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Fire26662
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Hi folks, new member here. I have a 55 plate Focus 1.6tdci 110. Had a letter a few weeks back regarding a recall to do with the cooling module. Booked it in as advised and took the car in on monday. Had a phone call after about 5 hours to say car was ready, went to pick it up and they told me they had also done an ECU update for the DPF strategy.

Got in the car started it up and uhoh engine management light was on! Stopped the engine and went back in to the service dept. 1st I was told I must be mistaken and then they agreed to walk to the carpark and see for themselves. Yes they agreed engine light was on and they would sort it right away. An hour later it was "all fixed, just a hiccup".

Got in the car started it up and YAY! no light on, so I drove home. 2 miles down the road and damn light comes back on. Following morning I take the car back, I am told that I must be mistaken and they may have to charge me for a diagnostic! Now bearing in mind BEFORE they did the work there was never any engine light on at all. I must admit I was getting a little irate at this point and took the car away. I drove straight to a friends workshop and borrowed his scan tool. 3 faults were recorded 1) P2458 DPF regeneration duration. 2)P138B Glow plug control module system voltage. 3)P0488 EGR position control performance/range fault. Armed with this info I went back to the dealer, explained my position and was basically told to bugger off. I phoned Ford customer relations and after a bit of a chat I was told to take the car back. The dealer then readily agreed to look at the car this morning. At 2.30 I get a phone call, car is fixed and come pick it up. I get there only to be met with "Ah the light came on again taking it off the ramp". I am by now just speechless! I then get the well it must be something else, so I explain that this car was fine until they had it now I have this issue! I took the car home and on the way home the big red engine light came on this time, engine power dropped etc etc. So here it is sat on my drive. I am not sure what to do next, do I just set fire to it in the dealers carpark or what? The dealer will remain nameless for now as I am unsure how my legal standing is, but I can tell you this, I am a fully qualified motor technician by trade and I have experience of working on everything from single cylinder gas/petrol and diesel engines to multi fuel turbines, and recently I have been doing a lot with GM vehicles with ECU issues. So I do know my way around automotive electronics.

Sorry about the bit of a life story for a 1st post, I am just wondering if anyone has any solutions/comments or whatever.

Thanks.

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Ford are hopeless I am afraid, I have had many problems in the past with them regarding various issues, if I was you I would go back and kick off big time and demand it is all fixed.

I know for a fact my next car won't be a ford.

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hi, stand your ground with the dealer...be firm but fair with them. they are the ones who broke it so they fix it. btw what mileage is your car at. from what i understand the fluid needs replacing at 37.5k miles and the dpf needs replacing at 75k miles. and at either one it costs a small fortune to sort.

request that they remove the update and put the original software/firmware that was on the car when they received it from you.

they can tell from logged codes if you had an issue before you took the car to them etc etc. so like i say be firm but fair with them

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I'm with John H, go back to the dealer and demand they sort this mess out. The dealer is probably trying anything/everything to get out of fixing what needs doing, it may just have been very unlucky that this fault came about as of now, but that's going to be hard to prove for the dealer. As far as you are concerned, they had the car and this fault developed. The customer is always right.

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Car has done about 80 000. So maybe the DPF needs renewing. Which is a bit of a rip off if you ask me. I will go borrow the scan reader again today and see whats new before doing anything else. And yes this will be the last Ford car in this household. Nothing wrong with the car, well plenty wrong with it now, but you know what I mean. It is the downright arrogance of the dealer that gets to me. As I said I play with GM and their numerous issues but not once have I heard a complaint about the attitude. Same with my Citroen, the dealers are only too helpful. I know they probably give me the 2 fingers when I am not there but who cares, they are respectful to my face. The idiots at my local Ford dealers, and I mean the service manager and the 2 pretty girls, who you have to distract to get to speak to the service manager, probably know nothing about cars. I shall probably end up spending my day on the phone to the customer relations people again.

Thanks for the comments and words of support, just wish there were some employees of the Ford motor company around to read this.

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Sounds like a good idea reading your fault codes, I know you've done it before but doing it again means you can try the approach of going into the Ford dealer armed with evidence/information, hopefully in your favour.

There's no doubt members on this forum who have/do work with Fords. There's no better place for advice and I say that when I'm still a newbie lol :D

Hope you manage to get things sorted out :)

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There are a couple of Folk who work for Ford, dont think they are the CS side, but none the less might help - adzmcp works for Ford, not sure his position though.

Long and short, I agree maybe the DPF has died, and maybe its the ECU update that was the final nail in the coffin, Ford wont budge, they will state it should have been changed 5000 miles ago, as a result their update only highlighted a pre-existing condition, so I honestly wouldnt be surprised if that was the case.

Certainly stand your ground, and get them to review it again and again until they come up with a final conclusion, be that it is the DPF or otherwise, if its not the DPF then you are well within your right to get them to repair it FOC.

I suggest visit another local Ford dealer, give them the car, and see what they say, pay for the diagnostics fee, its a second opinion (dont tell them about the updates or mention the other dealer at all!)

If they conclude differently to the DPF, and think that there is an issue that has recently developed due to the ECU update, take the bill to the service desk of your local dealer, slap it down and get them to sort it out for you.

Sometimes you have to play one against the other in this game just to make sure they do things right... Threatening to take your customer, and spread the word is often enough to shake them into sorting the issue...

