75ZT Community

If this is totally out of order posting regarding a non-Rover on here then please delete this guys, but am at a loss.

My sister has a 2000 Ford Focus Diesel Duratorq and she was driving in the rain - it has been raining on and off all day today - on a dual carriageway doing approx 50-60 MPH. She pulled out to overtake a van and the car lost power - may have stopped running - she's not sure - but she had her foot planted and it wasn't accelerating. She says it felt like when you just get to the front of a lorry you are overtaking on the motorway, how it sort of pushes you back. The Glow Plug light came on whilst this was happening.

She managed to get the car over to the hard shoulder and she turned it off. After a minute or so to gather herself back together she turned the ignition back on, waited for the glow plug light to go out and it started straight away and there were no further problems for the remaining 1 mile journey home.

She's not sure if it produced any smoke at the same time as it lost power/cut out.

It has recently had a service and a new intercooler and associated seals.

It starts first time every time, so I don't think it is the camshaft or crank sensors.

My thoughts are something to do with water in the electrics? However it has been fine in the wet before.

I don't have any experience of Ford Diesels.

Does anyone have any ideas? Any pointers for where I should start my investigations?

Thanks in advance

Chris

I'm no expert on diesels let alone ones inside Focus' but my thoughts immediately recall similar instances that affect MG/Rover diesel units whereby water intake (normally road spray such as the conditions you have described) get in through the air intake and affect the MAF (Mass Air Flow Sensor) sensor. The water somehow inhibits the signal or renders the sensor inoperable for a short period (usually until it dries out) during this time though the ECU (Engine Control Unit) defaults to an emergency program which is nearly always a low-power mode designed to get you home (aka 'limp home mode').

The glow plug light could have been a red-herring but equally could also indicate that water may have got into the system and cooled the plugs down therefore tricking the ECU into thinking they needed preheating to avoid a stall in combustion.

A diagnostic tool on the car should reveal any fault codes flagged which may indicate a loss of MAF signal for a short period. However, if the car is driving fine now and there is no repeat of the incident in normal conditions then you might assume that the above theory to be what may have happened and therefore nothing serious to worry about.

Hopefully some of our diesel experts will be along to confirm/correct me on this though!

Beat me to it, was going to say MAF. It is such a weak point on all diesels it appears to me. I see so many in the workshop.

I agree with most of what Simon says.

However if water was cooling the glowplugs you would be in much bigger trouble.

Normally, the glowplugs would only come on just after ignition on. They sometimes stay on after starting (post heat) but the light would not be on.

I would suggest water somewhere, though engine ECU is most likely IMHO. Don't know if the Focus uses the engine ECU to control glow, but probably.

So start by checking plenums if the car has them!

Is she sure it was the glowplug lamp?

Thanks for the clarification Duncan

Thanks a lot guys - some stuff for me to look at for her.

It was definitely the glow plug light.

I have a good google session and found some interesting stuff, particularly related to glow plug fault.

Seems cam sensor, ipc sensor or even the accelerator pedal could be at fault.

Chris

Sounds like too much water/spray got in the engine bay and shorted a few elec connections. I think a bit of serious underbonnet water proofing is called for..
...

Some modern Fords use the glowplug light as the engine management light, water in the MAF certainly sounds feasible also we've changed a fair few throttle pedals on transits for similar faults, if you can't see anything obvious get your local Ford dealer to plug it in & do a diagnostic on it

James.uk wrote:Sounds like too much water/spray got in the engine bay and shorted a few elec connections. I think a bit of serious underbonnet water proofing is called for..
...

Yep. Big can of WD40 will be going with me and any wiring better watch out, it's gonna get it.

Chris

DeuxGazoles wrote:Some modern Fords use the glowplug light as the engine management light, water in the MAF certainly sounds feasible also we've changed a fair few throttle pedals on transits for similar faults, if you can't see anything obvious get your local Ford dealer to plug it in & do a diagnostic on it

Thanks Col

Am going to check the obvious stuff I have been told about.

One guy said is a sensor near the intercooler and maybe they haven't reconnected it properly when it was replaced?? Also poor quality fuel filters can apparently cause similar problems. So stuff like that I'll have a look at.

Have heard it is approx £90 for Ford to do a diagnostic, so I will try and avoid that for her, for as long as possible.

Thanks

Chris

DeuxGazoles wrote:Some modern Fords use the glowplug light as the engine management light

Ah that might explain it.

Could be just about anything in the system then.

Duncan wrote:

DeuxGazoles wrote:Some modern Fords use the glowplug light as the engine management light

Ah that might explain it.

Could be just about anything in the system then.

My thoughts exactly Duncan

Chris

I just realised I never got back with what the fault was.....

Well I tried everything but in the end we had to get it to the local Ford Dealer who duly diagnosed the Accelerator pedal as being the culprit. They are just like a Scalextric controller really and the Ford ones apparently wear out at about the 100k mark.

I popped a new on for her and she's not had a problem since