new 10/30/02, updated 10/10/2003
1. VIN#s 1FALP54N3VA159405
2. Date of malfunction 8/29/02
3. Where did the malfunction take place (highway, city streets, driveway, parking lot, etc.) City Street
4. Odometer reading at time of malfunction 128000
5. How fast were you traveling? 35-45
6. Were you accelerating or staying at a constant speed? constant speed
7. Estimated date of purchase, new or used? Used
8. Estimated Odometer reading at time of purchase 400 miles
9. Full Name, address, and a good phone# to reach you at during the day and night. Il Kim; (removed by Buford)
10. Brief description of the time of events leading towards the malfunction.
(what did you hear and see before, during, and after the malfunction) Cam
sprocket apparently rotated relative to camshaft. Occurred at very light tip in
at 45mph, under 3200 RPM. Engine started missing, (running on 4 cylinders) and
loss of power brakes. Engine started overheating while driven 1/2 mile to find
parking lot . Dealer wanted $1500 to take engine/trans out to look at; estimated
costs at $3000 - $9000. Was told new engine is $13,000 and parts are hard to
come by. No issues found at 100,000 mile recommended tune up (done at
125,000mi).
I took car back to complained about engine missing. Confirmed missing w/shop
supervisor after originally told it was not missing. Was then told in needed #1
and #3 coils. Why wasn't this found at tune-up when intake manifold was removed
to replace plugs? Was told intake had to come out again.
11. Customer service phone # you called and the name of the person you talked to. (if you can remember) 1-800-392-3673 Claudel and others.
12. Did you feel satisfied with the answers customer service provided? Explain. No, no help in resolving situation.
13. Which dealership did you take your vehicle in for service? (name, address, phone#) Village Ford in Ann Arbor for tune up, Varsity Ford in Ann Arbor for cam failure (Village was close due to fire).
14. What was the cause of failure determined by the dealer? Yes, but printed record does not say "cam failure".
15. What was the cause of failure determined by you? Yes.
16. How much was your statement? (I hope you kept your receipt) Not fixed yet.
17. What can FOMOCO do to make you a satisfied Ford owner? Pay for repairs with new pinned/doweled/rolled cams.
Regards,
Il Kim
Chris, here is the info requested. Incidentally; great article in the
Free Press and comments on the website. I placed a complaint with NHTSA
today via there website www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
tel. 1/800-424-9393, but you probably already know about this. I cannot
believe NHTSA only had 4 complaints. Thanks!
Regards,
Il Kim
U231 VO FAE Launch Leader
Hi Chris. My ODI Number is 768996. I spoke to Ford Monday 10/28,
letting them know I would be contacting NHTSA and they logged the comment into
the file. The lady I talked was was unaware of the article in the paper.
Did not seem to make any immediate affect.
Thanks.
Regards,
Il Kim
U231 VO FAE Launch Leader
________________________________________________________________________
Larry! How can I post the following update to my original note (Kim - Cam Failure, written 9/13/02) on the website? I would like to show people it is possible for someone to fix their cam failed engine with some determination and assistance.
My hands are cut and my back is killing me from working 12 hours on the SHO yesterday, but after devoting all my spare time for the last 4 weeks, my '97 SHO is back on the road again! I wanted to let you know that after my SHO sat, killed, and sank into my lawn for 13 months, I decided to fix it myself. One 1 month later and with 8 new intake valves and 1 exhaust camshaft, this SHO is back on the road again! Yes, all four camshafts were hand delivered to Ray's and welded next door for preventative measures. Total cost roughly $1250 in parts, head work, and cam welding.
The SHO fired up on the first try last night with no leaks! I drove it in the dark about a mile or so last night and checked for leaks again this morning; none. Then I topped off the fluids one last time and drove 55 miles into work today! I forgot how smooth and quiet the engine was/is, and how well it accelerates. I still have to install the front lower air deflector, fender apron, r/s wiper blade, r/s vent screen, and engine beauty cover to call it a day.
I want to thank those who assisted me via e-mail and in particular, Glen Murdock and Carter Fujibayashi for all their help during the last 4 weeks; replying to my e-mails with information, forwarding shop manuals, and for their encouragement. Knowing there were and are people like this on V8SHO.com made it easier for me make the decision to tackle this on my own, with no
power tools. I don't think I will buy another East/West configured vehicle in the future.
With 128,700 miles on this SHO, I am ready for another 128,000! By the way Larry, please add me to the "high-mileage" club!
Thanks again to Glen and Carter and the rest of the people dedicated to V8SHO.com for the assistance!
IL KIM
Now that's what I'm talking about. From the ashes rise the SHO GREAT job IL.
Larry