Hi All,

I followed my other half down the road a couple of weeks ago and noticed that his Focus 1.8 TDCI (02) was chuffing out lots of lovely black smoke, it has since started losing power and being difficult to start, so today we decided to treat it to a new Air and fuel filter as a starting point to curing it.

Both have been fitted and fuel filter primed but we are not starting, I know that from reading other topics that the car can be a pig to start after a fuel filter change.

Any suggestion and if we can get it started and it still has the same symptoms any suggestions to a cure.

Thanks

Samantha

You will have to prime the system with a hand pump... I have known people manually suck fuel through, but its extremely hard to do!

You could try filling the fuel filter to the brim with diesel and trying to prime it that way.

These are even worse to try and start with a non ford fuel filter... For some unknown reason!

If you still have the same problems, it could be a boost leak. Check all the pipes form the turbo to intercooler etc and look for splits or holes.

Agreed - boost leak (most probably a split boost pipe) can cause black smoke/ loss of power - loss of boost looses power, / injectors continue to inject diesel - making engine run rich

Most modern Fords do not have a hand primer pump for bleeding the diesel, you have to turn the engine over untill it is bled

Topping up the diesel filter helps, but the battery may still go flat before the system is bled, it is a good idea to have another car/ battery with jump leads or a heavy duty battery booster to help (it is not good to let a car battery go flat, this can "finish" it, or words to that effect )

Other things that can help are taking the glow plugs out untill its bled,(turns over easier) or bump starting/ towing the car (sometimes for quite a distance) to start it

it is a good idea to have another car/ battery with jump leads or a heavy duty battery booster to help (it is not good to let a car battery go flat, this can "finish" it, or words to that effect )

if your car is fitted with a easy start charge the ndisconnect it from the alternator 3 pin plug, before you try to jump start/booster pack or else you could end up breaking the easy start system....