Good luck and we luck forward to your responses :)

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Ok 1st update, major malfunction code was for the DPF itself (blocked) Limp home mode was activated about 25 mph top speed! Reset all fault codes but it came straight back!, Did a static DPF regeneration and it worked ok, engine management light still on and fault codes were back to dpf regen duration, glow plug module voltage and the EGR/TP. Power was back to normal, so brought it home and parked it up. Got talking "shop" with other ex mechanics, and one was a real ex ford technical expert (never knew that, but there ya go)who told me the new update is probably more sensitive so it is picking up borderline issues. He also said I would have to replace the DPF as it is a service requirement. He then mentioned the fluid tank. "What fluid tank" I replied. Apparently and I must thank my local ford dealer who did a full courtesy vehicle inspection on Monday, as they did the ECU update!!! And not mentioned this additive tank. So anyone know where it is? how do I check/fill it? and does anyone want to buy a 55 plate Focus 1.6 tdci 110PS LOL as soon as it is fixed it is gone!

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haha, please tell me the cars number plate doesnt begin NG55 and ends in 0!!!...

As a result, yes the DPF will need to be replaced, no doubt, as for the additive, take a look through the Focus Club, I recall someone talking about purchasing a JML fluid similar to the EOLYS and updating it and then using the "Fuel Filler Cap" method to reset the ECU...

Take a look, it might be worth an investment.

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And not mentioned this additive tank. So anyone know where it is? how do I check/fill it? and does anyone want to buy a 55 plate Focus 1.6 tdci 110PS LOL as soon as it is fixed it is gone!

The additive tank is under the car on the O/S next to the fuel tank. Its a bit tricky accessing the filler by all accounts. Haynes manual explains, as well as the "fuel filler cap" ecu reset.

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Thanks for all the very positive replies and comments, I have sourced a new DPF/CAT for £200 +vat, just gotta get some additive. I might even keep the car as it is very economical and not a bad drive to be fair. BUT it will never set foot (wheel?) inside my local dealer again thats for sure, I swear the only people who you are allowed to talk to have no idea about anything!

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Thanks for all the very positive replies and comments, I have sourced a new DPF/CAT for £200 +vat, just gotta get some additive. I might even keep the car as it is very economical and not a bad drive to be fair. BUT it will never set foot (wheel?) inside my local dealer again thats for sure, I swear the only people who you are allowed to talk to have no idea about anything!

Thats the way dealerships work, Why do you think the mechanics hide in the garage ;) the salesmen tend to know its pretty, its fast and its got four wheels, the service people know how to operate the computer and book you in...

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You may have a point there, ordered the DPF, and picked up the DPF fluid. So when the DPF arrives it will be done and hopefully back on the road.

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You may have a point there, ordered the DPF, and picked up the DPF fluid. So when the DPF arrives it will be done and hopefully back on the road.

Have you actually got the DPF though, or have you just bought a DPF and the fluid when you may not have one in the first place?

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it has a dpf sadly, but reading another dpf post on here I came to the conclusion, that I get good economy and cheap car tax, and reasonable cheap insurance, it does kinda sweeten the bitter pill of replacing the DPF and refilling the ELOYS tank. Sadly it does not sweeten the fact that my local main dealer are a useless bunch of (insert your favourite bad word here)I swear I wouldn't take a pushbike to be worked on there.

Thankfully there are owners forums about (like this one)so at least there is good information to be got.

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I sympathise with you on the DPF front, unfortunately you are one of the few who own that rare breed of car... I hope that replacing the DPF and the EOLYS will resolve the issue.

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Last update, new DPF fitted, (was also a crack in the old one)Refilled the EOLYS tank, and reset the ECU, car drives better than before with a real surge of turbo power. EML is still on, but no stored codes when checked. Total cost for the DPF and ELOYS fluid+ filling kit. £380 inc VAT. Heard a little rumour that the cooling module update, if done incorrectly can bring the EML on but have no stored codes.... New one on me!!

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Great stuff, Ford can turn the EML light off, but then again, so can anyone with a decent OBDII reader! glad you got it resolved though :)

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Glad you got it fixed and at so much of a better rate than Ford would have done :) you should be able to switch off the EML with an OBDII reader, check if anyone has one local to you on the forum, or maybe even a garage can do it cheap :)

Its always pleasant to find after some time of owning a car that all of a sudden you have its original power back :)

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If it hadnt been for the sub standard care from my local Ford dealer, I wouldn't have looked at it myself. I like to think I have grown beyond getting my hands dirty, unless I do it for fun. I much prefer messing with the electronics/ECU diagnostics on GM cars. Maybe I should get into the depths of Fords now? Certainly can't be any more useless than the local main dealers! And here is my take on the Ford DTC system, man it sucks. Not all engine fault codes can be brought up by the dashboard diagnostic system, the DPF will NOT do a self regen if ANY (no matter how insignificant) fault codes are present.

Last question to wrap this affair up, does anyone know where I can get a copy of the FORD TIS from?

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FORD TIS? do you mean Ford Etis? its a website... http://www.etis.ford.com/

JohnH has the software they use to find out what parts you need for the car (cant remember its name basically their catalogue!) and if your looking for the WDS (If thats the diagnostics software) unfortunately we have yet to source it free of charge, it costs about £300.00

Oh and I agree, as helpful as the dashboard access to DTC is, its not the best, it doesnt help all that much, other than with obvious problems...

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No I meant something like this. Please Moderators this could be pirated software and if it is please feel free to remove the link.

FORD TIS

I have this for GM and also the EPC (parts catalogue) Very useful if you like to do your own repairs for whatever reason.

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No I meant something like this. Please Moderators this could be pirated software and if it is please feel free to remove the link.

FORD TIS

I have this for GM and also the EPC (parts catalogue) Very useful if you like to do your own repairs for whatever reason.

It looks like to me its a digital version of the Haynes Manual.

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