[Klarmanj]

So maybe you guys know more than I do about this stuff as I've been reading.
So I was at a dead stop, was turning left and according to my brother I was on the accelerator pretty hard near the end of the turn. After some reading from all you guys it seems like it will throw the wrench to prevent turbo overboost? When it threw the wrench on the dash I couldn't accelerate like at all and idle seemed pretty rough, thought I needed to get it towed. Turned the car off then back on again and the wrench went away and it felt normal. So my questions are what do I do at this point? Do I take it to a dealer? Should I still be able to drive it like normal? Etc.
Thanks for anyone who assists with these questions in advance!

 

[Engineer]

So maybe you guys know more than I do about this stuff as I've been reading.
So I was at a dead stop, was turning left and according to my brother I was on the accelerator pretty hard near the end of the turn. After some reading from all you guys it seems like it will throw the wrench to prevent turbo overboost? When it threw the wrench on the dash I couldn't accelerate like at all and idle seemed pretty rough, thought I needed to get it towed. Turned the car off then back on again and the wrench went away and it felt normal. So my questions are what do I do at this point? Do I take it to a dealer? Should I still be able to drive it like normal? Etc.
Thanks for anyone who assists with these questions in advance!

Hi @Klarmanj ,

There have been a few people on here who have run into this problem (including me). In my personal opinion, based on my experiences, plus reading a lot, is that most likely this is a battery problem. As in, your battery is likely dying.

You should probably scan for codes, because that's always a good idea (if you don't have a scanner already, buy one, and carry it in your car at all times--this is true for any modern car).

But I think there's a high chance your battery is going out and needs replaced. These cars have all kinds of crazy problems if the battery starts to fail, because everything on the car is computer-controlled, and with that many electronics all over the car just can't behave correctly once the voltages aren't good. And remember, we have a Battery Monitoring System so even if the car is running, it's not like old cars, you're not always running on alternator. You can be running on battery at any time.

The other thing, and I'd only consider this after the battery (and the code check), is you might need to clean your fuel system. Some of us have had luck running Techron through the system. I will tell you right up front though, Ford doesn't advise that; they say not to put any additives in, right in the manual. But some of us are comfortable as long as we understand what's going on and what we're doing, and have made that decision, and it has worked well. So that's your call. But again, my bet would be on the battery first. By a wide margin.

 

[Klarmanj]

Hi @Klarmanj ,

There have been a few people on here who have run into this problem (including me). In my personal opinion, based on my experiences, plus reading a lot, is that most likely this is a battery problem. As in, your battery is likely dying.

You should probably scan for codes, because that's always a good idea (if you don't have a scanner already, buy one, and carry it in your car at all times--this is true for any modern car).

But I think there's a high chance your battery is going out and needs replaced. These cars have all kinds of crazy problems if the battery starts to fail, because everything on the car is computer-controlled, and with that many electronics all over the car just can't behave correctly once the voltages aren't good. And remember, we have a Battery Monitoring System so even if the car is running, it's not like old cars, you're not always running on alternator. You can be running on battery at any time.

The other thing, and I'd only consider this after the battery (and the code check), is you might need to clean your fuel system. Some of us have had luck running Techron through the system. I will tell you right up front though, Ford doesn't advise that; they say not to put any additives in, right in the manual. But some of us are comfortable as long as we understand what's going on and what we're doing, and have made that decision, and it has worked well. So that's your call. But again, my bet would be on the battery first. By a wide margin.

So you would suggest getting a scanner and checking for any codes that may be stored and if no codes are found to replace the battery?

 

[Engineer]

So you would suggest getting a scanner and checking for any codes that may be stored and if no codes are found to replace the battery?

Oh you'll find codes. There's no question about it, you're going to have a lot of codes. Probably a lot of "communication lost" codes but I'd be more interested in anything related to the electrical system, engine, anything like that. What you do from there kind of depends on the codes you have, but just keep in mind if the battery is failing anything can happen. So when I say your battery is likely going out and can cause all kinds of strangeness, I really mean that. Others on here can (and probably will) confirm what I'm saying on that.

 

[Klarmanj]

Oh you'll find codes. There's no question about it, you're going to have a lot of codes. Probably a lot of "communication lost" codes but I'd be more interested in anything related to the electrical system, engine, anything like that. What you do from there kind of depends on the codes you have, but just keep in mind if the battery is failing anything can happen. So when I say your battery is likely going out and can cause all kinds of strangeness, I really mean that. Others on here can (and probably will) confirm what I'm saying on that.

So would you suggest not driving it until I get that all figured out? Or do you think it's safe to drive even afterward it seemed like normal?

 

[Engineer]

You're the only person who can make a decision about your own safety (and the safety of others who might be affected). That's your call. In my case, I drove the car to go get a new battery, and I drove it to get some Techron to put in the tank. After that I never had a problem again.

Just be aware if it happened once it could happen again, and be ready for it. Remember you lose a lot of control of the vehicle when you lose power. Also, we don't know what's causing it in your case, although I do strongly suspect your battery.

