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Ford Escape Mazda Tribute Maintenance and Repair

4133 messages,  Last post on Mar 24, 2013 at 5:59 AM

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Messages Page 414 of 414

#4132 of 4133 Can unplugged DPFE lead to EGR blowout? by zpb52

Mar 18, 2013 (8:41 am)

Saturday, my wife took her 2004 Ford Escape V6 in for an oil change at a locally-owned Mobil 1 franchise. The car was running beautifully before she took it in. When she left, she noticed the engine was acting a little funny and the Check Engine light was on, so she wheeled back around to the oil change place and inquired. The technician told her that it's possible some water got in the engine during the oil change or that the oil level hadn't fully been recognized by the car and that could've led to the check engine light, but regardless, she should take the car to their affiliated auto shop a few miles away for a tune-up. They reset the check engine light and sent her on her way, saying that if the light came on again, to take it into their shop to figure out what may be causing it.
 
After running a few errands, an hour or so later, her car suddenly wouldn't climb a hill and there was a loud hissing sound coming from under the hood. She pulled over. lifted the hood and noticed that there was an electrical wire hanging loose (we later learned, after some online research, that this was the electrical wire leading to the DPFE sensor).
 
We left the car on the side of the road and I took her back to the oil change place, where she proceeded to give the technician a piece of her mind, asking what could have happened and pointing out the unplugged electrical wire in the process. The technician explained that he didn't know of anything they did wrong and that the hissing sound may have something to do with the vacuum seal being knocked loose during the oil change. He said he didn't know what wire we were talking about and why it would have been unplugged. (But anyone who has ever lifted the hood on a Ford Escape would be able to see the DPFE wire unplugged -- it's right on top in the front.)
 
We called a tow truck and after talking to the driver for a few minutes, he took a look under the hood and noticed the blown EGR valve (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpb52/8568114381/) and told us what it was.
 
We had the car towed to a reputable local shop that we've used in the past, and the head mechanic there said he's never seen an EGR fail in this manner since he's been working with them. We did find a photo online of another EGR valve that failed in nearly the exact same manner (http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t561_ds512410).
 
So -- the question I have is -- Can the unplugged DPFE sensor lead to the blown EGR? Is it possible the DPFE was unplugged accidentally (perhaps knocked loose because of its proximity to the oil well), or would it have to deliberately be unplugged? Why would someone unplug it during a routine oil change?
 
We are going to approach the owners of the oil change place once we are billed for the repairs about "making it right", because we fully believe their negligence (or possibly foul play) led to this failure, and we may pursue legal action thereafter if they refuse to cooperate. Any advice on this front would be appreciated as well.
 
Any help any of you could provide would be fantastic. Thanks.

#4133 of 4133 Re: Can unplugged DPFE lead to EGR blowout? [zpb52] by libertynh

Mar 24, 2013 (5:59 am)

Replying to: zpb52 (Mar 18, 2013 8:41 am)
Except for the oil change I had exactly the same problem. What caused the the DPFE and EGR problem was excessive pressure. What caused the execss pressure was a plugged rear catalytic convertor. What plugged the rear convertor was interior of one of the front converters. What caused the front converter to come apart was excessive heat from burning raw fuel. What caused raw fuel was a misfire on one cylinder due to a failed ignition coil. I have replaced the rear catalytic converter, the EGR valve and the DPFE and am driving the car. I have not yet tackled the front converter.
Seems pretty likely your situation is the same. There are lots of reports of this occurrence on the web. Ford probably should have reconsidered a utility vehicle that can't sustain a misfire especially one with plugs that are not accessible.

Messages Page 414 of 414

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