S-Max 2.0 tdci starting problems

[Garfield]

Our love affair with the S-max is waning as bits fall off it and things go wrong, I swore after my 1986 XR2 never to buy another Ford and should have stuck to it, if only Fords manufacturing dept was as good as their design dept.

When trying to start the car it will crank the engine only for ~5secs presumably to protect the starter/cat, it will fire once or twice but not fire up each attempt, after a lot of tries it will fire up and run normally, this happens with both hot and cold engines. the Ford dealer found no faults on the computer and said the battery was low despite spinning the engine quite fast, £85 on a new battery and the problem is still there.

Anyone with their finger on what's left of Ford's pulse have any ideas????.

Other faults in the 2 years / 37k we've had the car

Heated front screen, most elements failed

Vinyl gearstick boot worn through twice

Centre console lid fell apart

Handbrake lever trim fell off

Chrome plating on gearstick peeling off and cuts our hands

Rear screen "spontaneously" shattered

Rear H/L brake light failed

Loose connections on the DVD player

We bought a new car with the intention of keeping it and driving it into the ground after ~8yrs but this thing looks like being written off after three.

Garfield

 

[Tapestry]

Hi

We've had our S max 2 lt Titanium potentially the same time as you got yours. To date we haven't had the difficuties you mention. We still like the S max. We tow a Bailey Pageant Bretangue with ours.The S Max tows like a dream.

The tyres have been replaced due to business mileage. 2 things we have experienced - faulty car alarm, it sounded the minute you locked the car, that was 12 months ago over Christmas New Year Period, garages shut and we had relocated to a new area.

The other being a faulty lock on the bonnet which didn't release so unable to top up water etc. Garage sorted it out.

We see lots of S Max's towing caravans.

Annette

 

[otherclive]

I would take it to a diesel specialist. I have a Sorento which started to blow blue smoke when on a cold start. The dealer told me it was normal, and that it was steam! I then used my warrant direct policy and all that their garage did was use some fuel system cleaner, which I had alraedy done, and told them so. The local Bosch specialist did some checks and then recommended the injectors should be ultra sonically cleaned. Not cheap (

 

[seth1]

hello Garfield,i,ll have to eat my own words here ,always banging on about common rail.but its starting to prove troublesome,everyone should have stuck with unit injectors.

the system now adopted by car makers is the same as the big stuff we repair,bosch EDC 7. we too are having problems ie blowing holes in piston crowns,bad starting,fuel consumption,but on big industrial diesels.your problem sounds like low fuel pressure,either leaking injectors (maybe just 1,this leads to no rail pressure),bad high pressure pump,maybe fuel running back.pulling air in.faulty M prop valve on hp pump this controls rail pressure.also the common rail sensor could be giving wrong readings to the ECM this wont allow it to start.

as a guide for the engine to start ,500bar fuel pressure is required,on torque demand this will rise to 1650bar,do not undo high pressure pipes.the big demise of common rail is how the fuel filter is changed and what method used.get ford to monitor fuel pressure when cranking,500 bar should be instant. hope this helps. seth

 

[Icemaker]

sounds a bit strange you having all these problems garfield, our s max is just aproaching 18 month old and appart from the stalling problem when it was new which was sorted with a new computer map being installed by ford we have had absolutely no problems at all.

all the trim still looks like new all the bits and bobs still work as they should and the car still drives as if it where new which is pretty good going considering the car is used mostly as a tow car.

i will admit the fuel consumption has dropped down to just 40 mpg now from an average of 44 but ive put that down to the cold spell and having to drive mostly in the dark with the lights and heater on.

We cant fault our smax at all and can highly recomend the car as a good tug.

 

[Garfield]

An update

The S-max went into the garage two weeks ago for a service and sort the starting problems - we haven't seen it since, when Ford finally agreed to talk to the garage, they suggested a sticking EGR valve which turned out to be full of soot. On reassembly the car appeared to be ok untill the final check before ringing us to collect it when it was difficult to start and then went into limp mode and stuck there.

We cannot afford to replace this car, a brand new car was a once in a lifetime luxury for us and there's little else on the market that suits our needs,

4x4's - any that are as big inside as the S-max with three proper seats in the 2nd row are too thirsty but perhaps a 2nd hand Landcruiser for

 

[Garfield]

Called in at the garage this morning to find the car with the gearbox out waiting for a new DMF to be fitted.

 

[Garfield]

Got the S-max back on Wednesday after having new egr valve and DMF fitted, the DMF was badly worn after 37,000 mainly motorway miles, it ran ok for a few days then took 10 attemts to start it this morning, it's just 11 days till we drive to Andorra then Switzerland with it (or probably without it)

FORD - First On Rubbish Dump

FORD - Fix Or Repair Daily

 

[seth1]

Hello Garfeld,with respect mate,there will always be one problem car but the main problem you,ve got is not the car,but finding a decent service centre to repair it.

