Ford Focus MK2 2.0 TDCi Engine Help Needed

[Dr Wizzle]

Evening all,

I wonder if anyone can help here? I have a problem and I think its turbo related. I have a 2006 Focus 2.0TDCi and I've had nothing but trouble since I bought it. It started to run a bit lumpy just after I bought it and I used some Wynns cleaner in a full tank of diesel and replaced the air filter. This helped but still ran a bit lumpy. I also changed the fuel filter,

Days later my wife decided to put petrol in the car and not tell me so I had a mechanic round to clean the system and get the car going again. Had to have starter replaced as it was knackered and was sparking casing a fire risk. Car started to run OK, and I took it for a run along the motorway to my sisters. Coming back when I hit about 2000-2500 revs the engine would start to judder like it was just about to cut out. The shaking was quite violent. If I backed off on the throttle it was not too bad, but seemed like it wanted to cut out as if it was starved of fuel

To temporarily solve this for now, I disconnected the vacuum hoses to the MAP and IAT on the inlet. Car runs really well without this, but I have no turbo boost.

Do any of you know what I need to do? Is it worth shelling out £15 for a can of turbo cleaner and see how it goes? Should I take out the MAP and IAT sensors and clean them? Is the turbo knackered? We really like this car and I just want to get it running ok.

Would really appreciate any advice. I've got all weekend to have a look but just wanted an idea of where to start.

 

Cheers all, and thanks for reading this.  

[Tdci-Peter]

On 18/11/2016 at 11:14 PM, Dr Wizzle said:

when I hit about 2000-2500 revs the engine would start to judder like it was just about to cut out. The shaking was quite violent. If I backed off on the throttle it was not too bad, but seemed like it wanted to cut out as if it was starved of fuel

To temporarily solve this for now, I disconnected the vacuum hoses to the MAP and IAT on the inlet. Car runs really well without this, but I have no turbo boost.

If that is when the turbo comes in, then it could be the actuator sticking, or faulty, and opening/closing the vanes / wastegate too abruptly. It does not sound like the turbo itself to me, but I am no real expert on that.

I think this car usually has a vacuum operated actuator. If so, you could disconnect the vacuum line (& plug the ends), then reconnect the MAP & IAT, to see if it had the same effect of stopping the judder.

I think you badly need a diagnostic tool. There must be codes with the MAP & IAT disconnected, and there may be codes relating to the turbo with those sensors put back. It would all help to track it down. Forscan, and some other tools, can also monitor MAP reading while driving, which would show if the boost pressure was veering up and down when the judder happened.

If it is the actuator, cleaner will be no use, unless the vanes are sticking. And even then, it is unlikely to work.

If it is vacuum, it may be a hose leak, or a faulty solenoid valve that can be replaced. If electric, then a repair may be possible. I have seen companies offering this.

[Dr Wizzle]

Thank you TDCi-Peter. I Had a good look at the engine, no split pipes or anything from above (Havent looked underneath yet) and did a bit of research on this site and alot of the symptoms were similar to others with EGR problems, IE Valve stuck open. I plugged in my OBD and it was throwing out P2263 which was consistent with having no turboboost. No other errors so I cleared the EML and i'll wait to see if it comes on again with anything different. I'm thinking of blanking my EGR off as I after reading a few posts it worked for quite a few people, saying they got better MPG, better performance and smoother engine with no flat spots. It seems a cheap job with them selling on ebay for about £4. I really dont fancy taking off wipers, panels and take out the EGR Valve and pipes to clean them, looks a pig of a job. If that doesn't work then I'll have a look underneath at the actuator to see if it moves freely and check the vacuum lines and turbo for any leaks etc there.

I'll let you know how I get on, and thank you for the advice!!   

[Tdci-Peter]

51 minutes ago, Dr Wizzle said:

I really dont fancy taking off wipers, panels and take out the EGR Valve and pipes to clean them, looks a pig of a job.

Removing the wipers & scuttle panels is really quite easy, apart from the 1st time, maybe. It makes a huge difference to access to the back of the engine.

If removing wipers, align the ratchet driver almost along the wiper arm, and apply torque between the arm and ratchet, to reduce stress on the wiper drive system while undoing the bolt. Then wiggle and lever gently to remove. On my car there were nasty double sided clips holding the plastic panels together, that needed a lot of levering on alternate sides. I straightened out the sharp prongs on one side, so now I only have to lever the upper sides a bit, then twist off. Ridiculous design.

Fitting an EGR blanking plate can cause errors (DTCs & EML) on some engines, but it is certainly worth trying for diagnostic purposes, then up to you whether to leave it in or out. I have run my car (1.8) with it in & out. Now my EGR valve is operating ok, it is better in some ways with it un-blanked. Heats up the heater a bit quicker (EGR cooler), and the turbo comes in at a more sensible time. (It tended to provide a bit of boost with very small throttle openings while blanked, just a waste of fuel, probably.)