Possible Mondeo/focus Buyer Needs Good Advice!

[whitehawk]

Hi folks, i am hoping to buy an 08 mondeo soon and could really do with some sound advice. I have spent the last four weeks trawling the web for answers but the more i read the more confused i get, there is so much conflicting advice. I only drive around 8k a year and probably 80% is round town. I know this means i should probably keep away from diesels but my last 3 cars have been diesel, which i like and i have taken a liking to the mk 4 mondeo. I wouldn't get a petrol as the fuel consumption would be rubbish, so i have a couple of questions if anyone could please help.

1. Would a 1.8 tdci of this year have the dreaded dpf fitted? I have read that later models do but if so, what Y/M did they come in?

2. If they do have one, or if i was to buy the 2.0 model,which i believe is the better engine, would giving the car a good 50 mile thrash up the motorway every couple of weeks be enough for the car to do a regen and keep the dpf clear?

3. Are the 1.8's really as underpowered as some people say and would a remap to increase power be harmful to the turbo, clutch, egr etc?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[FOCA]

1, As far as i am aware, all mk4 Mondeos (2007-2013) sold in the UK have DPFs (Diesel Particulate Filters) fitted

2. Yes, giving the car a good thrash (once warmed up) helps to keep the DPF clear and prevent the regen cycle to kick in

3. in my opinion the 1.8 is a bit small for that size/ weight of car, the 2.0L 163 and 140 are basically the same engine with different maps, the 163 sounds better/ more powerful "on paper" but is "gutless" and has to be revved hard compared to the 140, the 140 has more torque low down, and the one i would recommend

The injectors are reconed to be better than the ones fitted to the mk3 Mondeo TDCIs, its a popular car and it was introduced 5 years ago and there have probably been a lot of remaps done, there has not been as many horror stories as expected about duff injectors

Looking at the power/ torque curves, the maps look like they have been specifically tuned to be restricted at low revs (especially the 2.0L 163)- probably to prptect the DMF (Dual Mass Flywheel) if you were to remap the car and it produced a lot more low-end power/ torque, the DMF may wear out faster - it depends because (re) maps are different - ie - Ford introduced a revised map ("ECU update") for the 163 because of customer complaints (allegedly)

You can get tuners that will phisically remove the DPF, along with electronically deleting it, along with a performance remap + a full stainless steel exhaust if you like =

No DPF to clog up / rouin your performance/ economy - no regen cycles - more power - more economy - better reliability (less to go wrong) - needless to say the car should stil not fail a UK MOT due to the modifications

So i would go for the 2.0L 140, or the 2.2L if you want something quicker (some of these can be remapped to 200Hp) - i suppose the 1.8 could be remapped to around the same performance of a stock 2.0L, but the 2.0L probably has more potential

[whitehawk]

1, As far as i am aware, all mk4 Mondeos (2007-2013) sold in the UK have DPFs (Diesel Particulate Filters) fitted

2. Yes, giving the car a good thrash (once warmed up) helps to keep the DPF clear and prevent the regen cycle to kick in

3. in my opinion the 1.8 is a bit small for that size/ weight of car, the 2.0L 163 and 140 are basically the same engine with different maps, the 163 sounds better/ more powerful "on paper" but is "gutless" and has to be revved hard compared to the 140, the 140 has more torque low down, and the one i would recommend

The injectors are reconed to be better than the ones fitted to the mk3 Mondeo TDCIs, its a popular car and it was introduced 5 years ago and there have probably been a lot of remaps done, there has not been as many horror stories as expected about duff injectors

Looking at the power/ torque curves, the maps look like they have been specifically tuned to be restricted at low revs (especially the 2.0L 163)- probably to prptect the DMF (Dual Mass Flywheel) if you were to remap the car and it produced a lot more low-end power/ torque, the DMF may wear out faster - it depends because (re) maps are different - ie - Ford introduced a revised map ("ECU update") for the 163 because of customer complaints (allegedly)

You can get tuners that will phisically remove the DPF, along with electronically deleting it, along with a performance remap + a full stainless steel exhaust if you like =

No DPF to clog up / rouin your performance/ economy - no regen cycles - more power - more economy - better reliability (less to go wrong) - needless to say the car should stil not fail a UK MOT due to the modifications

So i would go for the 2.0L 140, or the 2.2L if you want something quicker (some of these can be remapped to 200Hp) - i suppose the 1.8 could be remapped to around the same performance of a stock 2.0L, but the 2.0L probably has more potential

Thanks for your input - even more to think about. 2.o engine would be my preference if i can overcome the DMF problems with my kind of usage. I am not a boy racer, so remap was only a consideration to bring a 1.8 up to nearly 2.0 power. If i went for a 2.0 i would leave it as standard. Removing the DPF is a difficult one as some people think it will be an MOT requirement to inspect and check DMF function before long plus the insurance comebacks if you were involved in a shunt. The 2.0 140 certainly would be my preference. Thanks again.