Hey everyone, Ford Focus 2014 1.0 here. 

Lately I’ve been having an issue with my car where the engine malfunction light comes on during startup. When this happens, the engine sometimes jerks or misfires. Right after that, I usually turn off the ignition, and I notice the auto start/stop off indicator lights up.

Strangely, when I restart the car, the light disappears and everything seems to run normally. This doesn’t happen every time, but it’s occurring every so often, and it’s starting to worry me.

Thanks

No real surprise that auto stop/start would be inhibited during an aborted start sequence. There are approximately 112 conditions on a Focus that have to be "just right" for the S/S system to be made available.

The real issue to be concerned about is the "Engine Malfunction, Service Now" warning. You need to get the DTC's read using FORScan (or take to a Ford dealer) ASAP before your infamous 1.0 EcoBoost does it's part piece and goes boom !!

I assume because it is a 2014 car that the wet timing belt has been replaced in the last couple of years.

And the inevitable question - has the wet cambelt been changed?

Spark plugs? Breather pipe? Ford engines are notorious for them having issues causing misfire. Cylinder 2 misfires a lot because of this.

Hi, apparently the wetbelt was changed last year. The car only has 60k miles. Will take it for a diagnostics asap.

On 4/12/2025 at 6:58 PM, unofix said:

No real surprise that auto stop/start would be inhibited during an aborted start sequence. There are approximately 112 conditions on a Focus that have to be "just right" for the S/S system to be made available.

The real issue to be concerned about is the "Engine Malfunction, Service Now" warning. You need to get the DTC's read using FORScan (or take to a Ford dealer) ASAP before your infamous 1.0 EcoBoost does it's part piece and goes boom !!

I assume because it is a 2014 car that the wet timing belt has been replaced in the last couple of years.

Update: The mechanic couldn’t find the fault code since it only shows up intermittently. I’m thinking of getting a cheap OBD2 reader from eBay.. Would that be good enough to use with the FORScan app on Windows, to use in the moment when the engine malfunction warning reappears?

No.

FORScan no longer recommend ELM327 leads.

Use the vLinker FS cable.

You would actually be better off using the phone version of FORScan to try and view an intermittent fault.

FORScan:

On 4/7/2024 at 8:59 PM, unofix said:

FORScan (for use with Windows Laptop) : https://forscan.org/download.html

It's what many Ford owners use including some Ford technicians.

• vLinker FS, cable for laptop: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vgate-vLinker-Adapter-FORScan-MS-CAN/dp/B0952P4MLP

OR

• OBDLINK EX, cable for laptop: https://www.amazon.co.uk/OBDLINK-EX-FORScan-OBD-Adapter/dp/B081VQVD3F/ref=sr_1_5

For diagnostic use only:

• vLinker FD, for android phone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vgate-Bluetooth-vLinker-Scanner-Diagnostic/dp/B08H82WC8L
• vLinker FD+, for iPhone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vgate-Bluetooth-vLinker-Scanner-Diagnostic/dp/B08H8JHWP2

 

Search Tag:   FORScan123

 

5 hours ago, unofix said:

FORScan:

 

 

5 hours ago, unofix said:

FORScan:

 

Thanks, just bought the vLinker FS from Amazon. Will keep my laptop in the boot ready for when the fault appears again. 

Just following up on my original post about the engine jerking and misfiring on my 2014 Ford Focus. I did a scan and pulled a couple of fault codes from the PCM:

1. P0106: Manifold Absolute Pressure/Barometric Pressure Sensor Circuit Range/Performance

2. P132B: Turbocharger/Supercharger Boost Control A Performance

I've also got an B0091- left side Restraints sensor 1 that appeared yesterday, but that's an entire different topic, so i want to focus on the above (I read that the sensor can be replaced at the B Pillar at the bottom, seems straight forward). 

The MAP reading in the first Freeze Frame is too high for an Engine that is not running. There should be a PID for it in the PCM, there may also be one for the Barometric Pressure. 

If you check them with the Ignition on but the Engine off then they should be the same as each other and around 100 kPa, at Idle I would expect the MAP to be around 30 kPa, the Baro should not change.

A faulty MAP may be causing the other Fault Code, I'm not sure about that but if the MAP Sensor is faulty then it needs fixed.

HI, I couldn't find the PID, but I'm getting duplicate readings for when the car is idle and running, which indicates the MAP sensor is broken? I don't know much about cars, but I have all the tools and confidence to change the parts following a YouTube tutorial as I'm a handyman/plumber (obviously certain things I'll leave to a mechanic, but I'm sick of paying them and not fully diagnosing my car properly). I've been through multiple mechanics now.