Ford Focus Mk2 1.8 TDCi Power Loss
Discussion
Hi all,
We have just purchased a 2006 Ford Focus Mk2 on the cheap from eBay. We bought the car knowing we were taking a chance for the price and have encountered a couple of problems. The first is that the car loses power when the engine is under relatively high loads, in the range of 70-80 mph. Around these speeds the car 'pulls back' and goes into a kind of 'limp mode' where the power is limited to around 2800 rpm. No error messages or warning lights appear and if the ignition is turned off and back on the car goes back to normal until it is driven at 70-80 mph then it will happen again.
We managed to get the car into limp mode and drive it to a local garage where it was diagnosed and the message P2263 - Turbo Boost System Performance appeared. We unplugged the MAF Sensor and took it for a spin, this made no difference at all, the car still lost power. The EGR has been blanked off (with a small 10mm hole in the plate to stop the EML coming on) and the car has just been serviced. The mechanic said that this model has a variable vane turbo where the angle of the vane changes at higher loads to give more boost to the engine. He thought maybe this wasn't working properly? Can the turbo be removed, cleaned, serviced and replaced? I don't really want to fork out £350-400 for a recon turbo! Any ideas on what else this problem could be?
The other issue is that sometimes when the car is started there is a noticeable vibration present, which after a 30 second period will disappear. I've spoken to a few people and they say this could be the Dual Mass Flywheel needing replacement, does this sound feasible? The car has done 107,000 miles so I'm guessing this might be the case.
Many thanks for any help anybody can give.
Cheers,
Mark
We have just purchased a 2006 Ford Focus Mk2 on the cheap from eBay. We bought the car knowing we were taking a chance for the price and have encountered a couple of problems. The first is that the car loses power when the engine is under relatively high loads, in the range of 70-80 mph. Around these speeds the car 'pulls back' and goes into a kind of 'limp mode' where the power is limited to around 2800 rpm. No error messages or warning lights appear and if the ignition is turned off and back on the car goes back to normal until it is driven at 70-80 mph then it will happen again.
We managed to get the car into limp mode and drive it to a local garage where it was diagnosed and the message P2263 - Turbo Boost System Performance appeared. We unplugged the MAF Sensor and took it for a spin, this made no difference at all, the car still lost power. The EGR has been blanked off (with a small 10mm hole in the plate to stop the EML coming on) and the car has just been serviced. The mechanic said that this model has a variable vane turbo where the angle of the vane changes at higher loads to give more boost to the engine. He thought maybe this wasn't working properly? Can the turbo be removed, cleaned, serviced and replaced? I don't really want to fork out £350-400 for a recon turbo! Any ideas on what else this problem could be?
The other issue is that sometimes when the car is started there is a noticeable vibration present, which after a 30 second period will disappear. I've spoken to a few people and they say this could be the Dual Mass Flywheel needing replacement, does this sound feasible? The car has done 107,000 miles so I'm guessing this might be the case.
Many thanks for any help anybody can give.
Cheers,
Mark
WILD stab in the dark:
How is the boost of the turbo regulated? I had a similar issue and it turned out to be spilt bellows in a vacuum actuator.
The actuator pulled a rod in against a spring to turn the boost down. With the leak it couldn't do it, so the turbo over boosted and it would go into limp mode...
The actuator was 12 odd quid, but fitting it was a pain!
How is the boost of the turbo regulated? I had a similar issue and it turned out to be spilt bellows in a vacuum actuator.
The actuator pulled a rod in against a spring to turn the boost down. With the leak it couldn't do it, so the turbo over boosted and it would go into limp mode...
The actuator was 12 odd quid, but fitting it was a pain!
cwis said:
WILD stab in the dark:
How is the boost of the turbo regulated? I had a similar issue and it turned out to be spilt bellows in a vacuum actuator.
The actuator pulled a rod in against a spring to turn the boost down. With the leak it couldn't do it, so the turbo over boosted and it would go into limp mode...
The actuator was 12 odd quid, but fitting it was a pain!
