focus tdci getting worse

[jamie128]

after my car has been left for a while, usually overnight, it takes a good 5 seconds-10 seconds cranking before it starts

it is very hesitant when driving, sometimes the power delivery is snap your neck material, other times it barely pulls

the smoke coming out the back looks very clean even when booted, just a bit black which is expected

its a 2003, focus tdci 1.8, and has 65000 on the clock

garage said the dual mass flywheel on its way out due to the large noise it makes when i start it (it lasts a quarter of a second as the engine engages and then its fine when idling, quiet as a nut so i dont think it is that) and he said this can be causing the hesitation


anyone know where the EGR valve is so i can clean it out, and any other suggestions as to what it could be

[aw51 121565]

Air leaking into diesel line from tank to injection pump through a slightly loose connection/join in pipe.

Try parking the car facing significantly downhill overnight and see if the starting problem is the same the next morning .

[TheCarpetCleaner]

jamie128 said:

anyone know where the EGR valve is so i can clean it out, and any other suggestions as to what it could be

Not sure if its the same, but when my TDCi mondeo EGR valve went, there was no effect on driving or power, I just got a warning light on the dashboard. No smoke no nothing. Was located at the front where the manifold is I think.

[jamie128]

would the air leaking affect the hesitation when driving?

it seems slightly worse when my engine is lower than the back (parked on my slanted drive) but i cant say ive noticed a huge difference, probably just coincidental

[TheCarpetCleaner]

jamie128 said:

would the air leaking affect the hesitation when driving?

it seems slightly worse when my engine is lower than the back (parked on my slanted drive) but i cant say ive noticed a huge difference, probably just coincidental

You might have a split in the turbo pipe somewhere, that happened to a collegues mondeo and it was intermittant as the host was flexing and heating up.

All guesswork of course - are you getting any engine management lights up? I ask as the egr and cam sensor fault I had lit it up, but the turbo hose did not...

[jamie128]

ive had a feel on some of the turbo pipes cant feel any cracks but to be honest i duno which ones are which etc haha

sometimes its really fast and i have to slam my breaks on, and other times its as slow as my old 1 litre 3 pot corsa

no engine lights showing no

[poo at Paul's]

check the intercooler outlet pipe to the motor / EGR.

But I'd also consider cleaning or replacing your MAF sensor (if it is fitted with one) as the sluggishness you describe can easily be a dirty or duff MAF.

[jamie128]

i think it is yes

isent the maf all electronical, if so how can i clean that


and is there anywhere i can pictures of the locations of parts in my engine without forking out 20 quid on a haynes manual (i know its a good investment but i cant afford one right now, all i can afford is cleaning stuff haha)

[jamie128]

bop

[TheCarpetCleaner]

You tried the mondeo / focus forums? I have found them to be very helpful in the past.

[jamie128]

i have they are bloody useless to me lol, ive looked all over a fair few of them and the response rate is really really slow, or you have to pay to post or even search on a few

[TheCarpetCleaner]

Ah fair enough

If you get a picture up of the engine, I may be able to indentify some stuff as they are very similar engines to what I have, or someone else on here may be able to help?

I am only a carpet cleaner but I will do my best

[jamie128]

lol thats what im trying to find, i dont have a camera phone with a cable for the laptop or a digital camera etc so struggling with that haha

can a dirty egr cause hesitation, no excess smoke with no eml light? if so i may try cleaning that out

[TheCarpetCleaner]

jamie128 said:

lol thats what im trying to find, i dont have a camera phone with a cable for the laptop or a digital camera etc so struggling with that haha

can a dirty egr cause hesitation, no excess smoke with no eml light? if so i may try cleaning that out

I have heard of it doing so on other cars - its a 30 minutes job according to the garage so you dont really have anything to lose by trying it.

[poo at Paul's]

jamie128 said:

i think it is yes

isent the maf all electronical, if so how can i clean that


and is there anywhere i can pictures of the locations of parts in my engine without forking out 20 quid on a haynes manual (i know its a good investment but i cant afford one right now, all i can afford is cleaning stuff haha)

Yake ou the maf and spray it with eectrical contact cleaner. Dont touch the wires or scrub them, just let the spray do it's stuff.

[focusboy]

Try the boost sensor, look at the drivers side of the intercooler just under the black pipe, check the pipe that goes to the inlet manifold, looks like a 90degree elbow, actually take it of and bend it, if you get a slight squeak on start up then its your flywheel/ crank sensor.

All of these have been problems on my 02plate tdci, (168k), none flagged the mil light on dash,

Hth a little, Garry

Pm me if you need any more info

[ch427]

injector and pump problems are quite common on these, i know someone who had major problems with cold starts and he had checked all the basics. Took it to a local diesel centre who put the injectors on a test rig and found metal filings in the fuel, this basically meant he needed a reconditioned pump and injectors

[jamie128]

hope its nt the pump, would a code read rekognize these faults?

[ch427]

he didnt get a management light on or have any codes flagged up

Edited by ch427 on Wednesday 7th April 06:56

[the_lone_wolf]

jamie128 said:

garage said the dual mass flywheel on its way out due to the large noise it makes when i start it

Check your battery and starter motor, if the starter motor is on it's way out the engine makes an almighty clunk / squeak when it first catches

Replaced mine with a refurbished part and it's been fine for another year now