Good day fellow Ford Focus fans and fundis*. My son got a 13 reg 1.6 TDCI with a coolant leak which we discovered was on the EGR cooler. We have removed the cooler assembly and split the heat exchanger part where the leak was. Now we are just trying to figure out what parts we will be able to get in a short timescale. In an ideal world we just need to replace the 2 gaskets in the heat exchanger assembly, and we will need new gaskets for putting the whole cooler/valve assembly back in. So this being a Sunday I am hoping someone with prior experience can help so we know what we are looking for when we speak with Ford / our local auto factors. I haven't yet found these gaskets on any online parts places, I can find the cooler, but even then it's not clear whether I will get both gaskets with it. Will ford sell these? 

Side note...we also seem to have a stuck egr valve which is a separate issue we are trying to deal with. Good that it's all on the same assembly.

 

* "Fundi" is a word with origins in Swahili and Nguni languages, meaning a skilled tradesperson or expert. In East Africa, it specifically refers to a mechanic or someone skilled in repairing machinery. In South Africa, it's used more broadly to describe anyone with significant knowledge or skill in a particular area

Hi,

Ford won't sell you any of that.  The complete cooler assembly is bought in as one part.

If you really do only need the gaskets, then buy some universal gasket and cut it to size.

7 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

buy some universal gasket and cut it to size

Exactly what I was going to say.

31 minutes ago, mjt said:

Exactly what I was going to say.

What's wrong with cutting-up a Corn Flakes box, used to work just fine back in the day 🤣

18 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Hi,

Ford won't sell you any of that.  The complete cooler assembly is bought in as one part.

If you really do only need the gaskets, then buy some universal gasket and cut it to size.

I have some already as a matter of fact -and a laser cutter- that was very much my plan until I actually took it apart and saw they are stainless. I guess they but these Gaskets are stainless steel I guess ultra high heat because its exhaust Gas. i feel like at a push it might be OK because the coolant is at least going to keep that side cool. Hmm. 

Oh dear, my last message was posted in a rush. Well they were definitely mostly words.😅

Update is that I went to my local auto factors and they are able to supply the whole "EGR Module" assembly including the valve and cooler- for £228 and they'll have it at 3pm today. Very happy with that, takes away some of the faff and I do like buying from them, they are always helpful and I don't think I would have found this online cheaper in the UK.

There are 2 steel gaskets for putting whole assembly back in. Not sure if I will get new ones with the part (will update when I know). Autofactors can't supply them separately. I will re-use the existing ones if not. and maybe put a tiny smear of exhaust sealant on them just to be sure (?) ....not sure how much pressure there is here, and how critical the quality of the seal is on this. Picture courtesy of Ford website.

 

I wouldn't recommend exhaust paste up there.

Don't generally recommend any before the cat.  But I definitely wouldn't want to risk any of it getting sucked back into the cylinders with EGR.

4 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

I wouldn't recommend exhaust paste up there.

Thanks Tom, I'll take that advice then. The part arrived with one of the gaskets anyway. We'll re-use the other one. 

First of all, thanks for the help so far. New unit almost installed, but there is a plastic fitting at the rear of the EGR cooler with an O-ring (pictured). A plastic T-piece in the coolant hose system fits onto this and then a screw secures that to a bracket. My concern is that the fitting seems to have a very loose fit, and to make matters worse the bracket on the new module doesn't seem to align perfectly and it looks like we may need to bend the bracket to make the mounting screw align. The last thing I want is to end up with a completely different coolant leak after all of this. Will be continuing this tomorrow evening, any hints as to how to make sure this is water tight would be appreciated, otherwise we'll just do our best to make it line up and hope for the best. It is an interesting fitting, might just be the nature of this type of fitting and I am fretting about nothing.

(Original pictured here for illustration. the new module did come with a new fitting and o-ring)

 

We installed the new EGR Module then went on holiday with the smell of hand-cleaner still on our hands! Now back from holiday we have mixed results.

No leaks- brilliant

We are still getting an engine light and error : EGR "A" circuit stuck open. We clear the error but it returns - not always immediately but normally quite quickly. We were seeing this error previosuly, but the valve was simply not moving, whereas now it is. It should also be said that before we did anything on the EGR module, when our only concern was the leak, there was no error. Then my son drove the car a few miles with the EGR valve connector disconnected and that was when we started to see the EGR error for the first time.

We can hear the EGR valve cycling open and closed as soon as we turn on the ignition (previously it was so stiff that the motor was just straining but the valve was not moving)

The aftermarket EGR module we got had an additional sensor on it, attached to the arm which connects to a diaphram doohicky. The original did not have this sensor- It has the diaphram and the lever arm, but no sensor. There is also no connector in the wiring harness to connect to it, so we just ignored it. Could this have something to do with the EGR error? What is this sensor and diaphram? 

My assumption is that the EGR positioning sensing is not working, or needs resetting, or worst case scenario, we have the wrong EGR module altogether

Thanks in advance

 

If your car wasn't built with the sensor, it won't miss it now.

Were the EGR adaptions reset using Forscan after fitting the new EGR?

Thanks for that response. "No" is the short answer. My son did read something about that recalibrating the sensor- he has already ordered a Forscan compatible OBD device https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204733923130 which we are waiting to arrive. We will do a bit more research into that. Need to sort this before next MOT is due.

 

30 minutes ago, GregH101 said:

Forscan compatible OBD device https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204733923130

The newer versions of FORScan don't fully support that lead.

You should be using the 'vLinker FS'

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

 

37 minutes ago, unofix said:

The newer versions of FORScan don't fully support that lead.

You should be using the 'vLinker FS'

 

Oh, nice, thanks for that info. Will get that one. Prolly should've asked on here first!

 

On 7/27/2025 at 9:05 PM, unofix said:

What's wrong with cutting-up a Corn Flakes box, used to work just fine back in the day 🤣

Saw this on a facebook group and thought of you 🤣

 

1 hour ago, GregH101 said:

Saw this on a facebook group

That's a bit up market, it's a 'Fibre' gasket 🤣