Hiya guys & girls, used this site once before years ago and told everybody to come here for their Ford's because I got the answer here first before the mechanics head scratching procedures haha

Got focus MK2 1.8 zetec diesel hatch, just had a track rod end & rear link fitted and garage didn't see any other visual issues

When stationary started to hear a low whining noise when turning steering wheel & also a light knock from steering when turning left or right from centre point, along with this also when driving along there are intermittent light vibrations coming from steering (not when braking) 

I have checked through the internet seems it could be the pump or the rack or could this be more to do with CV joints etc

I do get vibrations when braking but that is because I have a lip on my front discs which will be changed soon - just mentioning this in case

any advice or guidance would be really appreciated as not working at the moment and I know a steering rack is really expensive..please peeps I haven't slept all week properly just worrying about the potential bill when goes into the garage🙏

 

 

Hmmm no ones replied?? have I posted in the right place?? Well cars been into garage, PAS pump is ok, there is play in the steering rack but only minor issue however will probably fail MOT so thats a major issue with an approx £400 bill for refurb replacement

Is it possible that the front disc & pads that have a lip causing recent bad judder has damaged the rack?

You're in the right place, but as with most forums, they're quieter than they used to be!

Brake judder may reduce the life of other components, but not significantly as you're not on the brakes very often.  Unbalanced wheels causing wheel wobble at 70mph for 1000s of miles is much more likely to damage things.

With the cost of a rack, pads & discs, tyres(?) and MOT...it might be worth thinking about whether it's better to move on to something newer.

On 8/26/2020 at 1:20 PM, TomsFocus said:

You're in the right place, but as with most forums, they're quieter than they used to be!

Brake judder may reduce the life of other components, but not significantly as you're not on the brakes very often.  Unbalanced wheels causing wheel wobble at 70mph for 1000s of miles is much more likely to damage things.

With the cost of a rack, pads & discs, tyres(?) and MOT...it might be worth thinking about whether it's better to move on to something newer.

A belated thanks as I only seen this as I randomly logged in to see discount offer - cant see any point of going premium if theres not much action here.

Steering defo has some play but nothing major and only doing low mileage, MOT passed with no issue apart from abit of play in rear bushes so maybe thats the play with the car and not the steering rack?

Im concerned that AA chap told me turbo pipe has small leak but turbo working fine for now at least, he also suspected injector fault as could smell fuel outside - is injector fault the cause of a slow cold start problem? and also is turbo leak/injector costing me more on fuel consumption please? Cant get newer car yet 😞

Cheers Ill check my notification settings aswell

Glow plugs tend to be problem on cold start. Leaking injector probably not helping. Any leak will effect fuel consumption as engine won't be running efficiently and will probably effect performance.

Turbo boost leak would be worth fixing.  The turbo working fine is irrelevant if not all of that boost is reaching the intake.

Do you mean a raw fuel smell at the front end or a rich exhaust smell?  If raw fuel and slow start you've probably got a small leak on the supply line letting the fuel leak back to the tank over night.

If rich exhaust, that's probably caused by the boost leak.

If you can post any pictures of the potential leaks we can say what impact they're likely to have and what the best fix would be.

On 11/16/2020 at 7:41 PM, TomsFocus said:

Turbo boost leak would be worth fixing.  The turbo working fine is irrelevant if not all of that boost is reaching the intake.

Do you mean a raw fuel smell at the front end or a rich exhaust smell?  If raw fuel and slow start you've probably got a small leak on the supply line letting the fuel leak back to the tank over night.

If rich exhaust, that's probably caused by the boost leak.

If you can post any pictures of the potential leaks we can say what impact they're likely to have and what the best fix would be.

 

On 11/16/2020 at 7:41 PM, TomsFocus said:

Turbo boost leak would be worth fixing.  The turbo working fine is irrelevant if not all of that boost is reaching the intake.

Do you mean a raw fuel smell at the front end or a rich exhaust smell?  If raw fuel and slow start you've probably got a small leak on the supply line letting the fuel leak back to the tank over night.

If rich exhaust, that's probably caused by the boost leak.

If you can post any pictures of the potential leaks we can say what impact they're likely to have and what the best fix would be.

Soooo sorry buddy why Im not getting these notifications is beyond me not even going to junk mail

(1) The turbo (black pipe) in engine has grease all over it, the turbo pipe itself was changed in last 4 years - garage said that grease is a turbo issue not faulty pipe - thats what I mean by leaking nothing else to see outside no smoke etc BUT unless the turbo issue is causing other problems Im not worried about it or should I be as cars running fine with solid power?

