Engine Systems fault displays after 15 seconds of turning key 1.6 tdci

[acj7744]

Good morning everyone, hope you're all enjoying your vehicles.

We buy cars for different purposes throughout our lives. My 2007 Focus 1.6 tdci 90 was bought to swallow work miles and I fell in love with it. Don't know why, it is guttless! But I'm still will it 4 years and 100k miles later with literally no hiccups, just regular servicing. It has a total of 170k on the clock.

I got in it last morning and it sounded like it was struggling starting. It turned over a couple more times than i've become used to (fairly instant). I got a few miles up the road and was met with 'engine systems failure' on the LCD and a red light at the bottom near the speedo. The car entered limp mode. I pulled over, switched off and back on again, it was clear. A few miles down the road the same thing.

It bounces off the limiter at 3krpm and produces some white smoke leaving a black stain on the floor. 

Without turning the car over but switching the key to the on position the engine systems failure appears after exactly 15 seconds without failure every time. If I turn the engine on within this time it won't appear til a few miles down the road. It struggles to start a bit with the error present or not. It is like it looking for feedback from something within 15 seconds, not seeing it and notifying me.

OBD shows either one or two errors. Both N/A and sometimes a U0073 P but I think that might be a red herring. Another potential red herring is that I don't hear the fuel pump prime, but not sure if I ever have! Sorry. I do hear that noise when the engine is switched off though.

I'm really struggling here guys, when the car runs without this fault everything seems OK. Bit of a clicking/tapping noise coming from top of engine that has been there for maybe 10k miles now.

[Tdci-Peter]

U0073: Control Module Communications Bus Off.

Or CAN bus problem. A full diagnostic system (I guess you have just used a generic OBD2 scanner) may reveal a lot more similar codes. Research ELM327 & Forscan on this site.

I have written quite a few posts about this, it seems a common problem. The Instrument Cluster (IC) is one possible cause. WIring & connectors are other likely causes.

I have uploaded a pdf about a repair I did to my IC. A simple resistance check on the CAN bus is outlined there. There is a lot more Info in the rather long "Instrument Cluster - Replace" topic.

See:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=38633

Peter.

[acj7744]

Thanks very much Peter. I'm lucky in that I have access to a fluke! I'm a layman when it comes to motor vehicles however. Although basic electrical fault finding I'm pretty confident.

It was the exactly 15 seconds after electrics on that struck me as waiting for feedback or 'watchdog exceeded' timer.

I had a blip with the instruments a few months ago, values read below 0 when engine off and all read too low when engine on. It went away as quick as it came, I forgot about it and you have just reminded me. The was no associated engine systems fault that time. I never stuck the code reader on either.

 

Thanks again mate, very helpful post.

[acj7744]

A quick update if anyone is still interested. I took the advice and got myself a switchable obd2 to USB and installed forscan on my laptop. Loads of PCM faults there. Noted them, cleared them.

3 remained. They all related to the EGR. I used the data logging feature and trended the EGR command from the ECU against the feedback from the valve. Looks like it is stuck open.

I've been driving the car all the while, with the engine systems fault coming on fairly regularly (1 or 2 times per 12 mile journey to and from work). As well as occasionally (twice so far) the engine check light.

 

Wonder if I'm doing any damage? Any further advice or links to similar threads are appreciated.

 

Thank you.

 

[TehJazzi]

If it's in limp mode you won't be doing any damage, that's what its there for. 

On a fairly similar note though, I have a 2008 1.6TDCi (90PS) which had recently started doing this;

There are no error codes on a basic OBD link, so nothing really to go on. First port of call for me was the fuel filter, I changed on Tuesday, at 70,000 miles (it was still on its first filter) and that made no difference. I have a man coming out on Wednesday to do an EGR delete and remap on it, I'm hoping a blocked EGR valve is the main cause. We had an error related to the EGR valve flag up a couple of months ago and then disappear on its own, but I feel like this has now caused the issue. 

 

I've got a thread a couple down from this one that I'll update after I've had the EGR done to see if that's fixed the issue.

 

[Tdci-Peter]

I drove my car for at least 9 months with regular EGR errors appearing, just reset the DTCs each time & ignored it. Though I had blanked the valve off after the first few errors. If EGR is stuck open, it will harm fuel economy, increase smoke, and may coke up the engine in time. Any problems with it, just blank it. I think you can do this ok on the 1.6, there will be lots of info on this site. A working EGR may, or may not (depending on your point of view) be good for the environment, a stuck one is bad, bad.

