Mondeo tdci - turbo problem

[LMH]

Hi

I'm on my second 2L TDCi. It had its first MOT and a its usual major service two weeks ago.

A day or so after picking it up from the garage, the glow plug started flashing and there was a loss of power from 3 - 4 gear. I booked it into the garage and they agreed that if this was a warranty item, it would be covered. (As my warranty was about to run out in a couple of days). I had to wait a week to get in. The same problem has happed probably six times since its initial glow plug light started coming on.

The garage had it in today and when I went to collect it, they said the 'turbo had gone'. This is a three year old car with average mileage which has had a full service three times.

I asked how much it would cost to repair if we had to pay for it and he said, it's a big job, at a guess around £500. They have ordered the part and told me they will ring me when the part's in and in the meantime its ok to drive.

Anyway - the reason why I'm a bit hyper about this is we had an 02 reg Zetec TDCi and when it was just out of warranty, the diesel pump cracked and contaminated all four injectors with tiny particles. the cost of having that repaired was horrendous.

After that occurance, I researched and found that a lot of 02 and 52 plates had similar problems and Ford were well aware of it.

The questions are (sorry for rambling here), when they replace the turbo what is the likleyhood of anything else connected to that going wrong?

I did ask if when they had replaced the turbo would the work be guaranteed and they said no.

How can the 'turbo go' - the whole point of my buying a TDCi was for a decent BHP and a bit of poke for towing.

I asked why this problem hadn't been picked up on the service/MOT and they said it's not a test item.

Is there anything else we should be asking the garage (Ford garage)? Or any suggestions people can make would be useful.

We have looked after both cars and have never had two cars of the same model with similar very expensive problems.

Lisa

 

[DeliDave]

Havehttp://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.php?showforum=64 had a quick look on Mondeos section and have not seen any problem with turbos immediately apparent.It might be worth registering and posting question there they are very helpful usually

 

[DeliDave]

sorry,'have' is in wrong place no edit :-(

 

[JasonR_374341560]

Unusual in my experience for a turbo to go.

More likely to be one of the hoses from the intercooler. If it loses pressure through a split you lose power under load as the turbo has no pressure.

I can't see that Glowplug would have anything to do with turbo failure.

Typical fitter rather than mechanics approach may be! Throw new parts at it and solve whatever the problem might be. Can you not get a second opinion for the sake of your pocket.

 

[LMH]

Thanks for the replies. I thought the glowplug light came on when there were problems with the engine management system.

Jason - it's not costing us anything this time as they are doing it under warranty.

There's loads of stuff about this type of thing with 02/52 regs, I know that because I found them when I was looking for info when the first car's injectors (all four) were contaminated.

Dave - thanks for the link, I'll post something on there.

Lisa

 

[LMH]

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/?t=8442&v=f
These are old articles but you can get the gist about my 52 reg TDCi (my previous one wasn't 02).

Lisa

 

[S-MaxJon]

I had the turbo pipe go on my 52 TDCi which resulted in black smoke etc.Warranty cured it.

The flashing glowplug is well documented on Mondeo sites but basically it is down to the Engine management system or the injectors need reprogramming.Very common fault and don't let Fraud rip you off.Very easily rectified.

 

[ThePlotter]

Lisa,I have had six mondeos and not had a problem with the turbo(touch wood) even though some were company/high mileage cars.Until recently I had as you know two 130bhp Mondeos without hitch I suggest you take it to another Ford dealer to sort it.I cant see how the glowplug has anything to do with the turbo and not sure that its ok to drive while waiting for the parts,which also puzzles me why it is taking them so long to get a turbo.

The work is not to be guaranteed,that statement alone is enough to make me worry.

 

[LMH]

Thanks Plotts, if I email my phone number to you would you mind speaking to Phil about this please? (He can ring you back free calls and all that).

Lisa

 

[JasonR_374341560]

Sorry Lisa that's what I was getting at. Turbo has nothing to do with glow plugs or injectors. So I can't understand what is going on!

 

[LMH]

Thanks Plotts and Jason, sounds a bit fishy to me.

I dealt with the service bloke last night and I was polite but firm etc. When I said I wouldn't have expected this type of thing on a three year old car, he politely pointed out that this sort of thing could go wrong in a car which was one day old! Obvioulsy I gave him a few choice words.

If Phil can speak to Plotts today and get further advice, I'm going to get Phil to ring the garage and find out exactly what's going on.

Lisa

 

[Royston]

Hi Lisa,

Is this a genuine Ford garage that has the computer that lists all the snags that the on board computer is listing.

Reason for asking I had a simular problem with my Vauxhall,

the glow plug light came on after the engine had started,which meant that the onboard computer registered a fault, the garage computer indicated that one of the glowplugs was faulty and the was was changed along with the garage removing the fault.

