ELSD Disabled

[jdeddy]

Hi guys, anyone ever experience the "ELSD is temporarily disabled" message after start-up, then "Re-enabling ELSD" or similar after about 10 minutes of riding? I have a 2020 Expy and about 3000 miles on it; this is the first time i've noticed this, and the car has been sitting in 115F weather for the past couple days. Thanks!

 

[KJ-Idaho]

I have had this happen twice, both times temporarily. Both times 70-80 degrees, had not been driving crazy. Called two Different ford service depts. neither knew anything. Happened about two months apart, and hasn’t happened in three months?

1 year old, 21,000 miles, platinum, 4wd.

love to see info on this.

 

[Fozzy]

Mine has done it at the lake 2 times. Both have been in 100 plus degree temps. After parking at the boat ramp all day. This is what I think is happening. It’s totally a guess. But I have oversized tires I run pretty low pressure on. I was monitoring the tires the entire trip down from the tire screen. Both times, so dumb luck maybe. When it happened the tires facing the sun all day where 8 lbs higher than the side not against the sun. After driving it they both equalized in pressure. Then the diff was active again. This trip this weekend I was sandwiched between two huge trucks. Not on the end row. And it did not happen. Just wondering if there is some kind of safety system that won’t let it engage if the tire pressures are not the same or close to the same. Was your Expy parked so one side was against the sun all day?


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[jdeddy]

Fozzy, very interesting hypothesis there. My car does face N/S so the right side will heat up 1st in the mornings. I do not run larger than stock tires, but they are A/T and at cold startup they are usually 37-38psi. Since it has been scorching here in Los Angeles, your guess could be a culprit to some safety feature I don't know about. I have a Limited with the Tow Package as well.

Glad to know there are some of you who've run into it, but also that it resolved itself at some point after driving for a bit.

 

[mhExped]

2x now, after remote start runs for a bit, engine shuts off without warning/ message (and well before remote start timeout) when I open door and get in car, accessory power remains on. Upon manually starting (pushing start button as opposed to remote start), message on dash says something about limited slip differential returned to normal. Message flashes and disappears quickly (barely enough time to read it).

Both times this has happened to me I was in middle of winter (very cold climate).

 

[todadamson]

This happened to me too on a 2019 Expy Platimum EL with the heavy duty tow package. Interesting about the tire hypothesis. This only started to happen after a visit to the dealer for an oil change. One of the things they did was to rotate the tires. The message has since disappeared. The next time I see the message, I'll look at the tire pressure. Thanks for the tip!

 

[todadamson]

This information is from the manual about the message "Limited Slip Differential Temporarily Disabled".

Displays if the electronic limited slip differential system temporarily turns off due to overheating or an undersized spare tire. If an undersized spare tire is installed, replace the spare tire with a full-sized tire as soon as possible. If not, stop the vehicle in a safe location and allow the system to cool.

 

[mhExped]

Displays if the electronic limited slip differential system temporarily turns off due to overheating or an undersized spare tire.

Spare tire doesn't fit my case, didn't have a spare on. Neither does overheating, given the times I experienced the message were in the middle of winter and within a couple/few minutes after a cold start.

Makes me wonder, though, if there is a temperature sensor at play here, could it be a faulty sensor?

 

[Jace]

My wife just had the ELSD temporarily disabled message just pop up. I asked her if she had been racing... turns out she just went a few miles to the library and back haha. It's only 80 outside and it's always in the garage as well, so heat usually isn't a problem, nor is the spare tire.

Has anyone ever figured out the cause?

 

[mhExped]

We finally had our cause of the ELSD Disabled/Reduced Torque message diagnosed: Trashed front diff. They found bits of shredded metal in it and had to replace the whole thing.

Initially, the on-screen message was the only symptom and came on only rarely. Over time, it came on more regularly/frequently and we could start to feel a noticeable "feel" to something being off while driving, made worse in 4A and/or straining the engine (going up hills, towing trailers).

Replacing the front diff made a big difference, but I still feel something off when in 4A driving up hills and towing. Dealer is telling me it's "normal," but we never noticed it the first 2-ish years we owned the car.