Limp mode at start up

[BubbaRacing]

About 10 days ago my wife's 2023 upon start up went directly to limp mode with a notification that said that the engine was overheating. The temp gauge was pegged. It was about 0* at the time. Luckily I have a 7 year plan and had hauled to the dealer. They couldn't find the problem and just reset it. Lasted 5 days. It was below zero again this morning and it has done it again. Has anyone else had this happen? I'm thinking that the battery is not providing enough power when it's cold and the electronics are not happy.

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[RSH]

I'm thinking that the battery is not providing enough power when it's cold and the electronics are not happy.

You should be able to get the battery checked for free at most any of the large chain auto parts stores, that would at least answer if the battery voltage is the cause of the problem.

 

[DWG]

Yes, get the battery checked. How much are you driving each day? Especially in the cold weather, If you are only taking short trips you may not be driving enough to charge the battery.

A quick google search mentions faulty thermostat stuck closed in the cold weather causing low coolant. Also mentions possibly a bad water pump or blockage in the cooling system. Considering the track record with the water pump in 1.5L engines I would get that checked. I think first step is to go back to he dealer and ask what they specifically did to check the sytems if it is not spelled out on the invoice.

 

[thomasm23]

How is the coolant level?

Have you ever added just water to the coolant reservoir?

By the way, you posted twice. Please delete your other post.

 

[BubbaRacing]

I haven't done a load test on the battery yet. Never added coolant and the level is good. If the thermostat is electric vs the mechanical type, that's a possibility. I've never taken anything anywhere to be fixed. I bought this one so I that I had something that I didn't have to work on after more than 45 years of figuring out and fixing other people's problems. Lol
I'm really trying to determine if this is something others have experienced. With the warranty I'm really trying to be hands off. Boy is it hard to do!
Thanks!

 

[TheX]

The dealer should have been smart enough to know to check the battery.

 

[cprcubed]

The battery or loose ground cable attachment (look at both ends) would be my guess. Cheers!

 

[Major Kong]

recalling vaguely familiar scenario
several occasions many years ago
seemed to occur only when temps hit winter time low point
could only point to thermostat malfunctioning
hypothesis
thermostat pellet reacts to coldest temp that season
pellet mechanics would shut to max closing point
pellet becomes "stuck" in closed position
now in your case
vehicle sits in the shop in a warmed atmosphere
pellet no longer hung up in tight closed position
operates as expected
my advice would be to consider a thermostat replacement

 

[TheDude]

I second Major Kong. I would be looking at the thermostat first.
Is there another Ford dealer you can go to? I live 1 mile from one, but take my car to a further one after they claimed my former Mustang had no problem....which turned out to be a cylinder 3 issue.

 

[Chiefthepup]

I’m just a guy, so take this with a grain of salt, but I’d be willing to bet your battery isn’t handling those colder temps to well and the voltage drop upon start up (also with thicker viscosity from those temps I would assume requires more battery load) causing the computer to be like whoa wait a minute sensors are reading weird

if it were me I’d plug in a trickle charger til it shows charged and see if it happens again.

 

[incavulator]

I'm not in agreement with the thermostat being the root cause.... at least not at initial startup, as was described by the OP.

If it's 0 degrees outside and the vehicle has been sitting for more than a few hours, that overheating message can't possibly be real.

It takes several minutes for the engine and coolant to get up to operating temp, especially at these cold ambients. It will take even longer to overheat. There's no way the system can go from 0 degrees to overheating in 3 seconds.

I agree there is an electrical issue somewhere. If it's intermittent, hopefully it will continue to get worse. These issues are very difficult to find when they're not actively misbehaving.

 

[incavulator]

Forgot to ask. Did you or the dealer check for fault codes? I assume there weren't any since you didn't mention it. .

One more thing. If the battery and battery ground check out, consider checking the ECT sensor and wiring. I have seen those read extreme temps when the circuit is open. If that were the case I'd expect a fault code, but it's possible if it was intermittent that the diagnostic didn't catch it.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

Forgot to ask. Did you or the dealer check for fault codes? I assume there weren't any since you didn't mention it. .

One more thing. If the battery and battery ground check out, consider checking the ECT sensor and wiring. I have seen those read extreme temps when the circuit is open. If that were the case I'd expect a fault code, but it's possible if it was intermittent that the diagnostic didn't catch it.

You could be right that makes sense.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

OP see Your other thread and what the guy said about the ECT[Engine Coolant Sensor].

 

[BubbaRacing]

I second Major Kong. I would be looking at the thermostat first.
Is there another Ford dealer you can go to? I live 1 mile from one, but take my car to a further one after they claimed my former Mustang had no problem....which turned out to be a cylinder 3 issue.

The reason I doubt the thermostat is that you could weld it shut and it would still bypass enough coolant, along with the heater core, in these subzero temperatures it could easily run for an hour without overheating. It threw the code and went to limp mode within 30 seconds. I know what you mean about another dealership!

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