24 replies to this topic

[D4zzl3r]

Mondeo 2002 (March) TDCi 130 (about 61,000 miles).

For about a year now, every so often the car wouldn't start and the glow plug warning light flashes. Turn the ignition off, back on, and hey presto! It starts. It has always started first turn normally.

But the other day the light started flashing whilst i was driving and power was noticeably down. So i think it went into 'limp home mode'? Got home but when i went to start it the next day, it wouldn't. Even trying the usual 'switch-off & back-on' didn't work.

I have read the articles on EGR valves & Camshaft/Crankshaft sensors. Will the fault codes tell me what it is?

1) Is there a way to start it to get it to a garage?
2) How do i get the fault codes out?
3) How do i reset the ECU to clear it?

Can anyone help?

[swordtail]

I can answer 2 and 3

There is a dash diagnostic not sure if it will tell you anything but worth a try ignition off push trip reset button in and hold and turn ignition on you should see the gauges do a sweep test then just push the trip button to scroll through.

And the other one is easy just disconnect the battery for 15 mins + make sure you have a radio code though hope this helps you.

[D4zzl3r]

Thanks SwordFish.

I think i may be confused over the warning lights. The Glow Plug / Pre-Heating warning light isn't the same as the engine management system light is it? One is like a curly wire and the other is a picture of an engine?

Would a split turbo inlet hose cause it to go in to limp home mode?

[randall]

yes a split turbo pipe would cause it to be down on power but would not cause it not to start sounds more like the cam sensor to me :L

[pyeman1982]

I had both the starting problem and the limp home mode problem in recent months....

The starting problem was cured by replacing the camshaft position sensor, a £15 part and 5 min very easy DIY job.

With mine the car went into limp home mode and wouldn't start after I got home.  Called the RAC and they sprayed some quick start into the air filter and the car started, although rough as a tractor!  Had it taken to the garage and they recoded the injectors and its been fine since.

I reckon you've got two problems as the cps shouldn't put it into limp home mode but it may stall and not want to restart straight away

[D4zzl3r]

Thanks Randall & Pyeman1982.

It does seem like the same issue.

I've just remembered another syptom. As well as the very occasional flashing glow plug warning like that was fixed with a switch-off/switch-on, just recently, maybe about a month or so, when starting the car it would tick over slower than normal for about 7 seconds, then it was as if it realised what was going on and then speed up and settle at the normal tick over speed.

[randall]

that is normally the injectors leaking over night. mine does it now and again but i know my injectors need replacing.

[D4zzl3r]

Replaced the Camshaft Position Sensor today (£15 from Fords) but it ain't made no difference. GlowPlug warning lights still flashing and after 2-3 mins of cranking she won't fire up.

Do you think the injectors need recoding/remapping? If so, why did they lose their coding/mapping?

Whilst i was in Ford's, they said a TSB have been raised for the connector for the CPS but they wanted £37 plus for a piece of plastic and three small pieces of wire! WTF?

[D4zzl3r]

Just one more thing if anyone can help before i replace the engine...

When i'm cranking the engine there is a sort of muted beeping sound. A dull metallic sort of buzz. It comes and goes with the ignition being turned on and off?

[TerryM]

Same thing happened to me 3 times this week,glow plug light flashes and loss of power, turn off turn on all ok.
Took it to Fords they put diagnostic check on car,said it was fuel filter so they changed it and advised me to have the fuel tank off to be cleaned cost about £300.Car is ST Tdci 06 Model dome 18000 miles so I have to road test it now and hope all is ok.
Same as others I think its the Sensor but car still under warrenty so they wont change anything if they can get away with it.
Definatly sounds electrical fault to me.

[pyeman1982]

When this happened to mine I couldn't get the car started either, it would turn over but not fire.  The reason for mine was that injector 2 had reached knock limit putting it into limp home mode.  After the injectors had been recoded the car would start and run fine.

As before the Camshaft position sensor on mine was faulty and replacing that has resolved the stalling and not restarting straight away problem.  A fault with the cp sensor should not put the car into limp home mode.  Yours may be a simple recoding of the injectors to resolve the flashing glow plug light, after which you should also find that not starting problem will also be resolved.

[gazpic]

Quote

yes a split turbo pipe would cause it to be down on power but would not cause it not to start sounds more like the cam sensor to me :L

Hi

Ive been getting a similar problem.
On 3 occasions when accelerating hard in 5th gear to pull out, there is a sudden drop in power & the glow plug light starts to flash. After this it feels like there is no turbo but the car continues to run ok. Once the engine completley cut out. If I turn it off & re-start the light stops flashing & all is working ok, obviously an intermitant problem. No probs starting up either... yet !!
Could this be a split in the turbo pipe or simply a fuel filter problem, if so why does it not happen more often?.  

Gaz  

[nickb834]

I've got these same symptoms - loss of power and then  limp mode.

