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Focus 2.0 Duratec hesitates and cuts out *NOW FIXED*
I have an issue with my 2007 Focus 2.0 Duratec HE.
It drives and starts fine but when it has reached working temp while driving, foot on the gas, it starts to stutter and hesitate like I'm running out of fuel, I can carry on driving but it's like it's running on 3 cylinders, loss of power and if I lift off the gas the revs will drop below 500 rpm, hunt like crazy until it eventually stalls, if I crank it over it won't start until I floor the accelerator then it will restart and drive normally for a few minutes then repeat. In a 30 min drive it will do this around 3 or 4 times!
So far I have changed the spark plugs, the gaps on the old ones were nearer 2mm! made no difference. I've cleaned and checked Throttle Body and air intake, the TB was covered in carbon deposits around the edge and engine side, made no difference, I've swapped out coils for an unknown working one, still no difference.
I'm guessing it's fuel / mixture related!? or erratic electrical fault?
I don't think it is IACV related (do I have one!?) I've had issues with a faulty / sticking IACV on other cars and it was fairly clear it was that ie the car stalled when you came off the gas at traffic lights, roundabouts etc erratic idling / hunting and the other one was a 'racing' idle ie it was too high and the car would not slow down when you lifted off the gas. So it was always in an engine idle situation. My issue is happening when I'm driving with foot on the gas.
I really need some technical help on this and you guys know your stuff!
Thanks in advance,
Phil
Last edited by Project Focus; 01-08-2017 at 07:54 AM.
This is one of the old plugs, I'm surprised it was still running with a gap near 2mm! I noticed the middle 2 plugs had oil on the threads but the spark plug wells looked dry, the coils showed no signs of oil in the wells I've replaced with Bosch double platinum which have a 1.3mm gap.
I've swapped each coil for another from a scrapyard so I can't be 100% sure that any of them are good!? If I test them with a multimeter, does anyone know what the readings should be?
I've cleaned out the TB but again I can't be sure it is working 100% as it is 'drive by wire' electronic!! Am I correct in thinking that idle is controlled by the PCM and just slightly opens the throttle, so in theory a faulty electronic TB could shut off completely closing the throttle? would this cause my issue? Could I bench test it?
The engine side of the TB was caked in carbon deposits, I've cleaned it up best I can.
Is that little channel to the left of the TB anything to do with idle control? there is a matching one on the intake manifold.
it will be either the plugs or, more likely, the coilpack
Thanks for your reply
That was my first thought, I've put new plugs in, no change, if it is the coils why is it running at all? surely it wouldn't start or run very lumpy?
I took it for an 'Italian tune up' today and it runs great right through the rev range, plenty of power until suddenly it starts hesitating like I'm out of fuel, I can keep driving but it will cut out as soon as I stop, the revs drop to around 500rpm it hunts tries not to stall but eventually stalls. It will crank but not start until I floor the gas!! then run fine until it repeats the fault!!
Maybe all my coils are stuffed but sometimes work fine? which I doubt.
I also did an ECU reset, let it idle and warm up for around 20 mins, during that time the revs trimmed down nicely to where they should be, shut it off, restarted then took it for drive around for half an hour, it cut out a couple of times, during the end of the run I noticed when it was hesitating it didn't actually cut out but instead the revs were hunting and there was a slight improvement in not stalling, I'll find out tomorrow when I take it for a longer drive.
Maybe my TB has an erratic fault? or I have a fuelling issue !!??
It's just as bad as it was at first, with no improvement at all ! I'm running out of ideas! Will hooking it up to a scanner give me any clue to what is not working even though I'm getting no fault codes!! ?
Well after a lot of head scratching and frustration at getting to totally inaccessible sensors and pointless removing of parts just to get access to pretty important service items, I've finally got this fixed now!
The problem of diagnosing this DIY is 'hesitating and cutting out' can be caused by just about any sensor or component in and around the engine, so it is literally a case of going through each step, checking and cleaning each item until you find the one that is causing it.
but would be better if you knew which part had caused the fault in the first place
I do, it was the EGR valve. This is probably the one thing I hadn't even considered as like many people I thought only diesels had them! But no, the 2.0 petrol Duratec and I assume the 1.8 as well has one hidden away under a cluster of hoses and wiring loom To test it I simply unplugged it's electrical connector and went for a drive, no hesitation and no cutting out, drives flawlessly, it did however bring up an 'engine fault' warning light which I had anticipated. I have now cleaned the EGR valve out, reset ECU and fault light, EGR all connected up and no issues so far, I'm guessing it will only be a temporary solution and may happen again until I replace it.
I assume the valve was sticking open then? Not sure which head is on your Focus but there is a Ford blanking plate for the EGR as they removed it from later Duratecs. You would still get the warning light though http://www.burtonpower.com/egr-blank...-i4-fd180.html
Alternatively I removed the recirculation pipe behind the inlet manifold on my 2.0 Fiesta and blanked it off using an M22 sump drain plug, and no warning light.
I wasn't having any issues was just fitting a different manifold that doesn't accommodate an EGR.
The downside is having to remove the manifold.
