Hi all

I bought a 2011 Ford focus titanium diesel three weeks ago. I had a feeling something wasn't right so I took it to a dpf specialist in braintree. He plugged it in and showed me faults two of which were injectors.  He took it for a drive and straight away said the dpf is blocked as the car jolts about and loses power  briefly at 2500rpm.

the dealer I bought it from have agreed to do the injectors as the car then went in to limp mode but are refusing to do the dpf as apparently my three month warranty only covered engine and gearbox. 

the specialist has said it was a pre existing problem and I should claim against them. 

Does any one have any help knowledge etc on this and these kind of situations please. Anything greatly appreciated 

 

cheers

Neil

3 hours ago, neil87 said:

He plugged it in and showed me faults two of which were injectors.  He took it for a drive and straight away said the dpf is blocked as the car jolts about and loses power  briefly at 2500rpm.

That does not make much sense. Does the specialist sell or clean DPFs by any chance? Not saying he is definitely biased, but ...

The jolting and loss of power in a specific rpm region stacks up with injector faults, but not with DPF problems. There would be specific DPF codes stored if there was a bad problem with the DPF. But a blocked DPF actually has little impact on normal driving. A little loss of top end power, and a few MPG less maybe. Until the oil level rises because of failed regens, and causes diesel run-away that destroys the engine perhaps! But if there are no codes, no warning lights or messages, and the oil level is not rising way above the max mark, you do NOT have to worry about that.

Any decent diagnostic system should be able to read these codes if they are present. Forscan can read the codes and also take readings from the DPF DP sensor which will give a much better picture of the state of the DPF.

So my advice is to check the oil level at regular intervals (weekly, say), and invest is a diagnostic system like FOrscan, or take the car to a trusted, good garage that can read any codes present. Forscan costs about £16 if you have access to a laptop, A Ford franchised stealer may charge £100 to read them.

as per Peter, it is a good idea to have your own code reader to save money and to check if someone is misleading you.

Tunnelrat electronics do the code reader for under 20 quid incl uk postage. The 'modified' one has an extra switch added for additional functions for Fords. Tunnelrat has been recommended many times on this forum by many people. I have one from them. There are cheaper codes readers available and some are rubbish so finding a cheaper one that appears like it is the same thing could be a waste of money.

Forscan software is free for a Windows laptop. It is about 6 quid to download the forscan app to android / apple device. I have it on a windows laptop and iPhone.

It really is money well spent. Everyone should have one. 

 

https://tunnelrat-electronics.fwscart.com/

On 8/29/2019 at 6:31 PM, neil87 said:

the dealer I bought it from have agreed to do the injectors as the car then went in to limp mode but are refusing to do the dpf as apparently my three month warranty only covered engine and gearbox. 

the specialist has said it was a pre existing problem and I should claim against them.

Any progress?

A 2011 car should have a catalytic DPF. These should be ok for over 100k miles, and do not get the additive system related problems that plague earlier versions. But there are still a number of sensor related problem areas, like the DP sensor and its hoses. However, to see if there actually is a DPF problem will need some monitoring with a diagnostic system.

The car was purchased 3 weeks ago so the dealer is obliged to resolve or prove that the fault didn't exist, irrespective of warranty. Under new legislation, the dealer initially has the burden of proof (they have to prove the lack of fault at time of sale, and absence of a fault code is unlikely to be proof), then later on it moves to burden being the customer's (you have to prove that the fault existed at time of sale). Send a formal letter (keep copy and send via registered post) requiring them to resolve as required by law.

Did you use a form of credit to purchase the car (credit card, loan, go over-drawn  etc)? If so , then the regs concerning credit (different regs depending on form of credit but same outcome) means the Financial Institution (bank, card company etc) have joint and equal liability. You are not obliged to go through a long battle with the dealer, you can go straight to the FI if you wish. Going via the FI will mean there's a fomal complaints process and an ombudsman to ensure you are treated fairly.

If it was debit card then try speaking to the bank and explain the goods received are faulty an the dealer isn't following the law. They should start a charge-back for you.