I think there is an electronic actuator fitted on the turbo itself, not entirely sure though...How is the boost of the turbo regulated? I had a similar issue and it turned out to be spilt bellows in a vacuum actuator.
The actuator pulled a rod in against a spring to turn the boost down. With the leak it couldn't do it, so the turbo over boosted and it would go into limp mode...
The actuator was 12 odd quid, but fitting it was a pain!
jediknight said:
Before you start going down the injector/turbo route, change the fuel filter. It's cheap and probably the cause!!!
Worked for me and mine had pretty much the same symptoms.
We serviced the car straight after we had it to see whether that would solve the problem but unfortunately not. New fuel, air and oil filters along with fresh oil has made the car run a bit better but hasn't sorted the loss of power.Worked for me and mine had pretty much the same symptoms.
cwis said:
Check it actuates? Might be a dirty electrical connector...
Will definitely be getting in there ASAP with some electrical contact cleaner and doing as many sensors etc. as possible. Fingers crossed it's something simple like that 
Edited by Marky Mark88 on Wednesday 30th July 19:40
jediknight said:
Before you start going down the injector/turbo route, change the fuel filter. It's cheap and probably the cause!!!
Worked for me and mine had pretty much the same symptoms.
We serviced the car straight after we had it to see whether that would solve the problem but unfortunately not. New fuel, air and oil filters along with fresh oil has made the car run a bit better but hasn't sorted the loss of power.Worked for me and mine had pretty much the same symptoms.
Used to have a Mk. 1 with the same motor.
Variable vanes can coke up and stick, giving overboost which triggers limp home mode. Worth operating vane control arm on the turbo manually to see if it sticks or binds. Turbo can be cleaned out to remove carbon deposits.
A boost leak would account for persistently poor performance but not for a surge in boost then holding back. The bellows hoses to the intercooler used to be common leak locations on the Mark 1 but check all pressure pipework and hose unions for oily spatter indicating leakage.
Clogged-up EGR valves can also lead to poor performance and jerky running, and can be cleaned out though some say this is only a temporary fix and replacement is preferable.
Failing DMF is possible at that mileage. Used to manifest as pulsing of the clutch pedal and knocking noise during warm starting in particular. Excessive flywheel run-out can also damage the starter motor.
Variable vanes can coke up and stick, giving overboost which triggers limp home mode. Worth operating vane control arm on the turbo manually to see if it sticks or binds. Turbo can be cleaned out to remove carbon deposits.
A boost leak would account for persistently poor performance but not for a surge in boost then holding back. The bellows hoses to the intercooler used to be common leak locations on the Mark 1 but check all pressure pipework and hose unions for oily spatter indicating leakage.
Clogged-up EGR valves can also lead to poor performance and jerky running, and can be cleaned out though some say this is only a temporary fix and replacement is preferable.
Failing DMF is possible at that mileage. Used to manifest as pulsing of the clutch pedal and knocking noise during warm starting in particular. Excessive flywheel run-out can also damage the starter motor.
Had a similar problem with our 406 hdi - at a steady 70mph it would suddenly start to decelerate prompting a change down to 4th, a pause, and then the throttle suddenly restored. Tried to swap out the MAF from our C5 hdi but it was different but noticed the 406 MAF had a thin coating of oil. Cleaned it off and re-fitted and the car has been fine for the last 3,000 miles.
BGarside said:
Used to have a Mk. 1 with the same motor.
Variable vanes can coke up and stick, giving overboost which triggers limp home mode. Worth operating vane control arm on the turbo manually to see if it sticks or binds. Turbo can be cleaned out to remove carbon deposits.
A boost leak would account for persistently poor performance but not for a surge in boost then holding back. The bellows hoses to the intercooler used to be common leak locations on the Mark 1 but check all pressure pipework and hose unions for oily spatter indicating leakage.
Clogged-up EGR valves can also lead to poor performance and jerky running, and can be cleaned out though some say this is only a temporary fix and replacement is preferable.
Failing DMF is possible at that mileage. Used to manifest as pulsing of the clutch pedal and knocking noise during warm starting in particular. Excessive flywheel run-out can also damage the starter motor.
