Blown 03 Cobra Engine !!

03RedCobra · 07-13-2003, 02:08 AM

Okay guys, check out this story on my 2003 Cobra that has a fried engine !! I have only 1700 miles on the car, and it's about 4 months old. Well, the other day I was driving the car around and all of a sudden when I would hit exactly 3000 RPM, the car would act like it wasn't receiving any gas. It would shake and slowdown just like it does when the tires spin and the auto-traction would kick in and kill the gas. As long as I kept the car below 3000 RPM everything was okay. I thought, oh man, the rev-limiter has malfunctioned and it's now set at 3000 RPM !! So, I immediately began driving to the dealership that sold me the car so that they could look at it right away. Well, a little bit later when I got onto the main highway and began to pick-up speed to about 70, the car began to make a VERY loud noise from the engine area, just like the sound that comes from a knocking valve on a car that does not have high-enough octane in it. Well, within about 3 miles after the noise started, the noise got louder, the car began to lose power, the temperature guage began to bury into the HOT zone, and the car shut off and I had to pull over.

Well, after I got out of the car and raised the hood, I knew something was drastically wrong !!! It smelled something awful (like a burn-out engine usually does), and some type of fluid began to leak out from the bottom of the engine. I was thinking, oh man, I threw a rod or something like that. Well, I finally got it hauled over to the Dealership. The next day they called me and said that they are going to have to completely replace the engine. They opened up the engine and found 3 of the cylinders FULL of radiator fluid !!! I'm not much of a mechanic, but, duh, I know that's not good !!! They are not exactly sure what caused it, but right now they are waiting on someone from SVT to come down and inspect the engine, because apparently they want to find out what the HECK went wrong with the engine !! I have never pushed the car hard at all, I've done no modifications, and it's not that old at all. So.....what went wrong ??? Hmmmm....that's still a mystery. Of course, the first question I asked the mechanic when he told me that it is going to cost 14,000 dollars to order a new engine, was......"Is this covered under the warranty ???" I can just imagine that the final bill will probably be close to 20,000 after they tack on all the Labor costs.
So...has anyone else here heard of any problems like this ?? or know of anyone else that has had a non-modified 03 Cobra engine get fried like this ?? I wonder if I hold the distinction of the first non-mod 03 Cobra with a 2nd engine !!! Gee....just an honor I DON'T want !!! I'm sure it's going to take about 3 weeks or so to get my car back !!! Man, I hope this isn't the beginnings of a string of problems !! I love this car, and hope everything works out okay. Comments anyone ???

**97whitevert** · 07-13-2003, 08:06 AM

man, i hate to hear this. where are you located? let us know how this goes for you!!

03 cobra toy · 07-13-2003, 10:12 AM

THAT SUCKS !
Sorry to see this story. This is the first non mod engine failure I have read about. This engine and car are made by people like you and I and mistakes happen. Why I would like to know. I think your car overheated but why? Coolant leak? Fans not working? Let us know how thing work out. Call SVT and tell them that you want a replacement car. Also ck with your state and see if you fall under lemon law. Good luck

BAD03SVT · 07-15-2003, 01:06 PM

well dont have any concerns about it not being covered under warranty, that shouldnt be a problem due to it being completely unmodded. Have you done an oil change yet though? just wondering....i would also request a replacement car from SVT. maybe get a competition orange 04.

03RedCobra · 07-15-2003, 06:01 PM

Do you guys really think I should request a replacement cobra ?? Are you talking about SVT giving me a brand new car to permanently replace this one that has the blown engine ?? Have you ever heard of them doing something like this ?? I mean the idea is definitely nice to me !! Because I tell you what, some of the thoughts I've had about the whole deal is that now they are replacing the engine, will I have a car that is the same as it was before ?? Hmmm... I don't know. I'm also worried quite a bit about the dealer workshop scratching any part of the car. It was virtually spotless when I gave it to them, certainly NO scratches or dings whatsoever. SO, I will definitely go over it with a microscope before I take it back!!

What do you guys think ?? Would I be just sounding like a fool if I called them and said I want a replacement car, or what ?? I don't know, I think that they will just say, "Sir, we are replacing what went wrong with it, and that's all we're going to do".