The engine management system has a different icon when this light comes on you experience a sudden drop in engine revs, you need to pull up asap and switch the engine off restart and the icon light should remain off, mind did this but when the engine was cold not up to normal running temp, if I raised the engine revs for the turbo to cut in the icon light would come on.

back to the garage the fault was down due to a bad earth somewhere , all connections where retightened, no more problems turbo was and still is okay.

 

[LMH]

Hi Royston, yes it is a proper Ford garage, they serviced it and did its first MOT a couple of weeks ago. Yes, they have connected it to the computer.

What happens is: (this is an intermittent fault):

Start engine up, pull off, when you go from 3rd to 4th, loss of power, glow plug comes on. I pull over asap, turn engine off, wait for five minutes, at the time of writing, the car is then fine.

Lisa

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi lisa

I would definitly get a second opinion before you have the work done especialy as the garage says their work is not garaunteed and any future work will be done out of warranty the reason for this is two fold.

1. it is very unusual for a ford to blow a turbo without taking out the intercooler with it due to oil contamination. ( happened to me twice ) I have had about 6 fords with turbos petrol and diesel usually these cars are bullit proof and 100% reliable but the hoses do split or get blocked from time to time.

2.the warning light you describe (the glow plug light )comming on at the same time as a loss in power is a indication that the ECU has detected a fault and put the engine in safe mode so to speak this warning light is not the same as the stop service light which indicates a major engine or electricasl failure has occured. but merely a warning that something is wrong resarting usualy clears it untill the fault happens again in which case the light comes on again.

many,many things can illuminate this warning from faulty bulb to a blocked pipe but when it comes on under power it usually indicates something is amiss in the fuel or exhaust dept ie,exaust recycling valve or EGR to you and me and yes it could indicate a turbo fault as well BUT!! and this is a big BUT if the turbo has gone the cars performance will be (akin to a stallion running through a bog) absolute crap.

so if you do have power some of the time it may not be the turbo,but somthing else. usually if the turbo goes there is clouds of black smoke (because the turbo is oil fed) and this burns off in the exhaust destroying the cat (if fitted)as well!!.

so get a second opinion first, sorry to be a bit long winded and I hope not too technical but I am trying to cover all the bases and save you money.the last time a turbo went on me (a ford mondeo 1.8td) it cost

 

[LMH]

Thanks Colin

I'm going to show Phil the replies on here and ask him to ring the garage and ask exactly what is wrong with it as the sales chap I dealt with last night was bit dippy.

How can we get a second opinion if the garage has definately ordered a spare part?

Lisa

 

[LMH]

Not 'sales' - I meant 'service chap'.

Lisa

 

[ThePlotter]

Lisa,I have spoken to the service manager at my local Ford garage who I know well and he has given me various bits of info so I will try and ring Phil tonight if I dont forget.

 

[LMH]

Thanks Plotts, that's greatly appreciated.

Lisa x

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi lisa

my main concern about your post is the fact that the warranty work will not be garunteed by them and should any problem occur later you will be left to foot the bill should a new turbo not cure the fault. as I said in my post it is unusual for the turbo to go faulty, but still work if you see what I mean .

a turbo usually lets go with catasropic results as happend to me or it stops boosting and the complete lack of power is noticable all the time. I do feel the fault could be elsewhere either on the ERG valve or waste gate and MAP sensor which is why I suggested a second oppinion.

colin

 

[mostavern]

I had a simular problem with a 53 plated focus tdci a year ago, the glowplug light flashed and loss of power and it took the ford dealers a few days to work out as they origionally had no idea what the problem was and it turned out to be a faulty crankshaft sensor !! maywell be worth looking into

 

[DeliDave]

i can check stock at Daventry parts center if you need me to just email

 

[ThePlotter]

Marky P that rings a bell I had a problem and it was cured by swopping the crankshaft sensor but I think that was on a 1.8 Mondeo td but the symptoms were a bit like those that Lisa (birthday girl) is suffering.

 

[Sedo]

Hi LMH just as a matter of interest, a friend of ours BMW 3 series (diesel) turbo expired last year at about 55,000 miles. Luckily it was a company car. He's a careful driver as well, doesn't thrash his motors. His wife contacted the contract guy at his company when the rocket like noise was getting a bit much. It actually fully expired on the contract guy as he drove it back to base. Cost about

 

[smiley]

We had our turbo go on the car 20 minutes after getting off the boat.

Anyway if you ring Ford and tell them this problem started a while ago and wasn't fixed they will most probably do under warranty.

I had my car repaired under warranty 3 weeks after it expired (vauxhall) talking to them I found out that although they give 3years they can repair under warrantly depending on your mileage.

Just ring ford and ask it might save you a lot of money for a phone call.

 

[ThePlotter]

Any more news Lisa