Front Camera Fault & Pre-Collision Assist Not Available Errors

[dtbaker61]

The biggest issue I have now is that my vehicle is out of warranty. So I'm taking a chance on a potential safety issue here because I'm unwilling to pay what I assume will be an ungodly cost to diagnose and fix an intermittent issue. In my experience, Ford techs give up on things that happen so infrequently. So I'd be paying for nothing.

Even though it happens a couple of times a week...

I have a new issue now that might be related. Blue Cruise will just cancel itself, without any warning at all, on the highway. It seems very dangerous, and it is a new issue. I use BlueCruise correctly with my hands on the wheel at all times and paying attention to the road. I know what the warnings sound like. In this case I don't get them. The car just cancels BC immediately and slows down immediately in the middle of the highway.

I dont have or use BC, but adaptive cruise uses the front camera as well. Sudden cancel of adaptive cruise control can be quite dangerous if you have heavy highway traffic with people following closely.

mine seemed to happen mostly when I hit road/bridge seams, so I "get ready"...

good news is I added a piece of foam wedged behind the mini coax connector and seems to alleviated the issue for now. no blinks in several months.

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[stratosigma]

I'm new to the forum, but I've read through this entire thread. I bought a 2023 MME GT July 25 and as part of the sale the dealer agreed to replace the windshield since it had a couple large stars. The place they had do the windshield was unable to calibrate and got the same messages plastered over this thread (Front camera fault, pre-collision assist unavailable). Before I sent it in to the dealer, I also checked the coax at the camera to see if it was oriented improperly causing a tight bend, but it looked ok.

Dealer picked up my car Aug 6 (where it's been since) and the technician mentioned to me the TSB referenced in this thread, yet they're still having to work with Ford Engineers to collect diagnostics. After speaking to the tech this past Friday, apparently they've replaced the coax from camera to A-pillar connector but the errors persisted. They're waiting for another call from the engineers to authorize replacement of the camera?

This is the first Ford I've owned since my '89 Thunderbird back in the early 2000s so it's kind of a bummer to be dealing with this right off the rip, but hopefully a resolution is near.

 

[4sallypat]

......... apparently they've replaced the coax from camera to A-pillar connector but the errors persisted. They're waiting for another call from the engineers to authorize replacement of the camera?
.......

My '23 had 2 coax cable replaced and the IPM module under TSB 23-2155.

Ever since then, it's been perfect.

Glad it was under warranty too.

 

[AZBill]

I'm new to the forum, but I've read through this entire thread. I bought a 2023 MME GT July 25 and as part of the sale the dealer agreed to replace the windshield since it had a couple large stars. The place they had do the windshield was unable to calibrate and got the same messages plastered over this thread (Front camera fault, pre-collision assist unavailable). Before I sent it in to the dealer, I also checked the coax at the camera to see if it was oriented improperly causing a tight bend, but it looked ok.

Dealer picked up my car Aug 6 (where it's been since) and the technician mentioned to me the TSB referenced in this thread, yet they're still having to work with Ford Engineers to collect diagnostics. After speaking to the tech this past Friday, apparently they've replaced the coax from camera to A-pillar connector but the errors persisted. They're waiting for another call from the engineers to authorize replacement of the camera?

This is the first Ford I've owned since my '89 Thunderbird back in the early 2000s so it's kind of a bummer to be dealing with this right off the rip, but hopefully a resolution is near.

Did you have these messages prior to the windshield replacement? If not, then maybe they did not glue the camera to the new windshield properly, it could even be misaligned. When a glass shop replaced my windshield, the guy told me the calibration was automatic after driving it a couple of miles, he did that and came back with it all working fine.

 

[stratosigma]

Did you have these messages prior to the windshield replacement? If not, then maybe they did not glue the camera to the new windshield properly, it could even be misaligned. When a glass shop replaced my windshield, the guy told me the calibration was automatic after driving it a couple of miles, he did that and came back with it all working fine.

The messages started immediately after the replacement. They said they've done calibrations on many other Ford vehicles before but this was the first Mach-E they've tried. I figure, after reading this odyssey of a thread, that there's really only three things it can be: The coax from camera to pillar, the camera, or the windshield.

I don't know what all happens during a glass replacement. Is the part the plastic shell clips into part of the windshield from the manufacturer, or do they attach that at the shop? Either way, the dealer hasn't been able to get the calibration procedure to complete...they've driven it a couple hundred miles since it's been there, too.

