tomtom52

My 2012 started flashing the service advtrac system and the brake light and trac control light would come on. It started this some where around 90 thousand miles. It would do it when ever I would make a sharp turn or a turn that would put a load on the front tire. Also if I stopped on gravel and the front tire locked up and slid some. If I turned the truck off over night the warnings would be gone. Since this is a work truck and a pain to have it out of service I never took it to have it checked. At about 104 thousand the front tire started grinding so I took it to Goodyear and they replaced the hub bearing assembly. No problems since. Guess the hub bearing had slack in it causing the problem.

dec_a21

I've had the check brake system and service advancetrac warning come on briefly in the past always just restated pickup and the were gone, this time they have stayed on. It's a 12, about 57000 miles, not looking forward to replacing a steering rack, trying to get it into the local ford service next week.

Neil4614a

Seriously, what the hell. Driving along on the way to get dinner with the wife and suddenly... NO STEERING! Luckily We were in town when it happened and only going about 25 mph, but we still almost crashed into the front of the Federal Court House before I could wrench it back onto the road. Thankfully there were no people on the sidewalk or ... If this would have happened on the way home it would have thrown us off a 120 foot embankment or into oncoming traffic. Having it looked at tomorrow, but Holy Crap, I am now scared as hell of this truck. What a poor design decision....

Phyer Phyter

How do you have no steering? Even if you lose power steering you are still connected by the steering shaft to the steering rack. You would still have steering but with out power assist.

Neil4614a

Right, it didn't happen. If you are expecting there to BE an assist, and suddenly there is NO assist it takes a real effort to keep it going right. What I'm saying is that it is surprising, and dangerous, and possibly deadly. But thanks for the support...

Cj7jeepoffroad

Same thing that would happen if you have a bad pump, blow a hose or break a drive belt on a conventional power steering setup. In a instant like this, the faster you are going the less effect it will have on you keeping the truck under control, the faster you go the less steering assist you need

acdii

This is true, drove a 67 C30 with elephant steering(This is why wheels were so big back then). At 30+ mph steering is light, but anything under 30 then you need to muscle the wheel. In our trucks if you lose power at a slow speed, the wheel is too small to really muscle it like the old trucks, and can be very difficult to control since you are NOT EXPECTING IT!

So leave the guy alone, I believe him when he said he almost lost control. It would scare the crap out of anyone when it happens. If it happened at speed he wouldn't have noticed until he slowed down, but that isn't what happened to him, instead it happened at the time it would have the biggest impact on drivability.

Phyer Phyter

I see him as being rather dramatic and embellishing. He stated he had NO STEERING, went up on the side walk "almost hitting a court house... Having to wrench it back on the road". I read that as lost control, not almost. The problem I have with his post is as I said in my first post he could not physically have no steering he would not have lost all control of his vehicle. If he was going straight he would not suddenly veer off the road. If he was turning a corner there is a little thing called castor. That is the steering geometry that returns your front tires to straight ahead, it always compels your front tires to straighten out. Which is why you have power assist steering to start with. So again there no reason to have lost control and go up on the side walk.
Would he be alarmed, shocked and surprised when he lost power assist absolutely. But I'm not buying his drama queen like post.

acdii

It is quite possible that the electric assist caused the steering gear to jam on him, which would cause it to do exactly what he said. We weren't there with him, we don't know, but it is possible. You have to remember that the rack with electric assist is motor driven at the rack, not pump driven with fluid. When the latter goes out, it has zero effect on the rack itself, but the motor driven one is direct drive, and if the motor seized then it can very likely cause what happened.

Another possibility, the sensor tells the motor which direction assist is needed, and could very well have sent a false signal which forced the motor to turn the rack. We already know that computer controlled cars can be hacked and steering overridden, so anything is possible.

dec_a21

I've had these warning lights and messages come and go now a few times without finding the problem. Seems like they'll come on anytime I get a little weight in the box, stay on for few cycles then go away. The last time it was in for service they couldn't pull a code from it, that diagnostic fee stings even more when it doesn't give any info. Warning messages and lights just came back yesterday when I stopped and picked up 10 2x4s, due for an oil change next week so we'll see if they can find anything this time.