you want to be perfectly flush and also make sure you're holding the 12mm wrench tight, once it breaks free you should be able to unscrew by hand. Since no one can find torque specs you simply torque it back to the same position it was in before, prime the line by pressing the on/off a few times without actually starting the car. Obviously once you start it up check make sure no fuel is gushing out also do check for the next few days to make sure and you're pretty much done, one of the easiest jobs you can do with a little common sense.

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