mondeo mk4 2.2 not starting p0201 p0202 p0203 p0204

[nemesis0124]

hi
im struggling with my mondeo 2.2 tdci mk4 2008 that wont start, i decided to do the rocker gasket which ment i had to disconnect the injector pipes. While i did it i also did the timing belt, I knew that air would get in and it would need bleeding, i bled the system and it cranked over spluttered but would not start.I tried a few times and then it stopped cranking.I went to check codes but it had no communication with the pcm,i checked the fuses and the pcm fuse had blown and after changing it the fuse kept blowing. i found the short on the pcm replaced the part and it worked again but it still would not start. So to rule it out i cloned the pcm and put a replacement in but still no start,ive tried everything i can think of and it still wont start. It also is doing something which seems weird to me, it cranks over fine to start off but after about 4-5seconds of cranking it changes the tone it makes, almost like whine . If the ignition is turned off and back on it cranks over normal again for 4 -5 seconds.I found the change in tone of the engine is linked to p0201 p0202 p0203 p0204 appearing. i checked on the diagnostics and it says the desired fuel pressure is around 4400 psi which it does reach but as soon as the engine noise changes it drops to around 2000 psi. their seems to be bubbles in the system which i cant get rid of.Ive tried using an old pump to suck the air out of the return but their is a contant flow of bubbles in the diesel. Any help would be appreciated

[nicam49]

Crikey! A lot to think about! 

Did it run OK before you started working on it? 

[TomsFocus]

Which line are you seeing the bubbles in?  There is most likely a small crack or pinhole leak in the pipework before that line. 

[nemesis0124]

It ran ok, I’ve only just got the car but it had a bad oil leak down the back onto the turbo and manifold, I can check for holes. Concerned that the short caused damage elsewhere, trying find out if the codes relate to air in the system or maybe electrical damage somewhere?

[nicam49]

Have you.by any chance just changed the fuel filter? There's something about fitting the lid gasket in the wrong place which lets air in.... 🤔 

Here's a link... 

 

[TomsFocus]

1 hour ago, nemesis0124 said:

Concerned that the short caused damage elsewhere, trying find out if the codes relate to air in the system or maybe electrical damage somewhere?

Those codes are electrical. 

Air in the system causes codes for low fuel pressure instead.

To have codes for all 4 injectors is very odd though.  

Have the injectors been coded into the new ECU?

[nicam49]

Have you  checked that  the fuel filter is full of diesel. If the high pressure pump is running dry it won't do it much good. 

[nemesis0124]

I’ve checked and the filter is full, also checked and their is no voltage at all to the injectors even when the rail gets to the desired pressure. I’m pretty sure I coded the injectors correctly but what is the best procedure to do it?

[nemesis0124]

Forgot to ask would the codes come up if they weren’t coded correctly?

[TomsFocus]

51 minutes ago, nemesis0124 said:

Forgot to ask would the codes come up if they weren’t coded correctly?

I don't know unfortunately.

 

[nicam49]

1stly, if the injectors are incorrectly coded, the engine will still run albeit not to it's best ability, but it will start and run OK. 

2ndly, you don't get voltage on the injectors, only very short pulses which you can detect with noid lights or a magnetic compass needle will deflect slightly when near the injector. 

3rdly the ecu won't fire the injectors unless the fuel rail pressure (frp) is approx 230 bar and the cranking speed is approx 200 rpm. 

Are you reading the fault codes using Forscan? 

 

[nemesis0124]

I use forscan and thinkdiag

[nicam49]

Did you check that the fuel filter gasket is fitted underneath the lip of the filter and not above it? (as per that link in my earlier reply) 

[nemesis0124]

Had it all back off and all the gaskets were correct, can't find any leaks, managed to get most if not all the air out. Ive spoken to a few people and they all seem to think the codes coming up are a clue to an electrical issue

[nicam49]

If you clear the codes, do they come back. 

Have you tried reseating the electrical connectors in the injectors.... strange that the codes are common to all 4 injectors.... Something that is affecting all 4....🤔

Check/reseat the PCM plugs. 

