Focus 2006 Tdci Won't Start... Please Help!

[AntonyC]

Hi Everyone,

I've had this car for 9 months and it's been great!

2 days ago, it had it's MOT and failed. It needed new headlamp bulbs, a CV gaiter and an ARB drop link. Easy eh?!?!

So I decided to do it myself!

Anyway, I replaced the bulbs while the other lights were on because it was difficult to know exactly which bulb I was changing and it was getting late and dark. So, I had the lights on for 30 mins or so while I changed the two.

The new lights worked fine and there were no apparent problems anywhere.

I then tried to start the engine to move the car and it wouldn't start.... Just the "wu-wu-wu-wu-wu" turning over sound??? It was working fine before changing the bulbs. So I thought, ok, simple, I've drained the battery.

I put it on charge for a few hours, put it back in, wired it back up... and.... same problem.

I've also had it jacked up and stuff so it's possible that the fuel cut off thing has cut fuel? I can't find the fuel cut off switch though. I've removed the kick panels and nothing but wires...

Does anyone have any idea what the heck is going on?!

Thanks!

Antony

[artscot79]

Sounds like you've goosed the battery mate rule one never change lights with them on never leave them on for 30 mins on a car that's not turned on if the silver calcium battery is too deeply discharged it wont recover and a new battery is required have you checked what voltage the battery has after the charge

[AntonyC]

Thanks for reply matey, I really need this to work!

Looking back, deep down I knew it was a stupid thing to do. I reasoned with myself by saying that if there was a problem, it would just blow a fuse.

I'll check the voltage in a minute.

[AntonyC]

Ok, the voltage is 12.3v according to the ford dashboard. My multimeter says -0.00v, but that's wrong because the lights, radio, etc all work.

There are no errors on the dash either, not even in the error thingy.

Should I try to jumpstart it from my Alfa 147? It's a smaller battery but I don't really know if that matters?

Ant

[AntonyC]

Nothing still... It's MOT retest is tomorrow... What do I do? :-(

[theredfox]

buy new battery

[AntonyC]

Well, I got it towed to the MOT place for the retest.. and it passed!

But it still won't start! Apparently, the fuel pump isn't working and if you pump fuel into it manually, it works.

But why would changing a bulb wreck the fuel pump?!?!?

[artscot79]

Have you checked the switch on the drivers side the fuel cut off other than that IDE start checking fuses it may be you've blown more than just a light fuse try both the engine bay fuse box and passenger internal fuse box you may have to pull them one by one and check

[AntonyC]

Hi, just to update you all...

All fuses and relays have been checked. battery has been checked also.

I've now sent it to an auto-electrician. He says that the problem is inbetween the relay an the fuel sender pump.

So either the wiring is knackered or the fuel sender pump is knackered.

I'll find out later today hopefully.

Antony

[AntonyC]

Ok! It's back and working!

It was because the DPF was blocked. It had a DPF regen which cost me £80 then it was fine.

What a stupid problem...

[simcor]

If the car was not starting then it would not be possible to do a forced regeneration, the engine has to be running to do so. Who told you it was not starting due to needing a regeneration as they were clearly talking complete rubbish, they must have solved the non starting problem to do a forced regeneration if they did actually do one.

[simcor]

Ok, the voltage is 12.3v according to the ford dashboard. My multimeter says -0.00v, but that's wrong because the lights, radio, etc all work.

There are no errors on the dash either, not even in the error thingy.

Should I try to jumpstart it from my Alfa 147? It's a smaller battery but I don't really know if that matters?

Ant

A battery can show a good level of charge and work lights radio etc but still not start the car because the battery is knackered. Did you actually try jump starting the car in the end before sending it off to be looked at? How was the battery checked?

Something just does not add up here and the most likely culprit was the fact you had flattened the battery before the problem started.

[AntonyC]

A battery can show a good level of charge and work lights radio etc but still not start the car because the battery is knackered. Did you actually try jump starting the car in the end before sending it off to be looked at? How was the battery checked?

Something just does not add up here and the most likely culprit was the fact you had flattened the battery before the problem started.

Hello, yes I did try to jumpstart it and it did exactly the same thing.

I wasn't there when it was checked so I don't know but it was checked by two different garages and both say it was fine.

Apparently, you can do a regen even if the car won't start. You use an ELM cable and software accordign to the auto electrician.

Ant

[simcor]

I would be intrigued to know how he can do a regeneration without the engine running. A regeneration is performed when the engine coolant is up to 65℃ the particle filter temperature is increased through th useless glowplugs and additional fuelling all designed to increase the exhaust temperature to burn off the soot deposits. Personally I believe he is talking utter crap and misleading you.

[AntonyC]

Well ofcourse, the engine has to be running to do a regen - I agree with you. I believe what happened is that the ECU wouldn't let the car start because the DPF was blocked.

When the guy got the ELM thing, he used software to tell it to do a static regen. In the circumstance, the ECU did let the engine run in order to clear the DPF only. I guess it is some sort of fail-safe thing? I guess the car is made to turn off instead of blowing itself up or whatever? When an ELM is connected, I suppose it listens to it, assuming the user is a mechanic who knows what he is doing and starts up tin order to do the regen.

What I can confidently say is that fuel wasn't pumping from the fuel pump even though it is mechanically driven and that there was some electrical problem. I believe the original mechanic did check the basics too, looked for shorts and never found any. The pump is the same pump and it hasn't been changed. The battery was fine too and also hasn't been changed. The relays were fine too.

I must admit, I'm very skeptical and don't always believe people but what I can say is that whatever the electrical problem was, it passed me and more importantly, a very experienced mechanic. I paid the auto-electrician 1hr £40 for manual diagnosis/checking the electrics. Also 1hr for electrical computer diagnosis and DPF static regen costing a further £40.

Antony