If you chose to just bring a new battery to the car, or even have it towed (careful though, it's AWD so make sure you follow the instructions in the manual so you don't destroy your drivetrain), I would completely understand. I would never fault anybody for making making a decision to maximize their safety.

 

[Klarmanj]

You're the only person who can make a decision about your own safety (and the safety of others who might be affected). That's your call. In my case, I drove the car to go get a new battery, and I drove it to get some Techron to put in the tank. After that I never had a problem again.

Just be aware if it happened once it could happen again, and be ready for it. Remember you lose a lot of control of the vehicle when you lose power. Also, we don't know what's causing it in your case, although I do strongly suspect your battery.

If you chose to just bring a new battery to the car, or even have it towed (careful though, it's AWD so make sure you follow the instructions in the manual so you don't destroy your drivetrain), I would completely understand. I would never fault anybody for making making a decision to maximize their safety.

Thank you!!

 

[Klarmanj]

Oh you'll find codes. There's no question about it, you're going to have a lot of codes. Probably a lot of "communication lost" codes but I'd be more interested in anything related to the electrical system, engine, anything like that. What you do from there kind of depends on the codes you have, but just keep in mind if the battery is failing anything can happen. So when I say your battery is likely going out and can cause all kinds of strangeness, I really mean that. Others on here can (and probably will) confirm what I'm saying on that.

Update: Took the car to a local auto shop and had them scan for codes.... surprisingly they said there wasn't any. I explained the situation and how it popped up but went away when I restarted the car, they said it may have been a one instance thing that happened when I was almost flooring it around a turn. Still thinking of making an appointment at a local ford dealership to have them look at it and let me know if they see anything. I honestly don't know what to do at this point lol probably going to drive it still but take it easier.

 

[Engineer]

Update: Took the car to a local auto shop and had them scan for codes.... surprisingly they said there wasn't any. I explained the situation and how it popped up but went away when I restarted the car, they said it may have been a one instance thing that happened when I was almost flooring it around a turn. Still thinking of making an appointment at a local ford dealership to have them look at it and let me know if they see anything. I honestly don't know what to do at this point lol probably going to drive it still but take it easier.

That's really strange that there are no codes. I'm a little surprised, because any time you get a wrench light that's usually a pretty serious situation (overboost or something similar) so there would basically always be some codes. I wonder what happened. That's interesting though!

 

[Klarmanj]

That's really strange that there are no codes. I'm a little surprised, because any time you get a wrench light that's usually a pretty serious situation (overboost or something similar) so there would basically always be some codes. I wonder what happened. That's interesting though!

Yeah it surprised me as well. Does the wrench indicator usually stay on? Im wondering since mine went off after a restart if it was my bar basically telling me "Don't do that or ill die" kinda warning lol

 

[Engineer]

Yeah it surprised me as well. Does the wrench indicator usually stay on? Im wondering since mine went off after a restart if it was my bar basically telling me "Don't do that or ill die" kinda warning lol

The wrench light basically means there's a problem with either the powertrain or drivetrain in the vehicle. So something engine, transmission, or AWD-related. It's the PCM saying "I see a code for some failure in something that could affect the car's ability to move". It's by definition pretty serious, but depending on the nature of the problem, the wrench light could go away on a restart, and potentially never come back (depending on what had caused it). I know in my case, once I resolved the issue by replacing the battery and running a bottle of Techron, I never saw it again. And that's been quite a while ago now. The car has a lot of self-protection systems, so if you see that light, the car is usually doing what it can to protect itself.

I've seen this when people have an overly-aggressive tune on the car and push excessive boost. Are you sure your car is stock? We've had people who bought a used FFS and found out it had a tune on it. I know that happened to @maydk65 and there may be others.

Still shaking my head a little about how there were no codes though. Was it a Ford dealer you took it to? Different scanners have different capabilities. Remember our cars have a number of different networks (CAN buses) on them, and not all scanners can read all those. So if the codes are on a network the scanner they have can't read, they just won't see them.

 

[Klarmanj]

The wrench light basically means there's a problem with either the powertrain or drivetrain in the vehicle. So something engine, transmission, or AWD-related. It's the PCM saying "I see a code for some failure in something that could affect the car's ability to move". It's by definition pretty serious, but depending on the nature of the problem, the wrench light could go away on a restart, and potentially never come back (depending on what had caused it). I know in my case, once I resolved the issue by replacing the battery and running a bottle of Techron, I never saw it again. And that's been quite a while ago now. The car has a lot of self-protection systems, so if you see that light, the car is usually doing what it can to protect itself.

I've seen this when people have an overly-aggressive tune on the car and push excessive boost. Are you sure your car is stock? We've had people who bought a used FFS and found out it had a tune on it. I know that happened to @maydk65 and there may be others.

Still shaking my head a little about how there were no codes though. Was it a Ford dealer you took it to? Different scanners have different capabilities. Remember our cars have a number of different networks (CAN buses) on them, and not all scanners can read all those. So if the codes are on a network the scanner they have can't read, they just won't see them.

