NHTSA Complaint #734940 — 1988 FORD RANGER

THIS PROBLEM OF THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPING FIRST OCCURRED DURING THE SUMMER OF 1990. I WAS ON INTERSTATE 70 DRIVING TO IN THE MOUNTAINS WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED. THIS WAS THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF ENGINE SHUTDOWNS THAT HAVE OCCURREDS CONTINUALLY SINCE THAT FIRST INCIDENT. THE SHUTDOWNS HAVE OCCURRED AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 25 MPH TO 75 MPH. THE USUALLY HAVE OCCURRED AT THE HIGHER SPEEDS ON A HIGHWAY DURING WARMER WEATHER, BUT THEY HAVE ALSO OCCURRED AT LOWER SPEEDS IN THE CITY---ALTHOUGH LESS FREQUENTLY. WHEN I FIRST CHECKED WITH A MECHANIC ABOUT THE PROBLEM I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE FUEL FILTER. REPLACING THESE DID NOT SOLVE IT. I ALSO HAD THE VEHICLE TUNED HOPING THAT WOULD SOLVE IT. SEVERAL TUNE UPS HAVE NOT HELPED. FINALLY, IN 1996 I WAS TOLD BY A FORD TRRAINED TECHICIAN WHOM I MET WHILE ON VACATION THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE TFI MODULE. JUST THIS SEPTEMBER I DECIDED TO HAVE THE UNIT REPLACE ( I HAD FOUND A GOOD FORD TRAINED MECHANIC WHOM I HAD BEEN TAKING THE VEHICLE TO FOR SERVICING AND A MINOR REPAIR THE PAST YEAR). HE REPLACED THE ORGINAL TFI MODULE AND THE STATOR ASSEMBLY WITH FORD FACTORY PARTS---TFI MODULE E6SZ-12A297-A AND THE STATOR ASSEMBLY E8PZ-12A112-A). TWO DAYS AFTER REPLACING THESE PARTS THE ENGINE QUITE WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30 MPH IN DOWNTOWN BOULDER, CO. I DID NOT LEARN THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN WAS THE RESULT OF THE TFI MODULE GETTING TOO HOT UNTIL I READ ABOUT THE PROBLEM IN THE NEWSPAPER. THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE SHUTDOWNS IS THAT THE TFI MODULE IS MOUNTED TOO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THAT AFTER 1995 FORD MOVED THE UNIT TO UNDERNEATH THE FENDER AWAY FROM ENGINE. I READ ABOUT THE JUDGE IN CALIFORNIA WHO ORDER A RECALL OF ALL FORD VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM (AUG 8, 2000) I WROTE FORD AND ASKED FOR A REFUND OF THE MONEY I SPENT REPLACING THE UNIT. I ALSO REQUESTED THAT IF REPLACING THE UNIT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT FORD SHOULD MAKE THE NECESSARY MODIFICATIONS TO FIX IT