[Indelible Escape]

Hi y'all,
I've got a 2008 Ford Escape 2.3l 5-Speed Manual Transmission. I think it's haunted. The first issue, one I ignored, is the door sensor doesn't work. I can leave the lights on, the key in, etc and it will never chime. No big deal.

The next few have all began within a few weeks of each other: the parking brake warning intermittently goes off, the thermostat WAS throwing the code P0128 until this morning, and the rear right blinker went out then came back and the rear left is intermittently going out.

I replaced the parking brake pedal sensor and no luck. The brake fluid wasn't low in the least and it's very clean. The brake clicks three times just like Haynes says it should and this year is an automatic adjuster. Neither blinker bulbs are blown and nothing looks loose. The door chime very occasionally chirps a beat but no more than that.


The intermittent nature of all of these issues makes me think it's electrical in nature and possibly due to some single point of failure. When I bought it a couple of years ago the engine bay was very clean. I didn't think much about it because I assumed it was just a dealer plot to eek a few bucks, but now I wonder if they pressure washed in there and messed up something with water.

I'd love some help here because my girlfriend is not going to be happy listening to a brake chime over music!

 

[Mountain Escape]

Hi y'all,
I've got a 2008 Ford Escape 2.3l 5-Speed Manual Transmission. I think it's haunted. The first issue, one I ignored, is the door sensor doesn't work. I can leave the lights on, the key in, etc and it will never chime. No big deal.

The next few have all began within a few weeks of each other: the parking brake warning intermittently goes off, the thermostat WAS throwing the code P0128 until this morning, and the rear right blinker went out then came back and the rear left is intermittently going out.

I replaced the parking brake pedal sensor and no luck. The brake fluid wasn't low in the least and it's very clean. The brake clicks three times just like Haynes says it should and this year is an automatic adjuster. Neither blinker bulbs are blown and nothing looks loose. The door chime very occasionally chirps a beat but no more than that.


The intermittent nature of all of these issues makes me think it's electrical in nature and possibly due to some single point of failure. When I bought it a couple of years ago the engine bay was very clean. I didn't think much about it because I assumed it was just a dealer plot to eek a few bucks, but now I wonder if they pressure washed in there and messed up something with water.

I'd love some help here because my girlfriend is not going to be happy listening to a brake chime over music!

welcome to the city, Indelible.
Step one
Pull your battery out, take it to your local auto parts store and have them load test it… It's free.

step two
Using a quality diagnostic tool, find out if you have any koeo/koer running codes. This is the first time I have heard of a thermostat throwing code. Maybe I am just misunderstanding you.

You may have other, or multiple issues occurring, but start with the things that are free to check first.

 

[Indelible Escape]

The code apparently indicates that the thermostat is stuck open. Like I said, it went away after being present for a couple of weeks. I will certainly get the battery checked.

A new development is that the passenger side window is only intermittently controlled by the driver side button but is just fine from the passenger side.

Is there a central plug or something that could be corroded? I have an old jeep Cherokee I'm working on in which there was a plug in the firewall that was totally gunked up. Could there be something similar? Again, the simultaneity and intermittency brings to mind some central electrical point of failure.

Thanks!