Focus TDCI wont tickover when cold

[garethp]

I've got a Mk1 Focus which has an annoying problem, when its cold it wont tickover for more than about 10 - 20 seconds before it stops and while it is ticking over its really lumpy, it makes it a right pain in the **** to defrost it and a nightmare driving through town on the way home! Once I've driven about 2 miles its fine, its also fine when its hot, goes well and does 50 - 55mpg

I've had a look over it with the engine cover off and can't see anything obvious like split hoses etc, I've also bought a diagnostic reader to check for fault codes (no codes present) and the cylinder head temp, fuel temp and inlet temp all give figures which look normal

I've blocked off the EGR valve as it was stuck partially open and that stopped it smoking while driving at low speed (the valve is nightmare to take off and clean and a new one is silly money as its part of the inlet manifold)

I've changed the fuel filter for a new Delphi as the last one was of an unknown age and the tickover fuel pressure is about 230 bar (its a common rail)

I'm keen not to take it to the garage in case it ends up as a "We've fixed it and here's a 4 figure bill because we changed loads of bits!"

Any thoughts? I've done a bit of ratching on the web and so far it could be anything....

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Have you checked those glow plugs? glow plugs help even after the engine has began running, up to 8 minutes, cycling on and off to reduce emmisions and promote smoother running.. (white smoke is a cold engine and duff glow plugs).

How many miles does it have?

 

[garethp]

I havent checked them - I didnt realise they did anything once it was running, I was thinking since it starts ok (turns over for split second, fires once, turns over for a split second again, fires, then starts to tick over) that the plugs were ok. It doesnt look to be a hard job to swap them?

Checking them involves measuring the resistance or current draw?

Its done 82000 miles and is an 04

 

[SiPMerlin150]

I pull them and check them by running a 12v feed to each one of them, and if they don't heat up quickly or don't at all, then they need replacing. These earlier common rail engines rely more upon their glow plugs than the newer models. On a vehicle of this age, repair costs aren't going up to 4 figured numbers, (unless your engine is completely shot) which it isn't, so start with the easiest bits first. With the engine starting fine once warm points to the cold start system.

 

[AndyStobbs]

Avoid testing glowplugs with a 12v feed. Some types rely on modulation from the driver circuit to prevent them burning out.
You could use either method to check them, resistance or current draw if you have a suitable meter.

What size is the engine?
How well does target fuel rail pressure correlate to actual FRP?

Going to need to do some more testing before you can narrow it down.

Does your code reader use the EOBD protocol or delphi?

 

[SiPMerlin150]

If all else fails, a good garage would attempt to source the root of the problem, and contact you to explain what it is, and then ask your permission to carry out the needed repairs and the cost including labor.

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Avoid testing glowplugs with a 12v feed. Some types rely on modulation from the driver circuit to prevent them burning out.
You could use either method to check them, resistance or current draw if you have a suitable meter.

What size is the engine?
How well does target fuel rail pressure correlate to actual FRP?

Going to need to do some more testing before you can narrow it down.

Does your code reader use the EOBD protocol or delphi?

No I mean pull out the plugs, and connect them to lets say a battery charger and test them that way.

 

[anjum]

Although your temperature gauge may work, there may still be a seperate sender for the fuel system. Don't know the Focus deisel, but I would check that.

 

[normspanners]

You havn't said how it actually starts, from cold, does it fire first compression ?or do you have to crank it over awhile ?

 

[AndyStobbs]

No I mean pull out the plugs, and connect them to lets say a battery charger and test them that way.

Thats exactly what I mean. Not all glow plugs are designed to be self regulating. Some types will just draw a huge current regardless of temperature, and if not regulated by some external means, they will burn out.

 

[AndyStobbs]

Although your temperature gauge may work, there may still be a seperate sender for the fuel system. Don't know the Focus deisel, but I would check that.

OP has checked cylinder head temperature, using his scan tool.

 

[RonA]

Does problem lie with the Air mass flow sensor? Ford unlike most manafacturers didn't include a seperate circuit which briefly makes the sensor wire (hot wire anemometer) glow red hot to burn off contaminants like pollen, dust on some of their sensors. Try disconnecting mass flow sensor, the engine EMU then goes into limp home mode. If the engine starts OK your MFA sensor needs cleaning (where accessibe) or changing. Some can be cleaned with Iso propyl alchol (available from Maplins). Changing air filter is also a good idea

 

[garethp]

I pull them and check them by running a 12v feed to each one of them, and if they don't heat up quickly or don't at all, then they need replacing. These earlier common rail engines rely more upon their glow plugs than the newer models. On a vehicle of this age, repair costs aren't going up to 4 figured numbers, (unless your engine is completely shot) which it isn't, so start with the easiest bits first. With the engine starting fine once warm points to the cold start system.

Thats exactly what I mean. Not all glow plugs are designed to be self regulating. Some types will just draw a huge current regardless of temperature, and if not regulated by some external means, they will burn out.

I'll give that a go and make sure the current is regulated somehow, any thoughts on a current limit? Would it be as simple as the glow plug fuse rating divided by 4?

Avoid testing glowplugs with a 12v feed. Some types rely on modulation from the driver circuit to prevent them burning out.
You could use either method to check them, resistance or current draw if you have a suitable meter.

