Hi guys, long time browser but first post on the boards. Looking for some input on a problem I'm having with my Fiesta 1.4 TDCi, 2008

For about a month now my sons 1st car has occasionally had a problem where it will "hicup" or "jerk" for just a fraction of a second while driving. Didn't matter if you were accelerating or cruising, wet or dry, hot or cold. In the last couple weeks it got really bad where it was very often doing this while driving. 

About a week ago the hiccups got really bad and eventually driving home the engine went in to limp mode and I got the flashing ! Cog on the dash. The engine and drive was very rough and jerky, I put it on a fault reader and it gave the code P1203 Cyl 3 injector circuit open/shorted- Initially it said cylinder 2 which I replaced injector and problem the same!

I’ve serviced the car including fuel filter, new oem maf, glow plugs and injector loom , new injector on no2 and problem is there
 

can anyone help please 🙏

Are you 100% sure that you counted the cylinders correctly? 

Which end of the engine did you count from?

Hi, thanks for replying. Yes 100% ….  No 1 at the gearbox end 

Not had a problem like this but I have been reading these forums for years. I thought I read somewhere that some fault code software uses the firing order for the numbering, not numbering in a straight line.     After typing this I did a bit more reading on this and I’m still note sure.it’s confusing.

If he's changed both 2&3, that will have covered it either way.  Next suggestion would have been injector loom but I see that's been done.

Fault could lie with the PCM if the injectors and wiring are ok...  

You could swap the two outside injectors (1&4) with the inside injectors (2&3) to see if the fault moves.  But I suspect it won't.  Are you still getting exactly the same open circuit code?

Hi thanks for you response, yes same code…..as soon as I changed no2 the car ran lovely for about 5 miles then back to same issue only it had moved to no3…. That’s why I suspected wiring???

someone on another forum suggested crank position sensor but I’m ????

Crank sensor wouldn't be my next check personally, but perhaps they know something we don't.

Have you got a multimeter?  If so, I'd want to check the continuity of the loom, right from the PCM connector, down to the injector plug, before changing anything else.  It could still be a wiring fault further back than the injector loom.

Also, I know it sounds a bit simple, is the injector loom plug tight?

Thanks buddy, yes I do have a multimeter and il do that now….. I believe it a good connection to the loom plug but Il check that aswell 👍

I may be way off here but I had so many issues with my 2009 1.4 tdci which ended up being the mulitplug on the wiring loom for the injectors, glow plugs etc, when you say you've changed the injector loom, on my shape the injectors, glow plugs etc are all one loom but on the previous model aren't the injectors detachable from the rest of the loom? 

If I'm not imagining it and the injectors do join the rest of the loom it may be worth checking the multiplug. 

Hi All, thanks for your information….. I have an update.

I was convinced it was wiring so check continuity from the ecu to the multi plug and from multi plug to injectors… no issues and continuity throughout….. I then checked the loom best I could for local abrasion etc, all was ok.

Put it all back together and problem still there and showing new fault of speed sensor??? Changed speed sensor and still running rough. 

I then decided to change injector 3. Previously the fault showed injector 2 and after replacing the fault moved to 3….. I didn’t change it as I was convinced it was wiring? After replacement of 3…. Fault gone and car running nice 🤷‍♂️
 

Im still not 100% I found the problem but it’s running and my boys back driving 😊

BP2411…. You may have a point with the multi plug? But fingers crossed the saga is over🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 Thanks everyone for your time and help

Sorry to revive a thread, I thought it might be better than starting a new one as I am having similar issues.

My 2008 1.4 TDCI was having intermittent issues with engine light and loss of power briefly around 2000 RPM for a few weeks, it would drive fine below that but most of the power is above that so was very frustrating. Engine light never stayed on and codes rarely showed when plugged in, two weeks ago it got worse, chugged and died with the Mrs in it. 

 

Garage diagnosed fuel injector 2 which was replaced as a huge cost, got it back and it drove great that day best it ever had but now a week later the light is back and power cuts out intermittently or light flashes with no power loss. Again no codes.

 

So frustrating and the garage don't know what to suggest, they threw in some additive in case that helped the injectors settle but as someone not that mechanically minded any easy suggestions for me to try?

 

Seems this engine is a minefield from what I search on Google!!

 

Lee

If you or the garage are trying to read the DTC's with a generic code reader then it is quite probable that you are not seeing the Ford specific codes. Download and use FORScan which is as close as you can get to a Ford dealers software.

FORScan: https://forscan.org/download.html

Connecting cable. ELM327(modified): https://tunnelrat-electronics.fwscart.com/USB_Modified_with_switch_ELM327/p4541936_17045457.aspx

Thank you, I have ordered that so will have a look when it arrives.

Just an update, the cable finally came today but it won’t connect any advice? Plugged in showing a red light so power from laptop to it.

 

Just says no adapter found…

 

 

thank you!

 

lee

Have you downloaded the correct cable drivers?

Selected the correct COM port?

Further update, it did finally connect.

 

Showing a yellow warning - DTCs in PCM: P0200-70, B2912-70, P0100-F0

 

also

 

DTCs in IC: B1318-20

P0200 - Injector fault

May not have been cleared from before.  But I suspect either another faulty injector or damage to the injector wiring loom.

Is there any way to check the injectors without replacing it was ***** expensive for one! 
 

also the loom would you start with that and is there any straight forward way to check it?

 

sorry I’m not that good with car engines!

Shouldn't be that expensive for the injectors in these.  All relative though.

Injectors can really only be tested accurately on a proper test rig at a diesel specialist.  On a car of this age, I would expect more than one to be on it's last legs.  You can try a leak off test at home fairly cheaply but the results of that may still be inconclusive.

Injector loom can be tested end to end with a multimeter.  You can also check it visually for any damage, especially where it bends.  And check the injector plugs are all tight, and the multiplug at the other end.