We will certainly be removing the turbo to see if there is any carbon build up or 'stickiness' that may prevent it functioning properly. What would be the best way of going about cleaning it? You hear of people using Mr Muscle oven cleaner and things like that but I'm not sure that would be such a good idea!Variable vanes can coke up and stick, giving overboost which triggers limp home mode. Worth operating vane control arm on the turbo manually to see if it sticks or binds. Turbo can be cleaned out to remove carbon deposits.
A boost leak would account for persistently poor performance but not for a surge in boost then holding back. The bellows hoses to the intercooler used to be common leak locations on the Mark 1 but check all pressure pipework and hose unions for oily spatter indicating leakage.
Clogged-up EGR valves can also lead to poor performance and jerky running, and can be cleaned out though some say this is only a temporary fix and replacement is preferable.
Failing DMF is possible at that mileage. Used to manifest as pulsing of the clutch pedal and knocking noise during warm starting in particular. Excessive flywheel run-out can also damage the starter motor.
Do we need to worry about the EGR if it has been blanked off or could this still be considered a possible problem?
It's weird because the car pulls really well low down and the turbo definitely seems to be working OK until those higher speeds are reached.
GroundEffect said:
Ya'll be ignoring potential cooling problems. Your car is designed to derate if temps get too high. Check your thermostat and coolant level.
Coolant level is fine and there doesn't appear to be a problem with the engine temperature from what I can see on the gauge. When you take the car for a run then come back and open the bonnet the engine does seem to be very hot though. Maybe it's the weather we're having but I've not noticed it with any other car I've had. When I blanked the EGR off last week I could barely touch the engine it was so hot, and it hadn't been anywhere far.Ive got a similar age similar mileage mk2 estate and its a right pig as far as reliability goes. When you give it the beans do you hear a slighty blowing noise near windscreen area? I had a similar problem to yours where i would get a loss in power with an error message of "engine systems faulty" and thrned out it was the thick rubber hose running into the turbo had split, it also meant a huge plume of black smoke out of the exhaust when turbo kicked in.
The split was quite hard to find as it wasnt that obvious but i bodged it with silicone and tie wraps and problem solved.
A day later a fuel return hose popped off and needed a new o-ring. A day after that the bonnet release broke which meant it failed its MOT.
The split was quite hard to find as it wasnt that obvious but i bodged it with silicone and tie wraps and problem solved.
A day later a fuel return hose popped off and needed a new o-ring. A day after that the bonnet release broke which meant it failed its MOT.
dazwalsh said:
Ive got a similar age similar mileage mk2 estate and its a right pig as far as reliability goes. When you give it the beans do you hear a slighty blowing noise near windscreen area? I had a similar problem to yours where i would get a loss in power with an error message of "engine systems faulty" and thrned out it was the thick rubber hose running into the turbo had split, it also meant a huge plume of black smoke out of the exhaust when turbo kicked in.
The split was quite hard to find as it wasnt that obvious but i bodged it with silicone and tie wraps and problem solved.
A day later a fuel return hose popped off and needed a new o-ring. A day after that the bonnet release broke which meant it failed its MOT.
Can't hear any noises like that, I know what you mean though as I have heard that noise on the FIL's 2.2 Diesel Jag. The turbo hose came off and it sounded like it was sucking a lot of air in and the car was completely gutless. I'm hoping it turns out to be something simple like a split hose but I guess we won't know until we get in there and have a good look!The split was quite hard to find as it wasnt that obvious but i bodged it with silicone and tie wraps and problem solved.
A day later a fuel return hose popped off and needed a new o-ring. A day after that the bonnet release broke which meant it failed its MOT.
Marky Mark88 said:
We will certainly be removing the turbo to see if there is any carbon build up or 'stickiness' that may prevent it functioning properly. What would be the best way of going about cleaning it? You hear of people using Mr Muscle oven cleaner and things like that but I'm not sure that would be such a good idea!
Do we need to worry about the EGR if it has been blanked off or could this still be considered a possible problem?
It's weird because the car pulls really well low down and the turbo definitely seems to be working OK until those higher speeds are reached.
