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Engine Malfunction Warning - Help!?


Jawz
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Around 3 months ago when it was raining heavy I was driving home and 'Warning Engine Malfunction' light came on whilst driving on the motorway. The car went into limp mode and I had to pull over.

Turning they key off and back on and the warning still appeared. It also showed the yellow skidding icon. I left it a few mind and it went off. It did this a total of 3 times on the 20min drive home.

A month after that. The girlfriend lent the car and whilst going to work all electrics went and was taken to garage where I had a new alternator fitted as it had burnt out.

I have always had the car around the 1800 rpm area, feel a bit lumpy but reading online seems as though it's some flat spot. So was thinking of poss getting a bluefin and remapping it to iron it out.

I paid for a full service only a week ago and the car Engine does seem a bit more quiet. (Though when I was shown all the filters they did seem well dirty) Doesn't seem as though the fuel filter housing has been changed. Guess only the filter inside was changed instead? Is this possible?

Anyways, fast forward to yesterday and coincidence in my head thinking everything was good, quiet car and sun out and.............driving around 40mph up a slight incline, the car became lumpy for a few secs and felt a bit like hitting a cog or when ya lift up ya clutch to fast and it has that harsh banging feel and 'Engine Malfunction Warning' and goes into limp.

Turning key off and on didn't clear right away. So hazards on for 5mins and turned back on and OK for 15 min drive. 4 hours later and an hour drive and still seemed OK. 

Any ideas for me to check? Really down n peeved off. Was even looking on trader thinking about switching car as the focus I had before cost me a fortune (2x clutch Flywheel changes)

I'd love to keep it as I like the look.

It's a 1.8tdci zetec s 2009 in blue and done 66,000 miles if it helps.

Any ideas please help. I'm complete novice with cars but have just bought haynes and a socket set from Halfords as there's a rattling heat shield under car and was prepared to do little bits to keep it in shape.

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Could be any number of reasons, really needs diagnostics to at least point you in the right direction. Common issues are cluster faults, Glow plugs, EGR valve, fuel filter issues and many many more that could cause it.

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I got one of those ELM 217 (think that's the number) wifi things off eBay and linked to Torque app, but it didn't show any errors when scanned.

Also tried the holding in the left stick button and turning on key for the DTC check, but that shows no errors too.

I notice all the noises and goings on and they make me nervous as I never seem to have luck with cars and attracted to buying lemons. That's why if it is something expensive I'm thinking if to move away from Ford as I have had 2 Focus and Mrs a Ka and a fiesta and all have been money pits.

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First thing I would do is change the fuel filter, they don't have a paper filter inside that is serviceable, so if it looks like it has not been changed get that done, relatively cheap and easy to rule out any fuel issues.

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I will take a closer look. It was one of things I mentioned when I said can I have a full service fuel filter pollen filter etc.

I know he showed me some filters. Wonder if it was just oil, air and pollen then....hmmmmmm.  I did pay £125 so assumed fuel filter was changed. Think it was sprayed with some white stuff. Seemed the air filter screws and few other parts had white dots sprayed on them. Unless that is to stop screws seizing or something.

Specifically asked for fuel filter doing though. Also before doing he had a look to see which one it was and said "oh it's the cheaper of the two" Apparently some focus the fuel filter more expensive. 

When I was reading about servicing the car myself. It was the issues with priming etc that made me just pay for someone else to do. Will check the receipt (though really bad writing ( and see if it says fuel filter. 

I defiantly got showed some filters (at least 3) 2 being flat (air and pollen I guess) and another that was cylinder shipped that had loads of oil on. Am peeved if they skipped the fuel....will go check receipt.

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Yeah looking at the receipt looks like 1083504 Filter Fuel

Just can remember being shown black plastic one and when looked after looked black and also had quite a bit of dust and oil on the outside so assumed just a filter was changed.

Expected to see either silver or some clean plastic but looked a little caked up. Might have changed for exactly same and just dit from hands. But receipt seems to show it.

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Just checked on eurocarparts, and it looks like there is a complete housing filter and a paper inner filter available for the 1.8 engine, so it probably has had the filter insert changed then, at least that rules that out.

Still check it with Forscan and see what if any faults are logged then come back to us and let us know.

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Yeah will do. Thanks for your help. Appreciated. People are quick to help and respond on here.

Will check see what it says tomorrow and come back and update this thread. Luckily I'm on Android and requested refund on the Torque app so will use the cash towards the one you suggested tomorrow 

Thanks

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if there's no fault codes it could be the dash cluster that's at fault

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Indeed as Arthur says it could be a cluster fault, especially if there are no error codes although with a cluster fault some codes should be stored, from the PCm or pats etc.

At least with decent diagnostics you can check that everything else is fine and it is not another module causing it.

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OK so after managing to get Forscan working. I got the following. Can't see what date relates to what as doesn't seem to time stamp and date the error.

I have used car 3 times now. Once a 20mile 30min trip and 2 16mile 20 min trips on motorway and haven't had the warning return yet. Though did feel a bit of a split second judder like lifting up clutch too fast that feeling when cog hits in a bit hard. Moved over to inside Lane just in case but nothing.

The injector mention. Iso there something I can do or does it sound expensive? 

I tried getting some additive for my car a week ago but poured it all over floor as didn't realise I needed a funnel (now found funnel) lol. So could buy some more and put in tank from funnel.

Any suggestions?

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I would say you have an issue on injector on cylinder 4 for starters, probably a wiring issue.

As for the communications fault that can be caused when using diagnostics and not actually be a fault, however that code was logged when you had it happen the first time as you say you had the car skidding light come on for an ABS/ESP fault. That DTC did request the MIL to be illuminated at that time.

I would clear the codes now you know what they are and run it again until the MIL comes on again, then read it again and see what codes come back.

Are you able to select the ABS module and try connecting to it and reading that on it's own? That is on the HS can network so does not require a modified interface.

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Do i connect to ABS module using forscan and my elm327?

I will reset them and see what happens. 

So rather than a log of date and time you just resethe them and see what happens next time? There's no lights on dash at moment when driving the car.

Thanks for your help thus far. Don't really want to change car again cos just taxed and serviced and MOT and insurance in next 2 months. But if it is injectors I don't want to pump loads of money into it. Though only done 66k miles so lowest miles I've had on car (Last Focus bought at 110k and sold at 170k)

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No you would need elmconfig to be able to select that module and see if it is connecting it and reading it OK, but you would probably need a laptop to do that thinking about it. Open or short on the injector means a wiring issue not necessarily an injector issue.

You should be able to use your bluetooth adapter with a laptop and elmconfig though.

Or as I say see if the codes come back the other option is remove the cluster and wiggle the connector and see if it makes the engine malfunction come up again as Arthur has suggested before, that would give you an idea if it is a cluster fault.

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