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Focus Starting issue


RichardDM
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Hi All and good evening

I have a 2007 Focus 1.8 TDCI and it has developed a couple of issue's that I just can't seem to find and fix.  Had the car since 2010 and was brought for going up and down the motorway for work, after about 1 year I was moved to a new office and stop using the car for long distances just backwards and forwards to the train station.  Not very good with Diesel engines as I have only worked on petrol so not sure where to go next. 

Starting issue.  First had the issue about 2 years ago, can't remember if it was cold or not but think it was around February/March time.  Then nothing for about 20 months, just as winter was setting in I started having the starting issue again.  I try and explain the problem as best as I can.  Get into the car turn the ignition on to position 2 and wait for the glow plug light to go out.  Turn key to position 3 and the car goes to start, engine sounds like it is going to fire into life so turn key back to position 2 and then the engine dies.  Repeat trying to start the car for up-to 15 minutes before the car finally starts.  While trying to start the car there will be smoke from the exhaust (I think it is either white or grey but hard to tell as most of the time the problem has happened its been dark), a lot of smoke and it has a burning sort of smell to it.  While trying to start the car the rev counter shows the engine is up around 800 rpm and then dies (almost like it is going to continue running but does not) and some times it will only go up-to around 400-600rpm and then die. 

Nothing seems to help, put foot on the accelerator nothing, hold key 1-2seconds long in position 3 still does not help.  Check fault codes nothing, checked the pressure on the fuel rail and before starting it says 100 Kpa and then when trying to start this jumps up to around 180-190 Kpa.  Checked the Mass Air Flow and it seems to detect air flow.  Read on some other forums and post that the anti-shudder valve can stick closed and cause this same issue. 

So I had the issue yesterday, after about 10 minutes of trying to start the car I thought I might check to see if I could see the valve and push it open.  So I removed the hose that comes up from the inter-cooler to the left had side of the inlet manifold (If you are standing in front of the car), or at least I am guessing this is the inlet manifold as I can't find a good diagram of the 1.8 TDCI engine, but I could not see any valve just a lot of smoke.  I no this was not wise but with the hose removed I tried to start the car and after the second attempt the car started.  I let it run for about 1 minutes and then turned it off reconnected the hose and then started the car again and car started.  Now I might have the issue again in the next couple of days or I might not have the issue for a couple of weeks or months.  Seen on some forums people suggest running an Air cleaner through the car from the Air Filter.  Does anyone know if this might help?

 

Thanks for any advice

Richard

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I'd get the glowplugs checked. On the 1.8TDCi they're reasonably accessible so the leads can be disconnected and a resistance check done. I had cold-starting problems on ours and decided to change them. When I tested the old ones three were open-circuit and the fourth was high-resistance. The car had done 90,000 miles.

I also discovered that the glow plug indicator doesn't actually show when power is on to the plugs. Monitoring with a bulb connected across them I found that although the indicator went out in less than a second the power stayed on for 5 seconds.

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Although some folk like to think glow plugs are just for a cold start, I had major starting problems when I 1st got mine.  The glow plugs were thoroughly spannered, only 1 worked (just) & when my car did fire up it looked like Del Boy's van for the 1st 20 seconds.

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Do the fuel filter as well, if you gonna change the glowplugs yourself be carful not to snap any of them and No4 is a right pig to get at (it was on mine anyway) don't use brute force if they are tight (softly softly catchy monkey) :ph34r:

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Hi All

Thanks for the suggestion, i'll see if I can get the plugs out and test each plug as this has been suggested to me before.  Was looking at another forum around starting issue's on Ford focus, and some one suggested the fuel pressure needs to be up around 300 BAR.  When I had the starting issue last week I plugged in the EML327 bluetooth module and connected the phone to the car to see if there was any fault codes but nothing, while I was there I looked at the fuel pressure on the fuel rail and that reported it was at 100kpa before starting and then when starting it would jump up-to around 180kpa.  Doing some conversion this morning and 100 kpa = 1 bar.  Now I might be wrong about the fuel pressure so I need to check that when I get the chance but does anyone know what the fuel pressure on the rail should be?

I'll see if I can get the car into the Garage and get the fuel filter changed. 

Richard

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