C-max 2.0 TDCI DPF removed, recon turbo - now seems olk

[Stroller133]

Hi

 

Just wondering if there are any Diesel experts who may have an idea on my current DPF/Turbo problems?

 

I must be completely crazy - late last week my 52 plate 2.0 Focus Estate (petrol) started to be stiff selecting and changing out of 5th - over the weekend it start to occassionally jump out of 5th and have trouble selecting 1st, So far 3rd seem ok, but the gear lever does not seem to go as far upwards as it was doing. Therefore I think that the problem is with the linkage somewhere.

 

Anyway that's a bit off topic - the crazy part is that my car is developing a fault so I have bought another non working car - a C-max, "unseen" on an Ebay auction where the ad stated that the turbo needs replacing!

 

I sort of justify the purchase as the seller works at the same company for me and I know they have had the car 5 years and before that it was a company car at our firm (we buy not lease) and the early maintenance would have been done no worries and the current owners have had all work done at a local garage that seem to be really good and honest.

 

However since purchasing and paying I remember that the seller was talking in the office about a DPF problem a few months ago and removal was being touted as the best option (I agree with this approach personally). This has set me thinking that the turbo may not need replacing and the DPF removal maybe the cause of lack of boost. Before remembering about the DPF I has spoken to the local garage before bidding for the car to ask about the replacement of the turbo. They had priced up the job for the seller, but she decided not to have it done - she has a brand new Audi now, so I think she just wanted shot of this car with minimal expense. They said labour wise it would only be about 3 hours as the current turbo has not fallen apart so it would be a fairly straight-forward swap over. A sensor for the turbo would not be needed as this has just been changed in a cheaper attempt to fix the problem, the car has no current engine light on and the turbo still spools but performance is not as expected (this is from garage and seller - not yet collected)

 

My query is whether the garage may have just physically removed the DPF and not done a remap on the ECU - and the "confusion" of the DPF not being there is causing the turbo not to boost correctly.

 

I am going to phone garage again and try and work out how they removed DPF and if it sounds a bit suspect may drive the car for a few days, wait to see if EML comes back on and have codes read by another garage to help decide what to do next.

[Albert Ross]

Check for split hoses before spending any money.

[fordnut]

If the DPF has been removed and the ECU hasn't been reprogrammed it could cause issues.

 

Put the car into diagnostic mode and see if any fault codes come up. Hold the the trip reset button in for about 10 seconds when you turn the ignition to position II, you should then be able to scroll though all the functions to find the DTC codes. If you don't get any codes up that mean anything do the following:

I would check all the hoses, you'll need to get it up on ramps so you can remove the engine cover and have a good look, the turbo is buried down the back of the engine.

 

Now I am assuming that the vehicle might be a 2.0 TDCi - these engines have a habit of destroying their alternators prematurely. I was chasing faults on my Focus for about a year with intermittent issues, lack of boost, not running properly, poor performance - I did all of the above and considered other options e.g. fuel contamination issues/fuelling. I was getting to the stage where I thought it was time to replace the turbo. Eventually I managed to diagnose that the alternator was at fault because I had issues with the battery not holding it's charge after the vehicle was not used for some time. Check the battery voltage when you put the car in diagnostic mode, a faulty alternator or one that is dying will not show up as a DTC code but the battery charge may be lower than it should be. When you rev the car is there a whining noise, this might actually be the alternator not the turbo.

 

Since I've replaced the alternator and the battery it took with it - I've had no issues whatsoever.Replacing the turbo would not be cheap, it is a 3-4 hour job to remove the engine to get the turbo out and another 3-4 to get it back in. If it's the alternator make sure you replace it with the correct unit - it will either be 120AMPs or 150AMPs. It's a couple of hours labour to do, shop around as the prices can vary hugely for this part. I think I paid about £150+ VAT at cost price for a brand new Ford unit.

[sutty2006]

How old is this C-max?

 

If its anything like my 06 plate ST mondeo, It wouldnt need a remap to tell the ECU that the DPF isnt there. (there are no sensors or wires to mine)

 

Definately get the boost hoses checked, and also check for a split intercooler. Check if theres any large amounts of black smoke under load.

 

Despite a vehicle having lots of service history or having a "known" service at regular intervals, its all a load of shite. A friend of mine bought an 03 plate 130 TDCi mondeo which had been serviced every "6" months. When he finally changed the treacle that came out of the sump, the engine through a piston out of the block. Be very careful!

[meggersdog]

Your petrol Focus will be a small nylon cup at the bottom of the gear lever.Very common and a couple of quid from the main dealers.

