The Ford user manual states if not using you vehicle for 2 months or more, put E0 fuel in.  As I fuel every 2 or 3 months, I’m using the lowest possible ethanol content.

Or even National Benzole. Older cars that have done a considerable mileage will already have had their deposits, if any, (we don't use carburettors any more,) well purged. Given four tankfuls with Redex in succession and it is pretty clear that the fuel system hasn't any foreign matter in it that causes the engine to hesitate turning right or left. What does Forscan think?

2 minutes ago, anon said:

...What does Forscan think?

I'll let you know when he posts... 

I have a little skin in the game as Motor fuel has to be at worst E5 when used in flying machines as the water content can cause carburettor icing. We have an alternative UL91 which is expensive and not readily available.

Finding an E0 fuel is practically impossible but the general consensus is that Esso premium grade is the least likely to have added ethanol but that varies around the country in England. In NI, I don't know what is in your fuel.

 

1 minute ago, anon said:

...but the general consensus is that Esso premium grade is the least likely to have added ethanol but that varies around the country in England. In NI, I don't know what is in your fuel.

Well, for starters, Esso pulled out of NI years ago (2005), guess they were running out of free glass tumblers to give out LOL

If you haven't used Forscan on the car then this is all a waste of time.

 

3 minutes ago, anon said:

If you haven't used Forscan on the car then this is all a waste of time.

Not really, it's provide 2 pages of exciting discussion, over 30 replies, differing views, sharing of knowledge, healthy debate is never a waste of time...

It is if there is a diagnostic tool that saves us the bother of long distance guesswork.

Now I know that it hasn't been used, I can say for certain that you're wrong about the fuel.

I can be fairly certain that it is in the air metering and I would be looking for a split or damaged pipe first.

1 minute ago, anon said:

It is if there is a diagnostic tool that saves us the bother of long distance guesswork.

It's a miracle that Columbo ever solved a murder crime without the aid of DNA LOL

 

12 hours ago, StephenFord said:

It's a miracle that Columbo ever solved a murder crime without the aid of DNA LOL

C'mon MODS that must be an infraction ? dissing the great Columbo, just one thing.......only joking 😆

Are we sure that these new higher concentrations of E fuel are just not highlighting other ignition issues?

Could it be the multiple sensor inputs to the ECU all need to be recalibrated/mapped for the new fuel?

Let's say the new fuel works fine for 90% of vehicles but if someone has a slightly out of whack MAF or O2 sensor this may have a knock on effect to the ECU and affect performance?

The fuel trims may have been on or close to the limit on the older fuel, but the new fuel is just too much and the trims go out of wack causing the performance issues mentioned.

Anyone offering an ECU upgrade or flash to help with the higher ethanol fuels?

The ECU is adaptive. It recalibrates itself on the fly.

1 minute ago, anon said:

The ECU is adaptive. It recalibrates itself on the fly.

I know, but the ECU has limits of fuel air ratios that it can play with, if these get pegged, you get combustion issues.

If it were beyond these values you would be getting bigger problems than this one but as the OP is unwilling to try and solve the problem logically and I know it is not a fuel issue, I don't see the point of disappearing up my own backside over it. If this were due to fuel trim being out of range, there would be many thousands of affected cars.

On 1/26/2023 at 6:56 PM, StephenFord said:

It's a miracle that Columbo ever solved a murder crime without the aid of DNA LOL

Or that Columbus discovered the Americas without a satnav 😉 .  However the hesitation during right/left turns is bewildering.

1 hour ago, A Sampson said:

However the hesitation during right/left turns is bewildering.

It helps to keep him on the straight and narrow 🤣

3 hours ago, A Sampson said:

Or that Columbus discovered the Americas without a satnav 😉

Tbf, he was aiming for India...

Unofix, wasn't that the Romans?   And Tom, that's satnavs for you!😉

Well, the intermittent fault turned permanent this morning, so she's away for a bit of heart surgery! Will report back hopefully with some good news when she's back home and refitted!

Pleased to see you took a photo 🤣

14 minutes ago, unofix said:

Pleased to see you took a photo 🤣

I'm glad I didn't do a removal video! Got the 2 x screws out easy enough, eventually worked out how to release the locking cradle to get the connector out.... but then, I could not pull the cluster out as I couldn't get it passed steering wheel. Tried all sorts of angles, kept bumping against the wheel rim no matter what, and then sat and stared. How does everyone else do it. Then my lightswitch moment. I then pulled it through the steering wheel. LOL

When do you expect your trusty steed to return ?

1 minute ago, unofix said:

When do you expect your trusty steed to return ?

Hopefully, with Royal Mail Special Delivery, in theory they should get it tomorrow (!), and they  promised a same day return. There are loads of places doing this type of repair on the mainland, but I wasn't keen on sending such a critical part out of Northern Ireland. So discovered that there is a place 50 miles away who do this kind of repair. I also got a Kenwood head unit repaired by them years back, so I trust them

However it hits the weekend so could be Monday/Tuesday before I get it back, then another day whilst I work out how to feed cluster back through steering wheel for reinstatement LOL

(Probably more than you asked for!). 

Have you released the reach and rake adjustment and pulled the wheel and lowered to its lowest setting? Does help.