Is this a simple wiring problem or embedded chip fault? See italicized paragraph.....

18 March 2000

Ford recalls 3,000 cars following engine oil mishaps

By ALAN O'KEEFFE, The Irish Independent, Ireland

MORE than 3,000 owners of Ford Focus cars in Ireland will be asked to bring their vehicles back to their dealers for technical modifications.

Ford is notifying owners of more than 120 Focus cars registered last year and this year to bring them back to replace the oil filler cap and carry out other engine compartment checks on vehicles with the 1.8 or 2.0 litre Zetec petrol engine.

And owners of some 3,250 Focus cars with the 1.6 litre Zetec SE petrol engine, registered in 1999 and 2000, are subject to a recall to have the cars' powertrain control modules re-programmed.

In some 1.8 and 2.0 litre Zetec vehicles, the oil filler cap may come adrift and allow a quantity of oil to be deposited throughout the engine compartment. A revised specification oil filler cap will be fitted to prevent this happening.

Ford garage staff will also do a check of the engine compartment of 1.8 and 2.0 litre recalled Zetec vehicles to ensure wiring harnesses are correctly routed and to clean or replace any components which may have been affected by the spillage of oil from the oil filler neck.

In 1.6 litre Zetec SE vehicles, it has been established that some models may experience temporary loss of engine power due to a programming fault within the electric unit that controls the engine. Ford dealers will re-programme the powertrain control module to correct this fault.

There have been no reported injuries attributed to either of these conditions.

Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by mail to arrange with their dealers to have the parts inspected and, if necessary, replaced at no charge.

Last night, Cyril McHugh, chief executive of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, said the recall move by Ford emphasised the importance of the dealership franchise system in Ireland. Most makes of cars have been recalled at some stage in their history and it shows that the quality assurance system operated by manufacturers and dealers works very well, he said.

He said cars are now highly specialised and highly trained technicians operating diagnostic equipment have replaced the old image of the mechanic weilding a wrench.

The growing intricacies of the modern car underlines the importance of having highly trained staff in each dealership locality.

http://www.independent.ie/2000/77/d02a.shtml

-- Lee Maloney (leemaloney@hotmail.com), March 18, 2000