'00 Sable-Air intake manifold exploded!!!

[lgoldson]

When to start the car this morning and the intake manifold (composite material) on 24V Duratec engine exploded, shut off the car immediately (to keep any further material from being sucked into the manifold) and scratched my head. Anyone other than me experience this problem?

[Purplesnake]

My wifes 2000 Sable (24 valve) did the same thing!!!
Dealer said they had never heard of such a thing and said that Ford had no reports of that ever happening. (ours was 7/16/03)

What did your dealer say?

We are having additional problems now! It will be running down the road just fine and all of a sudden start missing and shaking and die! The techs (?) say they don't know what it is because the computer doesn't tell them. I say it's the computer (ECM) but they won't replace it because THEY have to pay for that.

[Dan_in_WA]

Here's my guess:

An intake valve hung up on your engines; it didn't close and when the compression stroke came around, the air/fuel mixture got pushed back into the manifold. Then the spark plug ignited it through the open valve, and voila! Or should I say, BOOM!

A sticky valve will account for a rough running engine, too. Does your car act up under certain conditions (such as too warm), Purplesnake?

Please let me know what you find, guys. My mom drives an Escape with one of these.

Thanks.

[lgoldson]

I got these guys to pay half of the cost of repair, which was about 560$.
and I got the same line about the first time ever hearing about it. and it happened about the same time frame. let me know how u made out.

[Purplesnake]

In theory the stuck valve would create the reaction as described. But it would also have caused some clearance probs with the piston and left me with aditional problems like a bent valve, then again, it may have decided to close just BEFORE the the piston hit it, and just after the plug had actually ignited the charge as it was headed for the intake. BOOOOOMM!!!

NOPE!!

I still contend it is the ECM. THEY are now saying it's the fuel pump.! ????? This is after they replaced #6 coil (because the "computer" showed a 16% mis-fire). That did not "fixit"-same operating conditions. Then they had a "tech" take it home for the night and, Viola---he almost didn't make it! Then he gets back to the shop and nothing shows up on the computer!! And for some reason they deduce that #2 coil is bad! (Remember, I'm paying $300+ per coil because the have determined that coils were "maintainance items" and NOT covered by the "Premium Extended Warranty" 90K/10-06)
They get #2 coil in and go for a shake-down, Hmmmmm, still not right! Must be #1coil

They now have me for nearly a grand, the car has been in the shop 13 of the past 15 days!!

Replace the ECM, Give me back my car, and wait to hear from my attorney.!!!!!!

[Purplesnake]

Actually they sprung for the whole thing on the Intake.

As of late Friday afternoon, they decided it must be the fuel pump?
I'm sorry a fuel pump going bad would not make the engine misfire and behave like it was out of time.

NO MORE FORDS!!! As soon as they get it running, it's gone! It's time for a Dodge Magnum HEMI !!!

[drdisque]

ford dealers are shysters, I never go to them, they don't know how to fix their own cars

somethings not right in that valvetrain and they're too lazy to go in there and look.

[Cvlo]

My Daughter's 2000 Sable did the same thing this morning. She turned the key to start the car and a loud explosion came from under the hood of the car followed by smoke. When opening the hood we discovered the intake manifold had a huge hole blown out of it and was cracked all around.

My husband seems to think it was caused by burning cheap (low octane) gas in it. She has been burning the regular unleaded gas because the prices has jumped up so high.

[drdisque]

all tauri are tuned to run on regular, the problem lies elsewhere