Ford Transit Custom 2017 2.0 EcoBlue – hot restart problem

[WhoThatCar]

Hi everyone.

I have a 2017 Ford Transit Custom 2.0 diesel / EcoBlue with a strange hot restart issue.

The van starts fine when cold. Once it starts, it runs completely normally, both at idle and while driving. No misfire, no stalling, no rough running, and no abnormal behavior.

The problem only happens when the engine is warm and I physically switch it off myself. After that, it often will not restart immediately. The starter cranks every time, the engine catches / almost starts several times, and after multiple attempts it eventually starts and then runs perfectly again.

I often get the message:

“Auto Start Stop system / restart required”

But I suspect this is a consequence of the failed restart, not the actual cause.

Some FORScan live data:

No relevant DTCs in PCM
Only DTC I have seen is historic U2100 in AHCM, “Initial Configuration Not Complete”, not currently present
Battery around 12.4 V at rest
Charging around 15 V
During cranking it stays around 11.3–11.5 V
Rail pressure builds up to around 280–400 bar
FRP desired and actual seem to follow each other fairly well
Injection quantity is not 0, so the ECU appears to be commanding fuel injection
PATS / start permission looks stable
CMP intake/exhaust fault stays at 0
One interesting PID is SS_INHIB_EC2, which appears to indicate “Stop-start inhibited due to air mass adaptation”

The EGR is physically blocked and is supposed to be mapped out.

Since the issue only happens right after a warm shutdown, I am now suspecting something related to air control, for example:

Intake throttle / EGR throttle
Anti-shudder valve / intake shut-off flap
MAF sensor
MAP / air mass adaptation
EGR delete / mapping not being done correctly

Questions:

Has anyone experienced anything similar on a Transit Custom 2.0 EcoBlue?
Can an intake throttle / EGR throttle that sticks after shutdown cause these symptoms?
Are there any specific FORScan PIDs or physical tests you would recommend to confirm or rule this out?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

[metalworker0]

since my answer to this one will be the same .. as a post that's just before yours

you may as well read my answer here

viewtopic.php?f=65&t=236823

all the best.mark