(2) I can occasionally smell diesel in cabin but sometimes its the fumes from car in-front coming through I assumed especially on cold days?

(3) AA chap said he could smell burning fuel standing outside of drivers car door and suspected injector fault thats all he said - to me it smelt like fresh fuel burning away as opposed to an exhaust related smell which is more a smokey smell

(4) As temp now below 10 this is when I have the cold starting issue which is my biggest concern - garage said even though its a newer 2008 model I should turn on ignition wait a min, turn off and back on for another min then start car - I am doing that and it will still struggle to start but after approx 6 secs when it does start theres a good puff of thickish white smoke from exhause then cars sound all day - I am s#itting myself becasue as soon as we get to around 4 degrees thats when i wouldnt start at all last year like it has a weak battery or starter motor issue

To summarise battery & alternator changed last year and battery been tested again fully working / glow plugs and feed wire changed within last 3 yrs / engine turbo pipe changed approx 4 yrs ago / Had no other engine faults - When it does really struggle to start at approx 2 degrees dash says ESp OFF but when it starts msg dissapears

Thanks for your help sorry for late reply Ill start checking manaully 🙂

On 11/16/2020 at 7:10 PM, st line x 140 driver said:

Glow plugs tend to be problem on cold start. Leaking injector probably not helping. Any leak will effect fuel consumption as engine won't be running efficiently and will probably effect performance.

Soooo sorry buddy why Im not getting these notifications is beyond me not even going to junk mail

(1) The turbo (black pipe) in engine has grease all over it, the turbo pipe itself was changed in last 4 years - garage said that grease is a turbo issue not faulty pipe - thats what I mean by leaking nothing else to see outside no smoke etc BUT unless the turbo issue is causing other problems Im not worried about it or should I be as cars running fine with solid power?

(2) I can occasionally smell diesel in cabin but sometimes its the fumes from car in-front coming through I assumed especially on cold days?

(3) AA chap said he could smell burning fuel standing outside of drivers car door and suspected injector fault thats all he said - to me it smelt like fresh fuel burning away as opposed to an exhaust related smell which is more a smokey smell

(4) As temp now below 10 this is when I have the cold starting issue which is my biggest concern - garage said even though its a newer 2008 model I should turn on ignition wait a min, turn off and back on for another min then start car - I am doing that and it will still struggle to start but after approx 6 secs when it does start theres a good puff of thickish white smoke from exhause then cars sound all day - I am s#itting myself becasue as soon as we get to around 4 degrees thats when i wouldnt start at all last year like it has a weak battery or starter motor issue

To summarise battery & alternator changed last year and battery been tested again fully working / glow plugs and feed wire changed within last 3 yrs / engine turbo pipe changed approx 4 yrs ago / Had no other engine faults - When it does really struggle to start at approx 2 degrees dash says ESp OFF but when it starts msg dissapears

Thanks for your help sorry for late reply Ill start checking manaully 🙂

Hmm ok, as there's a bit of confusion on the first 3 points, I think it's probably best just to leave them.  Without knowing where that oil on the turbo pipe came from we can't really say whether it's an issue or not.  Again with the fuel smell, doesn't really make much sense that it can be burnt without smelling like exhaust so we can probably ignore that for now as well.  

The starting issue is obviously the main one.  It does sound like a classic glow plug issue.  Leaving glow plugs on for too long will weaken the battery before trying to start so I'm not a huge fan of that idea.  I would only leave them on for 10-15 seconds and then go for an immediate start with the clutch down to take a little strain off the starter.  If you're getting a plume of white smoke it sounds like they're not working anyway though.  Have you tested that all 4 are definitely getting power with the ignition on?  Were they decent plugs or cheap ones?  

Thanks for reply Tom had to check manually even though notifications are on, sorry about confusing conflicting info theres only so much I know and have been told, I presumed the grease on turbo pipe was leaking from inside the turbo part the pipe is connected to?

