About 2 weeks ago my 3rd intercooler went south, no big deal.

I called my local dealership told them another one went south and they where nice enough to order a new one on warranty work. I didn’t even have to drop it in for a diagnostic check. So I drive around for a week sometimes with water in the intercooler sometimes not, anyway no drop off in performance that I could tell neither way. Do we even need the intercooler, I know what its role is and I just question its effectiveness stock?

I got a call last Friday that 2 intercoolers came in one normal and one campaigned by Ford. I asked what does campaigned by Ford mean, and I was told to call my service agent. No help there.

Now the interesting part, I dropped my truck off on Tuesday at 10am and I rent a car for 3 days on the advice of the service agent. Well at 5pm I get a call that the truck is ready and the intercooler has been replaced as well as 3 other warranty issues, not bad for 7 hours work. I asked my service agent about the second intercooler and he said that it was for another truck; at first I thought it was a lower intercooler free-be.

Well I just got back from a small street fight with one of those LS400 things and I could barely keep up, WTF? I pull into an empty parking lot for a quick performance check and I can’t even spin the tires from a dead stop, I mean not even a chirp? Is this the Lightning that dropped a Z06 up to 100 (OK I only beat him by a foot)? I reset the computer and I have the hottest custom chip in also I can pull the bogus 10 psi.

Now this is just speculation but how did they do all of this work in just 7 hours and what is a intercooler campaigned by Ford? I wonder if this is a preliminary TSB replacement intercooler installed by SVT engineering? I’ve heard that the replacement intercooler could be a performance de-enhancement. I can't see a intercooler degrade the performance of an engine this much, no mater how bad it’s designed.

I forgot to add this tidbit, I can not hear my Magnaflow exhaust system anymore? Probably because no air in no air out?!?

Heads up, I hope I’m wrong, if not it’s probably going to cost me $10k to move up to a 01.





[This message has been edited by lgogether (edited 04-07-2001).]

 

That is indeed disheartening news. Stopped by my dealer today to make an appointment to get my tranny fixed, and while I was there paid a visit to the parts department to see if they had any word on the i/c that is on back-order for me. This is supposedly the new and improved (?) model that I have waited six months for, as I told them I did not want to replace it with the oem piece of crap and have to do it all over again. Anyway, the parts manager told me that the i/c had shipped, but he couldn't locate it and would have to call Ford Monday, after which he would let me know. I'm hoping that it is the new one so I can get all the work done at once, but if I experience the kind of performance reduction you describe I will get rid of the sumbitch, and I sure won't be getting a Ford product to replace it. This is only the second Ford I have ever owned. I had a 1980 Mustang which was one of the worst vehicles I ever owned. It was a death-trap. The brake bias was so bad that just tapping the brakes could send you into a spin. I looped it twice, once on the freeway, and sold it within a year for less than half of what I paid for it. Said I'd never own another Ford, but got seduced by the lure of the Lightning. So now I have the prematurely worn tires because the front end won't stay aligned because 1) the bean counters said forget the cam bolts, and 2) don't secure the A-arms so they don't move. And a tranny that doesn't shift right (and don't tell me the shift kit caused it, a shift kit can do nothing but firm up the shifts and reduce wear on the tranny). And, of course, the dreaded intercooler leak. Maybe Sandy has the right idea, with the Audi. I have to have a truck to pull my boat, but I'm pretty sure the Toyota V-8 will do the trick, and get better than 9 mpg, too.

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I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

'84 Alan Record Carbonio, Aerospoke wheels, Campy brakes.

'00 SVT Lightning, silver, built 2/9/00, #133 of 4966, G-tech Pro, JBA headers, 4.10 gears, Swanson chip, Pro-M, NGK plugs, carbon drive shaft, Roadmaster suspension kit, TransGo shift kit,
13.39 @ 102.5

2001 Kevlacat 2400, twin 115 Evinrude FICHT, Raytheon VHF, radar, autopilot and GPS chartplotter/fishfinder.
http://www.zing.com/album/?id=429389...4647875&idx=15

gmvye@pacbell.net

 

Just a thought but maybe your chip needs to be reburned? For diff Air fuel ratios? Just a thought.

 

One thing that I found was the air box air sensor disconnected and tie strapped to another cable, once connected it runs better but still anemic down on bottom.

Raining today so I can’t reduplicate the same test as last night.

 

Alphadoggy: I can feel your pain. I do empathise with you, and am sure sorry one has to go through that kind of aggravation and uncertainty. I been a bit stressed lately, and the L sale was one of the steps I made to reduce stress anywhere I have the power to do it. Of course now I have a larger car payment.

