Focus diesel engine fault
Discussion
After writing on another thread yesterday about how reliable my car has been it has now gone into limp mode. It drove fine yesterday afternoon and I parked it in a car park for a couple of hours, on getting back in and starting up the "engine systems failure" lit up on the dash along with a red light just at the side of it. I have just plugged a code reader into it but it says no faults, this is the reader I used.
It does connect and communicate, just says there are no faults.
The car is a 1.6 TDCI 57 reg (reg jan 08), its the 90BHP version and I'm pretty certain it doesn't have a DPF, its a stage IV emissions and the Co2 rating is 124 G/kM if anyone can check the DPF for me.
The vehicle starts fine and drives smoothly, no misfires or anything, its just in limp mode and is slow as hell. If you turn the key off and on whilst driving you briefly get full power and the turbo seems to be ok for a couple of seconds before it goes back into limp mode.
I'm going to clean the throttle body over the weekend and see if that does anything, the only other thing I can think of is I thought the battery was suspect the other month but it seems to be starting fine just lately.
It does connect and communicate, just says there are no faults.
The car is a 1.6 TDCI 57 reg (reg jan 08), its the 90BHP version and I'm pretty certain it doesn't have a DPF, its a stage IV emissions and the Co2 rating is 124 G/kM if anyone can check the DPF for me.
The vehicle starts fine and drives smoothly, no misfires or anything, its just in limp mode and is slow as hell. If you turn the key off and on whilst driving you briefly get full power and the turbo seems to be ok for a couple of seconds before it goes back into limp mode.
I'm going to clean the throttle body over the weekend and see if that does anything, the only other thing I can think of is I thought the battery was suspect the other month but it seems to be starting fine just lately.
Step-daughter has the same car with the same issue. It does have glow plug errors when scanned, but it has had that for a while and that shouldn't cause the limp mode. The latest indy garage it has been to has suggested possible engine ECU problem, but they have no way of knowing without fitting a replacement which they suggest is somewhere in the region of £600.
Simply not worth it for that car. I told her to start looking for a replacement and to cross her fingers that it doesn't die completely before she finds one.
Simply not worth it for that car. I told her to start looking for a replacement and to cross her fingers that it doesn't die completely before she finds one.
Ok, I've just been out and unplugged various sensors including the injector connectors, disconnecting each one in turn made the engine run rough, it also registered a code with my checker, P0203 and p0204 which is injector faults on cylinders 3 and 4, didn't show a fault for cyls 1 and 2 though, or a fault for disconnecting the throttle body plugs. How are you expected to fix it if the software for helping you fix it doesn't work. Someone should sell after market ECus that do away with all the sensors and just run an engine like the good old days.
I've just found out you can do an on-board check via the dash, it does the gauge sweep etc, that too says no DTC codes present even though it says "engine systems fault" on the dash and is in limp mode, don't understand this.
Edit, just remembered, I blanked off the EGR valve when I first got it with a home made blanking plate.
Edit, just remembered, I blanked off the EGR valve when I first got it with a home made blanking plate.
Edited by stuart313 on Saturday 27th June 17:50
I suspect the lack of fault codes is why the garage suggested ECU fault. If the ECU is ultimately responsible for managing fault codes then it can't be relied on to do so if it itself is faulty. It is possible that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the engine mechanically, but if computer says "no" then limp mode it is. If it was my car I might have had a go at opening the ECU and checking for dry joints or corrosion etc, but I don't like messing with other people's cars beyond my comfort level.
Apparently the 1.6 diesel (Peugeot sourced?) is a bit of a pup according to the garage and they did say to avoid getting another.
Apparently the 1.6 diesel (Peugeot sourced?) is a bit of a pup according to the garage and they did say to avoid getting another.
I would guess it does/should/did have a DPF/Cat when it was made, therefore I am suggesting that it may have an empty additive tank I think it is called Eolys fluid or similar.
A mate bought one of these cheaply recently and it developed a similar fault, it was shunted off to a specialist who also has not been able to find the fault despite it having £750 worth of parts fitted, plus labour.
During my research on what the heck was wrong with it I discovered that this engine is not well regarded at allin Ford, Citroen or Peugeot circles.
A mate bought one of these cheaply recently and it developed a similar fault, it was shunted off to a specialist who also has not been able to find the fault despite it having £750 worth of parts fitted, plus labour.
During my research on what the heck was wrong with it I discovered that this engine is not well regarded at allin Ford, Citroen or Peugeot circles.
Unlikely to have a DPF if it's a 2007 Euro 4, but it's possible. I'd say your first place to start is the EGR system, especially if you do lots of short runs and not 20k per year on the motorways. Your "home made" EGR blank might not have been effective so take your pipes off and stick your head in to see if it's clogged up. If it all looks OK there then seeing as the diagnostic tool threw it up, start looking at your injectors. Like someone else said though, those Ebay Special diagnostic readers often don't tell you the whole story so take what it tells as a guide only.