As for fuel smell I presume its coming from exhaust but smells like fresh fuel like at a petrol station when filling up, I put it down to any one or more of the injectors but because they have to be taken out and sent away to be tested, its a complete pain to drop the car in just for that unless Iv got a serious loss of power

Apart from a basic diagnostic machine giving no error codes I dont have any further equipment so Ill defo get glow plugs tested which were fitted by TLC FORD an independent Ford specialist based in Wolverhampton/Bilston West Midlands who also changed the glow plus feed wire for me as that was faulty but at a different time - garage who only use genuine Ford parts as far as Im aware but Ill call them to see what they say about it just hoping its a quick test - but there approx 3 years old so hoping they arnt blumming faulty already as Im only doing approx 6k miles p/year

Iv never started car with clutch down just in neutral with handbrake on as always so Ill give that a go 2mw morning 🙂

FYI my clutch is high but is not slipping, just makes abit of clutch plate noise on 1st drive in 1st gear - another expense Im avoiding - I know it sounds like I have a crappy car but in 5yrs its never broken down or has electrical issue or cut out its just these daft annoying problems thats whi I cant be too mad about it - mileage is also Experian HPI clear checked EVERY box when purchased 5 yrs ago - no mileage discrepancies - approaching 90k mileage now for a 08 plate

 

No worries, have you 'followed' this thread?  You should get a notification if I tag you. @Riky#MK2 FOCUS 1.8D 2008

No need to apologize for lack of knowledge on engines, re-reading my post it seemed a bit patronising anyway lol!  I just meant I didn't want to suggest expensive repairs when it might not be anything at all.

Oil inside turbo pipes is totally normal, but if it's excessive it can come from the turbo oil seals.  If it's on the outside it could be spraying from various places though.

Fresh fuel should be visible around the injectors if they're leaking.  But if they're getting worn internally and overfilling, it should still smell exhausty...if that's a word!

Glow plugs should definitely last more than 3 years but would still be worth checking as they're the most likely culprit.

Lol, all cars have their foibles...just look at how many people with new cars complain on here haha!

 

Just realised there's two Ford Focus owners clubs 🤦‍♂️ I wasn't logged in so was only getting a notification on laptop, should be ok now 🤦‍♂️ but it said I was following the thread

You wasn't patronising at all🤗 it's more about me attempting to be specific even though I don't really know the ins and outs properly, my 1st diesel you see 🐵

I'll ring them about the glow plugs tomorrow, no sign of anything spraying from elsewhere when AA checked engine some time ago apart from saying there was grease on outside of turbo pipe, my garage said if there was a serious problem with turbo you would know about it as there's always obvious symptoms first, I don't put my foot down anyway, hoping this keeps me on the good side of the car haha 

can a novice like me check if there is fuel around the injectors as I've got no idea?

👍 Really appreciate your help, are you a regular member or do you own garages etc

Just an update, can't even get car booked in for at least a week and has to be left with garage, can't be bothered with that right now just to test glow plugs, I did ring them they said it's highly unlikely they are faulty

I tried what you said, ignition on 15secs to heat glow plugs, putting clutch down and then starting car from cold 1st thing in morning leaving glow plugs and surprisingly it started pretty much the same way it starts when I do the longer recommended garage procedure, a good  strong puff of white smoke as usual from exhaust

A related problem I totally forgot to mention is when driving and taking off at speed for example at a roundabout, sometimes I see the same puff of cloudy white smoke, enough to look in my rear-view mirror and see the driver's behind me really annoyed ☹️

I'm just a regular member. 

Yes, anyone can look for diesel around  the injectors.  If you find the 'spider' on the front of the engine and then follow the pipes back you'll find the injectors.  Literally as simple as it sounds, they'll look wet if they're leaking.

It's a shame the garage can't fit you in.  It's all well and good saying they're unlikely to be faulty but it could be a damaged wire or relay stopping them heating.  

 

Thanks thats my task for the weekend, ill check youtube aswell, like I stated the white smoke is happening once driving aswell so thats pointing towards an injector fault

I did ask garage to look during MOT a few mths ago they couldnt find any issues regarding injectors without taking them out but they didnt test glow plugs (im assuming)

They are a new garage I started using better priced so I think I will try and see if they can get my car in quicker 🙂

HiyaTom

Just wanted to give update I couldn't figure out how to check injector leaks even after checking YouTube, however I was more concerned with how the cold start would happen this week as the temperature has dropped to 2 degrees here

Surprisingly I've been getting a better start or at least identical by not waiting the normal 2min warm up glow plug procedure

im following your wait 10 to 15 seconds and put clutch down and start procedure giving the same result if not better

I'm baffled if the car is in neutral what difference is it making by putting the clutch down to start a diesel?

