Stump the mechanic

[Battis]

2020 Ford F150. 32,000 miles. I picked it up a few days ago. Great condition, but...
On the highway, hit the gas to accelerate, and there's a shimmy underneath. Take my foot off the gas, the shimmy goes away.
The dealer had it for the day and they checked everything. Everything. They finally figured it out.
Any guesses?

[Rickf1985]

Motor mount or transmission mount. With a third option of the center support bearing on the driveshaft.

[rockrat]

My thoughts also. Maybe just loose bolts on the transmisson mount

[Battis]

Nope.
It feels like driving on rumble strips.

[Finster101]

Torque converter lock up/shudder.

[cwtebay]

Let's see here....my 2020 had:
Vacuum issues
Missing motor mount riser
CV joint (X2)
And a cast defect in the spoke of a wheel!
Other than that - rock / mud in a wheel, tire size/ inflation discrepancy, wheel balance, broken air dam.
All have been a good reason for a shimmy in the F150 (including the 2020

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[Battis]

Torque converter lock up/shudder.

We have a winner. Good thing it's under warranty.
Apparently, the dealer checked everything listed here, and more.

[alfadan]

Seens if a torque converter is going to go out early, 30 to 40k seems like the magic number. Not the first I've of that.

[Battis]

OK, next (and last) question:
2016 Kia. Check Engine light is on. Car runs like crap. There's a recall on the catalytic converter. The owner went to a garage, the mechanic scanned it and said, it's the catalytic converter. Went to the Kia dealer and they said that the codes were erased, and without a code, they can't replace the recalled converter.
Can't codes be recovered?

One Kia dealer wants $3500, another wants $5000.
One dealer suggested straight piping it (FLA). Legal?

[Dave W.]

No, once the codes are erased they are gone, until the problem happens again and sets the codes again. Just keep driving the vehicle, if the cat is bad the codes will come back.

Depending on what is wrong with the cat, they could perform an exhaust back pressure test to see if it is plugged. The other test would be to observe the pre and post cat oxygen sensor readings - these will tell if the cat is doing its job.

However, with a recall, the manufacture probably wants to verify the code first.

Removing the cat is illegal in the US.

[Battis]

The dealer said it was clogged. They said she could drive it to get the codes to come back, but that might also ruin the engine.
A muffler shop said they could replace the converter for $500 - $1000.
She's 79 yrs old.

[cwtebay]

Sounds like the fix is more than the car is worth on the Kia!

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[Winger Ed.]

There was a problem with some Ford trucks called 'the death wobble'.
It had something to do with the front suspension.

I heard it was fixable, but some sort of design problem.

[cwtebay]

There was a problem with some Ford trucks called 'the death wobble'.
It had something to do with the front suspension.

I heard it was fixable, but some sort of design problem.

I thought that I had thee Death Wobble in a 2015 F250. Turned out that the left ball joint had gotten jacked up on a rock or something in the hills. Terrifying at 45mph, limped her home at 15.

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[HWooldridge]

I doubt a 2016 car will have a clogged catalytic converter. Maybe if it was 20 years old and you were running leaded fuel.

On the other hand…

If there’s a recall, drive it around for a day or two (try not to get stranded), and take it straight to the dealer. A code like that should show up pretty quickly.

[cwtebay]

Just saw this.


https://www.cars.com/articles/2012-2...0rod%20failure.

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[Battis]

That's the one. Just found this out - she called the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today, and they told her that since the recall goes back to 2019, Kia is no longer responsible for fixing it. They said it should have been done when the recall came out. She didn't even own the car back then.
Something ain't right...

[cwtebay]

That's the one. Just found this out - she called the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today, and they told her that since the recall goes back to 2019, Kia is no longer responsible for fixing it. They said it should have been done when the recall came out. She didn't even own the car back then.
Something ain't right...

Here's my advice - park it in a shady neighborhood overnight, preferably on a weekend with no street lights. Voila' problem solved! Err... stolen... but solved nonetheless.

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[Battis]

Similar to what I suggested.
I'd spend the $500 to $1000 and have the muffler shop replace it.

[Barry54]

The Ford limited slip differential additive is a great $20 treatment for the lock-up torque converter to help those who aren’t covered under warranty. It’s stinky like sulfur.