03 cobra toy · 07-15-2003, 06:23 PM

I think you should !
Does this happen? Yes all the time. I have been the car bizz for 18 years on both sides of the fence. First you need to talk to the General Manager of the dealer and see if he can help get things started. Don't even talk with the Service Manager all he knows is how to fix your car. If you get no help from the GM than call Ford and tell them you feel they should replace your car. Tell them you would like to meeting with someone from Ford about your car. Also tell them that you feel like it's not a new car after they replace the engine. If you push hard they will replace your car trust me. What state do you live in?
send me a PM if you have any questions...

SStupid · 07-16-2003, 04:13 AM

But I don't know exactly what the cause was. Your motor overheated on you. When these cars overheat past a certain point, the computer doesn't allow the car's engine to get over 3000 RPMs. It does this by cutting out cylinder fire, I think. If your A/C is on, the computer will cut that off, as well. All you will feel is hot air coming out of the vents. Anyway, you continued to drive, so the car continued to overheat even more. The final fail safe for the car is to shut down completely. By this time, one or both of your cylinder heads has warped, causing a blown head gasket. This explains the water in the cylinders. The funny thing is that this was all probably caused by an air bubble in the coolant system. I know it's not REALLY funny, but one day you will laugh about it. Some owners are having issues with overheating, and burping the coolant system has been the best solution so far.

I'm so glad you had not modded the car, or you would be royally screwed. I'm also surprised Ford isn't trying to wiggle out of it some how. This is exactly the reason I will not modify my car. If I had engine trouble, I couldn't afford to get it fixed.

venomous · 07-16-2003, 11:53 PM

Sorry to hear about your cobra. I'd hate to replace the engine in a BRAND NEW CAR. I'd be raising

and get a new one from ford. Make sure you get a new car!

scocher · 07-19-2003, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 01 cobra toy
BAD03SVT,

NICE SIG

Sorry, I don't agree. I'm a female Cobra owner/driver, and I've learned to live with the scantily clad females in the magazines, etc., but PLEASE, fellows, does our co-ed, family-friendly club have to endorse such male-chauvanistic attitudes (especially the totally nude pics)??? Come on, girls, support me here.

03 cobra toy · 07-19-2003, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scocher
Sorry, I don't agree. I'm a female Cobra owner/driver, and I've learned to live with the scantily clad females in the magazines, etc., but PLEASE, fellows, does our co-ed, family-friendly club have to endorse such male-chauvanistic attitudes (especially the totally nude pics)??? Come on, girls, support me here.

Just put some hunk of a man on your sig

scocher · 07-19-2003, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 01 cobra toy
Just put some hunk of a man on your sig

Volunteers??

03 lakesnake · 07-29-2003, 01:23 AM

My 03 cobra overheated just like yours! towwed in and they said they ordered a thermostat for it.today they said wrong part come in and they were going to have to get it off of assy. line.I believe this is a crock!

smashedheadcat · 07-29-2003, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scocher
Sorry, I don't agree. I'm a female Cobra owner/driver, and I've learned to live with the scantily clad females in the magazines, etc., but PLEASE, fellows, does our co-ed, family-friendly club have to endorse such male-chauvanistic attitudes (especially the totally nude pics)??? Come on, girls, support me here.

But that young lady is rumored to have the best "tush" on Earth.... Seriously.

smashedheadcat · 07-29-2003, 01:56 PM

I'd get a thermostat from Autozone personally. How hard can it be to get a thermostat? Seriously.

03 cobra toy · 07-29-2003, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by smashedheadcat
But that young lady is rumored to have the best "tush" on Earth.... Seriously.

