[rich the stag]

Hi all,
Ive got a starting problem with my 2004 c max 2.0 tdci...but only sometimes!
When i start the engine,it misfires,you cant rev it..if you do there are clouds of blue smoke and it cuts out.I let it tickover and all of a sudden there is a little click from the engine and the car is then fine.The car has been on the diagnostic check and shock no faults were found!Also have a flat spot through the gears but again only sometimes.I keep coming back to the EGR valve.Could this be the problem.Have been quoted £130+vat (exchange) for a new valve,but as the car is out of warranty i need to make sure this is the problem.
Any help would be welcome.
Regards,
Richard.

 

[Richard G]

a lot of posts here
http://www.focusowners.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=116
about 2.0L TDCI problems including flat spots at around 1700 rpm

 

[Realtor]

the exsakt same problem as in my c-max. If the fixing of the egr valve sorts the problem, please reply here. I find myself sitting and restarting the car up to 50 times, before it finnaly can rev, and there is no problem before it stands overnight again.

 

[Ravenger]

Sounds like a stuck EGR valve. A very common problem on 2.0 TDCi's. Can be caused by doing lots of short journeys where the car doesn't get warm enough to burn off soot and other deposits. A good blast down a motorway is recommended every now and again to give everything a clean out.

 

[Dan]

Depending on which model you have you can usually just disconnect the EGR valve and block it off (I think newer ones use electric ones so that might be different).

Its a common Ford fault and I've had it with a petrol focus and cougar and a diesel mondeo as well! All cured by just blocking it off.

have a look here for more info: (its based on a US focus but should be roughly the same)
http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=80

 

[Realtor]

will that also work on a diesel c-max?

 

[Ravenger]

Disconnecting the valve won't work - it has a connection to the ECU, so the car won't work with it disconnected. Blanking the EGR valve is possible for someone who is reasonable comfortable fiddling with car engines. There's a how-to guide on the net somewhere that someone from a ford focus forum posted.

Allegedly most of the EGR problems have now been solved with both a software update (that cycles the valve when you turn the car electrics on) and a modified valve.

 

[Richard G]

Just to correct a couple of points regarding the EGR valve and especially the link on the focus hacks



All Diesel engines are fitted with an electronic EGR valve as they don't have any manifold vacuum to operate the valve. I haven't yet been able to determine just what other sensors interact (with the TDCI)to give the amount of EGR that is allowed around but it does differ for various engine / load characteristics

Most of the petrol engine EGR valves (used to) work with manifold vacuum against a spring with increased vacuum at partial and closed throttle shutting the valve rather than opening it. The valve will normally stick partially or fully open giving a very erratic idle as the excess oxides of nitrogen come round and significantly reduce the air fuel ratio.

A tap on the top of the valve with a hammer handleSHOULD shake it loose each time and a liitle coppaslip on the EGR valve stem eventually cleans it enough not to stick (well it did on my previous Cavalier with the ecotech engine)