Gordo6669 Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Hello everyone, I've just got a Mondeo MK4 1.8 TDCI (125)edge on a '57 plate. 74K miles. Full service history. I really like the car, comfy, economical, spacious, and looks good, however it's a bit of a noisy beast. There seems to be a knocking from around the F/N/S wheel on the car especially when I go over pot holes. The handling also seems to wallow a bit on bumpy fast country roads. Could this be a shock absorber gone or suspension bush? Are they common on Mondeo's MK4? Also the engine seems a bit agricultural when it's cold. It knocks when it's cold, almost like an old petrol engine knocking. But soon as it warms up its fine. This is my first diesel car. Is this normal? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Hi Gordon, Same motor as you (Zetec spec) and with another 40k on the clock, but I have that same knocking noise! its driven me nuts, been to several garages and no one could track it down. if I go over a pothole, or just casually driving I can get this knock and it drives me nuts, I kinda got used to it now though! With the knocking on cold start, get yourself an EGR blanking plate. It makes all the difference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordo6669 Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 Cheers, Would blanking off the EGR have any negative effects? I'm going to have a good route around the suspension/steering joints etc. think I'll have to get it up on a ramp. I'll let you know what I find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 no problems at all, I just did it this week on mine, no error lights, better performance, much better MPG, better power, smoother and quiter. The 1.8 is the rare one of the breed as its mechanical and so doesnt generate errors like the 2.0 and the 2.2 can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordo6669 Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 Just fitted a blanking plate to the EGR valve. What a difference! No knocking noise from cold anymore and no puffs of black smoke when pulling out of junctions. It does seem as if the turbo kicks in sooner and with a more gradual, smoother increase in power rather than all at once (which is what it used to be like). Why do manufactures even fit EGR valves? As for the suspension knock I still haven't had a proper look at it yet, but it's on my "to do" list. I can't see any oil leaking out of the shocks so it's probably a rubber bush or mount somewhere. For now I'll avoid pot holes and turn the stero up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Let me know how you get on with the knock as I will be extremely interested to see if its the same as mine! As for the EGR, its Euro guff, here to save the planet from nasty emissions, the EGR recirculates them, it then means that the exhaust fumes are processed twice, which helps to clean them and also helps to improve the engines performance (alledgedly) as it makes less work for the engine to heat it up as it helps to heat itself. But with better MPG, Power, turbo saved etc, I fail to see the benefit of having that lump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 As for the EGR, its Euro guff, here to save the planet from nasty emissions, the EGR recirculates them, it then means that the exhaust fumes are processed twice, which helps to clean them and also helps to improve the engines performance (alledgedly) as it makes less work for the engine to heat it up as it helps to heat itself. In a diesel, the primary argument for EGR is that it reduces the oxides of nitrogen, and while the engine does process the gas twice (a small percentage), that's not the key thing. (A lot of the other things that it does could be done in some other way, but oxides of nitrogen are quite stubborn, and, if you had to reduce them in another way, it might even be worse.) The conversion of Nitrogen and Oxygen to oxides of nitrogen depend on (peak) temperature, and by introducing unreactive gas (end gas, in the jargon), that does reduce the peak temperature, even though the introduced gas itself is warm. While getting a second chance to burn any lumpy bits (particulates) is probably quite a good thing, if you couldn't deal with the particulates by EGR, you'd be making work for the DPF, so you'd probably end up with a bigger dpf and more regens, but you could do it, if you had to. Some cars have a catalytic conversion system which you have to get topped up with a Urea solution every so often (at services, presumably), but I don't know how much that costs to run, but certainly it has the potential to be inconvenient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 for cars like the 1.8TDCi mondy (mk4) there is no DPF, so it makes you wonder.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordo6669 Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share Posted June 24, 2014 Hello back again. Took the car to a friends garage today to investigate the knocking over pot holes. He couldn't see anything wrong with any of the suspension bushes, anti roll bar, track rods etc. He did take it for a test drive and he suspected a shock absorber, or both might be gone or going. Would explain the wollowing down bumpy back roads and knocking/bobbling over pot holes. It's does tend to rock about a bit on rubbish roads too. :-( Not cheap. Even at mates rates I'm looking at about £250 to get them both done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordo6669 Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share Posted June 24, 2014 Oh and I did say wouldn't you see oil leaking from them. However some are gas filled and can degrade internally. It doesn't have to be visible. Eg oil leaking from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 looks like I might have some fun to look forward to in the future then, better start saving my money for it :| ouch! Did he check the top mounts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristriple Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 looks like I might have some fun to look forward to in the future then, better start saving my money for it :| ouch! Did he check the top mounts? I had a knocking when I got mine. I somehow missed it in the test drive. Turns out it was a top mount. Sent from my KFTT using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 yeah I am thinking that this will be the case, I just dread the cost! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristriple Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 I don't think it was all that expensive. £20 odd quid for the part and an hour's labour. Sent from my KFTT using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 I hope thats the case for me then! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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