[nemesis0124]

ive cleared the codes, they dont come back straight away, but they come back when cranked over for a few seconds, when i watch the live data it builds to the correct pressure then drops to about half and it goes from a normal cranking noise to more of a whine, as soon as the pressure drops engine malfunction appears and the codes come back. ive replaced the pressure control valve just incase it was that but no change. ive noticed if i crack off one of the injector pipes it doesnt make the engine whine noise.

 

[TomsFocus]

Do you have any local diesel specialists?  Personally, I'd get at least 2 injectors tested. 

It's not impossible that the short that fried the PCM could also have fried the injectors.

[nemesis0124]

i agree very unlikely

 

[TomsFocus]

4 minutes ago, nemesis0124 said:

i agree very unlikely

It is unlikely.  But we're running out of DIY options unfortunately. 

I think air in the lines is a red herring here.  That doesn't usually throw this type of code.  You could bypass the low pressure side and run a hand pump from a clean container of diesel straight to the HP pump inlet to rule out any damaged pipes or filter housing.

There isn't a separate injector loom on this engine as far as I'm aware.  (Do correct me if I'm wrong on that.)  So it seems very unlikely that only the injector wires would damaged in a whole loom if they'd been pinched or leant on while carrying out the other work.

So that only leaves us with two options - either the injectors themselves, or the injector drivers in the PCM.

There is one more test you can try, but it's not really recommended on modern engines so done at your own risk.  Unplug one injector at a time and then crank the engine over.  You may find that one shorting injector is confusing the PCM.

[unofix]

Just seen this old post regarding injectors. Different car/engine but could this affect your injectors ?

On 5/20/2019 at 6:27 PM, JW1982 said:

How were the fuel injectors stored after removal? The fuel injectors of the 1.6 TDCI are very delicate/sensitive. Once removed these fuel injectors must be kept filled with either diesel fuel or calibration oil and preferably be stored in an airtight container. This prevents the internal components of the fuel injectors being affected by both oxigen and humidity inside the ambient air.

I have seen several times that improper storage of these fuel injectors during maintenance (especially when the maintenance took several days) resulted in replacing 1 or more fuel injectors. 

 

[FatHead1979]

22 hours ago, nicam49 said:

Have you.by any chance just changed the fuel filter? There's something about fitting the lid gasket in the wrong place which lets air in.... 🤔 

Here's a link... 

 

That thread relates to the 1.8 TDCi (Lynx) engine, the 2.0/2.2 TDCi PUG unit has a totally different fuel filter setup.

[nicam49]

OK, sounds like frp is being achieved but injectors aren't firing so the high pressure is being vented off.... 🤔. 

As much as I respect Tom's knowledge and advice, do not byepass the fuel filter! Ensure only filtered fuel (and I'm talking 3 microns filtered here) gets into the fuel pump and into the injectors. 

If the injectors are disconnected electrically, then when you turn on the ignition, before cranking, the ecu/PCM will detect am open circuit and set a code, individually for each cylinder..... Forscan will detect this. Can you try doing this maybe a cylinder at a time. 

[TomsFocus]

3 hours ago, nicam49 said:

As much as I respect Tom's knowledge and advice, do not byepass the fuel filter! Ensure only filtered fuel (and I'm talking 3 microns filtered here) gets into the fuel pump and into the injectors. 

In an ideal world, that would be true.  But you'll find garages doing this to rule out dodgy fuel filter housings.  You can strain it through a pair of tights first if you like.

 

[unofix]

46 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

You can strain it through a pair of tights first if you like.

Do you need to use both legs or will just one do ?🤣

[nicam49]

I'd recommend taking 'em off 1st tho! 

Seriously tho' folks, over the years I've observed ppl bypassing the filter 'just for a short time for a test' and ending up having to buy new injectors a few weeks later. 

The diesel has to be really 'pure' - the filter isn't sieving out  lumps, remember, but contaminants invisible to the naked eye.