Something tells me I will get bigger problems if the weather gets into minus figure so would like to give this information to my garage - only thing I can think is connected is that my clutch is high but not slipping but I'm hoping you have the answer as it was your advice cheers ☺️

 

If you're checking injectors on YouTube, make sure to check 1.8 TDCi specifically, the fuel system is slightly different to other common rail diesels.

The gears run on bearings when they're not selected so there's always a bit of drag from them in neutral, especially when the gear oil is cold and thick.

Pressing the clutch separates the engine from the gearbox completely so there's no drag from them at all. 

It's not really relevant for a garage diagnosis, just puts a little less strain on the starter and battery. 

It's good practice and pretty much all modern cars from around 2010 won't allow you to start the engine without the clutch down.

Glad you're still able to start in the closer temps at the minute.  I've bought a magnetic screen cover to try on Sunday night...no scraping ice on Monday hopefully haha!

 

Great Tom I think lockdown has screwed my brain up because i only entered 1.8 diesel on YouTube I didn't go for a 1.8 TDCi as usually I'm very proactive

new search brought up one guy called 'Alex the grumpy one" haha...So once I figure out how to take off the engine lid I'll definitely have a look asap

He mentioned to tighten up the injector clamps to avoid leaking as they become loose from engine vibration, he also said you will know if they are leaking because you will hear a spitting noise from the engine

will definitely be doing this because the spitting fuel means eventually the injectors could get seized inside OUCH! 

Thanks again for your help I think the clutch start is a massive game changer but can only find out for sure once the temperature drops to minus

I just don't want more embarrassment of calling out the AA especially when I live on a busy main road 

Poor person saying thanks 👍 as and would love your input on the advice from the YouTube video

Fyi I've never invested in anything external especially since my wind deflectors which are not supposed to be stolen got nicked with the windows up, apparently they can just squeeze them out... But a magnetic screen sounds fantastic but once again that would probably get nicked as well.. wish you the best of luck with yours🤦‍♂️

12 hours ago, Riky#MK2 FOCUS 1.8D 2008 said:

Fyi I've never invested in anything external especially since my wind deflectors which are not supposed to be stolen got nicked with the windows up, apparently they can just squeeze them out... But a magnetic screen sounds fantastic but once again that would probably get nicked as well.. wish you the best of luck with yours🤦‍♂️

I've got a private car park (well, my flats, not me specifically!), can't see it getting nicked but it only cost £2 anyway so I'm not fussed lol.  More worried about it blowing away if it's windy overnight!   

That youtube video is for the 1.6 TDCi, the injector leaks on those are from the engine cylinders which why they chuff.  Not a common 1.8 TDCi issue, if yours are leaking it'll more likely be fresh diesel from the top of the injector.  The engine cover just pulls off, it has rubber mounts on each corner so just give it a sharp tug at each corner.

I really have lost the plot I didn't even check that the title in the YouTube video said 1.8, it just said TDCi 🤦‍♂️

You are right I gave the engine top cover a good tug came off non-issues down side was some attached rubber cup fell down to the engine pan but it was an easy find to be fair and I'm hoping I put it back in the right place around the oil cap?! Which was the only one out of two holes it fitted it 👍

Absolutely no sign of any leakage, I took some pictures as well hoping they have attached, however this was after only driving the car for 5-minutes so I'm thinking do I need to check injectors again after a good drive?

I checked weather looks like we won't be going into minus figures for a good week or so yet and to be honest I'd rather not even have to to get to that point which would only mean more added expense of starting issues, hoping to get a new job soon and get a new car next year

Also let me know about how the magnetic screen cover comes along, you have got me thinking to get one of those that goes on the inside of the car if that's possible, that would save 5 minutes of messing about on those icy mornings trying to look manly whilst freezing haha

A smear of silicone grease on the pins of the cover will make it easier to remove in future and help to avoid the rubber cups pulling out. Don't use ordinary grease as it will degrade the rubber.

Thanks MJT I'll look into that, I'm a novice so by any chance do you how many pins are there in that I should be looking for? Cuvva already feels a little bit wonky when pulling off

Also there's only one rubber cup anyway just for the one around the oil knob 

It's quite a while since I owned a 1.8TDCi and I can't remember if there are 3 or 4 pins but they should all push into rubber inserts. If your cover feels wonky it may be that more than one of them came out.