07-13-2003, 02:08 AM	#1
03RedCobra Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 12	Blown 03 Cobra Engine !! Okay guys, check out this story on my 2003 Cobra that has a fried engine !! I have only 1700 miles on the car, and it's about 4 months old. Well, the other day I was driving the car around and all of a sudden when I would hit exactly 3000 RPM, the car would act like it wasn't receiving any gas. It would shake and slowdown just like it does when the tires spin and the auto-traction would kick in and kill the gas. As long as I kept the car below 3000 RPM everything was okay. I thought, oh man, the rev-limiter has malfunctioned and it's now set at 3000 RPM !! So, I immediately began driving to the dealership that sold me the car so that they could look at it right away. Well, a little bit later when I got onto the main highway and began to pick-up speed to about 70, the car began to make a VERY loud noise from the engine area, just like the sound that comes from a knocking valve on a car that does not have high-enough octane in it. Well, within about 3 miles after the noise started, the noise got louder, the car began to lose power, the temperature guage began to bury into the HOT zone, and the car shut off and I had to pull over. Well, after I got out of the car and raised the hood, I knew something was drastically wrong !!! It smelled something awful (like a burn-out engine usually does), and some type of fluid began to leak out from the bottom of the engine. I was thinking, oh man, I threw a rod or something like that. Well, I finally got it hauled over to the Dealership. The next day they called me and said that they are going to have to completely replace the engine. They opened up the engine and found 3 of the cylinders FULL of radiator fluid !!! I'm not much of a mechanic, but, duh, I know that's not good !!! They are not exactly sure what caused it, but right now they are waiting on someone from SVT to come down and inspect the engine, because apparently they want to find out what the HECK went wrong with the engine !! I have never pushed the car hard at all, I've done no modifications, and it's not that old at all. So.....what went wrong ??? Hmmmm....that's still a mystery. Of course, the first question I asked the mechanic when he told me that it is going to cost 14,000 dollars to order a new engine, was......"Is this covered under the warranty ???" I can just imagine that the final bill will probably be close to 20,000 after they tack on all the Labor costs. So...has anyone else here heard of any problems like this ?? or know of anyone else that has had a non-modified 03 Cobra engine get fried like this ?? I wonder if I hold the distinction of the first non-mod 03 Cobra with a 2nd engine !!! Gee....just an honor I DON'T want !!! I'm sure it's going to take about 3 weeks or so to get my car back !!! Man, I hope this isn't the beginnings of a string of problems !! I love this car, and hope everything works out okay. Comments anyone ???

07-13-2003, 08:06 AM	#2
97whitevert well, maybe.... Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: anywhere, everywhere....NC Posts: 11,730	man, i hate to hear this. where are you located? let us know how this goes for you!! __________________ Lisa 97 white convertible #99 Born on 1/28/97 03 sonic blue coupe #323 Born on 6/4/02 86 SVO Mustang track beast- The older brother of the SVT ! 99 green BAT 95 laser red F150 06 sonic blue Escape "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." -- Mahatma Gandhi

07-13-2003, 10:12 AM	#3
03 cobra toy Track Dog... Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Kingwood,Tx Posts: 2,015	THAT SUCKS ! Sorry to see this story. This is the first non mod engine failure I have read about. This engine and car are made by people like you and I and mistakes happen. Why I would like to know. I think your car overheated but why? Coolant leak? Fans not working? Let us know how thing work out. Call SVT and tell them that you want a replacement car. Also ck with your state and see if you fall under lemon law. Good luck __________________ Track is Crack !! 03 Cobra Sold.... 13 GT500

07-15-2003, 01:06 PM	#4
BAD03SVT Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Waco, Tx Posts: 8	well dont have any concerns about it not being covered under warranty, that shouldnt be a problem due to it being completely unmodded. Have you done an oil change yet though? just wondering....i would also request a replacement car from SVT. maybe get a competition orange 04. __________________ *Dexter* 2003 Redfire Cobra My lug nuts require more torque than your Honda makes!!! central texas guys check out www.NTACracing.com

07-15-2003, 06:01 PM	#5
03RedCobra Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 12	Replacement Car ? Do you guys really think I should request a replacement cobra ?? Are you talking about SVT giving me a brand new car to permanently replace this one that has the blown engine ?? Have you ever heard of them doing something like this ?? I mean the idea is definitely nice to me !! Because I tell you what, some of the thoughts I've had about the whole deal is that now they are replacing the engine, will I have a car that is the same as it was before ?? Hmmm... I don't know. I'm also worried quite a bit about the dealer workshop scratching any part of the car. It was virtually spotless when I gave it to them, certainly NO scratches or dings whatsoever. SO, I will definitely go over it with a microscope before I take it back!! What do you guys think ?? Would I be just sounding like a fool if I called them and said I want a replacement car, or what ?? I don't know, I think that they will just say, "Sir, we are replacing what went wrong with it, and that's all we're going to do".

