Starting Problem

[Daniel97]

Hi,

I'm having a problem with my 2008 Fiesta Zetec S 1.6. I'll start it up in the morning and the car will start but will hold a low rpm and after 5 or so seconds it will stall. Eventually after going through this a few times the car will start and run fine. This problem mainly occurs in the morning as I leave for work, however has happened a few times in the evening when I'm leaving work. It is a frequent problem but doesn't always arise as sometimes the car will start up first time without this trouble.

Any help is appreciated, Thanks!   

[Luke4efc]

First check for any fault codes, should tell you if it's a sensor problem.

I'd guess at throttle body caked in carbon buildup or idle control issues. Then again could be plugs, leads or coil issue too.

[Daniel97]

I'll get on that and see what happens. 

I changed the plugs just over a week ago thinking that might solve the problem, and it did for a while but then the same problem occured. 

 

Thanks for the help! 

[Daniel97]

16 hours ago, Luke4efc said:

First check for any fault codes, should tell you if it's a sensor problem.

I'd guess at throttle body caked in carbon buildup or idle control issues. Then again could be plugs, leads or coil issue too.

I looked up the fault codes and got:

dtc 1 : C140

dtc 2 : E197

dtc 3 : E200

dtc 4: 9318

I've had a look online and I am having trouble finding any of the codes that are being thrown up. Is there a website or guide that is available which will tell me what they refer to?

Thanks 

[Luke4efc]

They don't look like fault codes to me, I've only ever seen them start with D, P or U (there are a few others) then 4 numbers usually. What scanner did you use to get them?

[TomsFocus]

Fairly certain they're the ones from the 'dash trick'...  They aren't proper fault codes if so, needs to be read with a code reader.

[Daniel97]

19 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Fairly certain they're the ones from the 'dash trick'...  They aren't proper fault codes if so, needs to be read with a code reader.

Yes they were found by doing that as I didn't have a code reader to hand. Will look into finding or buying a code reader. 

Is there a recommended one? 

[Tdci-Peter]

7 hours ago, Daniel97 said:

dtc 1 : C140

dtc 2 : E197

dtc 3 : E200

dtc 4: 9318

I've had a look online and I am having trouble finding any of the codes that are being thrown up. Is there a website or guide that is available which will tell me what they refer to?

I am guessing these are codes from the Instrument Cluster Menu (pressing the mileage reset button). If so:

C140 = U0140: Lost Communication With Body Control Module.

E197 = U2197: Invalid data for Vehicle Speed

E200 = U2200: Invalid data for Odometer

9318 = B1318: battery Voltage Low

I would first suspect battery or alternator problems. A dodgy alternator can put a lot of ripple on to the 12v power line, especially when re-charging the battery after a start.

Then wiring problems, start with the obvious big power and earth wires form battery to engine, alternator & body. Then look for big connectors that may be wet or corroded.

For a problem like this, Forscan will be by far the best diagnostic system. It needs to be an in depth, Ford specific system that can interrogate all modules on the car. Most generic OBD2 readers can not do this. Forscan for Windows is free download, and about £16 for the adapter, a bit more if you need wireless or phone (iOS or Android) versions.

For an explanation of the IC codes, see:

 

 

[Daniel97]

On 30/04/2018 at 12:08 AM, Tdci-Peter said:

I am guessing these are codes from the Instrument Cluster Menu (pressing the mileage reset button). If so:

C140 = U0140: Lost Communication With Body Control Module.

E197 = U2197: Invalid data for Vehicle Speed

E200 = U2200: Invalid data for Odometer

9318 = B1318: Battery Voltage Low

I would first suspect battery or alternator problems. A dodgy alternator can put a lot of ripple on to the 12v power line, especially when re-charging the battery after a start.

Then wiring problems, start with the obvious big power and earth wires form battery to engine, alternator & body. Then look for big connectors that may be wet or corroded.

For a problem like this, Forscan will be by far the best diagnostic system. It needs to be an in depth, Ford specific system that can interrogate all modules on the car. Most generic OBD2 readers can not do this. Forscan for Windows is free download, and about £16 for the adapter, a bit more if you need wireless or phone (iOS or Android) versions.

For an explanation of the IC codes, see:

 

 

Thanks, really helpful information, checked the battery and the earth is covered in gunk which I assume to be corroded and the positive isnt looking great either. 

Ive had the battery warning lamp on my dash for a while now, when it first came on I had it looked at and the tech said not to worry about it, its not affecting the car. He said to get rid of the light id need to change the alternator but if I wasn't bothered about seeing the light then not to bother.  

I recently bought a code reader but it says that there aren't any dtc fault codes. 

Thanks for the help!

[Tdci-Peter]

4 hours ago, Daniel97 said:

Ive had the battery warning lamp on my dash for a while now, when it first came on I had it looked at and the tech said not to worry about it, its not affecting the car. He said to get rid of the light id need to change the alternator

Diagnosing a faulty alternator can be difficult on Fords, especially if, like here, it still seems to be delivering some charge. The simplest route is to eliminate everything else.

battery connections would come first, give them a good clean, smear with vaseline or another suitable water repelling grease, and make sure they go back tight and make good connection. Then follow the fat wires to body and engine, feeling for soft or weak bits that might indicate a partial break in the wire, especially near the ends. Make sure the terminals on the engine & alternator are tight and not badly corroded. Some light surface corrosion is normal, but heavy white or greenish deposits that look like they go under the terminal are bad.

(Disconnect the battery negative terminal before using metal tools near any battery wires!)

Test the battery. If you are not familiar with multimeters and car batteries, it may be best to get a garage to use a battery tester on it. Simple tests like 5 minutes with headlights on & engine off, to see if they dim, and looking for over 12.2v after the car has been standing overnight, are a start. (Give the battery a charge by running the engine or with a charger after the lights test, batteries don't like being left uncharged).

Check the 3 pin connector to the alternator, a broken wire here could cause symptoms like you have. There is also usually a 3A fuse in the engine bay fuse box that provides 12v to one of these 3 wires.

If everything else checks out ok, then it may be time to look at testing (by a specialist) or just replacing the alternator.