Focus mk2 tdci deisel.

Eyup focus-ites

I’m having no luck starting the car. I put in a new battery a few months ago and had no issues with it.
No warning lights on dash. Obd says key not recognised and another key related issue (not sure which off the top of my head)

So appears to possibly be an immobiliser issue. 

The fob opens and locks the doors. The spare key also will not start the car.

Fuel is getting to the injectors but not at the fuel pump ( because of immobilisation?)

Immobilising flashing light appears to be functioning correctly.

All fuses appear to be fine but strangely no fuel pump fuse present but there never has been (since my stewardship at least) and i’ve been driving it for 2 and a half years.

The car used to often throw up a power steering malfunction warning but that stopped happening after a front wheel allignment ( please remember this useful tip)

 

Also on occasion i get an engine malfunction message when trying to start the car but when it happens  the car won’t even attempt to start.However it would start no problem when i return the key to zero and try again.

All of these issues together make me think there’s some kind of electrical fault ( and also leads me to mistrust the obd info ) somewhere but as said at the beginning, since I replaced the battery it’s been fine with no random power steering/engine malfunction messages.

Can anyone shed some light on how I can fix this non starter please.?

Sounds like the common cluster solder fault.

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

Sounds like the common cluster solder fault.

Very common to us seasoned Focus-ites, maybe not to Dean. Just in case, the 'cluster fault' is because Ford used lead free solder to save some dolphins back in the day. All was well until the passage of time saw the solder deteriorate causing numerous random electrical faults in the car, especially as so much in the Mk2 uses the cluster as a central control unit.

Good news is that it being so common, a whole industry has sprung up doing a full re-soldering repair, usually at £60 to £90, so not overly expensive. A member on here does the repair with numerous positive feedback. This is his Ebay page...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314393033915

If you need further advice on how to remove cluster (only 2 x screws) or anythijng else, post back here...

Thanks for that focusPro’s. You sound pretty certain so I’ll investigate further and look into that ebay link. Will get back to you if I struggle with the cluster (Thanks Stephen)

3 minutes ago, LesFocus said:

... if I struggle with the cluster (Thanks Stephen)

Just to pre-empt... Pull steering wheel as far as it will go towards you, and as far down as it will go. Then 2 x screws (T25, maybe T20?) and one electrical connection as shown in YouTube.

 

Thanks for the tips on removing the cluster.

Sent it off for repair and was told it had already been repaired, he improved the repair but no change. Car still wont start.

Checked and reseated all fuses but no change.

any ideas?

As an aside when it first wouldn’t start I replaced the fuel filter as i thought it could have been the culprit.

I didn’t pump out the air though. How important is that?

 

14 minutes ago, LesFocus said:

I didn’t pump out the air though. How important is that?

With a diesel engine it is very important. Any air in the fuel system and there is little to no chance of it starting.

Will it try and start if you spray "Easy Start" in the air intake while cranking the engine ?

4 minutes ago, unofix said:

With a diesel engine it is very important. Any air in the fuel system and there is little to no chance of it starting.

Will it try and start if you spray "Easy Start" in the air intake while cranking the engine ?

 

4 minutes ago, unofix said:

With a diesel engine it is very important. Any air in the fuel system and there is little to no chance of it starting.

Will it try and start if you spray "Easy Start" in the air intake while cranking the engine ?

Thanks for the tips on removing the cluster.

Sent it off for repair and was told it had already been repaired, he improved the repair but no change. Car still wont start.

Checked and reseated all fuses but no change.

any ideas?

As an aside when it first wouldn’t start I replaced the fuel filter as i thought it could have been the culprit.

I didn’t pump out the air though. How important is that?

 

Not yet tried that as it sounds a bit dodgy regarding possible explosions but I should probably give it a go.

should I get a hand bulb pump to bleed it first or will easy start save me buying a pump?

Thanks.

As I mentioned in my first post. Theres fuel at the injectors but not at the fuel pump. (Info from breakdown service)

The assumption was that this was due to an apparent ‘key not recognised code on the obd (so possibly immobiliser related)

However now any possible cluster issue has been ruled out i’m pretty sure theres no immobiliser or key issue (maybe it’s an old reading and it hasn’t been cleared)

What would prevent fuel getting to/from the pump but not to the injectors?

please humour me, as you can probably tell my mechanical knowledgeable as basic at best.

If there is no low pressure lift pump on your car which is quite probable then the high pressure pump has to suck the fuel through from the tank which is how most diesels do it these days.

If you have air in the fuel line then the high pressure pump can never suck the diesel through from the tank.

Get a fuel priming bulb and pump it until you get pure diesel through with no air. You will probably still need to use Easy Start to get the engine to initially start.

Failing to do the above will just take you round in circles.

Thanks for the info unofix. Car is a mk2 1.8 tdci (2008). Would you know if there is a low pressure lift pump on it?

Car was running fine, didn’t breakdown as such, just wouldn’t start one morning.

Will get a pump and easy start tmrw. Fortunately I have use of another car most of the time.

There isn't a lift pump on these.  You will need to prime it manually after a filter change.

It isn't possible for there to be fuel at the injectors but not at the pump.  That info was wrong and can be disregarded.

Thanks. Will get pumping and spraying ASAP and see what happens.

Good evening,

primed it, cranked it while spraying easy start and no luck starting still.

I’ve hooked it up to a boost starter and it feels like it’s about start ( Without Easy start) but just won’t fire up.

What should try next?

52 minutes ago, LesFocus said:

What should try next?

5 litre of premium unleaded and a box of Swan Vesta 🤣

It started to cross my mind but then Father Christmas came early…

My dads motorhome wouldn’t start so he called out the breakdown man who saw me about to strike the swan vesta.

He had a look and whacked the throttle body with a wrench, then kept whaking it until it started!

Some loose wiring apparently .

Cars!…Who’d ave em.