Excessive Consumption

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Mon 21 May 2001 22:03
Excessive Consumption - rogerb
Who knows enough abough the Ford 1.8 Tdi engine to tell me what sort of 'diagnostic' checks might tell me why my Focus does only about 38-40 mpg, however & wherever I drive it? (And has done so consistently for 20k miles)
From road test figures, I'd expect at least 10% more.
I don't really want to lay out £50 or so, only to be told "It appears to be within normal tolerances" (ie"we don't know enough to find out what's wrong"!) - I'd prefer to spend it on fuel!
On the other hand, if it IS 'over-fuelling', I'd obviously prefer to get it fixed - if it CAN be!
So, you Ford/diesel experts - can you help, please?
(You helped me solve the smoking - to a large extent. However, the fact that it STILL smokes somewhat suggests, to ME, that too much fuel is going in there!)
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Mon 21 May 2001 22:11
Re: Excessive Consumption - David Lacey
Not an awful lot you can do here I'm afraid - it's full of electronics etc.
I take it you have checked the obvious - filters and air intakes for obstructions?
The MPG you are getting does seem a little poor - do you have an air-conditioner fitted? If so try using it as little as possible and see if that makes a difference.
For diagnostics, I wouldn't bother taking it to a Ford dealer - they probably don't really understand the workings of a modern Diesel engine fuel injection system. Find yourself a reputable diesel diagnostic dealer locally (I think this engine uses a Bosch Pump) We have an escellent Bosch dealer locally and they are able to sort out ANY diesel problem we have.
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Mon 21 May 2001 22:25
Re: Excessive Consumption - rogerb
Thanks, David, I'll look for a Bosch place in or near Milton Keynes (unless anyone out there can recommend one!?) I'd rather suspected that the Ford bods wouldn't know!
Re aircon; yes, it has this, but I have tried using/not using it, and consumption doesn't vary greatly. (No 'blockages', and it has been like this from new - I hate to think what I might have saved, if I'd got it sorted sooner - just sort of accepted that I'd got a thirsty one!)
roger
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Tue 22 May 2001 13:32
Re: Excessive Consumption - Update - rogerb
I have just spoken to my friendly 'local' Bosch service engineer, who advised me that they won't have equipment to test the more recent Bosch injection pumps until the end of the year :-(
They said that only a Ford dealer would be able to test for 'faults' in the fuel system, which, if found, would be referred back to them (Bosch service) for fixing, usually in the form of a replacement (expensive, but I have insurance).
The even more disappointing advice was that the consumption I'm experiencing would probably (as I suspected!) not be flagged as a fault, but would be 'within acceptable tolerances' !
So, it seems, I'm stuck with my thirsty Focus, unless I'm prepared to risk wasting fifty quid or so, on the off-chance of their finding a fault bad enough for them to recommend corrective action.
Thanks for trying to help, anyway!
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Tue 22 May 2001 22:32
Re: Excessive Consumption - Update - Andrew Hamilton
The Bosch engineer could look at the injector spray pattern to see if normal. Are you emitting black smoke on accellerating suggesting overfueling. One unlikely cause is a fuel pipe leak. This did happen to a well known manufacturer and he refused a safety recall as he argued leakage of diesel was not a fire hazard merely an inconvenience. The possibility of the breather pipes being blocked due to a manufacturing defect has happened.
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Wed 23 May 2001 23:58
Re: Excessive Consumption - Update - Escort Man
We have a Mondeo TD estate at work - which is similarly afflicted - perhaps they are all like that guv !!!
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