UKC

My trusty old 1.8 TDDi ford focus has a problem starting, but I'm stumped as to why.

It wouldn't start a month ago, so I got the RAC out. Wouldn't jumpstart, but managed to bump it by towing behind the recovery truck. Took it to the garage, they put a new starter motor in.

After that, it did half a dozen starts and short journeys before sitting idle for three weeks. Come Friday, it wouldn't start.

Jumped it, took it to the garage, they put a new battery in. I was a bit surprised as I thought it was OK - 12.35V unloaded, 11.5V when trying to start (but not turning over) and only 3 years old. Either way, it now started so paid up and on my way.

This weekend, it started 5 times and failed twice on a trip to Glencoe. I got it going with jump leads both times, though bizarrely the battery voltage seemed OK (12.5V), and the built in battery hydrometer was indicating charged. The dash lights dim when I try to crank it, so electricity is going somewhere.

The alternator is OK, as when the engine is running the battery voltage is ~14V. I don't think something is running it down, as it started fine twice after separate 12 hours sitting, and once failed after a 45 minute break. The other failure was after a 12 hour break. The only other clue is a blown headlight, but that might be just coincidence.


So any ideas what's wrong? Loose connection somewhere?
And it looks like I've paid for a battery unnecessarily, what's the chance of getting my money back?


Jack

In reply to Jack B:

Dodgy earth somewhere.

Follow the negative lead from the battery, it should eventually be strapped to the body. Make sure this is solid along its length, and undo the connection to the body and clean it, then re-make it. This may solve a lot of problems.

Do the same for any other earth straps to the engine etc..

In reply to Jack B:

Ambient air temp sensor, seen a few of these screw peoples heads!

In reply to THETWIG007:

If it is Ambient Air Temp then this can be checked with any EuCD compliant Diagnostics tool (bought very cheaply from ebay, or a J1962 BT Dongle and a smartphone app)

In reply to THETWIG007:

That's interesting. Does this affect the pre heat glo plugs or something?

In reply to dingbat46:
I think the bad earth is possible, I'll have a look tomorrow when it's light.

I'm not sure on the air temperature sensor. When I turn the key, the lights dim but the engine doesn't turn over. I don't understand how a failed sensor could cause that?

I think it may be too old for a standard diagnostics tool - it's the mk1 facelift with a TDDi Endura-D engine, 52 plate. It does have a handy feature where you can display fault codes on the dash though, and reports none. No engine light either.

In reply to Jack B:
Headlamps dim, starter motor doesn't engage (possibly just a click).

As a previous poster said, check in this order:

1/ engine earth strap, usually from a point on gearbox to near side chassis leg. If you can unbolt and give the contact surfaces a rub with a bit of sandpaper.
2/ battery earth strap
3/ drop test battery, you might have 12.5 volts, but only one viable cell!
4/ starter motor
5/ (specific to ford diesels) flywheel fault; collapsed/failed dual mass flywheel.

Fiver says it's an earth strap though!

It's a pure electrical or (remotely) mechanical fault, not electronic, so would not store a fault code or put the light on.

Cheers Adam

In reply to Jack B:

Just re-read your OP, the starter the garage fitted, was it generic or OE?

The aftermarket starters for the Ford TDDI/Ci are notoriously rubbish. Take it back to the garage that fitted the starter and get them to check it/ replace with one from a different source. I had a spell of fitting two starters to every ford; the record is four till we found a good one. Luckily they are easy to change.

Cheers Adam

In reply to butteredfrog:

Back form the garage today, and it was in fact a bad starter. Replaced under warranty, and they refunded me the invoice for the the battery too, which they could probably have got out of (they reckoned the battery would have only been replaced if it failed a test, but had already disposed of it so couldn't check).

Shame they didn't catch the bad starter the first time back, but everyone makes mistakes and they've refunded it. It cost me some inconvenience jumpstarting it in Glencoe, but I've got a new battery to replace a two year old one. So all in all I'm happy, and I'd recommend them to others (Bassaguard, St Andrews).

In reply to Jack B:

Good that you got it resolved. As a mechanic you assume that any parts you fit are good, it throws you a big curved ball when they turn out to be defective.

Cheers Adam