Although the flywheel was well worn this must,nt be the problem,and neither is the egr,which i presume the dealer will stand.surly this cannot be that hard to elliminate.

 

[xtrailman]

garfield

hopfully its just a poor connection onto the many sensors fitted to new cars nowadays.

after all the engine as been out.

 

[Icemaker]

neither the egr or the dmf would cause starting problems anyway, i think whoever is looking at this car needs to take a look at theire training again before taking on any more vehicles.

my transit used to have problems with egr valves, all that happened was the car started to smoke badly with jet black smoke but it never failled to start.

our s max is still working and running superbly, the only problem is some idiot decided to pull out on me on friday and now the car needs a new front bumper, wing, passenger door and alloy wheel plus the steering sorting out.

becouse the accident was not my fault my insurance company have decided to give me a car "equivalent" to mine, when i told them it needs to have a tow bar they decided to send a discovery but i sent it straight back unless they would pay for the fuel so they are bringing a freelander tomorow morning, still a bit thirsty and unnecessary in my eyes but if its all they have then i supose i will have to make do, i just hope we get the s max back before we go away in a fortnight.

 

[Garfield]

The local Ford dealer that did the work has only been a Ford dealer for a year or so however they were told to check the EGR and flywheel by the main Ford technical guys!. Today we took the car over to the Dealer we bought the car from, that have been selling Fords for about 80 yrs.

Hopefully Jennings will find the problem and if it wasn't the flywheel at least it's been replaced in warranty, apparently the mechanic who changed the flywheel said the clutch looked like new with virtually no wear so at least they can't accuse us of abuse.

 

[seth1]

sounds like the reason for replacing the flywheel,would be the fact the engine position sensor takes a reading of the flywheel as to tell the EDC ecm when to open the injectors for the firing stoke,in other words fuel delievery timing,although i can,t be sure but i would expect an engine position sensor on the camshaft too.with a worn flywheel,in the back and to motion it would knock the timing out.which it does but is only seen on tick over.

 

[Garfield]

Jennings rang today to say they can find no problems, no fault codes and it's starting first turn every time!!!.

To put things in perspective, our freinds that have a Renault Espace said "Only one breakdown in 2 years - that's brilliant!" and reliability and build quality issues aside there's nothing else on the market that ticks as many boxes as the S-max for us

 

[xtrailman]

My sons BMW series 1, has been cutting out, that is the engine has just cut off, while driving.

Hes just had the crankcase sensor changed. Apparantly there is two?.

Also his model has a cam sensor.

The cutting out while driving, and failing to start, problems were random.

When the AA put there code reader on both these faults showed, However the BMW garage advised changing just the crankcase. So far its been ok, one week.

 

[David_374396455]

I have an Smax 2.0 Diesel,we have had it for 2 years now, It hasnt been perfect.

Our Centre consol lid fell apart, and I had to repair it.

We have had to have a module replaced on the car alarm as it kept going off a few weeks ago.

We also had a fault on the lights but this was due to the people who fitted the towbar, though in conjunction with my dealer, and they rectified it as a warranty item

We have been really pleased with the car, comfort is good, and has plenty of power to tow our van (avondale 630)

Its often the case that you can get a car with problems, I also have a new BMW and I am on first name terms with all the service team, office staff, and the man who clean s my car weekly as thats how often I was in there at one time.

My Ford dealer has always sorted any niggle I have had, and quickly, If I am not happy they know it, and they sort it, Dealers do make a difference

My BMW dealer is equally as helpful, and now they have sorted the misfire problem my BMW is fine.

I used to have a Mondeo ST220, it did 100000 miles in three years and never gave me a single problem.

Its just a lottery with cars, even when you pay more, it doesnt always help, maybe we should all just buy Toyotas!!

 

[adrian_5071472]

we had a renault scenic that had a very similar problem.only started after we had head gasket changed.it was off the road more than on it.

they changed the fuel pump, injectors, crankshaft speed sensor, heater plugs,a few other things,in the end they found that it was where the fuel pump went into the housing,there is a rubber seal of some kind,and when the pump was removed,or refitted the seal had split and wasnt sealing,it took 3 garages,and 6 months for them to find it,we ran it for another 6 months till mot ran out this january,when it needed another

 

[Garfield]

Just got back from our annual ski trip where the S-max behaved itself despite being totally buried in snow twice, 35mpg cruising at 85mph with a ski box on the roof and not an inch to spare inside, BUT two days at home and the windscreen wipers went literally mad!!, starting on their own going fast, slow intermittent etc my wife was unable to turn them off untill they died completely, I've just read a reliability survey that ranks the S-max even lower than Landrover!.