Hello all (just reposting this as can't change the subject title!).

Can anyone help me pleeeeeease (and sorry for the long explanation)?

I have a 2002 52 Reg Mondeo 130 TDCI Zetec with 150k on the clock and FSH. It has never given me any problems except for a new water pump and power steering pump at about 140k and new rear sub-frame at about 135k - all in all, costing me over £1k.

Even throughout this cold winter/snow we had earlier this year, it has started first time, everytime.

Except for this time...! I went to start it after leaving it overnight, when it turned over but never fired up. Then one of the orange lights started flashing (I describe it as the 'glowplug looking light'). It keeps flashing now.

No matter what, it wouldn't start and white smoke poured out of the exhaust.
Quick call to my mechanic followed and based on what I told him, he thought it was the glowplugs, so told me to keep turning it over until the engine caught, then get it to him. He said the white smoke was unburnt diesel.

I did as he said (maybe my biggest mistake!) - engine eventually fired up, but ran 'lumpy'. As I drove up the road, I could her a loud-ish knocking coming from the engine. Lumpiness cleared a little and there was no power (limp mode?).

First, glowplugs etc were checked, along with other things, then the injectors were taken out to be checked - apparently, no problem with them.

The garage then said that a 'conrod' has possibly gone and to sort it, will be an expensive engine-out job (estimated at £1k not incl. the work done so far).

So, summary is that my Mondy would not start, flashing glow plug light, told to keep turning it over until it fired up which I did with lots of white smoke. Car started but ran lumpy. Injectors looked at but told ok (apart from minor fault, corrected by re-coding).

After a few weeks, my garage told me they could not find what was wrong with my car. They said they could start stripping the engine, changing bits until they found out what was wrong with it, but I had to be prepared to pay a potental £1k! They then said to take the car away, use it and find another garage.

With a baby on the way, I did not have the money to burn like that, so I used my car until I could find another garage.

Every morning, my car would start first time BUT, would smoke lots and the engine would run really lumpy. The engine itself would really wobble.

After about a minute, the engine would smooth out and run like a dream. Subsequent start ups would go without a hitch - first time with no lumpiness.

However, if I left the car for a good few hours or overnight, it would start first time, but with all the smoke and lumpiness until the engine smoothed out.

I noticed that, as time went on, the lumpiness seemed to be lessening with not so much smoke especially as the weather started to warm up.

When I told my garage the above, they reckoned my car was low on compression (problems starting up when cold, but once hot and everything 'tight' again, problem would go) and that it was not worth repairing.

On the day my missus went into labour, the Mondeo gave up again, forcing me to borrow my Dad's car. I was desperate for a car, so went to the auctions and bought a Mk5 VW Golf GT TDI 140 BHP 0n a 56 plate (2007).

Desperation and auctions = not good and the VW is playing up (see my other post on this!).

Because we are a 'one car' family due to money, I am desperate to get the Mondeo back on the road, so have spoken to other mechanics. One garage put it on their diagnostic machine and said all my injectors were shot - even though the injector specialist said they were fine (though my garage and the specialist had a row over my car so who knows what really happened when my car was with them!).

Other suggestions are that there is a fuel delivery problem, Fuel Metering Unit is gone (common on TDCI's) and that the wiring loom within the Common Rail, has gone hard and brittle (until engine is hot and oil has softened it up, so making the necessary connections for things to work properly).

Soooo, after that loooooong explanation, what do you guys out there think?!

I will be eternally grateful for your replies, thoughts and suggestions.

With thanks and best regards,
Tony