MACS Service Reports - 2016 - MAR8

to do with them breaking.
Unnecessary component replacement is something we
deal with on a daily basis as an industry, and adds a tremendous amount of time, effort and cost to many of the
repairs we perform. Sure, there's always going to be that
defective part that shows up on occasion, but more often
than not it comes down to not fully understanding how
a particular system works, taking the time to research
system operation, or learning how to properly diagnose
the cause of an issue that results in this unnecessary extra
work.

Staying on top of new systems as they come out can
help you prepare for the day you see these vehicles roll
into your shop. Right now we're seeing many changes
taking place in A/C system design with the adoption of
R-1234yf refrigerant amongst an ever growing number of
OEMs. Keep your shop in the loop, and stay connected
to MACS as we continue to Follow yf and bring the most
advanced, up-to-date A/C service information and training to our members and technicians around the world. ■

OVERHEATING... AT 10°F
We've all seen plenty of vehicles come through the service bay with engine overheating conditions; let's just call
it par for the course in automotive service. Normally we see
these vehicles during the peak of summer when some aging,
clogged or worn out part is restricting heat transfer. But even
during the bitter cold temperatures of winter, you do occasionally get those overheat jobs.
Some newer Ford vehicles may exhibit a cold weather
overheating condition, particularly the 2013 Fusion with the
1.6-litre gasoline TDI engine. It's an intermittent problem
that generally occurs at cold ambient temperatures (below
10°F) and on top of that happens while moving at highway
speeds. There will also be two trouble codes stored in the
PCM: P0217 for an Engine Coolant Over Temperature Condition and P1299 for Cylinder Head Over Temperature Protection Active. Pretty bland-sounding trouble codes, for sure.
Because it's an intermittent issue, it's not likely that you'll
"see" the problem while the vehicle is in your bay. Also, in
order to verify the customer's concern, you'll need to take
into consideration the conditions under which the problem
happens. This means you'll need to test the vehicle during
pretty cold temperatures and at high speed, which may or
may not be possible depending on ambient conditions. You
might first think that during highway driving in the cold
of winter there would be enough low temperature ram air
flow to prevent an overheating situation, but not in this case.
This appears to be due partially to an issue with the PCM
Calibration. Ford has issued a TSB (14-0228) to address this
concern, and has included as part of their service procedure

to reprogram the PCM to the latest calibration using IDS release 93.03 or higher, along with replacing the coolant bypass solenoid valve.
But before jumping to the bottom line repair, be sure to
follow all steps in the bulletin. Both codes P0217 and P1299
need to be present in the PCM for this repair to apply. Also,
check the coolant level and condition; if the level is low or
the system has been "topped off" with the wrong type, it
would need to be corrected first. Another item to check out
is the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor, specifically looking at the terminals in the harness side of the connector. It
can't be said enough that OEMs rely heavily on ECT data,
and anything that could cause incorrect readings needs to be
addressed as part of your service procedure.
There are two other steps that Ford spells out, and these
involve commanding operations with the IDS scan tool. The
first has to do with checking for proper High and Low Speed
Cooling Fan operation. Makes perfect sense, too, but is a step
sometimes missed. If the fans are not functioning properly,
there's no way for the PCM to properly control engine coolant temperature. The second has to do with an item that's
relatively new to many service techs, and that's the active
grille shutters. They're designed to improve a vehicle's fuel
economy by reducing drag, making it more "aerodynamic."
But if they're not functioning properly, they could restrict air
flow across the condenser / radiator assembly, hindering
cooling performance. Keep in mind though that not all Fusions were built with these shutters, so this step may or may
not apply. ■

MACS Service Reports is published monthly by the Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide. It is distributed to members of MACS Worldwide
and is intended for the educational use of members of the automotive air
conditioning service and repair industry. Suggestions for articles will be
considered for publication, however, MACS Worldwide reserves the right
to choose and edit all submissions.

Editors:
Elvis Hoffpauir, Steve Schaeber
Production Designer:
Laina Casey
Manager of Service Training:
Steve Schaeber
Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide
P.O. Box 88, Lansdale, PA 19446
Phone: (215) 631-7020 * Fax: (215) 631-7017
Email: membership@macsw.org * Website: www.macsw.org

Unless otherwise noted, all photos/art by author.

March 2016

MACS Service Reports

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MACS Service Reports - 2016