Ford Transit Custom RAIN INGRESS INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT

[gaswaves]

The Dealers Reply from where I purchased the vehicle from is: (09/04/15)

"The Service Department say that the inside of the bonnet is not watertight on any vehicle. The components under the bonnet which need to be watertight are watertight so there should not be an issue.
I had requested from them written confirmation that no further modification exists but they are "unsure of what you wish us to do"


From my visit to the Commercial Vehicle Show at Birmingham having shown the photographs and explained the problem the response from Ford is:

" On further investigations into your query, I have had confirmation that your vehicle is working to design intent as has been explained. If in the unlikely event of a manufacturing defect, you have a comprehensive warranty to ensure that your vehicle is covered during this period. Please address any future concerns to our Ford Customer Relationship Centre. We now consider this matter closed."

So there you have it, from the Dealers and from Ford themselves.

I will send my photographs of my vehicle and correspondence to the Motor Manufacturers Association, as well as BBC Watchdog for their input.
In the meantime, would all readers who have experienced this water ingress under the bonnet keep updating this page to show support.
I can only personally believe that future problems will arise as a result.
Thanks Alan of Gaswaves. email: gaswaves@hotmail.co.uk

[keeff]

I have made a cover for the drivers side it was very easy and protects servo, all belt driven parts and horn. Just need to paint over the earth connection next to horn on chassis
I will take a photo tomorrow and post

I am still waiting for a replacement fuel tank they have given me a date. February 2016 Renault must be loving these ford vans

[Marcob]

Am I reading that right? You won't get a replacement tank until Feb 2016?
What was wrong with the original tank?

[keeff]

I ordered my van with a 95 L tank but got a 80 l and they are getting a date of Feb 2016 at the moment. Ford customer services are looking into it for me
The van needs a new fuel gauge but I want to wait till they can do the tank at the same time
I did have a ABS control unit go and it was replaced the next day so some parts are available and that is the reason I have coved the electrics under the bonnet

[sezyal]

I am very happy with Ford service here. They fix anything and everything and almost for free.

[customal]

I have made a cover for the drivers side it was very easy and protects servo, all belt driven parts and horn. Just need to paint over the earth connection next to horn on chassis
I will take a photo tomorrow and post

I am still waiting for a replacement fuel tank they have given me a date. February 2016 Renault must be loving these ford vans

Can you do the pics ?

[keeff]

I used a old camping mat
It stays in place on it own and been tested up to speed limiter
It would look better in black may be ford could make some and post to owners

[Fredd]

Hi Gaswaves,

After reading your post, I thought I'd share my Transit custom experience so far.

Two weeks after purchasing a 2013 custom in January this year I started getting intermittent "immobilisor faults", normally every other morning or so, preventing me from starting for at least 40 mins but sometimes two days.

I was sent away from Trust Ford initially as they believed someone had undertaken unwarrantable repairs on the wiring. This is unlikely as looking over the vans history of warranty work, there is a very long list of replacement parts/repairs, as recently as an ABS control unit replacement in December, it must have spent more time in the garage than on the road.

Anyhow, after not working properly for several more weeks, not starting some days and having numerous "engine malfunction" fault codes and going into limp mode when it did start, I made a complaint with customer relations and had it booked for further inspection at a different Trust Ford dealer. Fortunately, this time they did some diagnostics and have found only one particular fault code which shows water ingress into a BCM unit that controls the glow plugs, this is apparently located behind the dash near the glove box. Now then, according to Trust Ford and the customer relations, water ingress in the wiring loom is only covered under warranty for 1 year! Not the three years I thought all defects were covered for. I was extremely annoyed to hear from the trust Ford service counter employee that this is a reasonably common fault in the Customs they have in and yes it is a design fault and does seem unfair. Before I was made to pay for the inspection...

Unfortunately I purchased the van privately but at 35000 miles and roughly half way through a three year warranty I thought it was pretty safe. But I am kind of stuck with this so I am now trying to fix the problem myself and have found the exact same situation of the water pouring directly down the right side of the windscreen and straight onto the ecu and various plugs and wiring. They could not have got water on the electrics more accurately if they had tried! It has obviously tracked its way down the loom and into that module inside the van.

I'd be interested to hear how you get on with your inquiries, or if you or anyone could give me some advice, especially regarding how to get the moisture out of the module (if this is possible) when I do locate it. I think I will also fashion some kind of plastic cover for the plugs and ecu to try and keep water out.

Thanks

SEALER al around the window gap. Stop the water befor it gets in.....

[Fredd]

I ordered my van with a 95 L tank but got a 80 l and they are getting a date of Feb 2016 at the moment. Ford customer services are looking into it for me
The van needs a new fuel gauge but I want to wait till they can do the tank at the same time
I did have a ABS control unit go and it was replaced the next day so some parts are available and that is the reason I have coved the electrics under the bonnet

proberly because the water damage ABS control!

[Veki007]

Rubber seals there is plenty on web just to find right size http://sell.lulusoso.com/upload/2012050 ... _Seals.jpg

[customal]

[/quote]
SEALER al around the window gap. Stop the water befor it gets in.....[/quote]

what would be wrong with clear silicon where the water runs behind windscreen ?

[Veki007]

SEALER al around the window gap. Stop the water befor it gets in.....[/quote]

what would be wrong with clear silicon where the water runs behind windscreen ?[/quote]
It would be very difficult to remove windscreen if need for replacing

[Mario92]

I took a video of the rain ingress and showed it to the dealer. Their response was that they can do nothing about it and if something goes bad then the warranty covers it.

I uploaded the video to youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uGMIenn6K0

[sparker000]

Nice clear video, thanks. Makes it much easier to see where the main problem with water ingress is. Not the plastic area at all. I don't have my custom yet but looking at this I will be making mods too catch the water and drain it with pipes through the engine bay. It looks like the water is channelling down to a small stream so I would be looking to catch it there. With the amount of water pouring in I won't wait to see if Ford are going to modify this, it sounds like they are happy that the electrical connections and ECU are sealed well enough to see the vehicle through it's warranty, so that's good enough for them.

[Loobyloo]

Hi

Just found this thread and wondered if anything ever came from your attempts to get Ford to admit their design flaws on the Transit Custom? I bought a SWB Custom trend Dec 2105 new which has only done 26k to date and it's just in the garage again (now out or warranty!) for yet another electrics problem. It's already had two trip for similar issues and had the black box replaced- water ingress put down to faulty sealant on the windscreen letting water in.


This time the dealership think it's coming in from the wheel arch......really?! Was always suspicious of what they told me about the cause of this problem and now having read up a bit more am even more so. Just about to do battle to find out much it's going to cost me this time round but as the thing would't even start had no choice but to take it in again. Safe to say won't be buying a Ford ever again and wouldn't recommend one either, all the electric gizmos are fine until they aren't and something goes wrong.

Have just ordered some amazing (apparently) water proofing spray used for motorbikes and will probably try covering it up with something plastic too to try and keep it dry, which is not easy in this country to be honest!

Can anyone recommend another van manufacturer that may have given more thought to basic design requirements as it's clear Ford haven't!