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Sandy (Spider) Scott
Skydive69@msn.com
Apopka, Florida
99 White Lightning #2091 DOB 6-8-99
Airaid air box (S&B Filter) & Superchip
Kills:
Last 4 generation Mustang GT's (Including Cobra)
Audi S4
Dodge R/T
IROC Z

 

Did they change your plugs and o2 Sensors ? If not your power loss may be there..

Doug

 

Also your cats, I don't know what antifreeze turns into after it goes thru your motor but I bet it looks like something that would plug a cat. And after 3 coolers it sounds like it has had a fair amount of antifreeze run thru it.
Just a thought
Dale

 

I live South and I never see those parts that are supposed to be heading my way!!!

 

Thanks for everyone's suggestions, but it ran like he11(great) in the morning that I turn it in and 7 hours later it runs like ****?

Even if they didn't change the O2, sparks, or cats it ran great when I turned it in? When I turned it in, I had to be real careful in traffic, I could press the throttle about ½ - ¾ inch and the whole front end of the truck would lift. The lifting phenomena occurred after I installed the Flowmasters. I would describe it the same as others have describe the feeling after installing an oval throttle body. Now I have to press the entire throttle 1/2 way to the floor to make a half *** launch.

I also suspect that for less than 7 hours work you don't get the sparks, o2, and the cat full deal meal.

For a lack of better words, I can some how feel the truck struggling to breath, it just doesn’t sound right? In my mind I can some how see a sticker still attached to the intercooler radiator, thus blocking the airflow.

 

A friend of mine who reads this board but seldom post had the same thing happen to him. He took it to Covert Ford in Austin. He told them the truck was not to leave the lot. When he got it back it had 49 miles on it!!! I guess every mechanic that works there got to take it on a test RAG! He says his run like **** now. How do we keep them from joy riding, and what do you do when you get your truck back and will not run like it did the day before? By the way the truck has 2?,000 miles on it and has always been bone stock.


Jerry

 

You should take it back to them and have them check over everything. If they missed the 02 sensor then they maybe missed other things aswell. If after that it is still the same then dyno it and take it back again. I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee that went in for warranty work. When I got it back it was overfilled with oil by over a quart. It did not seem as fast. A jeep fast you say, well 0-60 in under 7 secs, not bad for a Grand Cherokee. Well it turned out they had the intake gasket on the wrong way and it was drawing air. Best of luck with your L, Keep us informed.

James

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2000 Lightning Silver frost
Clear corners (Front only)
PSP Intake, JDM Chip, Bed Rug, Snuglid

 

I think we've been shown the future fix for our I/C. I just don't know which vehicle to buy after I sell the L. I bought this problem plauged truck, because I couldn't find anything else worth buying. The f-body's are at least quick, but my god are they UGLY. Maybe a Honda S2000, just no room.
I guess its back to square one: either a '69 convert firebird 400, '70 GTO convert, or a '89 911...
Allright Ford, if you do read these boards, you will notice how many people are looking to sell your product and will not be return customers. How 'bout a real fix!

sorry to steal your GIF Badbolt, I couldn't resist.




[This message has been edited by Redneck Ferrari (edited 04-07-2001).]

 

For some reason every time I read about I/C problems my head hurts. I mean I s$ck at math but I'd have an easier time understanding college level trig being taught to me by a prof from Bejing who spoke no English before I could grasp just what the hell is going on w/ the I/C saga. I just had mine replaced a week ago,the service manager claimed this was THE "fix". Nope,same part # as the original. So I called him back and asked what it would take for me to get THE fix whenever it was made available. The SVT service manager at this dealership said "give me a day and I'll find out". He called back the next day and informed me that according to SVT THE fix would be ready b/w Mid May and the end of June and all of the 99 and 00 owners would be notified via a letter that they were to upgrade to this "new" unit at no charge,covered under warranty even if we were past our warranty coverage. Sounds so very quaint doesn't it?

I hope to Thor(god of Lightning n' Thunder ) lgogether,that you DON'T have the "NEW" I/C unit. That sounds selfish I know,but for all of us waiting for THE "fix" we sure as H#LL don't want this to be it! Loss of power? No big throaty sound from the exhaust? Fruck that! If this is what they consider a "fix"...Well...Where is that Audi dealer anyway?!?

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[This message has been edited by Hitman31 (edited 04-08-2001).]