Just finished reading down through your thread there. All the while I was thinking it's something being restricted, be it air flow, exhaust gases or a fueling issue with the pump was my next feeling on it. Glad to read you got it sorted.
I assume the valve was sticking open then? Not sure which head is on your Focus but there is a Ford blanking plate for the EGR as they removed it from later Duratecs. You would still get the warning light though http://www.burtonpower.com/egr-blank...-i4-fd180.html
Alternatively I removed the recirculation pipe behind the inlet manifold on my 2.0 Fiesta and blanked it off using an M22 sump drain plug, and no warning light.
I wasn't having any issues was just fitting a different manifold that doesn't accommodate an EGR.
The downside is having to remove the manifold.
I think ultimately an EGR delete or blanking is the way forward on an old engine which has covered a few thousand miles, who needs dirty, oily exhaust gases entering your clean air intake!? it just doesn't make sense except on a very new engine.
Thanks for this post, it has stopped me puling whats left of my hair out!
Got exactly the same problem with the same engine but in a 2.0 L 2006 ford Galaxy.
Ive unplugged the EGR valve and car runs smoothly now, untill I get the time to look at the EGR valve, will it do any damage if I leave it unplugged ?
The 'engine fault' light is on because its unplugged but thats to be expected.
Thanks again
You're welcome! Glad my post has been a help for you and resolved the problem with your Galaxy.
The EGR valve just dumps a burst of dirty hot exhaust gases into your nice clean intake manifold at certain throttle situations. The idea is to 'clean up' the emissions and increase fuel economy, what it actually does is cake your inlet manifold in dirty oily carbon deposits, clearly seen on the back of my throttle valve above. The only thing you want going into the intake manifold is clean cold air, so unplugging it will not affect your engine running at all, except your engine warning light will come on, oddly it doesn't come on when the EGR valve is faulty!
I'm assuming it sticks open when the electronic part of the valve opens it and this causes the engine to hesitate and eventually cut out?
I've left mine unplugged for the last couple of years, runs absolutely perfect, passed 2 MOTs emissions are spot on but my engine fault light is on, so really I need to sort it in case another issue brings the warning light on!
So there are a few options-
1. Unplug and ignore the EGR valve, the engine warning light will come on.
2. Replace the EGR valve., no engine warning light but the problem will happen again in the future.
3. Bypass it some way that makes the ECU 'think' it is still working.
I think it looks easy to remove the electronic part of the EGR valve, it's like a solenoid on top of the mechanical part of the EGR valve, maybe something can be done to make the solenoid activate but not open the valve?
Last edited by Project Focus; 20-09-2019 at 08:43 PM.
You're welcome! Glad my post has been a help for you and resolved the problem with your Galaxy.
The EGR valve just dumps a burst of dirty hot exhaust gases into your nice clean intake manifold at certain throttle situations. The idea is to 'clean up' the emissions and increase fuel economy, what it actually does is cake your inlet manifold in dirty oily carbon deposits, clearly seen on the back of my throttle valve above. The only thing you want going into the intake manifold is clean cold air, so unplugging it will not affect your engine running at all, except your engine warning light will come on, oddly it doesn't come on when the EGR valve is faulty!
I'm assuming it sticks open when the electronic part of the valve opens it and this causes the engine to hesitate and eventually cut out?
I've left mine unplugged for the last couple of years, runs absolutely perfect, passed 2 MOTs emissions are spot on but my engine fault light is on, so really I need to sort it in case another issue brings the warning light on!
So there are a few options-
1. Unplug and ignore the EGR valve, the engine warning light will come on.
2. Replace the EGR valve., no engine warning light but the problem will happen again in the future.
3. Bypass it some way that makes the ECU 'think' it is still working.
I think it looks easy to remove the electronic part of the EGR valve, it's like a solenoid on top of the mechanical part of the EGR valve, maybe something can be done to make the solenoid activate but not open the valve?
Thank you, I'll leave it unplugged.
You're right about the replacing thr EGR valve. I couldn't believe it would play up after 6 months as this is the second EGR valve I've had fitted. The first time I had the engine warning light come up and my Mechanic saw the fault code for the EGR valve and replaced it.
That was the reason I was baffled by what the problem could be as I have a shiny new one sitting there, I replaced the air shut off valves thinking that was the problem, but disappointed when the problem returned. I was then turning to the throttle assembly as I read your post!
So your prediction no 2 is correct and it seems that the logic of having an EGR valve is a bit flawed and I will look into the your point no 3 and see what can be done.
Thanks for your help
29-07-2017, 08:40 AM
Focus 2.0 Duratec hesitates and cuts out *NOW FIXED*
made no difference. I've cleaned and checked Throttle Body and air intake, the TB was covered in carbon deposits around the edge and engine side, made no difference, I've swapped out coils for an unknown working one, still no difference.
I've replaced with Bosch double platinum which have a 1.3mm gap.
To test it I simply unplugged it's electrical connector and went for a drive, no hesitation and no cutting out, drives flawlessly, it did however bring up an 'engine fault' warning light which I had anticipated. I have now cleaned the EGR valve out, reset ECU and fault light, EGR all connected up and no issues so far, I'm guessing it will only be a temporary solution and may happen again until I replace it.
