Giving Up Smoking

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Mon 5 Mar 2001 11:30
Giving Up Smoking - rogerb

My one-year-old Focus tdi has always smoked heavily when accelerating and had a rather excessive thirst.

I have been advised, by a producer of ECU chips, that there is a known problem with some Focus tdi's which has been traced to the Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve, and that some dealers get around the problem by "simply disconnecting the pipe at the valve".

Do you or your readers have any experience of this, or advice to offer, please?
(I am planning to have it diagnostically tested at my Ford dealer, as advised by the tuner
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Mon 5 Mar 2001 16:24
Re: Giving Up Smoking - Andrew Moorey (Tune-Up Ltd.)
Not an uncommon problem on Ford Diesels. Yes you can simply disconnect the EGR valve. Doesn't seem to have any adverse affect on the running but should the powers-that-be decide to test diesel exhaust emissions differently (a "cat" test) this may mean that rectification of the problem may be neccessary. Replacement of the valve does not seem to help, it appears to be a problem with the management system as far as I can gather.
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Mon 5 Mar 2001 19:38
Re: Giving Up Smoking - rogerb
Andrew

re: disconnecting the egr valve

Is this a fairly simple procedure, and easily 'reversible', should the need arise?

Thanks!
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Mon 5 Mar 2001 20:27
Re: Giving Up Smoking - Andrew Moorey (Tune-Up Ltd.)
Yes, just disconnect the vacuum pipe from the valve and plug it. If this is the cause of your woes the improvement ill be instantly noticeable!
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Tue 6 Mar 2001 19:09
Re: Giving Up Smoking - rogerb
Andrew
Thanks.
Is it possible/probable that such a 'mod' would affect consumption as well as smoke?
Or are there other possible adjustments to the Ford tdi engine which might help? ( I imagine that most settings are 'hard-wired' into the ECU these days?)
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