Difficult To Pull Away

[DaveV6]

Hi, im hoping some body can help please. We have a focus , its 2007 1.8t dci with 65k miles, and when you find the clutch bite point and begin to pull away the revs die off making it difficult to pull off smoothly, we are always either stalling it or pulling away with loads of revs on to compensate. The clutch bite point is very high but it seems to work fine.

Does anyone know what this could be or even understand what i mean ?

Also It seems to make some smoke sometimes when using full throttle, is this normal ?...i have checked egr and it moves as it should, i have also serviced it with new oil and filter and air filter.

Thank you for your help

David

[Micro]

Sticking brakes? Does the handbrake feel "floppy" when you try putting it back on? Does it still do it if you pull off, brake to stop and then pull off again without applying the handbrake? Does it pull to one side when driving/braking?

[DaveV6]

Hi Micro, no,no problems with the brakes or handbrake and it goes dead straight if you let go of the steering wheel.

One thing i forgot to mention that could be related, when you turn the car off, instead of the engine just stopping smoothly, it judders quite noticeably and rattles for a second or 2 before it stops. When the engine is running there is a very slight difference in sound when the clutch is pressed.

Once you have pulled off it drives great, infact it really goes very well indeed, its just this pulling away thing, you cant relax when your driving because your constantly having to think about clutch control every time you pull away, and this should be an automatic thing you don't even consider..

Cheers

David

[IINexusII]

it does bog down slightly if you dont give it a little throttle when moving off. have you blanked off the EGR valve? this helps alot in this situation

[mjt]

If the revs die as you pull away that sounds abnormal. We have a 2003 1.8TDCi and it pulls away comfortably at around 1000 - 1500rpm. This problem and the smoke could be related. You could try unplugging the MAF to see if that helps.

[Damon Cook]

Hi ive got a similar problem with my 2004 1.8 tdci focus having random stalling hissy fits and not having the power to pull off and if you over rev you wheel spin do you also have a judder whilst driving like your not giving it enough gas when your over 2000 revs? Ive been told multiple things like dual mass fly wheel and also recently that there might be a hair line split in the fuel pipe to the injector and as you rev and add pressure to the pipe the split opens might be why your not getting power pulling off im getting mine checked the weekend so il let you know what they find hope this helps in some way

[FocusSmudge]

Hi ive got a similar problem with my 2004 1.8 tdci focus having random stalling hissy fits and not having the power to pull off and if you over rev you wheel spin do you also have a judder whilst driving like your not giving it enough gas when your over 2000 revs? Ive been told multiple things like dual mass fly wheel and also recently that there might be a hair line split in the fuel pipe to the injector and as you rev and add pressure to the pipe the split opens might be why your not getting power pulling off im getting mine checked the weekend so il let you know what they find hope this helps in some way

I'll take a look for this on my 1.8TDCi this evening and report back.

I've only stalled the car once in 2 months of ownership, although whilst researching prior to purchasing the vehicle, I did have a look online and a general consensus seemed to be the car deliberately stalls if the rev's aren't high enough; to protect against DMF damage.

Don't think this is the same as you, but if I'm in any gear other than 1st, if the revs are around the 1000 mark the car will keep up with the gear, almost by applying power. It can be quite dangerous at times, particularly when in a tight car park and often braking will have little effect leaving me to shift down into 1st (which I shouldn't do)

Blanking the EGR made a good improvement on how this car drives.

[DaveV6]

thank you for replies chaps, what is the procedure for blanking off the egr ?

mjt, you suggest unplugging the maf, is this to see if the car runs the same , to see if the maf is faulty ....in other words if it runs exactly the same with maf unplugged then my maf is faulty?

cheers

Dave

[mjt]

I'm basing this on comments by other members. I've never had to try it myself. Basically if there's a suspected fuelling problem unplugging it will cause the engine to use a default fuelling map. This is obviously a less efficient mode but if the car runs better it is an indicator that the MAF is faulty.

Whether or not blanking the EGR valve improves running it's obviously not a substitute for identifying and fixing the original problem.

