Michigan mechanic working on a 2023 Ford Escape was taken aback when he saw the repair instructions
Published on Oct 16, 2025 at 1:49 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Oct 16, 2025 at 5:02 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A Michigan mechanic working on a 2023 Ford Escape SUV was quite taken aback when he saw the car’s repair instructions.
Posting on his TikTok account, Cole had been trying to torque the crankshaft bolts on the SUV, and he used a diagnostic computer to provide the instructions for the repair.
What he did not expect was how precise and seemingly impossible the instructions would be, with ludicrously specific timeframes.
He shared this on his TikTok account, and the video has since gone viral.
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Repair instructions for the 2023 Ford Escape
According to Cole, the repair instructions for the car were so exact that they shocked him.
The computer said, “Install a new crankshaft bolt. Torque to 103 foot pounds, loosen 90 degrees. Torque to 74, plus 90 degrees.”
The computer then said, “Then you have to pause for .2 seconds, then 15 degrees.”
@fordtechjcole How do engineers get these numbers?! #ford #escape #torquewrench #engineer #fordtechjcole ♬ original sound – FORDTECHJCOLE
Cole then said he didn’t know if he had time to pause for just .2 seconds and joked he would need to get a stopwatch.
On the face of it, that is a truly bizarre instruction.
It was a comically precise time, yet somehow, there is a bit of logic to this short and precise timeframe.
There was logic to the madness
Many modern engines, like the Ford EcoBoost range, use torque-to-yield bolts (TTY).
These are used on the cylinder head and crankshaft, and they stretch lightly during tightening.
Robots typically build the cars too, and apply very precise, preprogrammed angles when using the torque-and-angle method.
That is why there were such precise instructions when it came to the Escape.
It was a hangover from the robotic assembly procedures used on the car in the factory.
That brief pause of 0.2 seconds, allowed the bolt material to relax before the tightening continued.
A human wouldn’t be able to measure such a short timescale.
However, a robot could, which is why it is in the instructions within the diagnostics computer.
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
