Intermittent Poor Starting - especially on a nice day

[Spiffincheese]

Hi All, Im looking for some ideas on what to look for on my 2020 2.0 Ecobue custom. I've owned from new and full service history 22K miles. A few months ago I had an injector replaced after it brought a fault code up for a leaking injector along with the spanner. Now ok and fault hasnt re-appeared. Problem is that occasionally it will take 3 or 4 attempts for it to start, seems fuel is not present, I proved that with a squirt of cold start. At other times it starts first or second turn of the engine and once running runs fine with good fuel pressure matching the command pressure. No smoke out the exhaust, slightly lumpy for a few seconds. I fitted a new battery since it was dropping below 11V or so and was 5 years old, no difference, it cranks at a good speed. It is definitely worse when the weather is warm which is strange and it does stink a bit when it has the problem. There is nothing obvious under the covers and no fuel on the ground. Im thinking fuel leakback or into the pots but no fault code as before. Air leaking into system perhaps, where to start? Ive not been monitoring the oil level but with no fault code I have ruled out a leaky into the pot fault just now. I cant trust the van to use daily until I pin in down. Many thanks for any help received. Location is Fife in Scotland. Cheers

[metalworker0]

when you say it stinks a bit ... what of?

i would look at the fuel filter first.

also make a point of listening to the fuel pump running in the tank, for the first few seconds when the ignition first turned on, what it sounds like and if you still hear the same when there is trouble.

clean the maf sensor .. which also i think incorporates the air temperature sensor .

a fault with temperature reading too high or low, would give the pcm the wrong info . and underfuel it or overfuel it on start up

you'll see the air intake temperatures on forscan

all the best.mark

[Spiffincheese]

when you say it stinks a bit ... what of?

i would look at the fuel filter first.

also make a point of listening to the fuel pump running in the tank, for the first few seconds when the ignition first turned on, what it sounds like and if you still hear the same when there is trouble.

clean the maf sensor .. which also i think incorporates the air temperature sensor .

a fault with temperature reading too high or low, would give the pcm the wrong info . and underfuel it or overfuel it on start up

you'll see the air intake temperatures on forscan

all the best.mark

Thanks Mark
It smells of fuel vapour but I can see any anywhere but not checked the filter or housing, will do that next.

When I initially had the injector problem, I also had a temperature sensor fault so I cleaned the MAF which never helped and the cleaned the MAP sensor that did the trick and cleared the fault. If Im correct the MAF is on the airbox outlet to the turbo and the MAP is on the engine intake feed pipe. I dont have Forscan yet, I tried to download it but got into difficulties, the website wont even open on my mac, I'll have another go, I have Car scanner app and a bluetooth ELM327 adapter that seems to read most sensors, nothing jumping out as odd as far as I can see. Ive been advised to do a leakoff check on the injectors but the mechanic didnt have the correct adapters for this type of injector, I'll need to find some kit. I have a video and a photo of the replaced injector but can seem to attach them. Cheers

[metalworker0]

i don't think the ELM works with anything of late ... meaning; made in the last 10 years.

i hear you now need the "VLinker interface lead" to work with the latest forscan and later engines.


all the best.mark

[metalworker0]

When i was going on about listening to the fuel tank fuel pump kick in , i was remembering and going on info here in posts over the past couple of years .. there had been failures of fuel pump module , well some call it a module .. but really its a relay and is above the tank. ford call it "control assy - fuel pump drive"

Anyway this does not mean go out and buy it ... it means do the checks as advised above .. as it seems a more common failure on the ecoblues. and this is using other info, going off the amount actually sold on ebay

all the best.mark

[Spiffincheese]

Hello again.

I was speaking to a mechanic today and he believed the the fuel rail should maintain the pressure when you switch the ignition off. On this van the pressure dissipates to zero immediately, he's suspecting excessive leak back on at least one injector and advised its a good starting point to do a leak off check, cheap and fairly easy. It looks very fast to me as if a solenoid valve has opened, is there such a thing? Started ok twice today after a couple of engine turns.
Cheers

[metalworker0]

just looked for valves ..... there is a fuel metering valve ....... no one way valves on the pipes from the tank... but the actual tank pump could have one in it.

but you're saying the fuel rails should hold pressure.

give the leak back test a go ... kits about £18 on ebay

should not have to replace injectors on a 20,000 mile van!

all the best.mark

[Jamiecsport]

Hi All, Im looking for some ideas on what to look for on my 2020 2.0 Ecobue custom. I've owned from new and full service history 22K miles. A few months ago I had an injector replaced after it brought a fault code up for a leaking injector along with the spanner. Now ok and fault hasnt re-appeared. Problem is that occasionally it will take 3 or 4 attempts for it to start, seems fuel is not present, I proved that with a squirt of cold start. At other times it starts first or second turn of the engine and once running runs fine with good fuel pressure matching the command pressure. No smoke out the exhaust, slightly lumpy for a few seconds. I fitted a new battery since it was dropping below 11V or so and was 5 years old, no difference, it cranks at a good speed. It is definitely worse when the weather is warm which is strange and it does stink a bit when it has the problem. There is nothing obvious under the covers and no fuel on the ground. Im thinking fuel leakback or into the pots but no fault code as before. Air leaking into system perhaps, where to start? Ive not been monitoring the oil level but with no fault code I have ruled out a leaky into the pot fault just now. I cant trust the van to use daily until I pin in down. Many thanks for any help received. Location is Fife in Scotland. Cheers

Hi there,did you get to the bottom of this problem? I am having similar issues. Thanks