Focus 2011 1.6 Tdi Engine Management System Fault

[jetainton]

I have owned a 2011 Ford Focus 1.6 TDI (not current model) for
the last year without any problems until recently, the car is still in warranty
2 out of 3 years.

The engine management warning activated and there was a
slight loss of power but the system seemed ok after a few minutes and as the
service was due I advised the local Ford dealership when I booked the car in
for its 24k mile service. The service team could not find any fault codes on
the system management log and advised that all was ok.

Just over a week later while returning from local shopping
about 1.5 miles from home on a very busy road, the engine management warning
and alarm activated and the car stopped dead and the engine would not restart.
The RAC attended and tried to solve the problem using their diagnostic PC to
check for faults, this identified that a valve and its control system had “frozen”
open allowing excessive air to flow into the engine. Despite removing and
cleaning the value it would not function.

A temporary fix was made which got me home and down to the
main Ford dealer 20 miles away and they have been unable to find the fault codes
on the car system.

The RAC technician had provided the fault codes but the Ford
dealer said it could not use them or find them on the car system. As it was
likely the RAC Tech had wiped the codes during his attempts to restart the
engine.

The dealer has now advised that as the faults codes cannot
be viewed by Ford (HO) then the work is not covered by the warranty.

The Ford dealer has also advised that should the car
breakdown again then no attempt at restarting the engine should be made as this
would probably wipe the fault codes and the car should be taken to a Ford
dealer for further investigation.

This is really a crazy situation as I cannot find any advice
about not allowing the RAC technician to problem solve a car breakdown and to
just tow it to the Ford dealer.

Any ideas how to resolve this problem?

[Mike77]

Hi mate, bit of a situation your in here. My dad is an RAC patrol with 30 years service. He has just advised me that you will struggle to get a patrol to attend the breakdown and just tow you to a ford dealer. Put simply they are not a recovery service, they are there to fix breakdowns, if this is not possible then recovery will be made to a garage for futher investigation. This isn't the patrols being funny, they simply aren't allowed to do it. Ford are technically in the wrong for asking you to put up with this situation. He also advised me that the fault codes given to you are the exact codes that ford would get if they put it onto their system, so they could work or diagnose from the codes you have. I'm not sure about the codes you have but by the description you've given I'd be guessing at a stuck EGR valve.

[jetainton]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your reply and yes it is the EGR VALVE stuck open. Codes

[jetainton]

Hi Mike,

The codes are P1412, P0489, P042E, P0698 and are all linked to the EGR valve and system.

Thanks

JT

[Mike77]

You'll probably find that one of them codes is triggering the other 2, sort the problem and they will all disappear. I'd really be fighting for the job to be done under warranty though. Never lie down without making a fuss, the more you kick the more likely they are to give in.

[Stoney871]

Sounds like your dealer is being very unreasonable indeed.

Ford seem very reluctant to do anything other than diagnostics and react any codes they see rather than actually do some proper mechanics work.

Lazy skills indeed.

Tbh just reading a fault should not delete them unless the patrol man purposely deleted them.

Very shoddy behaviour by the dealer, they seem to do anything they can to avoid paying out for work.

You have three options-

Blank the EGR, clean the EGR or replace the EGR.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=350746410361

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=190797259835

Others here can advise if blanking is possible on your car but when it comes down to it and in all truth Ford should be stepping up and doing the right thing by you.