You probably bought the wrong one, you can't just buy a "universal" one and hope for the best - there are 4 different widely avaiable OBDII protocols - (Ford uses one of these protocols) and many don't seem to understand this eg - technicians, mechanics, and some people on this forum

You can buy an F-super code reader for around £25, it requires a laptop, but it can do all sorts - 99.9% of what an expensive garage one can do, it can even recode many injectors, and will work with almost any Ford

If you can use an i-phone or a computer this should not be a problem - you pay your £25, its delivered, you set it up, plug it in and read the codes - simples!

Personally i use a Superchips Bluefin handset - saves me messing about with a laptop and its compact and lightweight (its in the glove compartment now) the Bluefin even picks up/ reads the pre obd11 (pre diesel 2004) codes ,

I would like to read the codes on my 2.0 petrol, I have looked on ebay, and there seem to be some F-super code reders on there, staring at around £15 I don't know if the are the correct ones you are taking about, but they say that they will not wotk with my 2.0 petrol. Do you have any idea what I would need to read my codes, bearing in mind I want to do it as cheaply as possible, but as you say, I need one that will read all the codes, not just some.

Cheers.

Phil.

Hmmmmm don't know then, he was talking about someting that was probably clogged up and needed clearing out.......

Think I will phone him tomorrow and ask him to re iterate what he told me today and I shall take notes this time and post it on here. I am 99% sure that he said it may need replacing and that I was looking at big money.

Sorry to be so vague guys, but he didn't really seem sure.

As others have said, definitely no DPF on this engine, and as far as I can see, even on a car with a DPF, the codes yours is giving do not point to a problem with it.

I've heard of garages just saying "it's the DPF" on modern diesels, even when it isn't. Not sure if it's ignorance/incompetence or something more sinister.

Best of luck with this, hopefully the garage you've taken it to will come back with something better today. If not, I'd tend to agree with others, and personally would be taking it somewhere else.

I would like to read the codes on my 2.0 petrol, I have looked on ebay, and there seem to be some F-super code reders on there, staring at around £15 I don't know if the are the correct ones you are taking about, but they say that they will not wotk with my 2.0 petrol. Do you have any idea what I would need to read my codes, bearing in mind I want to do it as cheaply as possible, but as you say, I need one that will read all the codes, not just some.

Cheers.

Phil.

Well, the F-super was specifically designed for Ford, and has the Ford protocols, so thats a start, if the engine in your Focus is the same as the Mondeo 2.0L, there is a good chance if will work, if it doesent or it only reads SOME codes, its only £15, cheap does not nessesarily mean bad, the price of these things has come right down, i was in Tescos the other day and there were DVD players / Blueray players from £20, and they were primium makes - these would have cost £100+ a few years ago same with flat-screen TVs (and many high-tech consumer items) only basics/ food/ fuel seems to go up & up in price

If you buy an F-super for £15 you could try it out and tell the chaps on the furum how you get on with it on your car

Well, the F-super was specifically designed for Ford, and has the Ford protocols, so thats a start, if the engine in your Focus is the same as the Mondeo 2.0L, there is a good chance if will work, if it doesent or it only reads SOME codes, its only £15, cheap does not nessesarily mean bad, the price of these things has come right down, i was in Tescos the other day and there were DVD players / Blueray players from £20, and they were primium makes - these would have cost £100+ a few years ago same with flat-screen TVs (and many high-tech consumer items) only basics/ food/ fuel seems to go up & up in price

If you buy an F-super for £15 you could try it out and tell the chaps on the furum how you get on with it on your car

I might just try that, it's not a lot of money, even of it doesen't work. I am going on holiday on Tueday for nearly a month, so won't be doing anything about it yet, but when I get back, I will post again on here if I try it out.

Cheers.

Phil.

I might just try that, it's not a lot of money, even of it doesen't work. I am going on holiday on Tueday for nearly a month, so won't be doing anything about it yet, but when I get back, I will post again on here if I try it out.

Cheers.

Phil.

Exellent, enjoy your holiday, i wonder if you will be hitch-hiking - perhaps far away? don't forget your guide- LOL

Thats great - it will be good to see if it works on a 2.0L petrol Focus, and not come up with the same answer - 42

I like your profile name - but then again - names arent important!

Exellent, enjoy your holiday, i wonder if you will be hitch-hiking - perhaps far away? don't forget your guide- LOL

Thats great - it will be good to see if it works on a 2.0L petrol Focus, and not come up with the same answer - 42

I like your profile name - but then again - names arent important!

Going to Australia, but doing it the easy way, and staying with relatives.

I am glad you know about 42, as many people these days wouldn't have a clue about that.

It's not about the answers but about the questions.

Resistance is useless.

deep thought

Glad to be of service ;)

As others have said, definitely no DPF on this engine, and as far as I can see, even on a car with a DPF, the codes yours is giving do not point to a problem with it.

I've heard of garages just saying "it's the DPF" on modern diesels, even when it isn't. Not sure if it's ignorance/incompetence or something more sinister.

Best of luck with this, hopefully the garage you've taken it to will come back with something better today. If not, I'd tend to agree with others, and personally would be taking it somewhere else.

