Does the “Check Engine” light come on when you turn on the ignition, then go out after a few seconds? That’s a quick test to determine whether the ECU is at least achieving ‘consciousness’. Do the normal lights on the dash come on when you turn on the ignition?
Of course your car has more than one “computer”. The “Body Controller Module” – I think Ford may call it the “GEM” or “Generic Electronic Module” may also be fried, which could explain the lights not working right.
I think the best thing you could do at this point is to take the car somewhere that can attach a proper scan tool to see if all the modules are present and accounted for on the bus.
Here’s what I have to connect to any vehicles battery before I do any kind of ARC/MIG/TIG welding.
This device clips the voltage/amp surge when an arc is struck to protect sensitive electronic components in a vehicle when welding.
I highly doubt that even this special tool would have reacted fast enough to the sudden voltage/amperage from lighting bolt to protect the vehicles electronics.
The mechanic says the Power Control Module (PCM) is bad and as such, the computer cannot read what’s going on in the motor. When I was told it was the PCM, I thought, “AHA! This proves a power surge from the lightning must have ruined this sensitive computer piece.” My insurance company disagrees. I was told you cannot relate an electronics failure to a lightning power surge (I feel stupid even typing that), and it’s all a coincidence. So, I’ll have to repair that out of my own pocket and see if any other components have been affected once the computer can talk to the car. I wish the poster “the same mountainbike” worked for my insurance company. I genuinely appreciate everyone’s input on this.
It is not at all unlikely that lightning damaged the electronics in your car. In addition to the computers, the radio might be damaged. Stick with the story, it illustrates the amazing things that happen with a lightning strike.
We had a lightning ball explode in our back yard a couple of months ago. It seems to have discharged into the ground around the cast iron sewer pipe, conducted to the PVC pipe inside the house, the that caused another big discharge. This blew a couple of holes in the sewer pipe. There is an Ethernet cable, an electric line, an a printer cable next to the sewer line where it exits the house. These acted as antennas and then conductors of the electromagnetic pulse to two desktop computers, one printer, a cable modem, a wifi router, the VOIP modem, a couple of circuit breakers, and the HD cable box. Thank goodness for home owners insurance.
I strongly suggest that you contac your home insurance company and car insurer as mentioned before. I think they will cover everything over the deductible.
The way insurance companies work, they take in as much money as they can, and pay out as little as they can. I think if replacing the PCM fixes the problem, you have a pretty good case that your car suffered lightening damage. If your policy covers lightening damage, then in my opinion they should step in and help, according to whatever the terms of the policy are. But see the first sentence, you may have to be somewhat persistent.
If it is reasonably proven that lightning caused the damage, and they will not help you, I would consider changing insurers. That said, any claim may increase your overall rates more than shelling out for a PCM replacement. I might casually mention to the adjuster that you’re also going to go on every site that reviews insurance and mention the agency by name in a negative review after switching, but I tend to be ornery these days.
If I knew that it would end up being just the PCM, then I would consider covering it myself even though it’s clearly the responsibility of the insurer. My concern is that the EMP produced by the lightning damaged more than just the PCM. However, until the PCM is fixed, I won’t know the extent of the damage. I want the insurance to cover the PCM and any other resulting damage because I can imagine that will get terribly expensive. I will play the negative commentary card/change insurer card if everything goes south.
Your insurance adjuster is an idiot.
First of all, what exactly does he think lightening is made of if not electricity?
Millions of volts discharging through a vehicle will do whatever it wants. It won’t give a damn what any human thinks is possible. Your claim is simple: you got hit by lightening and it killed your car. The diagnostician’s job is to figure out why. The insurance agent’s job is to cover the cost.
Find out the appeals procedure and follow it. Document every detail, and be sure the diagnostician provides clear details on his shop orders. If they still refuse to cover it, file a formal complaint to your attorney general’s Office of Consumer Affairs. Don’t bother to write to the Insurance Commission, they’re comprised of insurance agency owners to protect agencies against the policyholders, not the other way around.
The insurance adjuster is either a lying weasel or showing his sheer ignorance by stating what he did. Automotive electronics can be damaged by static electricity from clothing or sliding on the seats much less lightning.
Some shops even have rubber mats for the technician to use so a to protect the electronics from static discharge by having the tech do the service work while on that mat.
Keep in mind the adjuster works for the insurance companies and Job One for them is to deny or short shrift any payout from their employer to the insured.
We had a Subaru in the shop once with a blown (literally…) automatic transmission with half the internals wiped out and the case busted into pieces. The adjuster insisted that I “patch it together…”.
That pretty well illustrates the mindset of those people.
@justmyluck, you will be much more diplomatic in that strongly worded letter than we have been here. If you don’t get anywhere with the adjuster, take it to his supervisor. Remain professional in all correspondence and don’t give any ultimatums. You and they know what your options are and hitting them over the head with the options will just make them more defensive. If you can afford to have the PCM replaced, do it now and then find out if anything else is damaged. You might have to get everything repaired on your dollar before you are reimbursed. Don’t give up.
If your insurance company has denied you coverage, ask the state insurance commission for help. I would get it fixed and document everything and then sue them for denying coverage. Rocketman
The insurance company said it would cover the repairs! This is after a number of phone calls, a research paper I wrote was submitted, a PowerPoint supplemented the paper, and over 30 pictures were submitted. I should know this weekend if the new PCM resolves everything. Thanks again to everyone for your advice and sympathy!
