Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi - Does the 08-11 suffer the turbo problems of 04-07

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Wed 15 Aug 2012 21:17
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi - Does the 08-11 suffer the turbo problems of 04-07 - Ian D

Hi there, I like the Focus 1.6 TDCi estate but having suffered a £1000 bill for new injector/turbo/new oil feed pipes etc etc on my 2005 I want to upgrade to a newer one but will not do so if the same gremlins are there on the 2008-2011 model.

HJ's reviews don't mention turbo problems on the 2008-2011 1.6 TDCi facelift model but I am trying to check if there have been problems with those model years as I understand Ford improved the oil supply pipes for 2008+ model year

I would buy a 90bhp model hopefully without the DPF if the turbo gets a clean bill of health.

thanks!

Edited by Ian D on 15/08/2012 at 21:19

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Wed 15 Aug 2012 23:40
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi - Does the 08-11 suffer the turbo problems of 04-07 - grimep

AFAIK yes, this engine is pretty much the same and is susceptible to oil carbonisation which blocks the filter in the banjo bolt on the turbo oil feed pipe. I think a revision was made in 06 or 07 to the feed pipe to move it away from a heat source (catalytic conv possibly), but that didn't necessarily fix the issue. I've kept an eye on a car mechanic forum and from what one Ford technician has said, the engine is still a potential dog. Causes are either poor oil change routine, or leaking injector seals. Its a well-known problem and Ford have issued a Technical Service Bulletin advising on the work involved when a turbo goes.

Having said all that I've taken a gamble on a 1.6TDCi myself, and I'm intending to drop the sump, replace the pick-up pipe, clean the oil cooler, and replace the feed pipe and maybe the return line. Parts from Ford inc a new sump should come to around £150. Never attempted a job that big- it involves removing the cat and front exhaust- so not really looking forward to it. However it would be preferable to the turbo going bang in 10 or 20k miles time.

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Thu 16 Aug 2012 00:26
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi - Does the 08-11 suffer the turbo problems of 04-07 - Peter.N.

Personally I think these turbo problems are cause by the ridiculously long oil change intervals. I have done hundreds of thousands of miles in turbo diesels without a turbo failure but have always changed my oil at 5k. As modern engines burn cleaner a slightly longer interval may suffice but although oil technology has improved it doesent prevent it collecting carbon carbon deposits and circulating then round the system.

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Mon 15 Jul 2013 13:01
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi - Does the 08-11 suffer the turbo problems of 04-07 - Glenn.M

All I can say is that I have a Ford Focus on a 62 plate first registered in Sept 2012.

2 weeks ago it had to have a Fuel Pump replaced as the dealers told me it was leaking. After getting the car back I had another warning message and have now been told that the Turbo needs replacing. The car has only done 8000 miles from new.

So guess the problem still exists.

Not at all happy with Ford.

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Tue 5 May 2015 16:00
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi - Does the 08-11 suffer the turbo problems of 04-07 - p1gl3t

Hi,

I'm in the market for a 2011 MY second hand diesel and did a fair bit of research regarding the 1.6tdci that Ford uses.

I find it confusing that the buzz regarding sludge buildup seems to come only from euro 3-4 engine owners and there are almost no reports about the euro 5 ones. I think enough time should have passed to have a clear idea if the problems were fixed in the newer revisions, which makes me wonder if I’m just not digging deep enough or if the engines were actually improved, thus people are not complain that much.

I’m aware of a few possible causes to the sludge buildup that kills the turbo:

- poor servicing (as stated by the manufacturer) - did they make the engine more resilient?

- bad oil sump/pan/pickup design - seems that they made some design updates in 2008

- turbo oil return being cooked by the DPF - somewhat improved

- injector seals failing (mostly no. 3) and thus letting gasses escape into the crank case - don’t think any improvements were made in this aspect; guess thread lock or some other no brainer wouldn’t work, but periodic tightening should suffice

- exhaust backpressure due to clogged DPF causing particulate matter to clog up (read it somewhere)

I’m now wondering if a second hand VAG car would be a better gamble but I wouldn’t like to base my decision on some issues that don’t exist anymore.

I don’t want to start a flame, just need some more owner/mechanic opinions.

Thanks

Edited by p1gl3t on 05/05/2015 at 16:01

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