Garage says that my fuel system shows fuel pressure problems :-(

Recommend I change injector pump, injectors and fuel rail as per Ford Bulletins regarding TDCi's.....

Time was an issue so I changed the cam pos sensor to no avail and then dumped the car at the garage for them to deal with.

Long story short - £2k........

Still, I can't grumble too much - had 140K miles out of this at an avg 46mpg - which is way better than my old Audi S4 at avg 21 mpg - by those figures I save 2 grand a year on fuel alone never mind insurance!

I hope nobody elses is as wrecked as mine was, but if the pump disintegrates it's a false economy IMHO to not change the injectors too - it'll have pushed pieces of itself thru the fuel system at 2000 bar - not good.

I took my car to a diesel specialist as I can't trust Ford as far as I can throw em (bad experience from 3 ford company cars) and if a diesel specialist tells me the pump is knackered then I'll accept that over Ford any day of the week.

As always YMMV!

[D4zzl3r]

Thanks for all your input. I bit the bullet today and took it to a Ford dealer (cringe)  :idea:
For what i can gather it looks like an injector fault. Hope recoded/calibrating will fix it. But how did it lose it's injector codes? Does this happen when the battery is disconnected?

When i took it to the garage this morning it started after  about 3-4 mins of cranking (not-continous). And as it warmed up it got better to drive.

I thinking now that maybe i should have had a go at the injectors myself. But how would i know which one is faulty? And then i would still  have to have them coded?

[D4zzl3r]

:eek13:

[nickb834]

I got mine back from the garage today.......£1997.09 Inc vat....

There were metal particles in the fuel filter where the injector pump had disintegrated and travelled along the fuel lines.

So if anyone is interested here's how that bill breaks down (like the car!)

High Pressure Fuel Pump = £453.68
4 x Diesel Injectors = £684.48
Fuel Injector Rail = £172.86
Pressure Sensor = £51.35
Fuel Filter = £32.78
Diesel Flush = £4.50
Diagnosis and recode of 4 x Injectors = £50 (Before all other work to see if Injectors had just lost their coding)
All other labour (Fit pump, Fuel Rail, Injectors, Sensor and recode etc etc) = £250
VAT = 297.44


Ouch - but the car is perfect now (had done 140K so all these components were probably worn out anyway).

I'm happy enough with the bill and the place as they are a diesel specialists - every time I've been they are full of vans and quite a few cars.

Interestingly they are of the opinion that Ford Mondeo's (Diesels) are renowned for fuel pump failures and some of their business comes from Ford not honouring the warranties - they even get 06 plated cars in.

Here's their opinion on diesels reliabilty from the big makers:

Ford's = bad except for VW based diesels (Galaxy 110hp for ex)
Puegeot/ Citroen = ok not too bad reliability wise
BMW = renowned for turbo failure
VW / Audi / Skoda / Seat = excellent, sees them fail far less often (particularly Pump Duse models)
Mercedes = great in vans / bad in cars

So there you have it - Audi it is again for me next time! Preferebally a 3.0 TDi quattro A4!

[D4zzl3r]

Ouch!
And i thought i had problems. :eyesup:

[D4zzl3r]

Actually, where are you? And what's the garage you use?

[philwalker]

Quote

I got mine back from the garage today.......£1997.09 Inc vat....

There were metal particles in the fuel filter where the injector pump had disintegrated and travelled along the fuel lines.

So if anyone is interested here's how that bill breaks down (like the car!)



High Pressure Fuel Pump = £453.68
4 x Diesel Injectors = £684.48
Fuel Injector Rail = £172.86
Pressure Sensor = £51.35
Fuel Filter = £32.78
Diesel Flush = £4.50
Diagnosis and recode of 4 x Injectors = £50 (Before all other work to see if Injectors had just lost their coding)
All other labour (Fit pump, Fuel Rail, Injectors, Sensor and recode etc etc) = £250
VAT = 297.44


Ouch - but the car is perfect now (had done 140K so all these components were probably worn out anyway).

I'm happy enough with the bill and the place as they are a diesel specialists - every time I've been they are full of vans and quite a few cars.

Interestingly they are of the opinion that Ford Mondeo's (Diesels) are renowned for fuel pump failures and some of their business comes from Ford not honouring the warranties - they even get 06 plated cars in.

Here's their opinion on diesels reliabilty from the big makers:

Ford's = bad except for VW based diesels (Galaxy 110hp for ex)
Puegeot/ Citroen = ok not too bad reliability wise
BMW = renowned for turbo failure
VW / Audi / Skoda / Seat = excellent, sees them fail far less often (particularly Pump Duse models)
Mercedes = great in vans / bad in cars

So there you have it - Audi it is again for me next time! Preferebally a 3.0 TDi quattro A4!

Hi mate who carried this work out for you was it Sewells?

[nickb834]

I'm up in Wakefield, the Garage was Wakefield Diesel Specialists.

Phil - are you the same Phil Walker from RS246?