[tout-le-monde]

I have a 08 Mondeo 1.8 TDCI for about 4 weeks (140,000 km on the clock, recently serviced) and have had airlocked fuel 4 times in the last 5 days. On two occasions it recovered by cranking it several times on the other two occasions it needed to be to lifted to local garages (both Ford dealers) to be primed.

On most journey types the car starts/runs/stops without fault.

The peculiar thing is that all 4 times it cut out it had just stopped at motorway toll booths after running 100Km+ steadily at 120-130Kph. At all times the tank was > half full and 2 different service stations were used to fuel it during this time.

The first time it was taken to a garage they just primed it and checked it was running ok. The second time they changed the fuel filter but said the previous filter and associated seal looked fine and a root cause was not apparent.

Previous to these failures I had used the car at similar speeds/distances a few times without problem.

Any suggestions as to what the cause/solution may be?

Thanks

 

[bailes1992]

Change the fuel filter and make sure to replace the O ring on the top of the filter.
Might be worth permanently fitting an inline diesel hand pump with a one way valve built into it. I believe the draper expert ones should do the trick.

 

[tout-le-monde]

Thanks Sam,

Second Ford dealer replaced the filter and seal but could see nothing wrong with old unit. Somehow I think air is getting en-trained somewhere else in the system.
I actually bought the Draper priming pump after the first incident - only to find at the side of the road that there is no way to connect it to the return line from the filter with the supplied fittings. The Ford quick connector on the fuel line requires some specific male fitting so some butchery of the return line would be required. The Haynes people make it sound so easy in their manual and even picture the Draper pump saying such a device would have the range of connections necessary!

 

[bailes1992]

It will fit, you have to the swap the fittings around from one end to the other! It should fit between the filter and pump.