Can Someone help, I have a 20 plate ford focus st 3 estate diesel.

I am experiencing carbon monoxide in the cabin, and Ford tech say that they cant find a leak and its acceptable level to drive. a reading of 15ppm is picked up daily and i am getting Headaches daily whilst driving, i do use my car for my job role and cannot continue to use it.  Can someone please help. as i feel its unsafe to drive for my health.

15ppm isn't much.  If you've got a gas hob that'll probably produce more.

May even be coming from other cars tailpipes if you're in slow traffic.

Have you taken readings in any other cars to compare?

20 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

15ppm isn't much.  If you've got a gas hob that'll probably produce more.

May even be coming from other cars tailpipes if you're in slow traffic.

Have you taken readings in any other cars to compare?

Thanks for message and been driving round in a loan car while mine was in garage and with the same reader detected zero. 
 

actual levels 0-9 no health risk. 10-29 problem over long term exposure 30-35ppm flu like symptoms.

so when using my car all day every day I am in long term exposure 

2 hours ago, Titchyboy said:

I am experiencing carbon monoxide in the cabin, and Ford tech say that they cant find a leak and its acceptable level to drive. a reading of 15ppm

What made you think there was carbon monoxide in the cabin ? At such a low level I would never even think to get a CO detector and put it in the car.

How long have you been aware of this ?

Buy an electric car. Problem solved. My cars heating system even goes on recirc when I use the windscreen washers. Yeah, I know, simple things please simple minds. 

13 hours ago, Titchyboy said:

Thanks for message and been driving round in a loan car while mine was in garage and with the same reader detected zero. 
 

actual levels 0-9 no health risk. 10-29 problem over long term exposure 30-35ppm flu like symptoms.

so when using my car all day every day I am in long term exposure 

Must admit I've never heard of anyone measuring CO levels inside the cabin, but am a bit surprised that it'd be 0 in another car.

Difficult to know what to suggest other than changing car.  Turbo V band clamps often leak, especially when the DPF is getting full and creating more backpressure, so you could try tightening or even replacing the clamp.  You could also replace gaskets for the exhaust manifold and EGR.  I don't think there'll be much CO in the post-cat exhaust at all, though it would be interesting to see what your tester reads next to the tail pipe.

Hi Lee and welcome to the forum. 

You need to answer some of the questions above. All I can suggest is that you are very susceptible to carbon monoxide and because of that you need to replace that car with perhaps the same brand and model as the one you are lending. 

Do you have carbon monoxide monitors in your house?

It's funny how coincidences can occur. Just searched the FOC forums and the phrase "carbon monoxide" is only mentioned 57 times (58 now that I've just said it again). A good number of those are due to a very recent thread where it was actually mentioned (in error) of there being the smell of CO in the cabin. Then in less than 48 hours another thread on the same subject !!

On 11/6/2023 at 11:44 PM, unofix said:

Someone is sure to point this out, so it may as well be me.

Carbon monoxide is a 'colourless, tasteless and odorless gas'. Humans can not detect the gas but can only feel the effects of it.  The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.

Now back to the issue of the FORScan logs. My thoughts would be damaged or corroded wiring to the PCM. @TomsFocus or @Tizer may well be able to offer a better explanation.

 

37 minutes ago, unofix said:

It's funny how coincidences can occur. Just searched the FOC forums and the phrase "carbon monoxide" is only mentioned 57 times (58 now that I've just said it again). A good number of those are due to a very recent thread where it was actually mentioned (in error) of there being the smell of CO in the cabin. Then in less than 48 hours another thread on the same subject !!

This type of 'coincidence' happens a lot on here.  I'm sure it must be the way the Google algorithms work, rather than an actual coincidence. 🤔

6 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

but am a bit surprised that it'd be 0 in another car.

An activated carbon cabin filter will capture CO, I don't know how perfectly, but perhaps enough to give a zero reading in the cabin? Being a hire car perhaps it has a nice fresh filter? Or perhaps the reading was done away from any fumes of other vehicles?

20 hours ago, Titchyboy said:

so when using my car all day every day I am in long term exposure

When did you last have your cabin filter replaced? And was it replaced with just the cheapest kind, or with an activated carbon one? We don't know whether the fumes are coming from the exhaust of other vehicles or leaking in somehow somewhere from your own vehicle, so I suggest that first port of call should be to try fitting a new activated carbon cabin filter ASAP and see what difference that makes.