Hi

I've recently bought a 56 plate 2.0 tdci from a garage and been having a few issues.

Car started chucking out loads of black smoke and became very hesitant. The garage had it in and have apparently (I use this term loosely - ever the cynic) had the actuator reconditioned, egr valve cleaned, oil/filter change and because I was moaning about a rattle I could hear they have changed the crankshaft pulley tensioner and belts.

The car now drives much better (touch wood) still a tad smokey but nowhere near as much. Engine sounds a lot quieter than it did but I now have an oil leak!

Garage said it could just be excess oil from oil change? I'm not convinced. The leak is coming from near the crankshaft pulley I think. A bit of a puddle on the floor. Could this be crankshaft oil seal?

Thanks for any advice - not a mechanic of any description

hi,maybe the inlet manifold chocked up a little aswell and a lot of people use solid egr blanking plates to block it off stopping unburnt unburnt stuff being recurculated back into engine,which soots up egr and inlet manifold.. As for oil leak it might be seal best thing is get the engine steam cleaned or degressed then check to see as it might show up more. I cant see it being them topping up oil unless they was pooring it all over the engine

It's a diesel - smoke is par for the course, as is filth in the turbo, egr, inlet etc.

As for the oil leak - it's sensible to renew the crankshaft seal if you're changing the pulley as you need the belt/pulley off to do the job anyway. It could be that the garage attempted this, couldn't remove the seal (they are a total SOD to remove), so just left it, having damaged the seal in the attempt.

Obviously don't go marching up there claiming this - life has turned me into an old cynic and it's no more than a theory stemming from my distrust of garages.

electronic actuators reconditioned, this is a first.!!

Thanks for responses

The glow plug light started flashing again and now it's chucking out plumes of black smoke again. Spoke to a mechanic who suggested it was possibly the turbo and as I've only had the car a month I might be better off getting my money back which the garage have obliged.

Feel sad as I love the car, when it goes it drives a dream. Had a 1.8 Mk2 Verona before... That was very reliable.

Now to decide another whether to get another Mondeo

if you just bought it from a garage, take it back to them, they have a warranty period that they need to honour and should fix this free of charge.

I would suggest that the 'reconditioned actuator' involved a can of WD40, and was no more than attempt at a quick fix which didn't work. But the problem isn't the actuator itself, it's the vanes inside the turbo which the actuator operates.

Thing is, if you get another TDCi, sooner or later it's going to have the same problem. The turbo either needs replacing (pointless as it'll only happen again, and expensive), or taking apart and giving a thorough cleaning. Just had mine cleaned as I had the same problem as you, and it cost me £200, instead of over £800.

Thanks for all the replies. Car went back, got money back and getting a Focus 1.6 Petrol instead. Have no need for such a big car to be honest