Service Engine Soon icon, car inop, only once

[mwr]

One time yesterday after I started the car, there was no power available in Drive or Reverse; it was just like the car was in Neutral. Then I noticed an "engine" icon in the top of the left screen. I turned off the engine, started it again, and everything was fine. That's the only time it has happened in 2 1/2 years and 32,000 miles. The icon and text from the manual is below. Any ideas about that?

 

I ran a Vehicle Health Report today and all was OK.

Edited February 19, 2017 by mwr

[stlouisgeorge]

Good bet you left the gas station with the fuel door open or ajar. This will cause a trouble light on most cars these days. The reference to the word "fuel" in the manual is a dead give-away.

Edited February 19, 2017 by stlouisgeorge

[mwr]

Good bet you left the gas station with the fuel door open or ajar. This will cause a trouble light on most cars these days. The reference to the word "fuel" in the manual is a dead give-away.

I last got gas four days and many miles prior to the "event". Still running on that tank of gas and haven't checked the gas door during that time (hadn't thought about that until your post).

[DeeCee]

Back when I had my 2013 FFH I had something similar happen when I got in the car, started it and put it in Drive. I suspect I was just in too big a hurry and selected Drive before the ready to drive notice came up on the left screen. Did a restart and all was well again.

[Timewellspent]

Do you have push button start? I'm betting you hadn't stared the car. Didn't have your foot on the brake when you hit start and you were just in accessory mode until you hit it again to turn it off and then had your foot on the brake when you hit start again.

[stlouisgeorge]

I last got gas four days and many miles prior to the "event". Still running on that tank of gas and haven't checked the gas door during that time (hadn't thought about that until your post).

I have at least a decade of experience with this issue. Multiple cars (but somehow just one wife). The light will probably go off in a day or two. I am not saying you don't have a problem that your dealer should examine. I can say thousands of people every week take their car in for the "check engine light" and find out their fuel door was open.

 

The "Check engine light" (or as Ford calls it the “service engine soon indicator”) has been puzzling drivers for years. It’s all about the EPA and regulations for keeping your car from releasing harmful gasoline fumes into the air. A fuel door emitting gasoline is toxic to the environment after all..

 

Make some warm milk and click on this link to an EPA document entitled On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) Regulations and Requirements: Questions and Answer. It will explain everything and help you get to sleep. It's a gas to read..

 

Or.. re-read page 160 and note item 3.

  The fuel fill inlet may not have closed properly. See Refueling (page 156).

Things to know.. The "service engine soon indicator" can also light up if you drive your nice car through 12 inches or more of flood water (again.. bad for the environment.). It's a great way to get a salvage title..

[mwr]

Do you have push button start? I'm betting you hadn't stared the car. Didn't have your foot on the brake when you hit start and you were just in accessory mode until you hit it again to turn it off and then had your foot on the brake when you hit start again.

Don't have push button start.

[mwr]

I have at least a decade of experience with this issue. Multiple cars (but somehow just one wife). The light will probably go off in a day or two. I am not saying you don't have a problem that your dealer should examine. I can say thousands of people every week take their car in for the "check engine light" and find out their fuel door was open.

 

The "Check engine light" (or as Ford calls it the “service engine soon indicator”) has been puzzling drivers for years. It’s all about the EPA and regulations for keeping your car from releasing harmful gasoline fumes into the air. A fuel door emitting gasoline is toxic to the environment after all..

 

Make some warm milk and click on this link to an EPA document entitled On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) Regulations and Requirements: Questions and Answer. It will explain everything and help you get to sleep. It's a gas to read..

 

Or.. re-read page 160 and note item 3.

  The fuel fill inlet may not have closed properly. See Refueling (page 156).

Things to know.. The "service engine soon indicator" can also light up if you drive your nice car through 12 inches or more of flood water (again.. bad for the environment.). It's a great way to get a salvage title..

 

>The light will probably go off in a day or two.< The light/icon went off and didn't come back on right then when I turned off the engine and then restarted it.

 

Haven't read that yet, but I guess it's possible that the fuel door wasn't properly closed (but OK enough for all starts except that one).

Edited February 20, 2017 by mwr

[lolder]

You didn't turn the key far enough or long enough to "start" the car. There's nothing wrong. Since you don't usually hear the starter, it's easy to do. You don't have an emissions or fuel door problem. The early 2010 FFHs had only a small green car icon in the lower right of the instrument panel to show it was on. It was easy to miss as was the "engine" icon. A software update added a large green car icon with a "Ready to drive" for three seconds on the left side of the display after starting.

Edited February 20, 2017 by lolder

[Timewellspent]

Don't have push button start.

 

I'm still guessing you didn't have the car turned on and it was just in accessory mode. Try and see if the display looks the same as when you had the issue by only turning the key part way.

 

[mwr]

 

I'm still guessing you didn't have the car turned on and it was just in accessory mode. Try and see if the display looks the same as when you had the issue by only turning the key part way.

 

You (almost) nailed it. According to the manual, there are four positions for the key. 0-Off, I-Accessory, II-On, III-Start. What it doesn't say is, if you turn the key only to the II-On position, you can move the transmission lever to all positions but without any power to the wheels. I don't think it should work that way; I think the transmission should stay locked in Park. But that's the way my car works, and I'm sure that's what I did.

[Texasota]

You (almost) nailed it. According to the manual, there are four positions for the key. 0-Off, I-Accessory, II-On, III-Start. What it doesn't say is, if you turn the key only to the II-On position, you can move the transmission lever to all positions but without any power to the wheels. I don't think it should work that way; I think the transmission should stay locked in Park. But that's the way my car works, and I'm sure that's what I did.

Your post prompted me to read the section in the owner's manual about emergency and RV flat towing. From what I could tell from those sections in the manual it behaves that way to enable towing. There may be other important reasons also.

[Waldo]

That's pretty much how ever car in the history of the world before push buttons has worked. How else could you get it into neutral to push it around?

[mwr]

That's pretty much how ever car in the history of the world before push buttons has worked. How else could you get it into neutral to push it around?

You know, you're right :-)