[Hippo]

My 2007 1.8 tdci is really hard to pull off in. Ive checked all boost pipes and they seem fine (its common boost pipes split on these cars). Im now thinking its a faulty MAF sensor.

Its dangerous when pulling out at junctions as the car doesn't want to move.

[DaveV6]

let us know if you find anything hippo.

is there a kit or something to blank the egr valve and is it legal ?

Dave

[FocusSmudge]

let us know if you find anything hippo.

is there a kit or something to blank the egr valve and is it legal ?

Dave

I can't comment on the legalities of EGR Blanking, I've done it. I believe all that's checked at MOT level is the amount of black smoke produced by the engine, something the EGR will contribute very little, if at all to.

In terms of fitting, I'd recommend reading this guide by Lenny. It's for the 1.6TDCi but the principle is the same. It's easier to access on the 1.8TDCi too.

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/42915-guide-fitting-egr-blanking-plate-16tdci-engine/

[Hippo]

EGR blanking plate is worth the money, mine was 4 pound off eBay and has improved the performance especially in 5th the power is there instantly. I have also noticed it doesnt chuck out a cloud of smoke if i put my foot down. It's passed mots with it on and didnt affect the emissions test.

I will update if the MAF sensor i install improves 1st gear acceleration but im not sure it will. Remapping might be my best option

[DaveV6]

well i got an egr blanking plate off the bay for 3.99 and fitted it, and remarkably the car has not had this pulling away problem since, seems to have more performance too.....and thinking about it , i reckon its smoking less out the exhaust too.

or i could just be imagining it all ,lol.

But thanks for everyone's help.

Dave

[IINexusII]

yes, all the above results are exactly what an EGR blank does, another happy customer :D

[mjt]

David, re-reading your second post (#3) where you described the engine juddering and rattling when turning off rang a bell : in the introduction to the fuel system in my Haynes manual it mentions a vacuum valve in the intake manifold that is operated by the ECU to stop engine shake when turning the ignition off. Unfortunately that's the only reference to it - it doesn't describe where it is or how to remove it.

Maybe that could indicate a fault in that valve (wherever it is) and if so could that have any bearing on your pulling-away problem? Mind you, if blanking the EGR has definitely cured it maybe the EGR was the culprit. They're well known for becoming clogged with carbon and sticking.

If your engine is still juddering at turn-off it might be worth taking a look at that valve, if you can find it.

[IINexusII]

Thats interesting, i may have to look into it, as i also get the rough crank/shutdown, i thought it was the injectors

[DaveV6]

yeah interesting thought mjt, i will keep my eye on the rough turn off, i havent noticed it lately tbh but i might just have got used to it.

cheers

Dave

[Hippo]

Just an update.. just replaced my maf sensor and the car now pulls away rapidly. Its unreal and has resolved my problem. Cost £136 from Euro car parts - Ford wanted £192.

Recently had the engine system fault come up on the dash this past week so got a friend to plug her in, the fault was the maf sensor as i suspected. Happy days and i dont have to panic about pulling out quickly as she now flys

[Dave_TDCI]

By nature the 1.8 TDCI seems to be easier to conk/ stall in comparison to the 1.6 TDCI. I remember test driving a few before I bought my own Focus and I noticed on them you usually had to give them far more throttle when moving off.

One thing that could be a possible cause could be a clogged fuel filter. Often here when these haven't been changed for some time that they can cause flat spots/ hesitation when driving and in general make the engine seem more rough. Worth changing it and use a bottle of Redex injector cleaner or something similar could help

[Damon Cook]

Does that apply to the mk1 focus 1.8 tdci i find mine stalls sometimes thort it might be the accelerator

[Hippo]

My girlfriend found that it stalled quite a bit, since replacing the maf shes been fine. Do you stuggle pulling away? The EGR blanking plate could help or replacing the fuel filter might help? Have you recently had a service? If you can rev your engine ok with the accelerate pedal i wouldn't say thats your fault

[DaveV6]

mines been completely fine since fitting the egr blanking plate.

Might still put some redex or something through it though, can't hurt can it.

David

[Damon Cook]

It seems to drop the revs as i lift the clutch even tho im still accelerating egr is blanked new fuel filter full service the worx flushed oil diesel and radiator