SMax 2.0 tdci Won't start....Now fixed & info

[SMax 2.0tdci]

Hi everyone, new to this site but thought i'd share my recent experience with you as it may help. My car is a Ford SMax 2.0 tdci 2008, we bought this car brand new and have covered a 114,000 miles in it. In ten years it's only let us down twice, once a battery and again in January! My brother-in-law owns his owns garage and has all the latest tech & his friend is also a Ford Tech mechanic but it still took 4 weeks to sort out.

The problem- the car would crank over but not fire up.....half an hour later it fired up first time and ran all day without issue. The following day it would turn over without issue but it wouldnt fire up at all. The fault code pointed to low fuel pressure, change the low pressure fuel switch & also put a fresh Ford fuel fitter on & primed it up and off she went....for a week! Back in the garage & engine cover removed, loads of air bubbles in the clear fuel lines, Ford Tech said it's common and some air in the lines is normal (really!?) Every seal & fuels lines checked bone dry, O rings replaced on the leak off pipes, bubbles remained and would not start after 24 hours having been primed to start, any seal that could be replaced was & primed, left for 24 hours wouldn't start. No fault codes!

Decided to send the fuel pump off to be checked as its 10 years old...just worn but functioning....decided to have it fully refurbished for £378inc, once fitted to the car and it was primed again it started 1st time....24 hours later it did start but had to be cranked a few seconds...the car was then used all day starting 1st time every time. Left over night again it took some cranking to start, but it did start and it did run but air bubbles were still present. Decided to replace the top visible fuel lines with Ford items (£100 for 2 pipes) and fit two non return pipes at the same time, primed the thing up off it went again, starting 1st time throughout the day. Next day it started keenly first time!! no air in the fuel lines or anything!

Brother in law decided to inspect the old fuel pipes and couldn't see any damage or splits at all...on further scrutiny he carefully opened the pipes up and INSIDE the pipe was a small split..this split was not visible at all from the outside! clearly this was sucking in air and the route cause.

Like l said at the start of the post the SMax has been and continues to be a great car! and l have no intention of selling it....l hope post may help someone with the same issue.

 

[nrydaniel]

Hi there, your post it's verry helpful, thank you for that. I have the same problem for a while. 

Untill now i have changed only the pipe from filter to pump but still have air bubbles there and if stay overnight diesel go back in fuel tank even I have fitted a non return valve on that pipe. 

I just want to ask if you changed the both pipes? That from filter to pump and fit a non return valve on that? And you have  changed that return one to the tank, alsow and again you mount a none a none return valve on that one to?

What do you think? I should change that return to tank pipe alsow, and because of that diesel can go back? 

I have seen another thing, that if I open the fuel tank cap, don't  have air bubbles anymore from filter to pump but diesel still goes back. 

Cheers 

[SMax 2.0tdci]

Hi, sorry for the delay, they fitted the non return valves between between  (in front of) the fuel filter and the fuel pump. I have to be honest after 2 weeks of 1st time starting it failed to start 1st time one day this week and been okay since. I took it back to the garage and on the ‘fuel filter housing’ the in feed pipe to the housing (has a white ring around) was wet with diesel, ordered a complete new fuel filter housing £48 on eBay...having to park the car with the engine facing downhill overnight! To start it first thing, even then it chugs a couple of seconds until the fuel pressure builds up then off she goes!

This will be the final part to be replaced in the engine bay... if this doesn’t work everything from the engine bay to the tank & back is being replaced... really thought it was 100% fixed....and Ford haven’t helped things as the ‘clear’ fuel pipes from the fuel filter housing are now ‘black’! (Supplied by Ford) soon it’s impossible to see any a bubbles! Think they are trying to hide something???

Very disappointing and ££££🙄🙄🙄🙄

[Eric1981]

My car was sluggish starting the other day, I tried to start it yesterday and the battery ran down very quickly with not enough power to start.  I then lost all my dash display and the hazard lights came on by themselves, my neighbour gave me a jump to get it to the garage, the garage tested the battery and said there was no issues and I should take it to a garage that specialises in electrics as it might be a ECU. I got jumped by the garage and all my dash went back to normal? I started it up this morning and it started fine and there is no engine management issues, my neighbour also plugged in the diagnostics machine and it said there was no error codes? When the battery died yesterday, I unplugged my 12V cable as I have a splitter for dash cam and SatNav, just in case something was draining the power. I'm really confused as to what the issue might be however, it seems to be ok at the moment. If anyone has experienced a similar issue, any information would be appreciated.

Thanks.