tsb08-24-05.pdf

 

Just FYI I have gone 116,000+ miles in my 2005 FEH and have never changed the fuel filter ever. This is an "if needed" item in my book, and is not necessary at any specific interval.

If you think I'm lucky and just buy from a station with clean gas, think again.
I have bought gas for my FEH in more than 35 states, and almost never get gas from the same place twice since I travel weekly for work.

 

I just had to have the MECS replaced on our '07 FEH at 91k miles. Prior to our Christmas trip, the wife and I both noticed an audible whirring/grrring noise infrequently when the vehicle came to a stop ICE off. I thought it was the MECS based on my readings here.

An hour and a half into our 3.5 hour Christmas pilgramage my suspicions were confirmed. While travelling 70mph with cruise on, 500 lbs of family and cargo, up a slight incline on the highway, engine rpms near 3000, the dreaded red triangle and "Stop Safely Now" popped up. The vehicle shut itself off at 70mph! A little unnerving, but I had full control of brakes and steering and pulled onto the highway shoulder without any drama. I put it in park, turned the key off, waited a few seconds, turned the key, and it started right back up. No warning messages, no red triangles, just a nervous family. I still had battery assist so we continued on at 65 mph and a slightly colder cabin temp (I thought it may help cool ambient temps around the battery). Another 30 minutes later, same occurrance - vehicle shut off, red triangle, message. The same restart procedure worked and we continued on at 60mph. Made it the rest of the trip drama free and had a really nice relaxing holiday with family.

The problem happened only once on the return trip home with nearly exact same circumstances - cruise on, 65 mph, going up slight incline on highway, motor rpms near 2800, 600 lbs of family and cargo (it was a good Christmas!). This time the unexpected shutdown was nearly disasterous. It had snowed 12 inches and although the roads were plowed and completely dry there was a wall of snow on either side of the highway - no safe spots to stop! We coasted as far as we could and just did make to the only exit within an eight mile stretch of road. I safely got completely off the road, restarted, and continued at 55 mph. This time I noticed reduced electrical assist/regen and the engine fans were running at stops (I don't remember ever hearing them run, even in the summer - they're loud!)

Took it to local dealer and they pulled codes POA1D and POA3E. Diagnosed as a bad MECS pump and replaced under extended warranty the next day for $620. The part was 5M6Z-8C419-A and listed for $281; labor was $288.

Hopefully this info may help someone experiencing similar issues. Bottom line is the pump was making irregular erratic noises prior to failure.

 

Mine is making those noises now at 33k miles. I've started to monitor the motor electronics temperature on the ScanGauge.

 

Add me as a +1 for a MESC pump replacement. 08 FEH FWD 68,293 miles

Noticed on Friday that the front fans were running 100% even after having been idle/parked for a long time. No unusual noises from the pump itself. I have had a few instances where the pump was louder than usual but not in the last 3-4 months. The last tank and the current tank were low by about 3-4MPG but I excused that as the wife has been running the A/C 100% since local temp. has been in the 80s with really high pollen counts.

Left early Saturday morning for a 600mi round trip. Got about 60mi from home before the first Stop Safely Now message and power cut. Stopped and cycled the switch, engine started and we were off again. 3-5 minutes later, Stop Safely Now message again. I got out and tapped on the MECS pump while my wife turned the switch on. I felt the pump vibrate and within 15 seconds the front fans kicked off (or at least slowed to the point it was not noticeable over the Interstate noise). I turned around and drove 70 minutes back home, without incident. Swapped vehicles and called my local Ford dealer on the way back up the road. Setup appointment for 7:30am, Monday. Brought a printout of the TSB from post #11 (thanks, wptski). Call from Service Department later in the day that pump had been ordered and would be in Tuesday morning. Picked car up around noon on Tuesday. $100 deductible from ESP was the only charge. Also got a Multi-point inspection and fluids topped off with that.

Invoice reports the following:
Found Codes: P1A0D P0A3E - 082405A OVERHEATING
Part Number: 5M6Z*8C419*A KIT - WATER PUMP REPAIR

Also worth noting that the there is another line:
GBATT BATTERY PASSES LOAD TEST AND INSPECTION

I do not have a SCANGUAGE, although it would have been nice to know/report the temp's during the issue.

 

Chris, good report, thanks for the info.

What level of ESP do you have that covered this repair?

Looks like the ESP's come at four levels, Powertrain, Base, Extra, and PremiumCare. None of them specifically list the MECS pump as a covered item, although PremiumCare is an inclusive policy and doesn't specifically exclude it.

Also, has anyone observed on a SG how the MeT behaves as the MECS pump begins to fail? What's the temperature limit that will trigger the warnings and shutdown?

 

Mine is the PremiumCare. 72mo/100,000mi with $100 deductible. Price was a little over $1050 from myfordwarranty.com

 

Here's an interesting link on the pump replacement. Don't remember seeing it here before.
http://blog.yagelski.com/2011/02/for...ric-motor.html

 

I wonder if the new (smaller) MECS pump was introduced in the 2009 model? I know that my original MECS pump was of the old style (much larger than the replacement). I have a Job 1 '08. Anyone out there with a post-Job 1 '08 (easy to tell, does your steering wheel have buttons on both sides, if so, you've post) have time to look at their MECS pump and see if it's bigger than a 16 oz cola bottle (old) or about the size of a large fist (new)? Anyone with an '09 that might check for us?

 

I replaced the MECS in our 97 at about 70k miles. Got the part at Rock Auto and replaced it from instructions at http://blog.yagelski.com/2011/02/for...ric-motor.html

Symptoms were as follows:

Louder than normal pump noise noticed about 4 weeks in advance
Cooling fans on more than usual (NC temp was about 40-50ºF)
Wife was driving when engine quit with "Stop Safely Now" message at week 3. Lucky she was only 1 mile away.

The MECS pump was not working when she drive it home. Pulling on the connector started the pump working again.

After replacement I took the old one apart and found the motor area full of brush dust. The brushes were totally worn and there was almost no pressure from the springs to enable them to contact the commutator.

Since there's no additional external electronic switch (only two wires) I suspect Ford just went with another brushed DC motor. It will fail again but MTBF is probably higher than the original motor.

Cost = $200.
Pump $180. Shipped to my door
Coolant $20. At local Autozone

-R