07-15-2003, 06:23 PM	#6
03 cobra toy Track Dog... Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Kingwood,Tx Posts: 2,015	I think you should ! Does this happen? Yes all the time. I have been the car bizz for 18 years on both sides of the fence. First you need to talk to the General Manager of the dealer and see if he can help get things started. Don't even talk with the Service Manager all he knows is how to fix your car. If you get no help from the GM than call Ford and tell them you feel they should replace your car. Tell them you would like to meeting with someone from Ford about your car. Also tell them that you feel like it's not a new car after they replace the engine. If you push hard they will replace your car trust me. What state do you live in? send me a PM if you have any questions... __________________ Track is Crack !! 03 Cobra Sold.... 13 GT500

07-16-2003, 04:13 AM	#7
SStupid Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 4	I know what happened. But I don't know exactly what the cause was. Your motor overheated on you. When these cars overheat past a certain point, the computer doesn't allow the car's engine to get over 3000 RPMs. It does this by cutting out cylinder fire, I think. If your A/C is on, the computer will cut that off, as well. All you will feel is hot air coming out of the vents. Anyway, you continued to drive, so the car continued to overheat even more. The final fail safe for the car is to shut down completely. By this time, one or both of your cylinder heads has warped, causing a blown head gasket. This explains the water in the cylinders. The funny thing is that this was all probably caused by an air bubble in the coolant system. I know it's not REALLY funny, but one day you will laugh about it. Some owners are having issues with overheating, and burping the coolant system has been the best solution so far. I'm so glad you had not modded the car, or you would be royally screwed. I'm also surprised Ford isn't trying to wiggle out of it some how. This is exactly the reason I will not modify my car. If I had engine trouble, I couldn't afford to get it fixed. __________________ '03 Sonic Blue Cobra

07-16-2003, 11:53 PM	#8
venomous Polk County Redneck Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Polk County, NC Posts: 557	Sorry to hear about your cobra. I'd hate to replace the engine in a BRAND NEW CAR. I'd be raising and get a new one from ford. Make sure you get a new car! __________________ ~1995 "Rio Red" Cobra #3379 of 4005 2.2 Kenne Bell Blowzilla/ Flowzilla Supercharger (12# Boost), AFR 165 Aluminum Heads 61cc, TMoss Port Matched Cobra Lower, Trickflow 1.7 Roller Rockers, Crane 2031 Camshaft, 3/8" Intake Spacer, 60# Injectors, Accufab 75mm Throttle Body w/ Blank Spacer, DynoJet Wideband Commander, MSD Pro Billet Distributor, MSD Blaster Coil, SCT Big Mouth Meter BAF 2400, JLT Custom Cold Air intake, Deleted EGR/ Smog, Mac Chrome Radiator Pipes, Mac Ceramic Coated Shorty Headers, Mac O/R H-Pipe, Flowmaster Cat-Back, Pro 5.0 Shifter, Ford Racing 3:73 Gears, H&R Sport Springs, Chrome Cobra R Wheels Pro Dyno Tuned to 498 RWHP 497 RWTQ

07-29-2003, 01:23 AM	#12
03 lakesnake Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: stkesdale N.C. Posts: 4	overheating My 03 cobra overheated just like yours! towwed in and they said they ordered a thermostat for it.today they said wrong part come in and they were going to have to get it off of assy. line.I believe this is a crock!

07-29-2003, 01:56 PM	#14
smashedheadcat Registered User Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Geneva, Switzerland Posts: 1,727	I'd get a thermostat from Autozone personally. How hard can it be to get a thermostat? Seriously. __________________ Josh 2003 Oxford White Cobra Coupe Twin Turbo Solid Axle Automatic Return Fuel System 1997 Triple Black Cobra Convertible Forged and Blown. 511rwhp 398 rwtq Sold

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)