Car: Mondeo III 2.0 TDCI '07 reg.
I bought this car new last year. Its an 07 reg old type Mondeo, one of the last. Was OK up to Christmas and then started playing up.
It looses power sometimes. For example on Saturday driving from Canterbury to Sheffield. Goes OK most of the time but then just slowly loses power for a while, like the engine has been strangled. Pushing foot down brings no extra power, sometimes there is a jolt. Does it only when it has been running for at least 30mins. After a while the power comes back and its ok again for a long time.
No warning lights.
It has been back to the supplying dealer and they cant find anything wrong with it. They have experienced the loss of power and have changed gas pedal and some sensors, but it is no better. There are NO FAULT CODES on the electronic module. They sent me to another Ford dealer to see if they could spot anything but the other dealer have said (their words) they are "stumped".
I have been advised to drive it "until it gets worse" (their words again). THis is not satisfactory. On Sat it started losing power before the Dartford tunnel and I had a job to make it up the hill out of the tunnel at 30mph with my foot pressed to floor. Power came back a couple of miles later. It will do this at least once and hour while driving and could be dangerous in certain circumstances.
THis is highly unsatisfactory and I would like to reject the car because it is a lemon. What are my legal rights? I have heard that the garage can have three goes at repairing the car and then they must offer a replacement. THis car has had about 6 attempted repairs. Its my own private car.
It has only done 13k and has been serviced only be Ford and run only on Shell diesel (I used to use V-power diesel by now use the standard stuff since the prices went mad!).
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Have you bought on finance? Your finance company may well wish to be involved at this stage if so...
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AFAIK Gordon is spot on, think saw something similar on a recent consumer advice program saying if bought on finance, technically they own the car and is down to them to sort out any problems.
If losing power, and they want you to wait for it to deteriorate then I would guess has the potential to become a very serious issue- certainly not something you want mid overtake or on lane 3 of a busy motorway.
Best of luck getting it sorted, keep us posted how it goes.
Hope this helps.
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Sounds like maybe the brakes are binding. When it does it, pull up and check if you can smell the brakes burning. Rear caliper and handbrake cable seizures are not uncommon on the Mk3. Mine's just had new handbrake cables fited under warranty at 2.5 years old.
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Have you tried BP Ultimate as recommend by Ford ? Just in case there is something odd about Shell diesel the engine doesn't like.
It doesn't sound like the dealers have done that much to sort this out, it's simply not good enough. For example, has the dealer downloaded new software to the ECU, changed the engine, put the car on a rolling road with exhaust gases monitoring, fuel intake monitoring and diagnostics connected for at least 1 hour ? If not why not I'd be asking.
It's too late to reject the car but the warantee should be doing it's job and so should the Ford dealers by honouring the warantee both in spirit and by their actions.
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You've had the car far too long to be able to reject it. You refer to 'gas pedal' and 'lemon', both terms we would associate with North American english. If you are from USA / Canada, then sorry, but we don't have the same 'Lemon' laws as you have.
However, you do have a warranty, and in my own personal experience, Ford are happy to honour their warranty commitments; unfortunately their dealers are not always able to fix the problems.
This needs to be escalated. Has your dealer raised the issue with Ford Technical Support?
If I was in your position, I would be looking through Yellow Pages for local diesel service centres. Find one with a 'Delphi' badge in their advert, and phone them. Check that they have the equipment and expertise to diagnose and repair faults in Mondeo TDCi fuel systems, and if they do, then book the car in for diagnostics. Ask them to give you a list of any faults found, and take this to your dealer.
Feedback I'm getting is that Delphi specialists know the system better than a lot of main dealer technicians.
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Has anyone tried changing the fuel filter ??
You never know, this may cause gradual and worsening power loss like you describe.
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Sounds like a partially blocked catalyst or exhaust..
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Another possibility: camshaft position sensor? When mine was playing up it never triggered a fault code either (or so the dealer told me).
BP diesel of one sort or another definitely seems to produce smoother running in these.
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THanks hguys.
In reply to your questions, in no order.
I am from the US originally but have lived in UK for a long time. My language is still Americanised at times.
The car is not on finance.
The dealers have contacted Ford Technical but no solution has been offered.
The dealers only know a much as the computer tells them. If the computer says no faults then that is that as far as the dealer goes.
The cam sensor, cranks sensor, gas pedal sender, EGR unit and some other bits and pieces have been replaced, with no fix.
I don't think it is sticking brakes because the car loses power when I have not touched the brake pedal for many minutes. I dont think the car could apply brakes itself.
The second Ford dealer has said they have done all they can do. THe car is complicated and they have to wait for the fault to become permanent. The concern is that by the time they figure out what is wrong with the car the warranty will be expired.
I have telephoned FOrd and writtne to Ford UK HQ but the answer is the same, you must speak to your dealer.
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Brakes can apply themselves. If the brakes are binding they overheat and expand thus applying the brakes even more. A faulty brake master cylinder can cause the brakes to apply themselves by not returning fluid and holding the brakes on slightly leading to overheating as above.
Next time it seems to be losing power put it in neutral on a downhill slope and see if it slows down by itself, or stop and try to push it..
Edited by kith on 09/07/2008 at 21:23
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I very much doubt that this is a brake problem... I had the rear calipers bind on my Mondeo III just last year and the handbrake cables also replaced (not under warrenty). Common problem with the Mondeo III I was told. He would smell the brakes burning up for sure and it wouldn't really feel like a "loss of power", especially if he has his foot to floor on the acelerator and nothing is really happening.
But you are correct in saying that brakes can "technically" apply themselves.
Thanks
Lee
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