As for your note on the calibration, I audibly laughed when I found a youtube video that shows a shop doing the calibration. They literally drove about a quarter mile before they got the message that the calibration was complete.

 

[stratosigma]

Just a follow up for anyone reading this thread, closure to my specific chapter: it ended up being the glass. They put in OEM glass this week and it solved the problems. So, the procedures they did relative to the TSB were probably unnecessary, but hey at least those three items are all new for me, too

The tech told me when they compared the third party to the ford glass the plastic housing attached to the windshield was quite different from the oem version and they suspect that was interfering with the camera vision. Wish I had noted the manufacturer, but either way I'm sorted.

 

[Lo6AN]

Cruise control has been out for 7/8 months. Just like everyone else, it started intermittently and progressively worsened to the point that it comes on every time I start the car. I'm so used to pressing ok and clearing it at this point. I am bummed I can't use my cruise control as result and feel that ford knows this is an issue with it's vehicle and is not coming forward and fixing the problem. The care is barely 3 years old and should not have an issue with the cruise control and camera, that do not get used often.

 

[RedAero42]

Another statistic for y'all -- I bought a replacement coax cable but decided to tweak the cable routing first (like others)... I am on cloud 9 for two days now with zero faults! Haha! Sure, it might end soon, but, I can't remember the last time we had a round trip with no faults. We have thousands in the log. Note, it was still over 100F in the sun yesterday and today so I don't think I got lucky with weather. I'll update this in the future.

 

[RedAero42]

Another statistic for y'all -- I bought a replacement coax cable but decided to tweak the cable routing first (like others)... I am on cloud 9 for two days now with zero faults! Haha! Sure, it might end soon, but, I can't remember the last time we had a round trip with no faults. We have thousands in the log. Note, it was still over 100F in the sun yesterday and today so I don't think I got lucky with weather. I'll update this in the future.

Update: 7 days strong, zero faults. Almost don't know what to do in the car with no beeps or OK buttons' to hit...

 

[fenerliyim]

So I am in socal and have 2021 Mach E GT and I have been getting this problem intermittently for a while and about permanently for about a year now.

Ford Buena Park says its $250 to diagnose the problem and that the front camera technician guy is backed up so it would take a while and he wouldn't be able to take a look at the same time they are doing the recall.

I'm going to try the coax cable fix you guys have been doing and i'll update the thread if it works.

 

[dtbaker61]

So I am in socal and have 2021 Mach E GT and I have been getting this problem intermittently for a while and about permanently for about a year now.

Ford Buena Park says its $250 to diagnose the problem and that the front camera technician guy is backed up so it would take a while and he wouldn't be able to take a look at the same time they are doing the recall.

I'm going to try the coax cable fix you guys have been doing and i'll update the thread if it works.

I have wedged a piece of foam between the coax and the back of the camera to reduce the jiggle. It works ALMOST all the time. I occasionally get a blink if I hit a bad seam on the highway; typically at a bridge expansion joint.

 

[fenerliyim]

I have wedged a piece of foam between the coax and the back of the camera to reduce the jiggle. It works ALMOST all the time. I occasionally get a blink if I hit a bad seam on the highway; typically at a bridge expansion joint.

Does the error go right away or do you need to get it cleared once you do the fix? Some people in the thread were saying you need a scanner to get rid of the error first.

thanks

 

[dtbaker61]

Does the error go right away or do you need to get it cleared once you do the fix? Some people in the thread were saying you need a scanner to get rid of the error first.

thanks

the error clears itself in 10 minutes or so.... or when you stop and re-start

 

[fenerliyim]

So I am in socal and have 2021 Mach E GT and I have been getting this problem intermittently for a while and about permanently for about a year now.

Ford Buena Park says its $250 to diagnose the problem and that the front camera technician guy is backed up so it would take a while and he wouldn't be able to take a look at the same time they are doing the recall.

I'm going to try the coax cable fix you guys have been doing and i'll update the thread if it works.

So car was in for the junction box recall, instead of a loaner they said they would waive the diagnostic fee so i didnt try the fix yet myself.

They came back with ipm module needs to be replaced for 3037 dollars.

Going to pickup the car and try to fix it myself while they apply for financial assistance from ford to see if they will cover any of it.

 

[Redundant]

This so totally should be covered by Ford. It is a safety issue. I have had it for years, and I have had the issue of going around. curve, hitting an expansion joint, and have the front cameras/radar cut out while on blue cruise. If I haven't been totally ready to take over, I would have shot into the guardrail. I can't believe they are letting cars drive around with this condition. It is dangerous.

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