Problems starting

[oliverm]

Hi

I have a 61 plate Ford Smax Titanium X diesel. It's been pretty solid but for the last 6 months it has had a problem starting. 

It has keyless ignition. Recently when I've pressed the start button it just does nothing, nothing at all. If you keep pressing it then it might click like the starter motor isn't releasing. If you keep trying then it might turn over but won't actually start. Sometimes the boot unlucks and the hazard lights come on. If you're really lucky it might start but if it does you usually end up with some kind of failure on the dashboard (I've managed to get it started on to be told that the air bag has malfunctioned, sometimes that the traction control is active, even that I've spontaneously had a flat tire, front or rear parking sensors aren't working etc). 

When this first happened I had it towed to a local garage who told me the battery was knackered. I had had a few low battery warnings previously so I paid up, and low and behold the problem didn't happen again for about 3 or 4 months, until this week, when it started happening again, but this time with no battery warning messages. 

Things I've tried;

Jumpstarting the car - has worked sometimes but often not at all, so I think that might have been random chance. 
Changing the battery in the primary and spare keys. 
New Battery. 

If this were a non-keyless car, and I turned the key and this happened, I would think it was a battery problem, or perhaps the alternator not charging the battery. 

Any ideas welcome. 

I'm due to take it to the local ford dealer but in the past they haven't been great when problems occur and only really seem interested in getting the car back out the door as soon as possible. Rarely do they seem able to interrogate the sensors or ECU to really get to the cause of an issue and seem happier to wait for some bloke called Bob to drive the car (normally for a great many miles) and see whether they can figure things out that way. 

Olly

[oliverm]

Here's a video of what happens. This mornings attempt were slightly different in that each time I pressed the Go button, the car turned over the same amount times and then just stopped. It didn't do it's weirdness whereby the boot opens, or the alarm goes off, or the hazard lights go on. At the end of the video the car starts, which it hasn't done for a week or more, and after that each attempt at starting the car succeeded.

https://goo.gl/photos/gjfU1QxvcXciyrtF7

 

Also you'll note that the forward radar sensors failure light is on on the dashboard. This happened during my last attempt to start the car. Do you think it might be a blown fuse?

 

Olly

[Magic Friend]

Has a distinct smell of ignition switch. Let's see if you can help me to help you :-)

Can you please explain the type of keyless ignition you have? The one's that I have driven before have a credit card type thing that goes into a slot.

Also, I don't really do diesels. On a petrol car this problem is easy to test by running a wire from the battery to the coil and then turning the key to take the ignition part of the barrel out of the equation. If the car then starts, that's the problem. There may be a similar test for diesels, maybe giving the glow plugs a permanent supply?

I will ask diesel people that I know. Also, it is possible that the problem is inside the alternator, but test the ignition switch out first.

Good luck

Paul

[Colin Payne]

On 2017-3-24 at 9:25 PM, oliverm said:

Hi

I have a 61 plate Ford Smax Titanium X diesel. It's been pretty solid but for the last 6 months it has had a problem starting. 

It has keyless ignition. Recently when I've pressed the start button it just does nothing, nothing at all. If you keep pressing it then it might click like the starter motor isn't releasing. If you keep trying then it might turn over but won't actually start. Sometimes the boot unlucks and the hazard lights come on. If you're really lucky it might start but if it does you usually end up with some kind of failure on the dashboard (I've managed to get it started on to be told that the air bag has malfunctioned, sometimes that the traction control is active, even that I've spontaneously had a flat tire, front or rear parking sensors aren't working etc). 

When this first happened I had it towed to a local garage who told me the battery was knackered. I had had a few low battery warnings previously so I paid up, and low and behold the problem didn't happen again for about 3 or 4 months, until this week, when it started happening again, but this time with no battery warning messages. 

Things I've tried;

Jumpstarting the car - has worked sometimes but often not at all, so I think that might have been random chance. 
Changing the battery in the primary and spare keys. 
New Battery. 

If this were a non-keyless car, and I turned the key and this happened, I would think it was a battery problem, or perhaps the alternator not charging the battery. 

Any ideas welcome. 

I'm due to take it to the local ford dealer but in the past they haven't been great when problems occur and only really seem interested in getting the car back out the door as soon as possible. Rarely do they seem able to interrogate the sensors or ECU to really get to the cause of an issue and seem happier to wait for some bloke called Bob to drive the car (normally for a great many miles) and see whether they can figure things out that way. 

Olly

Hi Olly,

My wife's 2012 S-Max is doing exactly the same thing - boot pops open and hazards come on when starting, if it will actually start at all!

Did you get it resolved? What was the issue?

Thanks,

Colin

[Dave jones]

Hi, Olly, Colin,

exact problem, not starting, boot pops and hazards turn on. Did you get a solution?

[juniorferg]

Hi

My car did this several times, I found the route cause to be the butterfly within the inlet manifold. It was all gunked up with an oily substance which was restricting it from opening upon start-up. I removed the hose clip shown beside the green arrow in the image and then pulled the hose toward the front of the car toward myself. It takes a bit of wiggling, but once off you should be able to feel the butterfly just inside the inlet manifold where the yellow arrow is. Clean around this as best you can and then put it all back together again and see if this sorts you out. I've had to do it twice in the last three years.

