my 2012 ford smax 2.2 tdi has developed the following fault which is driving us crazy.. The car starts as normal then the fuel gauge shows empty after a few minutes the engine malfunction light comes on and the car goes into limp mode.  if i stopped and restarted the car it was great but after a few miles the same thing would happen all over again. the last time we had to get towed back from the aa as it would not clear after stopping and restarting the aa diagnosed that it was a faulty sensor but by the time our mechanic got the car everything was showing normal. Also the hazard warning lights have come on by themselves and the rear door has opened on its own.  Has any one experienced the same problems and what was the fix... 

fuel tank sender unit or wiring corrosion at connecter to it.

mechanic says everything seem fine with it, he asked ford and they said no-one has ever replaced other sender unit

mondeos do have this issue so as the underneath is pretty much a mondeo aswell , i would have thought s max would suffer the same. thats where i was coming from.

I'm new to this and would love some help too,

Right I have a 2010 ford focus zetec 1.6TDCI, the problem I have is the engine malfunction light comes on and goes into limpmode. The light goes off if I turn the engine off and on but sometimes stays in limp however if left for a minute or two before restarting it's back to normal. we've had three diagnostic tests done no codes have been found also go it done when light was on still nothing. We have also noticed that once outside temperature is below 14degrees it happens but doesn't seem to when over. Any ideas?? Thanks in advanced

4 hours ago, Connor said:

we've had three diagnostic tests done no codes have been found also go it done when light was on still nothing.

There will be some codes (DTCs) stored, but it needs a full diagnostic check, not just a generic OBD2 scanner. Try Ford IDS (at a garage, up to £100 per reading), or Forscan (diy, from £15 to obtain).

Glowplug problems and DPF problems are two areas where the light comes on with no OBD2 codes on a 1.6TDCI.

For some info on Forscan, see:

 

Thanks for the reply,

Ive used a Bluetooth obd scan, Ive also had a £20 and a £45 diagnostic scan and nothing from them. The Ford garage quoted £90, Im just unsure whether to use them as nothing has been found.. I've looked at previous threads with similar problems to mine and most common is glow plugs or fuel filter. Also will the obd scan work with forscan?  Or will I need a new adapter 

38 minutes ago, Connor said:

most common is glow plugs or fuel filter. Also will the obd scan work with forscan?

Testing glowplugs in situ is not easy. It can be done with a clamp-on current meter, but not many garages have this. You could try changing them, but it may be just more money lost.

If your obd scan says it is ELM327 compatible, then it may work with Forscan.

If you have a windows laptop with usb, then the full usb modified ELM is under £15, and will access all modules in the car, down to door modules & park aid, though this is probably not relevant to the current problem.

The iOS & Android app versions of Forscan are not quite so complete, but will still detect & reset glowplug & DPF related problems.

If the problem is intermittent, once the light goes out, then the error codes may be erased after a few start cycles. Having your own powerful diagnostic system means you can catch the error codes straight away. Sometimes, when you get to the garage, they have gone.

OK thanks for the information 

I've managed to get some codes and looked into what they are but where's best place to start,the codes are

P0087
P2290
P253f
Any ideas? 

59 minutes ago, Connor said:

he codes are

P0087
P2290
P253f

Unless you are planning to take the car to a garage imminently, save the log or note all the codes, and clear the DTCs.

If you have Forscan, set it up to monitor speed (VSS), accelerator position (APP), rpm, fuel rail pressure (FRP), and DTC count. You can run the engine out of gear, and monitor the readings to check them. But to get the full range of FRP readings needs driving.

Start reading live data, make sure the computer / phone / pad is safe & any wiring is safe, then go for a drive that uses the full range of driving, from idling and cruising at constant speed, to some hard acceleration. 5 to 15 minutes is fine. Stop, stop reading, and save the data. Then you can view at leisure, and save screenshots to upload here.

On my 1.8, FRP more or less follows the accelerator position, with a max of about 150,000 kPa (1500 Bar). What I would be looking for here are any unexplained dips, or readings generally too low.

The codes above are a bit confusing, P2290 does not often seem to occur with P0087, though both point to low fuel rail pressure. The Oil quality DTC is odd, but may be an old code or a one off.

I do not think I can pin it to anything yet, though some easily cured suspects are:

Fuel filter clogged, Fuel pipes leaking air into the system, battery connections.

 

Thanks for the response. Am going to call the garage to get it checked out by them as there Gunna be better than me to check it over, hopefully have it booked in by end of next week will confirm the problem once it's rectified 

UPDATE: I took my car to a diesel specialist on Saturday 22nd they checked for the low pressure found every thing normal advised on fuel filter change and so far problem hasn't occurred. I believe it has fully fixed it as normally I would of experienced a malfunction by now so all signs are good (touch wood)

On 04/10/2016 at 12:16 PM, isobel said:

my 2012 ford smax 2.2 tdi has developed the following fault which is driving us crazy.. The car starts as normal then the fuel gauge shows empty after a few minutes the engine malfunction light comes on and the car goes into limp mode.  if i stopped and restarted the car it was great but after a few miles the same thing would happen all over again. the last time we had to get towed back from the aa as it would not clear after stopping and restarting the aa diagnosed that it was a faulty sensor but by the time our mechanic got the car everything was showing normal. Also the hazard warning lights have come on by themselves and the rear door has opened on its own.  Has any one experienced the same problems and what was the fix... 

Hi, did you manage to sort out the smax? We are having the same problems! Engine malfunction, then goes into limp mode. After taking it to the garage it seemed ok. Can you help? Its driving us mad!!

On 15/04/2018 at 9:28 AM, Cai88 said:

Hi, did you manage to sort out the smax? We are having the same problems! Engine malfunction, then goes into limp mode. After taking it to the garage it seemed ok. Can you help? Its driving us mad!!

 

On 4/15/2018 at 9:28 AM, Cai88 said:

Engine malfunction, then goes into limp mode. After taking it to the garage it seemed ok.

A diagnostic system like Forscan will show the error codes that will be present if a warning lamp or message is on. Sometimes these will help to narrow down a problem. Forscan costs between £16 (windows) and about £30 (phones / ios / android). A diagnostic readout at a dealer can cost £100. Though even with the error codes, tracking down electrical faults in these cars can be very difficult. But it does give some assurance as to whether a garage is talking sense.

If it is like Isobel's SMax, it sounds like a problem with the BCM. This is integrated into the central fuse box, under the glove box, it would seem. Fuel tank sender, lights, doors, these are all read and controlled by the BCM. Damp, corrosion, damaged or partly disconnected connectors, these can cause all sorts of odd problems.

If the fault is just fuel tank sender, then as Ian suggested, that may need replacing.

I have a 2011 S-max and the light comes on but when I'm driving everything feels fine. 

You can keep driving until the engine packs in (possibly forever) or until your MOT expires, and it then automatically fails it's next test.

There is another option, get the DTC's read, and repair the car while it is still possible.