Following on from my earlier thread, I have come to the conclusion that my next car should be a C-Max.
I have gained the impression from here that the 2.0 TDCi may be the best engine from a driving point of view, but I have also gained the impression that there could be issues with the long term reliability. The FFOC has many posts commenting on the EGR valve, as well as a host of other niggles that Ford dealers, in general, seem incapable of fixing first time! I get the feeling that maybe CR diesels haven't got the long term staying power that diesels of old have.
My idea at present is to buy around the 2yr/60k mark from auction, Zetec or above to get the sliding seats. I would be planning to keep the car for 4 years and taking it up to 120k. Now I know there are backroomers who have hit 100k plus in their TDCi's - but they won't be 6 years old.
Should I stick with what I know i.e. petrol, because I think that will do that age/ mileage without problems, or do I risk, if it is a risk, the long term uncertainty of a CR diesel? Or am I paranoid?
{Subject header made less vague - DD}
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You're paranoid...
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I got my 1.8TDCi S-Max on 30th March. I plan to keep it 4 years and then it will have 160,000 miles on it. I'm not really expexting any problems apart from usual wear and tear. I don't think I'm being unrealistic either.
I'll report back in 3 3/4 years time!!!!
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I took the common rail plunge this year (not with Ford) and shared most of your concerns.
At the end of the day though, they wipe the floor with other, lower tech diesel engines to drive, to listen to and to use, and while there are undoubtedly genuine horror stories, the fleet disposal auctions are full of 120,000 mile + Ford TDCI's, Renault dCi's, Vauxhall CDTi's and the like that still run perfectly well. If they were as chronically unreliable and ruinously expensive to maintain as some of the doom mongers say, lease companies simply wouldn't buy them in their thousands as they'd never make a profit on them.
I'm willing to bet the vast majority of common rail diesels rack up 150,000 miles without missing a beat.
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Chris M,
Not sure anyone from the forum has done that mileage with the Ford/PSA TDCi engine, which is not the same as the Mondeo 130TDCi unit (I am assuming you are talking about 2.0 litre engines here). Beware of that when reading replies.
We have a June '05 2.0TDCi Ghia (some nice toys over the Zetec including parking sensors) and love the car and engine combination, so thoroughly recommend it as a choice. Not suffered any EGR probs yet or any other niggles (touch wood) although some of the interior plastics are cheapy and there are a couple of rattles. Never used the slidy seat to be honest, there seems plenty of legroom anyway, and you have to tip up or remove the middle seat to slide the outer ones. Don't know why Ford bothered with this whole arrangement tbh!
The diesel might cost more in repairs over the long term, but the 2.0TDCi is a great engine and I am sure it would be more rewarding to drive over the 1.8Petrol. I say worth taking the plunge!
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My idea at present is to buy around the 2yr/60k mark from auction Zetec or above to get the sliding seats. I would be planning to keep the car for 4 years and taking it up to 120k.
Buy a 2 yr old Mercedes instead and take out 4 years ServicePlus cover - it'll cover you until 6yrs / 120K miles. You won't have to worry about things going wrong with it.
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The 2.0 TDCi has had some problems in the past, but newer C-Max cars should have the revised EGR valve, which is allegedly more reliable.
The thing that really adversely affects diesel engines is very short trips where the car doesn't get a chance to warm up. This in particular can affect EGR valves as they can clog up with soot if the engine doesn't get hot enough to burn it off.
I've got the 1.8TDCi C-max Zetec, and the engine's not as refined as the 2.0. Still a pretty decent engine, but I do occasionally wish I'd gone for a 2.0 instead. I originally wanted a 1.6TDCi, but they were in short supply when I bought the car.
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A friend with a 2.0 TDCi C-Max tells me the latest ECU software revision for the 2.0 TDCi cycles the EGR valve each time the ignition is turned on to help stop it sticking.
Seems like a good idea.
Cheers
DP
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Off topic, I know, but you might also want to take into consideration that the petrol engines in the C-Max are all chain-cam, whereas the tdci engines are all belt-cam.
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We have a 2 year old 22,000 mile 2.0 TDCi Zetec. Apart from the quality of the interior plastics, it's a great car. No EGR problems.
The sliding seats are fantastic with child/baby seats, as they give loads more room for loading them in and out.
We're thinking of selling ours, if you're interested... 54-plate, 22,000 miles, 2.0 TDCi Zetec, Tonic metallic blue, Full Ford Serv hist, etc etc...
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I have done nearly 120k miles from new in my CR TDCi Mondeo in which time it has saved £4 - 5k in fuel which would more than cover any serous repair, also I have done 1500 miles in a 1.6 TDCi C=Max which was great.
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My 2.0 TDCI had egr valve problems early in its life (AUG 04 build) but after a modified valve and new software it has not missed a beat. I believe Ford fitted the moification to new builds from March 05. You can hear the egr valve cycling after switching off the "ignition" (it clicks). I have driven diesels for many years (mainly VW) but the Ford/PSA 2.0 is by far the best I have driven. I would describe it as quiet, smooth and powerfull.
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What age/mileage did yours fail at Old Navy? & what were the symptoms?
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My car is a focus. The EGR problem gradually became apparent from about 8 months / 8,000 miles. The car hesitates occasionally under acceleration and can be difficult to start. The hesitation can be dangerous (junctions and rounabouts) when expected acceleration does not happen. When I went to the main dealer they immediately put the car off the road (legal liability?) and gave me a petrol mondeo (yuc) until they fixed it.
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That's odd. When the EGR went on my Merc, it ran OK but poured out black smoke.
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The spec for a Ford funded repair was:- Hesitations, or poor start, or poor fuel consumption and certain powertrain fault codes logged.
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I have a Focus 2.0 TDCi with that engine and think it's excellent. Wide power band and very smooth to drive. As others have said very noisy on startup but beyond that noise is not an issue.
At the moment I have a loan car (Megane 1.9dci) as mine is in the garage (not an issue to worry about though!) and don't find the engine, or the car for that matter, anything like as good.
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Thanks for all the useful replies. I'll have to see what the budget will get me.
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