Somewhere around the 2006/7 model year Glow Plug faults became a cause of Limp Mode. I know this because my 2005 Focus does not go into limp mode after registering glow plug faults, however my friend's 2007 car does.
Fords are classic for not showing up an OBD fault code for an intermittent fault - the fault will be logged though and a scan using Ford's diagnostic software will show it.
Where abouts are you lcoated OP?
Fords are classic for not showing up an OBD fault code for an intermittent fault - the fault will be logged though and a scan using Ford's diagnostic software will show it.
Where abouts are you lcoated OP?
gp3000000 said:
Somewhere around the 2006/7 model year Glow Plug faults became a cause of Limp Mode. I know this because my 2005 Focus does not go into limp mode after registering glow plug faults, however my friend's 2007 car does.
Very interesting, I was previously convinced that glow plugs would not cause limp mode as it doesn't do on other diesels I have experience of.As these (and many other) modern diesels have something called "Afterglow", meaning the glow plugs stay on after starting the car for a set period of time, to aid complete combustion of the (richer than usual) diesel/air mix immediately after starting, they are considered a critical emmission component, and so put the car into limp mode.
I would say with almost certainty that if its a 2007 car, its got a DPF.
When you say "Stage IV", i think you mean Euro IV compliant which means it has a DPF.
I think they were fitted from '06 onwards on this engine.
Thats the bad news.
Unfortunately theres no good news, just more bad news.
That engine is a pig. Its known for DPF problems, that cause problems with the EGR valve that then forces the turbo (which has an inherent oilway problem) to have to work harder, then fail prematurely.
When i was motor trading i had the misfortune of selling several cars with these engines - they're fitted to Peugeot, Citroen, Ford, Volvo and others, and they ALL come back with problems under warranty. We stopped buying / selling them VERY quickly. One had £3,000 spent on it - DPF, EGR valve and a Ford fitted turbo. Another was a Peugeot 307 with just 60K miles and a FPSH. Spent £1,000 on it before it eventually "settled down" - the Peugeot dealer just seemed quite happy to fit new parts to it with no real knowledge or evidence as to what the problem was in the hope it would go away.
If its that down on power, i would say DPF is blocked. And thats likely to just be the start of your pain.
When you say "Stage IV", i think you mean Euro IV compliant which means it has a DPF.
I think they were fitted from '06 onwards on this engine.
Thats the bad news.
Unfortunately theres no good news, just more bad news.
That engine is a pig. Its known for DPF problems, that cause problems with the EGR valve that then forces the turbo (which has an inherent oilway problem) to have to work harder, then fail prematurely.
When i was motor trading i had the misfortune of selling several cars with these engines - they're fitted to Peugeot, Citroen, Ford, Volvo and others, and they ALL come back with problems under warranty. We stopped buying / selling them VERY quickly. One had £3,000 spent on it - DPF, EGR valve and a Ford fitted turbo. Another was a Peugeot 307 with just 60K miles and a FPSH. Spent £1,000 on it before it eventually "settled down" - the Peugeot dealer just seemed quite happy to fit new parts to it with no real knowledge or evidence as to what the problem was in the hope it would go away.
If its that down on power, i would say DPF is blocked. And thats likely to just be the start of your pain.
The key to fixing these cars is not what the fault codes are stored but by looking at the measured parametres and working out what's at fault.
The scanner you have there is very basic and as some have said are hit and miss. Your car will have a dpf and also a fluid tank under the rear of the car for an additive.
Carl
The scanner you have there is very basic and as some have said are hit and miss. Your car will have a dpf and also a fluid tank under the rear of the car for an additive.
Carl
redtwin said:
I suspect the lack of fault codes is why the garage suggested ECU fault. If the ECU is ultimately responsible for managing fault codes then it can't be relied on to do so if it itself is faulty. It is possible that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the engine mechanically, but if computer says "no" then limp mode it is. If it was my car I might have had a go at opening the ECU and checking for dry joints or corrosion etc, but I don't like messing with other people's cars beyond my comfort level.
Apparently the 1.6 diesel (Peugeot sourced?) is a bit of a pup according to the garage and they did say to avoid getting another.
There are much deeper codes stored in a car than your average £10 ebay reader can get access to - hence why diagnostic garages spend ££,£££s on the right hardware to do it, rather than just use one of those.Apparently the 1.6 diesel (Peugeot sourced?) is a bit of a pup according to the garage and they did say to avoid getting another.
Totally with you RE: the 1.6 being a pup
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff