Boost control valve (Turbo vane control valve) location?

[Rich237]

Further to trying to fix my Focus 1.6 Tdci, DV6, 2009 underboost boost, can anyone tell me where the turbo actuator control valve actually is?

I have noticed that while sitting on idle the actuator is always moving. It creeps up than jumps back all the time.

I think it may have a vacuum leak.

The pipe to the actuator disappears round that back of the oil filter. I can't see the valve that will be on the end of it.

Cheers!

[Tdci-Peter]

6 hours ago, Rich237 said:

I can't see the valve that will be on the end of it.

Most likely it is mounted on the back of the crankcase, low down, just above the sump joint. You have have to jack the front up, remove the under cover, and look from underneath. There is a photo in Haynes, but it is hard to identify without seeing the actual engine. I could scan it in if needed.

Alternatively, depending on model year, it may be mounted on the passenger side inner wing

 

[Rich237]

cheers Peter,

I have been looking online for days and no one has a picture or video of it! Lots of pics of the spare part though....

If it ever stops raining, I'll go looking underneath.

By the way, the actuator is doing this constant up down movement when idling. I don't think that is correct operation???

[Tdci-Peter]

10 hours ago, Rich237 said:

If it ever stops raining, I'll go looking underneath.

Might have to wait a while.

According to Haynes, it can be accessed from above, maybe after removing the trim panels under the wipers. But if it is anything like the 1.8 down the back of that engine, I rather doubt it.

Constant movement when idling does not sound right, unless it is just taking up slack in the mechanism, and not actually moving the vanes, perhaps. That could indicate a fault in the position feedback sensor, or, as you suspect, some sort of leak in the valve.

I could not find any photos on line of it, so there is one here, maybe a first for the entire Internet!

 

[Rich237]

Thanks Peter!

You beat me to it!

This is what I did:

I noticed that the turbo actuator was moving about all the time while the engine was idling.

Looking at the ODB logs, the drive to the actuator, VGTDC was not moving much. However the MAP was ramping up and down every 10 seconds. This matched exactly the movements in the actuator.

My theory was that there was a vacuum leak which allowed the actuator to gradually sink back. The ECU applies a puff of vacuum every 10 seconds and this makes the actuator jump back again.

Well today I tested the boost control actuator.

I attached a pipe to the vacuum actuator on the turbo and stuck a syringe on the other end. Pulling the syringe creates a vacuum and the actuator moves and stays put.

So it works fine and hold vacuum.

I then went looking for the control solenoid. Some people call this the boost control solenoid but the supplier and Ford call it a Pressure Converter Valve.

It located behind the engine on the drivers side, low down, just above the steering rack.

See pic.

To get to it, you need to take the under cover off (6 or 8 screws). then get right under the car and look up past the steering rack. The valve has a 2 wire connector and 3 pipes on it.

The pipes are from the left, vent (to the small air filter on the end of a pipe at the back of the engine bay, just under the wipers), vacuum out to the actuator and vacuum in from the vacuum pump via a reservoir (black plastic blob left of the valve).

It's easy to get off once you get access to it.

I made a fork shaped pipe puller to avoid damage to the rubber pipes. It slips over the tube and pulls the rubber hose off.

I tested the valve with a syringe and some pipe and it leaked air.

So I bought a new valve. Ford charge £125 for these. They are on eBay for £45 but I decided to go with Eurocarparts (and get a warranty). It was £64, but I had to buy one for a Citroen as they didn't list the Ford one! The valve is the same and it's made by Pierburg part code 7.00968.03

Yoyo parts shows all the car part codes for it.

http://www.yoyopart.com/oem/5609465/pierburg-70096803.html

So I stuck the new valve on and hey presto, no more turbo actuator movement on idle and no MAP changes when idling.

Out on the road I have full boost in all gears and the car goes like a rocket!

So before getting your turbo replaced, check what the MAP is doing on idle and what the actuator is doing too.

[Focusoap]

Good bit of detective work and logic! Bet your friendly FMC dealer would have had a new engine in it by now!

[Stuart_salad_dodger]

Hi sorry to join this conversation 2 years later lol need some advice. My actuator sticks and won't move I replaced the turbo and the new one done the same after a day or so (only found out as I still had an issue with glow plugs so changed them as well) so I thought it was a fualty part replaced it again (warranty part) and the warranty part has done the same could this be the valuve that's giving me the issue?? Thanks stu

[Tdci-Peter]

2 hours ago, Stuart_salad_dodger said:

could this be the valve that's giving me the issue?

It is the most likely culprit for turbo actuator problems. Seems to be quite a common fault.

The location of the valve can vary, but the position down the back of the engine as shown above is the most likely.