hi all, I have a 52 plate 1.8 TDDI focus, when I first picked it up I drove 130 miles home, no problems untill getting into London and stop start traffic, got loss of power if I put accelerator to the floor the car hardly moved and got a lot of black smoke out the exhaust. The problem never happened the next day in normal traffic, but I cleaned the EGR with Wynns cleaner, I changed engine oil and filter, diesel filter, and air filter, no repeat of the problem, untill I got caught in slow moving traffic again the other day, then I got loss of power and black smoke, I turned the engine off fir a few seconds, and it seemed to cure it. Any ideas what it could be? Just to add that when it last happened, I stopped and took my tow all cover off, and there was black oil on the underside of the tow ball cover.
any help much appreciated....
p.s the car doesn't run hot, and it runs fine untill I bit slow moving traffic
many thanks
essexboys.

 

Get a fault code reader on it. Although the gauge may say it's not running hot it could be a dodgy sender or an oil heat issue.

Sounds like it's going in to limp mode for a reason

 

Thanks caddyshack I will buy a fault code reader see what messages I'm getting

 

You will need a specific Ford code reader.
A generic EOBD/OBD2 scanner will not work on a 2002 diesel.

 

Any recommendations for a fault code reader to buy?
many thanks
essexboys