 

Regards

[Mav4444]

Hi

my 2012 s max titanium 2.0D automatic has a related problem in that sometimes nothing happens at all when press the start button (with brake pressed). 

It has always eventually started but after up to 40 times of trying. It’s been in the independent garage specialising in fords twice, plugged in and no faults reported. Next option will be a costly leave it with them to try to work out the problem. 

Just wondered if anyone had had the same problem and managed to find a solution or could suggest a solution?

[Nikkiguk]

On 3/24/2017 at 9:25 PM, oliverm said:

Hi

I have a 61 plate Ford Smax Titanium X diesel. It's been pretty solid but for the last 6 months it has had a problem starting. 

It has keyless ignition. Recently when I've pressed the start button it just does nothing, nothing at all. If you keep pressing it then it might click like the starter motor isn't releasing. If you keep trying then it might turn over but won't actually start. Sometimes the boot unlucks and the hazard lights come on. If you're really lucky it might start but if it does you usually end up with some kind of failure on the dashboard (I've managed to get it started on to be told that the air bag has malfunctioned, sometimes that the traction control is active, even that I've spontaneously had a flat tire, front or rear parking sensors aren't working etc). 

When this first happened I had it towed to a local garage who told me the battery was knackered. I had had a few low battery warnings previously so I paid up, and low and behold the problem didn't happen again for about 3 or 4 months, until this week, when it started happening again, but this time with no battery warning messages. 

Things I've tried;

Jumpstarting the car - has worked sometimes but often not at all, so I think that might have been random chance. 
Changing the battery in the primary and spare keys. 
New battery. 

If this were a non-keyless car, and I turned the key and this happened, I would think it was a battery problem, or perhaps the alternator not charging the battery. 

Any ideas welcome. 

I'm due to take it to the local ford dealer but in the past they haven't been great when problems occur and only really seem interested in getting the car back out the door as soon as possible. Rarely do they seem able to interrogate the sensors or ECU to really get to the cause of an issue and seem happier to wait for some bloke called Bob to drive the car (normally for a great many miles) and see whether they can figure things out that way. 

Olly

Hiya,

My car started doing the same.  What was wrong with it?? 

[Monty..234]

On 3/24/2017 at 9:25 PM, oliverm said:

Hi

I have a 61 plate Ford Smax Titanium X diesel. It's been pretty solid but for the last 6 months it has had a problem starting. 

It has keyless ignition. Recently when I've pressed the start button it just does nothing, nothing at all. If you keep pressing it then it might click like the starter motor isn't releasing. If you keep trying then it might turn over but won't actually start. Sometimes the boot unlucks and the hazard lights come on. If you're really lucky it might start but if it does you usually end up with some kind of failure on the dashboard (I've managed to get it started on to be told that the air bag has malfunctioned, sometimes that the traction control is active, even that I've spontaneously had a flat tire, front or rear parking sensors aren't working etc). 

When this first happened I had it towed to a local garage who told me the battery was knackered. I had had a few low battery warnings previously so I paid up, and low and behold the problem didn't happen again for about 3 or 4 months, until this week, when it started happening again, but this time with no battery warning messages. 

Things I've tried;

Jumpstarting the car - has worked sometimes but often not at all, so I think that might have been random chance. 
Changing the battery in the primary and spare keys. 
New battery. 

If this were a non-keyless car, and I turned the key and this happened, I would think it was a battery problem, or perhaps the alternator not charging the battery. 

Any ideas welcome. 

I'm due to take it to the local ford dealer but in the past they haven't been great when problems occur and only really seem interested in getting the car back out the door as soon as possible. Rarely do they seem able to interrogate the sensors or ECU to really get to the cause of an issue and seem happier to wait for some bloke called Bob to drive the car (normally for a great many miles) and see whether they can figure things out that way. 

 

Did anyone manage to sort this problem I have it now and thinking starter motor

Thanks Mark 

[Monty..234]

On 12/31/2017 at 2:07 AM, juniorferg said:

Hi

My car did this several times, I found the route cause to be the butterfly within the inlet manifold. It was all gunked up with an oily substance which was restricting it from opening upon start-up. I removed the hose clip shown beside the green arrow in the image and then pulled the hose toward the front of the car toward myself. It takes a bit of wiggling, but once off you should be able to feel the butterfly just inside the inlet manifold where the yellow arrow is. Clean around this as best you can and then put it all back together again and see if this sorts you out. I've had to do it twice in the last three years.

 

Regards

This may well be the lumpy starting, but will not cause the failing to even turn over 

[D34n]

My smax is turning hazards on and opening boot when starting the engine, 2.2 diesel titanium model ! Has anyone tried replacing the battery in the key fob? Or had any remedies to this problem yet? 

[Stoney871]

Check the wiring between the roof and tailgate.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[D34n]

Yes all looks OK stoney 

[D34n]

Turns out there was two split wires in the boot from the boot door and car roof, thanks a bunch stoney, sorted the hazard and boot pop issue on start up, must of been damp wires! 

[Stoney871]

Thought so [emoji6], glad it's sorted.

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