For the first time I got the message in my FF: "Engine control system failure. Go to dealer" during a normal highway ride. There was no difference in driving characteristics and performance compared to before the message. Even after turning it off and restarting it for a while, the message came up. I will contact the dealer tomorrow. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Hi Mark, Sorry to hear about the problem. I think the fact that it occurred during driving and won’t go away after a restart suggests that it’s more than the usual battery worries. Indications that my fuel pump was failing started out this way so the ‘engine control system failure’ could be anything. Let us know how it goes and what Kroymans says. Good luck!
I went to the dealer today. The cause was a valve in the fuel system that was stuck or no longer working. This valve provides extra fuel during a cold start to heat up the catalytic converters more quickly. The valve is replaced immediately and the message is (for now ...) gone. Fortunately nothing serious.
Thank you for following up with the feedback. It’s a nice feeing when you dodge a big bill but it really shouldn’t have to be part of the ownership proposition in the first place