Buried my head in the sand yesterday :-( Not going back to Ford as don't trust him. Apparently their are some trading standard approved garages, does anyone know anything about them?

Found this website , give it a try

http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/community/trusted_trader/default.asp

It seems the garages you have used so far are less and average in finding the fault let alone having any idea about what they are telling you. Quoting a DPF when you car does not have one is really lay of them in not even getting their information correct is really bad.

Thanks Preee, great website. There is a garage literally round the corner from where I live so shall give them a ring first thing tomorrow morning.

Tried to get hold of him today, but it is his day off.

think he needs to take a lot more than a day, off

you probably do have a cat and lambda sensor....but for him to say its to do with exhaust seems to be pure guesswork, otherwise why would he be suggesting changing glow wires etc.

you need to forget whats been said and done, take it back from the beginning.

if the code produced is glow module, then its a very straightforward and simple voltage checks along the system, nothing needs to be renewed in hope, its unclear if a new module has been fitted and left on, or if your old unit was refitted when found it wasnt the problem..

i go back to my earlier post, if wiring wasnt checked, then could quite easily render a new module useless soon as its powered up, short circuits within this system isnt that uncommon.

or

it could be totally unrelated to module, this is where many people go blind beyond the fault code, there could be a fault elswhere in the system that is confusing/conflicting with glow module, which is why this code is the one flashing up...this is where diagnostics comes in and needs somone that knows exactly what they are doing.

would pay to give the garage you choose a full rundown on whats been done/suggested, will give them some idea of what they are up against, they may well refer you/call in, a specialist if they feel equipment needed is beyond their capabilities

Its all very confusing and it doesn't take much to confuse me when it comes to cars Preee gave me the name of a good website which list approved traders in the local area so have selected my next victim for tomorrow morning!

I shall give them an overall rundown of what we think it may be thanks to all the advice I have had from you guys and then cross my fingers and toes!

Amanda , before the fault what sort of roads do you usually use , do you do any motorway or ever give it a good thrash?

question i'm asking is could this be related to a faulty or blocked EGR valve.

My friends car went into limp mode , never read the codes , but when the EGR was cleaned it solved the problem.

I used to a lot of motorway driving, but have not done any since getting the car..... I do a lot of short 'stop/start' journeys - I can see where you are going with this..

What is the EGR and is it expensive to clean out?

i wouldnt be in the least bit suprised if its something 'simple' like the egr as suggested, or possibly a glow plug shorting the system out...too many garages go head first like the proverbial bull, straight to fault codes and throw new parts in because the computer says so. where a few quick and simple checks would save a lot of their time and your money.

I used to a lot of motorway driving, but have not done any since getting the car..... I do a lot of short 'stop/start' journeys - I can see where you are going with this..

What is the EGR and is it expensive to clean out?

EGR is not an expensive fix , but i'm just guessing at the moment , Diesels don't like short trips , they like high revs and love motorways :)

basically the clog up.

May not be the problem as you have had people look at it in some way or another , i'm just throwing a spanner in the works , if you have been doing any town driving.

Wife used to have an Escort Turbo diesel , and never went above 3500rpm , when i used to get in , it was always loads of smoke as i gave it a good thrash to clean it out. , no limp mode , but i have to clean the ERG as it started to struggle.

Hmmmmm - would be great if it was something simple like that!

I shall make these suggestions when I speak to them. It wouldn't suprise me if it was clogged up due to short, low rev journeys.

giving garage as much info as possible is always a big help

Yes Tony, I hope so - just hope they don't think I know what I am talking about

I remember that the exhaust had started to smoke BEFORE it went into limp mode....... if I had known I could of taken it for a good thrash up and down the M1.

secret is to give them the impression you do know what your talking about...keeps them on their toes :)

im always happy to spend a great deal of time making sure customers know what im doing and why, without making it into rocket science...diagnostics isnt always as simple as people believe, but it annoys the **** out of me when parts just get thrown at a problem and expect you to foot the bill when it doesnt work, this happens far more often than not....every piece of a very complicated system in any vehicle is testable, hit and hope is completely unecessary, but you need the right equipment and knowledge to do it, thats why diagnostics is a specialised field and totally different from the usual repairs maintenence side of the job.

educated guess...and is a guess, id put a bit of money on egr, glow plug or fuel pressure related problem

I am now beginning to undestand just how difficult diagnostics is, given the fact that I have now been to 3 garages and they have been unable to source the problem. Unfortunately there is always the odd shark out there relying on customers who don't know their touchie from their elbow when it comes to cars

I am deseprate to get it sorted out as I love my car.

Get the car on a nice straight car park somewhere and red line it in first, you'll be surprised as to how much soot and gak you'll see come out.

Used to drive transit connect vans for work and did this on a regular basis, I could leave a soot line at least a hundred metres long every time.

hi just incase you have not sorted this i had exactly the same problem. Had the fault diagnosed as the module and it still kept happening. They had to change the glow plugs and the relay and the problem was solved £200 all in hope this info helps

view my old posts i talk about it on here