Beware The Dreaded Fuel Rail Sensor

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The little motor has been back into the dealer again this week for the EML making it's regular appearance.

The dealer here in Liskeard (plug coming along Vospers) have been great. They must be scratching their heads in misbelief, and the technician in particular Darren, has been extremely understanding.

The problem has been that after about 22k the car developed a bout of surging when on a light throttle, you know what I mean when you're just trying to hold a steady speed. At about 3000rpm the car would develop the hiccups, put your foot down to increase speed and you could drive thro it. Unfortunately over the next 2/3 days it would gradually get worse. Then it would develop, "the I can't be bothered to tickover syndrome", most annoying when changing down or coming to a stop. Then it got really naughty and would refuse to start and required 30/40 secs of turning over on the starter to coax it into life. Once going it was fine. After another day or so, and in my case 500 miles, eventually it played its ace card and the EML would come on go into limp mode and that would be it.

It's first visit to the dealer in Oxford resulted in them clearing the codes and coming up with the tale of "it's nothing to worry about sir, its having a bout of hormone troubles" WHAT!!!!.

Anyway, a couple of thousand miles later and guess what, yep it started all over again. This time I was 220 miles from home but undetered I thought it's going to the dealers at home and lump it. So I set off in limp mode down the M4 by the time I got to Bristol it threw the towel in, cleared the EML itself and off we went like a bat out of hell. That'll teach you I thought. But the next morning it had the last larf and just became very stubborn and refused to start. It took the best part of half an hour to convince it that I was the boss and we were going to the dealers like it or not.

At least it showed some spunk on the way there and duly switched the EML on and went into limp mode with the usual message of "OK Engine service NOW".

When I collected my little pal I was greeted with the tale of it's "high fuel pressure". Codes cleared engine fine. Great ..........well no not exactly, we called into the dealers again this week, yep it's threw its toys out of the pram and after 1500 miles put its little light on and sulked.

After much deliberation running umpteen diagnostic checks we've had high fuel pressure ...low fuel pressure , high electrical readings none at all, won't tickover, can't be bothered to start won't rev..you name it, it's thrown everything at Darren but undetered he's stuck at it.

The prognosis is, we have what looks like a faulty fuel rail sensor. At the moment the big boss from Ford ... the man who developed Windows 7, is coming with his big stick and laptop to take a look. These little sensors I'm told come in a little box with ....free gift a fuel rail as well. Thats good of Uncle Henry don't you think. So when you've spent your £4 million for your sensor you get a nice new fuel rail to go with it. Good job its under warranty.

What with broken gear linkage cables that took 4 weeks to come, and now this you, would think I'd be fed up with my little motor car. But you know what, I absolutely love this little guy, it brings a smile to my face everytime I get in it. I don't get sentimental about these things but ......I'm filling up here guys.

The moral of the tale is this isn't an unusal occurance, I'm led to believe, so don't let a little flashing EML deter you or even when it won't start or tickover from enjoying the car. We all have bad days.