I would think it would be stock lol no mention about a tuner or having a tuner in the car anywhere, I guess I don't know for sure, I guess they could have just taken the tuner out and left the tune on, don't know how I would check that anyway. I didnt take it to a ford dealer no, was gonna see if they saw any codes before taking it into a ford dealer to see. I think even though they didn't find any codes I am going to take it to a ford dealer and see what they come up with. Pretty sure I still am under the 60k powertrain warranty or however many miles or long it is lol

 

[maydk65]

Depending on the code thrown, some codes are cleared if you turn off the engine and restart. But, as @Engineer stated, not all code readers can read all the modules. I know for a fact that the readers they have at the auto part stores can't read most hard codes.

 

[Klarmanj]

Depending on the code thrown, some codes are cleared if you turn off the engine and restart. But, as @Engineer stated, not all code readers can read all the modules. I know for a fact that the readers they have at the auto part stores can't read most hard codes.

Thank you both! I am going to look into getting an appointment at a dealer to figure it all out... Its driving about 95% ok. The other 5% would be small things like today when im accelerating it sounded rough shifting into a higher gear once, but thats the only thing ive experienced since the wrench popped up and went away.

 

[valerian]

A few years ago I got the orange wrench on when tuning right going out of the garage. I drove 1h with it, the car was behaving properly. The dealer did not found anything as the wrench was gone at the next restart.
I bought an ODBII reader and found a cylinder misfire message a few weeks after.
Now several years after it is an episode without importance for the life of my car.
The engine is behaving fine hopefully.

 

[Klarmanj]

A few years ago I got the orange wrench on when tuning right going out of the garage. I drove 1h with it, the car was behaving properly. The dealer did not found anything as the wrench was gone at the next restart.
I bought an ODBII reader and found a cylinder misfire message a few weeks after.
Now several years after it is an episode without importance for the life of my car.
The engine is behaving fine hopefully.

Everything seems to be running fine, it seems to just not like WOT around turns, so I've been taking it easy before bringing it to a dealer to have it looked at....I've never tuned the car so hopefully it's an easy fix and it's not from a previous owner tuning it without letting me know it's tuned lol

 

[Shawnski]

I experienced something similar but I’m hesitant to say it’s the same because I got a CEL not a service wrench warning. But going through a left-hand turn at heavy throttle would cause a stumble/stall then CEL. The car would recover after a quarter mile or so of part throttle, and the warning light would go away without registering a code. I’m fortunate to have a great dealership service department and after I told them it felt like back in the day when you had debris in the fuel filter housing and the dirt would slosh around and blind the filter on turns, we decided to do a Wynn fuel system cleaning. Solved the problem. It came back once many miles and months later, and since it was easy and affordable, we did another cleaning and solved it again. I haven’t had that problem since my local fuel station switched to top tier fuel. Seeing your car is also a 2017, carbon buildup could be an issue? Especially if you’re not the first owner, who knows what quality of fuel others may have used.

 

[Klarmanj]

I experienced something similar but I’m hesitant to say it’s the same because I got a CEL not a service wrench warning. But going through a left-hand turn at heavy throttle would cause a stumble/stall then CEL. The car would recover after a quarter mile or so of part throttle, and the warning light would go away without registering a code. I’m fortunate to have a great dealership service department and after I told them it felt like back in the day when you had debris in the fuel filter housing and the dirt would slosh around and blind the filter on turns, we decided to do a Wynn fuel system cleaning. Solved the problem. It came back once many miles and months later, and since it was easy and affordable, we did another cleaning and solved it again. I haven’t had that problem since my local fuel station switched to top tier fuel. Seeing your car is also a 2017, carbon buildup could be an issue? Especially if you’re not the first owner, who knows what quality of fuel others may have used.

Yeah I need to get everything flushed out and changed, I did the oil right away but the fuel system I have no idea when or if they ever changed anything

 

[okiriajoab1]

The orange wrench light came on for me this morning on my way in to work. I was on a long Swooping off ramp driving a bit hard when it came on. 3rd gear at about 3k rolling onto the throttle when the power slightly cut and this warning came on.

I know this is associated with a drivetrain/power train fault. Guess I'll have to plug it in on my lunch break to see what codes are stored. Has anyone else had this light come on?

It's still covered under the factory 3yr/36k and I've also got the extended 100k from Flood Ford. So most likely will be going in anyways.

I f

The orange wrench light came on for me this morning on my way in to work. I was on a long Swooping off ramp driving a bit hard when it came on. 3rd gear at about 3k rolling onto the throttle when the power slightly cut and this warning came on.

I know this is associated with a drivetrain/power train fault. Guess I'll have to plug it in on my lunch break to see what codes are stored. Has anyone else had this light come on?

It's still covered under the factory 3yr/36k and I've also got the extended 100k from Flood Ford. So most likely will be going in anyways.

Faced the same problem, but the isue was mixing fuel. I had to fill the tank with the usual fuel and empty the fuel filter cup