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View Full Version : 1997-2003 Ford 7.3 Engine Cam Position Sensor Recall


sigo'suite
12-06-2007, 02:17 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071206/ap_on_bi_ge/ford_recall

All owners of 7.3 Ford Diesel engines will be interested in the above link.
Having had one on my 2001 which did carp out on me, I can tell you that when it goes it just dies and you are left dead in the water.

bstark
12-07-2007, 01:07 PM
Ron: Cam Position Sensors can fail as you say but they can also display a number of other symptoms such as:

Idle surging, speed changes while driving, hard starting, sudden drop in economy with extra fuel usage, among others. The catastrophic failure means that your engine can die suddenly leaving you piloting a vehicle with no power steering or brakes and 65 mph traffic bearing down on you. The most prevalent failure, however, is failure to start with engine cranking as normal.

I give Ford credit for issuing this recall as any number of gas/diesel engine manufacturer's use cam position sensors to relay information to ECM's (engine contol module's) as part of their engine management systems and they can ALL suffer from failure from time to time.

I carry a spare for my International DT530E as it is a relatively simple changeout with it being positioned right on the front of the engine and one 10m/m bolt ro remove.

sigo'suite
12-07-2007, 05:56 PM
Bruce, I agree. And mine in fact exhibited an erratic behavior before failure. I was able to restart and get to the garage before it quit completely as I was about a mile from there. I was fully expecting it's failure at some point, because I was aware of the problem and it's symptoms.

I too applaud them for "finally" stepping up to the plate. It has been common knowledge for a long time that this problem existed, I guess it finally became apparent that it could be extremely hazardous if it happened at an inopportune time during a driving event.

I fully expect that at some point down the road we will see a recall on the Ford "Integrated Brake Controller" (IBC).

JMO - everyone has one. Having said that, I still would buy another Ford, because of the "Big Three", IMO they still make the best "truck"

jwbups
12-07-2007, 11:08 PM
I read the post and went to the Ford site regarding the recall. I phoned the 866 phone number earlier today and explained I had a 7.3 liter engine in my F350. The recall had said F450 & F550 models so I was not sure if my truck was on the recall list. The Ford rep stated it was on the list and I should be getting a letter in the mail around the 17th of december. I explained that I was leaving right after Christmas for Florida and did I need a letter. He gave me a list of dealers near my house and I called and the part was replaced this afternoon. The Ford rep will need your truck ID number when you call them,to see if your truck is on the recall list.

sigo'suite
12-08-2007, 06:17 AM
Good deal Jim. Mine which failed was on an F-250; so I think it pretty much applies to all 7.3's. across the board.

Motor31
12-08-2007, 11:01 AM
I was wondering if the F350 was a deliberate omission or just a mistake on the recall. I figure a significant percentage of those engines are in the F350's.