Ford focus trouble

Bpmull

Hi all as most of you know my focus 1.6tdci 90ps 2007 died on the motorway last night. We changed the fuel filter as it needed to be changed filled the filter with diesel but its still not ticking over. The engine will turn over but just not start. We're trying to get a mechanic out to look but our regular guy is off on holidays and most seem to be busy. Is there anything obvious I can try. I disconnected the battery checked air box all the obvious stuff. Just to let you know I left college in cork the van started perfect ran perfect I sat in traffic for 1/2 an hour then got up the motorway doing about 110 kph it was raining heavy and I just looked down at the clock and speed was dropping lost all power cut out no warning light advance warning. I just managed to get it into the hard shoulder it has started since. Any advice would help. I'm trying to get a mechanic but is there anything I could try myself. No smoke at all out of the van just to mention and it never runs rough. I drove exactly 50 km in total before it stopped 100km from home. Thanks.

Philip82

Fuel Pump???

Bpmull

It could be but the fact we manually put fuel in the fuel filter. I checked the fuse for the pump and its not gone. Thanks for you suggestion and it could be. Hopefully my mechanic will be able to look at it the end of next week. Just wanted to see if there was anything else I could try.

BRAIN FEEDs

Philip82 wrote: »

Fuel Pump???

1st thing i thought of also.

mytime

Did you prime the engine after changing the fuel filter there is a small primer pump a on the top of the engine keep pumping it until you can feel resistance.

Bpmull

mytime wrote: »

Did you prime the engine after changing the fuel filter there is a small primer pump a on the top of the engine keep pumping it until you can feel resistance.

Do you have any idea where abouts it is I couldn't find it.

Philip82

Bpmull wrote: »

It could be but the fact we manually put fuel in the fuel filter. I checked the fuse for the pump and its not gone. Thanks for you suggestion and it could be. Hopefully my mechanic will be able to look at it the end of next week. Just wanted to see if there was anything else I could try.

Did you try a tow start, if it is an air lock and you fill the filter with fuel then it should draw itself into the injectors, all the turning over in the world might not start it. Still a bit weird why it stopped in mid driving though, but I would start with a tow and see will it fire up..

mytime

Bpmull wrote: »

Do you have any idea where abouts it is I couldn't find it.

I'm not sure about the focus but the peugeot with a similar engine has a little primer about the size of €1 coin near the injectors. Or there could be primer bulb ( pipe with a oval ball on it) on the fuel line

George Dalton

The Focus doesn't have the hand primer like the Peugeots do. Also has no lift pump in the tank.

Things that can stop these include the EGR valve, fuel pressure sensor or sensor wiring and crank sensor wiring problems.

MidlandsM

ALL those focus diesels will not start without towing them, you need to tow start it.

Bpmull

George Dalton wrote: »

The Focus doesn't have the hand primer like the Peugeots do. Also has no lift pump in the tank.

Things that can stop these include the EGR valve, fuel pressure sensor or sensor wiring and crank sensor wiring problems.

Thanks for that George. I was thinking egr valve myself too. There is nothing I can do then myself really to solve any of the above? I will have to just leave it to the mechanic to start.

George Dalton

Unplug the EGR and try to start it. You can also take the plug off the crank sensor and see if the pins have any green corrosion on them, if they have clean them up with an old toothbrush and some brake cleaner. If you don't make any progress with those options it will really need to be scanned next to see what is up.

Bpmull

George Dalton wrote: »

Unplug the EGR and try to start it. You can also take the plug off the crank sensor and see if the pins have any green corrosion on them, if they have clean them up with an old toothbrush and some brake cleaner. If you don't make any progress with those options it will really need to be scanned next to see what is up.

Can I ask you where the crankshaft sensor is and where roughly the egr is is it behind the engine sorry to sound stupid now but it's the first ford we've ever owned.

George Dalton

The crank sensor is beside the crank pulley, at about 7 o clock as you look at it from the drivers wheel arch.

The EGR valve is beside the fuel filter at the back of the engine, it is a cylindrical metal part, some have a plug on the body of the valve, others have a short wire coming out of the valve which has the plug at the end of it.

Bpmull

Thanks a million George. Ill check them 2 out tomorrow and if neither work ill get my mechanic to do diagnostics and have alook. Thanks for all the help I really appreciate it. And if I was nearer portlaoise you'd be the first person I'd go to. Thanks.

George Dalton

No worries, hope you get sorted ok. Unfortunately trying to diagnose over the internet is basically guesswork.

Bpmull

George Dalton wrote: »

No worries, hope you get sorted ok. Unfortunately trying to diagnose over the internet is basically guesswork.