[trigger]

Make sure the pipes connecting to your EGR valve have been done up properly, when I removed mine to clean on my old Mondeo ST TDCI I hadn't done the pipe clip up right and it made the car gutless and it made a funny noise when boosting.

[Stroller133]

Thanks for the replies and advice. In diagnostics now. Alt was 12.2 engine off and 13.8 tickover and upto 14.4 with some revs. DTC codes are D900 9318 and A103. It starts ok, no engine light but works on LED test but is just really sluggish but otherwise feels the same as my wife's 2.0 tdci c-max which is same spec, age and mileage.

[Stroller133]

All 3 codes appear to be related to a flat battery. The car has not been used since early Aug and last nights collection was delayed due to the battery needing a charge - so that makes sense. Might go to the supermarket which is a 10 mile trip to see if any new codes generate as the flat battery may have wiped existing codes?

 

I will look into whether the nylon cup on Petrol Focus can be changed with basic tools and on the ground - I have no ramps or a jack?

[Stroller133]

 

Took it out - within a mile the engine light was on. Still drove ok but sluggish and not in limp mode. Checked DTC coded on start up menu and no new ones. Under load between 2-3k the turbo is making an audible "whoosh" but no real power. Took our original C-Max out straight after and the turbo is a very faint whir at same revs in 3rd but makes good progress. Do turbo make whoosh sounds when they are failing? Will still try to look at hoses before spending any money.

[barefoot]

My Audi 200T used to split turbo pipes and as a consequence make some very strange sounds with alarming regularity.

[fordnut]

I'd get the alternator checked out as it the symptons sound similar to mine.

[sutty2006]

When you come OFF boost, you might get a funny PEEOOOWWW sound......

 

 

*awaits straight jacket*

 

 

 

All TDCi's do this if the exhaust system has been modified or you have a hole in the exhaust before a silencer. If theres a split pipe, you might get the sound of *sucking* (ooo errr) air from the engine bay, but that will be ON boost instead of OFF boost.

 

Hope this helps!

[fordperv]

When you come OFF boost, you might get a funny PEEOOOWWW sound......

 

 

*awaits straight jacket*

 

 

 

All TDCi's do this if the exhaust system has been modified or you have a hole in the exhaust before a silencer. If theres a split pipe, you might get the sound of *sucking* (ooo errr) air from the engine bay, but that will be ON boost instead of OFF boost.

 

Hope this helps!

 

im just giggling to myself thinking of your mondeo estate with the side exit exhaust that sounded like an owl sanctuary

[overrun]

Took it out - within a mile the engine light was on. Still drove ok but sluggish and not in limp mode. Checked DTC coded on start up menu and no new ones. Under load between 2-3k the turbo is making an audible "whoosh" but no real power. Took our original C-Max out straight after and the turbo is a very faint whir at same revs in 3rd but makes good progress. Do turbo make whoosh sounds when they are failing? Will still try to look at hoses before spending any money.

Knackered boost pipe, surely. I would expecta lot of black smoke when on boost though.

 

The 2.0 Mondeo engines like to bust the one under the battery tray.

[Stroller133]

It went in today and had a recon turbo fitted. Only driven it home buts it definateley working now. Only problem is that it's smokey now? Garage have suggested driving over the weekend and taking back to have a look again. It hasn't done more than about 10 miles since DPF removal, maybe it just need a clearout ( I hope).

[Stroller133]

Been out a bit further now. Turbo is now producing power, the car is now great to drive - probably feels quicker than our other C-max with same engine and turbo is sounding much similar now too. Fairly happy that it did need replacing.

My concern is the smoke - it's not black and sooty more like a greyish white. My amateurish, Internet researched, a little bit of knowledge is dangerous based assessment is that turbo is now fixed, but as no remap was done for DPF removal the ecu is calling for a regen and the smoke is the fluid that is used and would normally be be filtered by the DPF gubbins? I reset the mpg and would have expected about 48 in the other c-max but only got about 33- only over about 15 miles so a bit crude. I believe regen uses more fuel.

[Stroller133]

Went out for a 30 mile run and then got my wife to drive it this afternoon. White smoke seems to have stopped. There is the occasional puff of soot but lots of turbo diesels do that.

Plan to run it a while now and hope it passes emissions on MOT.

 

Anyone interested in a 52 reg Focus Estate Ghia 2.0 petrol.

[Pillock]

When I had a turbo replaced it took a few days to get rid of all the oil the old one had dumped into the manifold.... Loads of smoke for a while but they'd warned me about it.