Blanking will probably not stop the error codes, the PCM senses valve movement (or lack of), and will complain if it is not moving. But it does not, on these cars, sense whether gas is flowing through it.

The EGR on the 1.6 is not too bad to replace, I think. I repaired mine (1.8), and uploaded a pdf, but it will not be much use for the 1.6.

What are the actual DTC nos?

Peter.

PS: I do not associate Engine Systems light with EGR problems. It should just be engine management light I think, as it is a simple fault internal to the PCM. Suggests something else is going on, any comms or CAN errors appearing?

[acj7744]

In work at the moment. Doing an internal inspection of a steam turbine governor valve, all my brain capacity for technical stuff is full at the moment!

I'll get it on forscan when I get back again, see if anything else has crept in.

Actual codes were as follows...

P0489-62, P042E-62 & P1412-68.

I got the CANBUS error once but I put that down to having a poor connection to the handheld obd scanner I had (generic orange one). It never reappeared.

The long list of errors that I cleared and didn't return is in a photo and will take time to transcribe.I'll get back later.

The engine system fault message and red light both come on every time without fail after exactly 15 seconds when I switch key to on but don't turn engine over. If I start engine within that time I avoid it but it comes on within a few miles. A flick of the key from off to on (not safe on a public road I know I'm sorry) clears it and I'll get a few more miles, generally never more than 10 miles.

Seems to happen when my foot is off the gas, never on. When engine braking if you like.

And yes, I think performance is affect (not just when in limp mode). I mean it was always been gutless but since all kicked off it seems worse.

I'm not driving in limp mode, might as well get on the bike. The car actually being a goner would make a new one in the midst of saving money to buy a house much easier to justify to my girlfriend. Although I'd much rather not lose it if I'm being sensible.

[acj7744]

18 hours ago, TehJazzi said:

If it's in limp mode you won't be doing any damage, that's what its there for. 

On a fairly similar note though, I have a 2008 1.6TDCi (90PS) which had recently started doing this;

There are no error codes on a basic OBD link, so nothing really to go on. First port of call for me was the fuel filter, I changed on Tuesday, at 70,000 miles (it was still on its first filter) and that made no difference. I have a man coming out on Wednesday to do an EGR delete and remap on it, I'm hoping a blocked EGR valve is the main cause. We had an error related to the EGR valve flag up a couple of months ago and then disappear on its own, but I feel like this has now caused the issue. 

 

I've got a thread a couple down from this one that I'll update after I've had the EGR done to see if that's fixed the issue.

 

I'd really reccomend forscan and a switchable OBD2 to USB adapter. It's an incredibly powerful tool for a total of about £15.

[Tdci-Peter]

49 minutes ago, acj7744 said:

Actual codes were as follows...

P0489-62, P042E-62 & P1412-68.

P0489: EGR Control Circuit Low

P042E :Circuit egr valve stuck open sensor

P1412 EGR metering valve frozen

Seems pretty definite. I agree about the CAN bus error, diagnosis operations occasionally cause these, the kit is using the CAN bus, at the same time that the car is.

I managed to repair my EGR valve, but it is for the 1.8, and very different in appearance. It was just bad electrical connections inside it. I did a pdf about it, but may not be of use here.

Focus-EGR.pdf

I bet the 1.6 version is repairable. If it has to be replaced, then I think a calibration procedure is needed, Can Forscan do this? Should appear under service options/menu I think.

I doubt if blanking the unit will resolve the DTCs & limp mode, the PCM tests for valve movement, though I do not think it cares if there is flow or not, it certainly doesn't on my 1.8.

I doubt if cleaning is the answer, it looks electrical to me. P0489 suggests an open circuit in the connections to the motor, but these codes can often be misleading. Could be mechanically stuck. At least it looks fairly easy to get at on the 1.6, the valve itself is a pig on the 1.8, but the actuator is easy.

There is probably a lot more info about the 1.6 EGR on this site.

Peter.

PS: I don't know, it is just one valve after another! I am just building up some little pressure transducers with solenoid valves on (part of my job), & I would be interested in your steam valve! (Strange, but true).