Been on before on this - for 7 months now, once in a while my Focus 03 plate only 24K miles 1.8TDCi 115PS refuses to start -RAC men says it fuel delivery its been into Ford Dealer had £2000 (yes 2000) of parts fitted new PCM, new fuel pump system etc crankshaft sensor yet still plays up.
Then in November it got towed in yet again this time Ford Dealer say 'its fixed' it was a chafed wire under the gearbox, wire part of fuel delivery they said.
I battle with Ford Customer relation centre and got £1200 refunded a few weeks ago. think Ive got it sorted
then
Then it starts to play up again reluctant to start , tonite 28/12/07 had to abandon it at work hope to get it towed to Ford dealer tomorrow.
Now desperate (as is dealer) can anyone say if they might have found this issue.???
Everyone says its a fuel delivery issue, in fact twice the RAC managed to start it with jump leads (battery woirn flat) and easystart in air filter inlet.
Even a Ford Field engineer couldnt bottom this when it was in the ford dealers for 5 weeks once in June/July 2007.
all electrics checked and like I said new fuel pump, new PCM, new battery new crankshaft sensor, yet still once in a while it resues to fire up, turns over perfectly Ok just wont actually fire up like I say RAC men say its fule delivery.
The Ford dealer is entirely beaten by tjis car, they are helpful and I cannot fault then getting a courtesy car to me tonite but where do I go with this problem ?
Thanks
Edited by Webmaster on 28/12/2007 at 18:32
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Have they changed the camshaft position sensor?
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no they havent, tomorrow 29/12 I am getting it towed in but its really next wednesday 2/1/8 before they (the ford dealer) gets a chance to look at it. will mention it to them.
They are Ok about any ideas cos they are lost on this one and admitted that to me.
What i cannot understand is it runs peffectly well Ive done retent 350 mile trip in it and day to day its always starts first thing in the morning and starts when |I get out of work in evening.except when -see below
But every now and again its either a hard but last gasp firing to start or occasionally it simply wont fire and its a tow in job.
RAC man said last time, "it wants to go, its turning over but it cant fire up" then after jump leads and easy start it did go.
I saw articles elsewhere on Honest John on a Mondeo last model ->07 review, a bit about a fault on TDCi's including Focus 1.8 which says fuel pump unable to deliver fuel rail pressure due to wear on cam rollers and shoes caused by insufficient bedding of the rollers in early life, this can also create particles which lead to injector failure.
This is sound stuff but surely if an injector fails it fails yet my motor runs Ok between these episodes?
I am after 7 months at the point where I want to get shot of it which is a shame cos first 4 yrs I had it from new it was a peach of a car and also its big money to change it.
Really welcome any ideas I can pass onto my Ford Dealer.
Incidentally getting the Ford Customer Relationship Centre to the point where the reimbursement I had was made in November was sheer hard work, they basically messed me arounsd changing the claim ref number all the time so everytime I rang I had to expalin everyting to some one new as the claims efs didnt match can this really be a ploy on their part or am I paranoid as well as fed up.
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I'm rather surprised that they haven't changed the cam sensor. It's a well-known fault and a modified sensor and improved wiring plug are available - I've done several.
Maybe yours already has the new type - I wouldn't have thought so and it's a prime suspect given the symptom. It is highly likely to cause a non-start if it begins to fail. Increasing the cranking voltage with leads and sniff would help it function.
The "failure to bed in" excuse was popular before they all moved on to the "contaminated fuel" warranty get out. If the high-pressure pump is failing; then I can't see it struggling on for 7 months. When they go - they go big-time. Sub-threshold cranking pressure would be easy to see in live data and usually sets a code.
An injector fault that allowed excessive leak-back when cranking just might be a possibility - but I've never seen an intermittent one. Like the pumps - once gone, they stay gone. A dodgy fuel-rail pressure sensor, or it's plug, is another possibility.
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Thanks Screwloose
Today (sat) car was started by RAC with Jump leads and easystart and lots of cranking it over till it fired up.
it went right to dealer- the dealer welcomes any info I can supply.
This info will be passed on tomorrow via their salesroom manager who has been really helpful to me.
Like other folk mentioned the Ford Dealers appear to have a dianostic shortfall due to I guess lack of experience on this engine, the dealer I go to has one diesel specialists and manys the time they cant do anything if this guy is on a dayoff
Your right too in that it has been a 7 month intermiittent problem must narrow down the options as to what is causing this.
The RAC man today said seemed to be lack of fuel pressure & also suggested it was electrical origin based on the fact it comes right out of the blue ie one day simply wont start after weeks being OK and the fact that when running its excellent with no issues suggesting otherwise a fault (such as low compression) .
Have to say Ive had the RAC out a lot and everytime they are really nice blokes right attitude and after years of never having to call them out I simply cant say enough as to how good thet are specially with mine being a 'regular' .
Once again thanks for the info.
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Oldlag, you have spent £2000 on repairs and still the car is faulty. They are using easy start on it which will ruin the engine, do not let them use this stuff again.