I know it's impossible to tell with out seeing the car and all. Not been a great weekend over all I broke down over 100km from home yesterday evening on the motorway just lost all power no advance warning. Was stranded in the car for 5 hours on the hard shoulder in heavy rain. Discovered our insurance policy had no breakdown assist as it was a commerical even though it was standard on all car policies with the same company. Had to ring a load of tow truck places eventually found a guy that came from Kilkenny drove to cork collected me put the car up on a flat bed truck and brought me back to my house. Left cork at 4 pm and arrived home at 11. First thing I dome this morning was took out breakdown assist. Ill give them suggestions a try tomorrow thanks.

osheen

No primer pump in these and no lift pump in the tank !
Ehen i change my fuel filter i have to fill the new one with fuel and i use an old washing up liquid bottle full of diesel to squirt diesel down the fuel lines before connecting them.works 90%of the time.
Other 10% its tow it a kilometer or 2 before it starts .

keithclancy

osheen wrote: »

No primer pump in these and no lift pump in the tank !
Ehen i change my fuel filter i have to fill the new one with fuel and i use an old washing up liquid bottle full of diesel to squirt diesel down the fuel lines before connecting them.works 90%of the time.
Other 10% its tow it a kilometer or 2 before it starts .

Can't you just buy a vacuum pump ?

Same deal on mine, I just made one from a pump for an Airbed

dieselbug

You can rig a temp primer on these for bleeding and remove it once it has started and ran.

Bpmull, I was on a breakdown in Kilkenny Thur and Fri. Could have had a look at it for you if I'd known.

langdang

Tow for a kilometre or more just because the manufacturer skimped on a proper way of priming it. #### that for a laugh boys!

Bpmull

Had alook this morning. Unplugging the egr seemed to make no difference. But I think it could be the crankshaft sensor. I'm just wondering if you take of drivers wheel look in at the bottom pulley nearest the ground around the sump is that the crankshaft sensor or is that a different sensor I can't really spot any other sensors around there unless its under a cover.

Row

Bpmull wrote: »

Had alook this morning. Unplugging the egr seemed to make no difference. But I think it could be the crankshaft sensor. I'm just wondering if you take of drivers wheel look in at the bottom pulley nearest the ground around the sump is that the crankshaft sensor or is that a different sensor I can't really spot any other sensors around there unless its under a cover.

Yep as George said its at the 7.00 position.
Theres a magnetic ring behind the crankshaft pulley that the c/s sensor reads check this for damage...?

Have you access to diagnostic equipment or even a code reader...?

Bpmull

Row wrote: »

Yep as George said its at the 7.00 position.
Theres a magnetic ring behind the crankshaft pulley that the c/s sensor reads check this for damage...?

Have you access to diagnostic equipment or even a code reader...?

I think I can see it now thanks. No unfortunately no diagnostics. My mechanic has all diagnostic equipment and he'd be very familiar with that engine but unfortunately he's away at the moment and he probably won't get a chance to look at it till the end of next week. I'm not to much under pressure get it sorted straight away as my mother can drive me to college but its just annoying not knowing what's wrong with it.

Row

Bpmull wrote: »

I think I can see it now thanks. No unfortunately no diagnostics. My mechanic has all diagnostic equipment and he'd be very familiar with that engine but unfortunately he's away at the moment and he probably won't get a chance to look at it till the end of next week. I'm not to much under pressure get it sorted straight away as my mother can drive me to college but its just annoying not knowing what's wrong with it.

Maybe some of our members have diagnostic equipment to read/diagnose fault codes/live data etc and are in your area..?
Otherwise your shooting in the dark..

Bpmull

Row wrote: »

Maybe some of our members have diagnostic equipment to read/diagnose fault codes/live data etc and are in your area..?
Otherwise your shooting in the dark..

I live in Kilkenny. I'm sure if I was around Dublin there would be someone that would help. At this stage the car just needs diagnostics so I think ill just leave to the mechanic at this stage. I've done all I can. But thanks everyone for the help really appreciate it and ill keep you all informed on what happens.

Bpmull

Just an update. Garage came back to me this evening. The car is running perfect they said it was the fuel filter that caused it to stop. They said when we changed the filter the system was filled with air. So they have it sorted now. No fault codes on the diagnostics. So one of the mechanics is going to take it home with him this evening just to make sure it's driving grand. And he'll drive it back in the morning. Just so we are sure it's back to normal. So it's great news really. They said it was in good condition and they could see nothing else wrong with it. So I am delighted ill collect it Thursday when I'm back from college.:) thanks everyone for all the help I really appreciate it.

BRAIN FEEDs

Best of luck to you BP! happy for ya.

Philip82

Best of luck with it, there was plenty of advice given to tow start the car though which you chose not to listen to which would have saved you a lot of bother!!! But hey ur up and running thats what matters!!!

MidlandsM

A cheap enough fix thankfully, happy motoring once more!