Hi guys,

I have a Mondeo TDCI 2.0 115 estate.
The engine is sounding very rough and lumpy, I've got the flashing
glowplug light on the dash, and there is absolutely no power, the car
will not rev. I've got code p2263 coming up, which is a
bit vauge. It doesn't seem like an egr fault, I've had the EGR cleaned
out. I've taken off the turbo inlet pipe off to see if the turbo spins
freely, which it doesn't. The turbo doesn't have any shaft or axial play
but it is very stiff, it seems like the actuator is stuck on close,
either way a duff turbo.

I don't fancy paying out
for a new electronic actuator turbo. I have soured a turbo off another
Ford Mondeo (130) which has the vacuum operated wastegate. Will this
turbo be compatible with the vehicle? I don't mind having to get the
vehicle mapped to accomodate the new turbo.

Thanks for any replies!

Hello and welcome to the club

If you have the engine with the electronic actuator, and you fit the turbo with the pnumatic actuator, it is possible you will also need an ECU from an engine with a pnumatic actuator to get it to work properly, (because the ECU is expecting positon signals from the actuator, that will no longer exist) if you change the ECU, you may also need the matching ignition lock and key, and ideally all the other locks as well

The EGR systems are different too so the EGR would have to be replaced or disabled/ deleted

It is possible you could feed the ECU a signal (eg a dummy load) but the pnumatic actuator with an electronic actuator ECU is liable to generate fault codes and go into limp home mode

I always thought the TDCI 115 did not have an electronic actuator?

As far as I have noticed, the turbo innards on the TDDI and the TDCI VVT 115's are identical, you can buy a new turbo cartridge circa £150 off ebay and fit it yourself. I believe ford say you have to buy the whole turbo including actuator for the TDCI, yet I replaced the cartridge on mine (TDDI) and I bought one specified for a TDCI, so it must be possible to split yours... Somehow.

As far as I have noticed, the turbo innards on the TDDI and the TDCI VVT 115's are identical, you can buy a new turbo cartridge circa £150 off ebay and fit it yourself. I believe ford say you have to buy the whole turbo including actuator for the TDCI, yet I replaced the cartridge on mine (TDDI) and I bought one specified for a TDCI, so it must be possible to split yours... Somehow.

If its the actuator at fault there is no point in changing the cartrige - the vanes can coke up and sieze as well, again, nothing to do with the cartrige - the vanes are also part of the exhaust manifold assembly, seperate from the cartrige (so no point in changing the cartrige if the vanes are coked up, siezed either)

Mondeo 2.0L 115 TDDIs also have 2 different types of turbos, fixed vane and variable vane, and mk3 Mondeos (inc. TDCIs) have 3 basic types of turbo - fixed vane, variable vane with pnumatic actuator, variable vane with electronic actuator, i read on a forum that the 2.2 compressor (ST-TDCI/ TIT-X) had an extra couple of vanes on the compressor wheel, but was basically the same as the 2.0L

I was tired when I wrote that, the sticking vanes are easy to fix.

Hang on, just refreshed myself pugbug says the turbo impeller shaft is very stiff, so a cartridge would remedy that problem, I have no experience with the electronic actuator, although I presume if they disconnect it from the arm on the turbo they can monitor it as someone starts the car. That way they can see if the actuator is working, as the actuator should move from one end to the other as soon as the engine starts.

As far as I am aware, the default state for the vanes is open i.e. no boost, so when the engine isn't running that is the position they are in. In lower revs the vanes are fully closed so the full force of the exhaust gases are directed at the exhaust impeller (full boost).