If the EGR's blanked off I guess you can rule it out.Do we need to worry about the EGR if it has been blanked off or could this still be considered a possible problem?
It's weird because the car pulls really well low down and the turbo definitely seems to be working OK until those higher speeds are reached.
I think there's a turbo cleaner called 'Revive' if you don't want to use Mr Muscle, but it may be a trade-only product as I've not found it for sale to the public when I've looked previously.
If the variable vanes were sticking I cannot see why it would not be possible to induce this condition by accelerating hard from low revs - say 1800rpm where the turbo starts to kick in on the 1.8TDCi - as this will exercise the vanes. I cannot see why it would only occur at high revs. It's certainly worth trying to move the vane actuator manually though to check if it moves smoothly without sticking and through it's entire range.
If the car loses power at higher engine speeds only I wonder if it could be a fuel supply issue, i.e: blocked fuel filter or weak lift pump? The 1.8TDCi had issues with HP fuel pump failure in the early days of the Mark 1 Focus but I'm guessing your car is a late enough model to avoid this issue.
Injector issues can cause poor running. The injectors are individually coded to the engine and the coding can be lost, apparently. I would have thought this would result in more widespread running problems however.
BGarside said:
If the EGR's blanked off I guess you can rule it out.
I think there's a turbo cleaner called 'Revive' if you don't want to use Mr Muscle, but it may be a trade-only product as I've not found it for sale to the public when I've looked previously.
If the variable vanes were sticking I cannot see why it would not be possible to induce this condition by accelerating hard from low revs - say 1800rpm where the turbo starts to kick in on the 1.8TDCi - as this will exercise the vanes. I cannot see why it would only occur at high revs. It's certainly worth trying to move the vane actuator manually though to check if it moves smoothly without sticking and through it's entire range.
If the car loses power at higher engine speeds only I wonder if it could be a fuel supply issue, i.e: blocked fuel filter or weak lift pump? The 1.8TDCi had issues with HP fuel pump failure in the early days of the Mark 1 Focus but I'm guessing your car is a late enough model to avoid this issue.
Injector issues can cause poor running. The injectors are individually coded to the engine and the coding can be lost, apparently. I would have thought this would result in more widespread running problems however.
There is a 3 stage turbo cleaner you can buy for about 35 quid which I think you spray through the air intake. This is specifically for variable vane turbos apparently. I don't mind giving this a try but I want to get in there first and check for other problems and see if the vanes move manually etc.I think there's a turbo cleaner called 'Revive' if you don't want to use Mr Muscle, but it may be a trade-only product as I've not found it for sale to the public when I've looked previously.
If the variable vanes were sticking I cannot see why it would not be possible to induce this condition by accelerating hard from low revs - say 1800rpm where the turbo starts to kick in on the 1.8TDCi - as this will exercise the vanes. I cannot see why it would only occur at high revs. It's certainly worth trying to move the vane actuator manually though to check if it moves smoothly without sticking and through it's entire range.
If the car loses power at higher engine speeds only I wonder if it could be a fuel supply issue, i.e: blocked fuel filter or weak lift pump? The 1.8TDCi had issues with HP fuel pump failure in the early days of the Mark 1 Focus but I'm guessing your car is a late enough model to avoid this issue.
Injector issues can cause poor running. The injectors are individually coded to the engine and the coding can be lost, apparently. I would have thought this would result in more widespread running problems however.
The problem doesn't necessarily occur at high revs, I can rev through 1st, 2nd and 3rd pretty much on the redline before changing gear and this won't cause the loss of power. It's more a speed related thing where I'm guessing the engine is under a relatively heavy load at 70-80mph.
Fresh fuel filter was put on only last week with some diesel Redex in the filter housing to flush the system through, so I think I can rule that out. Possible fuel pump problem is noted.
We've had injector problems before on our old car which was a Fiesta 1.4 TDCi. This always came up with an error code saying 'EAC Fail.' Luckily these weren't coded but you're certainly not the first person to mention that there may be injector problems or they might need recoding. I'm guessing it's only a Ford dealer that will have the necessary software to do that?
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