You should not have to tell a main dealer how to repair your car, they should know or find out themselves.You should be talking to the service manager not the salesman, who is only interested in selling you another car.
This whole thing sums up main dealers, especially IMO Ford dealers. They are mostly hopeless and could not care less.
My advise is to sell the car for whatever you can get, them buy another make. I have just sold my wife's 27000 miles 52 reg Focus TDCI with a full tank of fuel and a broken DMF for £3300 to the garage who diagnosed the fault. (Actually it was Screwloose who told me what the problem was first)
I have ordered her a new car from Carfile, it is a diesel from Germany. I will not tell you the make because I will be accused of being a badge snob. But a clue is that it is a ball game with plenty of walking and looking!
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THANKS for comments exactly as I see it after 7 long nightmare months I agree.
I have today Sun30th in a sense 'sold' the car.
Like I said in the earlier posts I already had some reinbursement back on the 2K ive paid out from Ford.
And also was told in the past by the dealer that I would get a decent deal on a trade in so today I have traded it as it stands in the dealers compound for a Brand new Focus Zetec climate 1.8 petrol with the added sports pack etc that are on offer as they run out this mark model ready for the revamped (mark3?) next month.
OK - OK I know its another Focus but I dont need anything bigger than a Focus size and as I live in the sticks and the Ford dealer is just down the road from me, I opted for the 'easy' way out of this dilemma, plus I now work part time odd hours (do less miles) and also act as a carer for a relative who needs a lot of attention so the need for reliable transport was paramount.
I agree with your comments but I am not a car fanatic and for my own sanity I just want to move on and be able to concentrate on other life issues without the trepidation everytime I go out in the car.
Once again thanks for all the comments it shows there are some helpful and nice folk out there.
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>I have ordered her a new car from Carfile, it is a diesel from Germany. I will not tell you the >make because I will be accused of being a badge snob. But a clue is that it is a ball game >with plenty of walking and looking!
Why have gone from one car with a history of DMF failures, to another one with a history of DMF failures?
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I am not so sure the 1.8Duratec petrol has a DMF?, the ford books show DMF in the engine spec for all diesels enginesel but no t the e duratecs.
Anyway DMF wasnt not an issue with my TDCi, but for 7 months I dare not switch it off until it was at normal temperatue otherwise I knew it would not restart, just imagine ever time you drive to work and you want a paper/pint of milk etc youve got to go round and round till the car is hot .
I did for 7 months, plus I never could be sure that would work.
I will never have a diesel again it has scarred me for life.
So DMF is not my worrry plus theres noway I could or would pay more than I am for this car and what youve bought cost more.
The deal I got was OK in terms of what I had to find moneywise and what I have especially as Ive had to go part time.
I did look at a DMF website and it suggests the DMF function is to absorb torque hits so a dieles has more of them.
I appreciate the help but its done now and I look forward to being able to stop after a short trip again.
I bought a 1.8P cos its cheaper than a 1.6 and the 1.4 is ltoo quaint for motorways.
Plus a Fiesta is too small to get a foldup wheel chair in.
apprecaite the thoughts but I imagine you do more miles than the 4,500 a year I now do.
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has anyone mentioned the fuel filter or fuel relay, or fuel tank vent..
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I think AE was refering to my post. I didn't know that my newly ordered car had a DMF problem, my Passat is still OK, fingers crossed.
When I first bought a diesel car (ZX) it was because I did alot of short trips and the diesel car was much better than a previous petrol one (Escort) which used to mayonaise up.
What on earth is going on now with all these diesel problems. 99.9% of lorries buses and tractors are diesel with excellent reliability. Why are cars causing such difficulty?
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I don't think this is just a diesel issue. We had an 04 petrol 1,6 Focus, that would intermittently not fire up from cold. Left for a while it would. We had the AA out one morning, rather cold weather, because it would not start. Half hour later he turned the key and it started. Maybe there is a common fault between the petrol and the diesel. We just got shot of it rather than mess about.
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Do you live by a powerful radio transmitter by any chance ?
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No. But it is the only Ford model out of many I've that has had this problem. Though my C-max electric parking brake will not work when driven to a particular automatic barrier. No other.
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Well its gone I got rid of it and YIPPEE
all I know for certain is it isnt due to radio staions nearby and its definitly a diesel only problem
the concensus is the fuel delivery is inadequate and rpossible easons are
electrical fault/s thats what the RAC men say and theyve no axe to grind.
but a Ford Field engineer told me a con rod had gone ( on 15 June 2007)but (I dont thinks so as I was doing 70 all the way up to and back from Yorkshire withing 3 weeks of that remark) goes to show what a accident it is getting these fdaults seen and fixedi
like I say Ive motored since 1967 and Ive never had such anguish as I had with this TDCi over last 7 months .
Frankly I love driving diesels I did over 100K miles in my last diesel, before this focus (which has done 24K) BUT I will never ever risk buying another for the sake of my sanity and wallet.
I like the Focus dont get me wrong and I have another on order (petrol) but just no way a diesel.
Had lots of opinions in last 7 months MOST said buy a honda so if a Honda dealer opens in my town I might.
Thanks Lads
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