What size is the engine?
How well does target fuel rail pressure correlate to actual FRP?

Going to need to do some more testing before you can narrow it down.

Does your code reader use the EOBD protocol or delphi?

Its 1.8
As far as I know the fuel pressure should be 250 bar +/- 40 bar
Not sure on the protocol, I bought it from Ebay and it uses the 'Formidable' software, seems to be a fairly piece of kit/software?

You havn't said how it actually starts, from cold, does it fire first compression ?or do you have to crank it over awhile ?

Cold start - turns over for split second, fires once, turns over for a split second again, fires, then starts to tick over. Hot start is turn the key and it starts / ticks over straight away.

Does problem lie with the Air mass flow sensor? Ford unlike most manafacturers didn't include a seperate circuit which briefly makes the sensor wire (hot wire anemometer) glow red hot to burn off contaminants like pollen, dust on some of their sensors. Try disconnecting mass flow sensor, the engine EMU then goes into limp home mode. If the engine starts OK your MFA sensor needs cleaning (where accessibe) or changing. Some can be cleaned with Iso propyl alchol (available from Maplins). Changing air filter is also a good idea

I'll try cleaning it and replacing the filter, its going to be a pig of a job as the two rear screws in the filter box are turning the captive nuts in the housing, I'll need to try and get the box out in one piece so I can get to the screws/nuts.

 

[normspanners]

Cold start - turns over for split second, fires once, turns over for a split second again, fires, then starts to tick over. Hot start is turn the key and it starts / ticks over straight away.

When it is faultering is there any white smoke from the exhaust? that is an indication of timing/ air in the fuel.
If it fires immediately from cold with very little cranking I don't think you will have fuel pressure issues, that also rules out a leaky injector IMO.
You could have fuel filter /head issues the engine will fire up with what is in the pump and rail, then as it draws air into the pump it faulters untill the air that has amassed in the top of the filter has bled itself out.
Because the filter is higher than the tank the filter head has a vacuum pulled on it, when parked up for any period, any air ingress there will amass in the top of the filter as the fuel drops back into the tank due to gravity. The air will travel through to the rail causing problems until you rev the engine and pull fuel through, and the air is returned to the tank. Transits have a big problem with this
1/ sometimes if they use after market filters that dont seal exactlly
2/ filter head requires replacing but you can check and check but not find a fault.
Ps when did this start to give you problems?
was it straight after the egr blanking also have you blank gasketed the ecu or just the vacuum hose?

 

[garethp]

When it is faultering is there any white smoke from the exhaust? that is an indication of timing/ air in the fuel.
If it fires immediately from cold with very little cranking I don't think you will have fuel pressure issues, that also rules out a leaky injector IMO.
You could have fuel filter /head issues the engine will fire up with what is in the pump and rail, then as it draws air into the pump it faulters untill the air that has amassed in the top of the filter has bled itself out.
Because the filter is higher than the tank the filter head has a vacuum pulled on it, when parked up for any period, any air ingress there will amass in the top of the filter as the fuel drops back into the tank due to gravity. The air will travel through to the rail causing problems until you rev the engine and pull fuel through, and the air is returned to the tank. Transits have a big problem with this
1/ sometimes if they use after market filters that dont seal exactlly
2/ filter head requires replacing but you can check and check but not find a fault.
Ps when did this start to give you problems?
was it straight after the egr blanking also have you blank gasketed the ecu or just the vacuum hose?

I did wonder about air in the fuel system but don't know how to prove/disprove it, I dont think there is any white smoke when its faultering but I'll check.

When I first started to look at it towards the back end of last year the EGR valve seemed to be a common problem on lots of vehicles so I blanked it off to rule it out, it did make a bit of a difference to the tickover but not much - the main improvements were no smoke at low speeds/revs which I assume to it leaking and recirculating exhaust gas when it wasnt supposed to.

I've put a plate between the valve and the pipe to the turbo - on the earlier focus it doesnt create an ECU fault code, on the newer models it does.

 

[AndyStobbs]

To test glow plugs you would be best to leave them in the engine. Connect your meter in series with each one in turn and verify the current drawn while you operate the ignition.

When it cuts out after its initial cold start, does it seem to just die, or a gradual cough and splutter down to nothing?

 

[Marc.]

Probably not but wouldnt have anything to do with the crank or cam sensors would it? The crank sensor wouldnt show up on scantool anyhow... probably not the problem but just a thought.

 

[normspanners]

Do you know if this vehicle has a tank mounted priming pump and if it is working ?

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

Try fitting a piece of clear fuel line to the injector return between 3 and 4 or the last 2 injectors in the system and this will show you if there's any bubbles in it.

 

[normspanners]

Try fitting a piece of clear fuel line to the injector return between 3 and 4 or the last 2 injectors in the system and this will show you if there's any bubbles in it.

from my experience you will always get 'gaps' in the fuel from the leakoff this may not actually be air but cavitation.
the only way to properly check common rail injectors on the engine is to connect a calibrated container to each of the injectors and run the vehicle and then compare the amount leaked off each injector they should be roughly equal but if any are passing amassive amount it won't start anyway, because it will not achieve the nessesary pressure to start. The air from the fuel system usually gets injected through the nozzle and thats what causes the timing to be 'out', and causes the missfire and white smoke.