fusion 2010 1.4 diesel - cant find glow plug relay

[allonline]

Post this elsewhere in the end of a previous long old post trail on similar subject but no reply yet so hoping a new post will be seen.

I have a 2010 1.4 diesel and the Haynes manual picture says glow plug relay next to battery box, bolts are there for a bracket but no wire or relay, cant find it there or the aux relay box next to the battery with two relays in.

Looked behind and under the left side headlight as well this morning and nothing at all.

 

Have replaced both small aux relays anyway.

Symptoms were went over a pot hole and boot open light came on and soon after the engine warning light. This was back in Feb last year.

Went into limp mode which was not great problem as only in the morning crawl to work and back later.

Fixed the boot light problem which was intermittent anyway and would come on or go off if the road bumps were big enough, by removing the switch on the lock and slightly building up the plunger using some super glue and bicarb which hardens it like steel. Im guessing the plunger end wears a little and makes it just on the point of being off or on.

The warning light however i had a diag cable and the Forscan program which gave it as a glow plug error. This too was intermittent and would go off after a while or road bump or after a decent drive above 40.  It stayed intermittent for months sometime being off for a month so ignored it as i couldnt find the relay and didnt think it was the glow plugs themselves otherwise it wouldnt be intermittent. A failed plug would stay failed. Came on a few weeks before MOT last year and went off the day before, passed MOT and came on a few days later and has stayed on. 

I can get up to 70 in 5th when you feel it pull as the revs get to 2500, as long as you go through the gears before 2500 it drives ok.

May get rid of it in August when tax, insurance and MOT are all next due but may keep for another year if i can get the light to stay off. 

Have cleared the error and reset ECU multiple times and sometimes this worked and it would stay off but now its just on all the time. Usually as soon as i start the engine or a few seconds later.

Was beginning to think the it may be related to ambient temp sensor as the temp sensor always reads 52 to 58 degrees however cold or hot it is, if the sensor is wrong the glow plug circuit might getting triggered thinking its really cold.

 

Problem i have is i cant really remove the front bumper to get to the sensor and get a better look for the relay as car work is banned where i live, basic maintenance is ok but removing large parts and leaving cars dismantled is a no no.

So does anyone have any idea where the glow plug relay might be, i have run out of places to look and have checked fuses etc hidden between the small relay box and battery (God awful design). I cant remove the battery box as one of the bolts is seized, i have also replaced the battery as the previous one was consistently at about 11.3v but that may been because i mainly do short journeys.

The fault did go for a while after i replaced the battery. I have been going for longer drives at the weekend just to kick in DPF cleaning and keep charge up but still the light on. Before if it was on a  20 mile drive somewhere and back would tip it to off but by next day it would be back.

 

As an update after the light being on for at least 4 months solid now, this morning the warning alarm beeped a few times as i was on the way to get petrol, light was on soon after starting engine as normal. This had happened a few times lately so had checked with some diags software to see if any new codes but no, still the same glow plug circuit one. Doesnt matter if i clear it, it just comes back a minute or two after starting engine.

By the time i got to the garage i notice the light had gone out and all was good. Stopped to refuel and soon after starting off it came back on and has been on since. Would like to check the relay if there is one but i cant find it. Not sure it is a glow plug itself thats the problem as for the last year it has been intermittent, sometimes staying off for weeks. If a plug was gone it would be gone wouldnt it?

 

Would help if the Haynes manual had better wiring diagrams and photos for relays and sensors but the only photo they have is it being bolted to the ECU bracket fitted to the battery box. Bolts are there but no relay or wiring and plug to connect one.

 

The car may be going in the summer if i cant get this sorted as it needs a clutch and no point doing it if driving is hobbled. Ok for work and short journeys but could really have done with getting to worcester this weekend as sister is in hospital.

[unofix]

Just had two cups of coffee and a packet of biscuits. Will have to finish reading it tomorrow as I've no more biscuits 🤣

[unofix]

Ok, new biscuits have arrived 🤣

Your car does not have a Glow Plug control relay or a unit on the side of the battery box.

The glow plugs are controlled and switched by an electronic module mounted near the front passenger side headlight (NOT the aux relay box). See the location picture below.

[allonline]

Thanks but that image doesnt match my car. 

 

The photo in the Haynes manual i bought is correct for the layout of the engine and stuff around the battery box except where the relay should be bolted to side of the bracket is not there.

Page 5c-2 in the manual. Image 3.1 and 3.2

Quote "the glow plug relay is located behind the left hand headlight . It shares a mounting bracket with the PCM. ". Only its not there. The aux relay box is to the left of the battery as looking at image 3.1 and the left hand headlight is to the right of the bracket and pcm of that photo.

I did read elsewhere that some models may not have one and the PCM does it all.

Nothing actually under my left headlight or vicinity except the cable to plug in the light. That i can see.

Funny thing is the day after i posted the warning dash light went off and stayed off all week coming on again this week again after a few intermittent days when it would be off then come on after a few miles instead of as i pulled away and then sometimes going off again as i went along.