My EcoSport diesel loses power & goes into limp mode: Finding a fix!

They could not root cause and suggested a PCM+Wiring harness replacement at Rs 70,000

BHPian rajathv8 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Posting on behalf of a family member.

Car:

2015 EcoSport TDCi MT run 55K Km.

Symptom:

• On a drive, the car lost power and went into limp mode with the transmission warning light ON. Took it to the ASC.
• A few days later drove back home from ASC (5KM) and this time there were no issues with the car (accelerating normally) except the transmission warning light ON.
• Currently, the car idles fine - did not take it out for a drive, engine rev matches accelerator input - transmission warning light ON

ASC Story:

• Car was with ASC for 4 days
• The scan showed P060D code - this code basically implies the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) cannot judge the Accelerator Pedal Position (APP)
• ASC looked for wire damage in the engine bay/interior/dashboard.
• They could not root cause and suggested a PCM+Wiring harness replacement @70K
• ASC didn't seem to have technical expertise for what seemed to require a complex analysis -they kept referring back to Ford tech on-call.

Other Options:

Spoke to an ECM repair outlet who seemed confident that this is a PCM issue (on call only - didn't take the car to them yet) and offered to fix it for ~12K

My thoughts:

• From what I understand issue can be one of these: Accelerator sensor/ Wiring / PCM
• Engine revs match accelerator input currently at home at idle - so the accelerator/speed sensor may be fine
• ASC checked the wiring in the engine bay/interior thoroughly so ruling that out
• Seems to point to PCM

My questions:

1. Has anyone faced this issue before?
2. Any reference FNG/PCM specialist I can consult?
3. Is there anything specific I can try before touching the PCM?
4. Why did the ASC suggest a PCM + Harness change? Does the harness have to be specific to/match the PCM or are they just playing it safe to rule out wire damage?

Error code from the scan:

1st Update:

We had another mechanic run a diagnostic with the scanner. The APP reading swings from 7% to 66%, with no accelerator input to full accelerator input. He was expecting closer to the ideal 0-100% reading.

He removed the accelerator pedal and tested it on another EcoSport. Based on this he said the accelerator sensor is not faulty - I wasn't with him during the test so I am not sure what the readings were on the test car.

2nd update:

I had a chat with the mechanic about the method he used to test the accelerator pedal. He swapped it into another EcoSport and checked for error lights on the dash. He did not specifically check for the APP readings on the scanner. When I inspected the 6 pins on the accelerator pedal, it seemed to look alright. The pedal is made by Hella in Germany and costs Rs 6200 on Boodmo. It is held in place by 2 bolts and has a 6-pin connector.

The PCM was fixed by the specialist - ubiquitous "replaced IC" was the only feedback upon probing about specifics. The PCM failed to work as the car seemed to not recognize the key with a blinking key light on the Speedo console. The PCM and key have been sent back.

The pins on the PCM did not have any corrosion on it.

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