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Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - SC1980

My 2005 Ford focus mk2 failed it's MOT on the engine management light coming on. Engine management light was on when I got it and had been on for several years before with it lavishly just being an advisory but it obviously failed this time due to the MOT changes in March which I hadn't previously known about. I cleared the code before taking it for the MOT but didn't realise it was coming back on after the third engine restart so it came back on during the MOT.

The errors it's throwing are P0036, P0136, P0056 and P0156. All related to O2 sensor. I've thought about getting the sensor changed or trying to do it myself but been put off by the cost of having it done and inconvenience of doing it myself and the fact that since the emissions have always been fine it wasn't especially urgent.

Anyone got advice on how difficult it is to change the sensor myself or alternatively how many times they're likely to restart it during the MOT and whether I could get away with clearing the code just before the retest or trying to clear it during the test via Bluetooth?

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - elekie&a/c doctor

Unfortunately this is the inaccuracy of cheap code readers. It could be an O2 sensor ,but on some of these Focus models,there are 4 . Which one (or more) is it?

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - John F

Our 2000 Focus 1.6 Zetec 133,000m EML had started to come on occasionally, and was easily cleared for quite a time by just disconnecting the battery for a few minutes. I have also noticed occasional engine stopping after coasting some distance, suggestive of a mixture problem. So, among the many reasons for EML illumination, I came across this likely explanation - a build up of carbon deposits on the edges of the circular butterfly valve in the throttle body causing it to almost completely block the intake resulting in an over-rich mixture.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQKmDQCkqRc

It's easy enough to take it off and clean the edges with a thick wire wrapped in a strip of petrol-soaked material (it says inside 'don't clean it' ! ) I think this is because it has a special coating. Anyway, I did this a few hundred miles ago - it idles slightly faster and the EML has not yet reappeared. Worth a try - hope it helps.

I've never tried one of these coding devices - they seem to me to just confuse the issue sometimes, resulting in perfectly functional sensors etc being needlessly replaced (which so far has never happened to me). Try basic things first.

Edited by John F on 28/10/2018 at 10:57

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - Railroad.

The fault codes you mention relate to O2 sensor circuits for both heater and supply. Have you checked to make sure both sensors have a 12v supply? If not check all fuses and wiring. IIRC both white wires on the sensors are live supply, one for the heater and one for the sensor. That leaves a grey wire and a black wire. One is earth and the other is the signal wire, but I can't remember which is which. You'll have to test them and find out. I wouldn't be too quick to change the sensors. Both of them failing for the same reason at the same time is probably a bit too much of a coincidence. A voltage supply fault is much more likely.

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - SC1980

They may not have failed at the same time - I've had the car for a couple of years and the warning light was on before I got it for at least another year or so. To test them I'm guessing I'll need to dig out my voltmeter then get the car up on stands and trace the wiring?

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - Gibbo_Wirral
I'm amazed that someone would just drive a car for "several years" with an engine warning light on.

How much wear, damage or fuel has been wasted by ignoring the car telling you something is not quite right?
Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - skidpan
I'm amazed that someone would just drive a car for "several years" with an engine warning light on. How much wear, damage or fuel has been wasted by ignoring the car telling you something is not quite right?

I am not amazed. You only have to read on here how people don't carry out basic maintenance such as oil,changes etc and then wonder why the engine has blown.

Perhaps instead of simply a warning light a better solution would be a large spike that comes out of the accelerator pedal if you carry on driving.

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - SC1980

Well, since my girlfriend and I got the car for £100 from her brother and it was covered in dents and scratches I haven't exactly been willing to fork out £300 to a garage for them to replace two O2 sensors that are throwing a fault code that a) isn't causing problems with emissions and b) didn't seem to be causing an issue with fuel economy (52mpg for motorway driving at 60 seemed pretty reasonable to me for a car that's thirteen years old). I also only use it occasionally and don't have any dependence on it.

If I'd paid a lot of money for it or it was materially affecting how the car drives or was a cause of it failing an MOT I'd have been more bothered.

What would you choose to do?

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - elekie&a/c doctor

I can only think of two choices here, fix it or scrap it. The car has cost you nothing so far, if the only failure are the lambda sensors,then the £300 seems like a good deal .

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - SC1980

I can only think of two choices here, fix it or scrap it. The car has cost you nothing so far, if the only failure are the lambda sensors,then the £300 seems like a good deal .

I wouldn't say it's cost me nothing since I've had the timing belt changed and done basic servicing myself: oil and air filters, plugs, leads etc. Reason for posting here was to look for advice from anyone who has managed to replace O2 sensors themselves without getting it up on a ramp in a garage or alternatively to find out if anyone knows whether I could get away with clearing the code for the retest easily enough in case I don't have time to do the work myself beforehand.

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - SC1980

The fault codes you mention relate to O2 sensor circuits for both heater and supply. Have you checked to make sure both sensors have a 12v supply? If not check all fuses and wiring. IIRC both white wires on the sensors are live supply, one for the heater and one for the sensor. That leaves a grey wire and a black wire. One is earth and the other is the signal wire, but I can't remember which is which. You'll have to test them and find out. I wouldn't be too quick to change the sensors. Both of them failing for the same reason at the same time is probably a bit too much of a coincidence. A voltage supply fault is much more likely.

Fuses are all fine and the supply to the connectors reads around 12V. The wires to the post cat O2 sensors look ok from what I can see but actually getting access to the sensors to get them out and look at them seems like it's going to be a massive ball ache as getting it up on axle stands doesn't give me enough space to manoeuvre tools, hands and elbows to where they need to be.


Anyone here got any experience replacing post cat O2 sensors and got any advice on how they did it?

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - SC1980

The fault codes you mention relate to O2 sensor circuits for both heater and supply. Have you checked to make sure both sensors have a 12v supply? If not check all fuses and wiring. IIRC both white wires on the sensors are live supply, one for the heater and one for the sensor. That leaves a grey wire and a black wire. One is earth and the other is the signal wire, but I can't remember which is which. You'll have to test them and find out. I wouldn't be too quick to change the sensors. Both of them failing for the same reason at the same time is probably a bit too much of a coincidence. A voltage supply fault is much more likely.

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - S40 Man

Do you have a laptop? I would invest in an ELM.0127 FORSCAN obd cable and software. If you did this you could a reset code errors before MIT visit. You failed also get a better picture of CD what's wrong with a ford specific scanner. FORSCAN is about £17 and very good value I think

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - SC1980

Unfortunately this is the inaccuracy of cheap code readers. It could be an O2 sensor ,but on some of these Focus models,there are 4 . Which one (or more) is it?

The codes are for the post cat sensors. I.e. sensor 2 on both banks

Ford focus mk2 - MOT fail on engine management light - John F

So aren't you going to try pulling off the rubber air intake hose and cleaning the edges of the butterfly valve as I suggested above? It only takes a few minutes and seems to have worked for me.