Ford s-max; cut out, fuel error codes. Where to start?

Smax, 14 plate, 40k, 2.0 petrol

Half tank of fuel | Oil ok | coolant needs top up

After an hour of driving last night, it lost power and cut out. Started up again, but the same happened after another 200metres, twice. Starting it again it’d run for a minute or so then cut out again.

I stopped, called the AA (who didn’t come). After two hours waiting, I started it, it ran, and I drove very carefully home.

Garage diagnostic today tells me:

P0087- fuel rail/system pressure – too low

P0089 – fuel pressure regulator A performance

P0A0F – engine failed to start

P2540 – low pressure fuel system sensor circuit range/performance

They’ve said go to Ford for accurate narrowing down. Before I commit to selling my first born, any advice from any Ford experts on here? Which would you start with?

Just take it to an independent garage not a Ford main dealer. Probably the fuel pump but unless you’re going to change stuff yourself with a parts cannon don’t faff about and pay someone who knows what they’re doing.

That to me reads that something blocked your fuel filter, which is why it worked again after a while when it floated away. First thing I’d be doing is changing any filters (including one near the high pressure pump if you have one) as it’s cheap to do and needs doing occasionally anyway

First thing I’d do is drive it until the fault occurs then remove your fuel filler cap & listen for a hiss, if you get one then your breather is blocked.

Secondly change the fuel filter.

sounds fuel filtery to me

There’s two codes saying fuel pressure too low – you need live data to see what the actual rail pressure is and then figure out if it’s the pump side of things not generating the pressure or the fuel regulator bleeding the pumped pressure away incorrectly. There’s a code for the fuel regulator which would lead me in that direction.

The fact it started and ran = not the filter. If filter was blocking/blocked it would starve at high fuel flows – ie high engine loads but would happily idle and force at low fuel flows all day long.

If they’re anything like a focus the pumps were common.

But again live data is needed and a pressure gauge would be handy

Booked in at the Ford dealership in Sheffield…..April 23!!

Phoning round a few local garages monday to see if anyone else will have a look.

Get a copy of forscan and a £15 dongle from Amazon before paying a garage for diagnostics.

@pook they’ll see it last year? Sounds impressive.

Not sure on the ford stuff but on a VW tdi (that I know well in general) I’d be looking at this one – P0089 – fuel pressure regulator A performance and changing the pressure regulating valve on the end of the fuel rail after the injectors.

Could be pump, sensor or a blockage, as stated above, local independent is best if they’re replacing the pump or the likes, you can get them cheaper non oem, can’t believe how expensive geniune ford parts are these days, the old days of buying a ford for cheaper repairs definitely are gone!

There’s a specific dongle recommended for Forscan, it has the right chipset and the correct bridges that the cheap ones don’t.

Vlinker FS USB. ~30 quid and well worth it.

update: took it to ford with two sets of matching error codes from two independent garages. Helpfully the second garage had reset the codes.

1) ford wouldn’t take the codes from the indies.

They Ford couldn’t recreate the issue even after (they say) running it for an hour. So I’m now looking at another £130 bill for diagnostics, a car with something duff in the fuel system, and a vague guess that it might be the fuel pump.

What the hell do i do now?

Find a new independent, take it there with the codes and if they don’t convince you otherwise have the fuel filter and o-ring changed. It’s not always done as part of the service schedule.

Or get a copy of forscan and a dongle and have a look live.

My SMax did something similar. Turned out to be crap in the filter.

Had a similar thing. Engine would run then not run. It was the fuel injection relay. New relay is cheap to try.

Update: Ford didn’t charge me!

They said it’s likely the fuel pump but it might not be. Tasked me with running it lots to recreate the issue and then take it back if it does.

They said the other garage shouldn’t have deleted the codes.

I drove it home with no issue (30 mins) and I’m sitting in it running now and all seems fine.

Going to get it looked at by yet another independent

If its the in tank submersible pump same as mondoe and focus it’d be my guess.

HTS yours is a derv complete different animal.

get in the car radio off.  And listen as you turn the ignition on. You should hear the pump buzz from under the rear seat. and pressure the system then stop.

If it doesn’t start listen for the sound of silence.

I didn’t hear anything but didn’t really know what I was listening for if I’m honest.

I’ve filed the tank with E10 and a bottle of redex (as well as 1/3 bottle of car lube injection cleaner)

I ran the car for an hour last night and it was fine. I’ve done 90 minutes tonight and it’s been fine. Tomorrow night I’m going to take it on a longer run up the motorway.

I’ll get it booked for fuel pump in the second garage, playing on their mistake in clearing the codes and giving Ford no starting point. My logic being that they’ll have to test it’s working after fitting and they’ll possibly literally flush out a problem if that’s not it.

Hopefully it’s some duff crap fuel that’s gone through the system, but that’s an optimist speaking.

No idea what else to do if I’m honest.

400 miles later with no issue, it has cut out today and the AA have done a live diagnostic.

Patrol found the following fault code/s:System : Engine control 1 – AG3 / Engine management Motronic MED 17.0P0251 – Fuel metering unit. Error Message : Malfunction.P0255 – Fuel metering unit. Error Message : Malfunction.P254217 – Fuel low-pressure sensor. Error Message : Signal too high.P00531B – Lambda sensor heater 1 (bank 1): Resistance. Error Message : Resistance too high.P013000 – Lambda sensor (bank 1, sensor 1). Error Message : Malfunction.P263664 – Fuel supply control unit. Error Message : Signal error.Engine keeps cutting out. Above fault codes stored. Ongoing fault. Requires further investigation at garage. –

So….electrical is the diagnosis.

My Ford Kuga has been a mare lately, DPF two months ago, then two weeks ago it just stopped, diagnosis is the ECU, very costly and Ford do not have the part in stock, so a long wait ahead, it’s as if spare parts were an afterthought for them, and that they made sure aftermarket couldn’t do the coding properly either.

The lamba sensors are a misnomer I think as its cut out they’ll read a lean mix.

Others point to fuel pump.

I’d ask for a price to replace the pump.

Cos if its not much more than a couple of hours diagnosis you’ve not got much to lose.

The pumps on mondeos and focus where renound for failure. I cant see the pump on a smax being any different.