Selling a car with a fault – on going smax issues

We’re chasing an intermittent cutting out issue around a 14 plate 2.0l petrol ecoboost.

Diagnostic said lamda sensor but the autoelectrician has had it out and bridged it and it’s still doing it.

It could be ECU but any swapping to test would be guesswork.

What do you do about selling an otherwise good vehicle?

The standard answer on here always seems to be to stick it on eBay with a starting bid of its scrap value and see what happens, which seems sensible.

I’d let we buy any car sort it out, they only seem to knock money off for dodgy bodywork

I have nothing useful to add but will commiserate with you. My wife’s 16 plate Fiesta has a 1.0 litre Ecoboost engine and it is awful. Been in the garage 3 times now and cost us thousands, the engine light came on again yesterday so I’m bracing myself. My step dad is a mechanic and says that these engines are widely known for being rubbish. Shame he didn’t tell me that when we bought the blimmin thing!

Ford of course couldn’t give a damn because it’s now an 8 yer old car, even though it’s got less than 50k miles on the clock and has consistently had engine problems for the last 4 years. Apparently they now recommend that you replace the engine after 150k miles, I’d be amazed if any of them get to 100k without a new engine.

First and last Ford for us!

What did the autoelectrician think? There are places who will test and repair ECUs for a reasonable sum.

I had a mini cooper s doing exactly the same, both BMW and Mini Specialist plugged in their laptops and it kept saying Lambda issue. BMW replaced both parts (didn’t know it was two parts, but apparently so)….It still continued to come up with the fault and was cutting out the power, maximum of 2000 revs or similar. Mini specialist then suggested a walnut blast (that wasn’t cheap); did that and the error continued. They did a few more investigations, fresh plugs etc, still no joy.

In the end I put it on gumtree and a trade dealer contacted me and took it off my hands. I was open and honest in the advert and with the dealer – but I did put it on for a low price just to get shut.

What did the autoelectrician think? There are places who will test and repair ECUs for a reasonable sum.

Next step ECU ~£1200.

He said it’s guess work now and chase and charge.  Probably best to get shut.

Bridging the lambda will likely still throw an error. If it’s buggered then replacing it or a fancy bit of test equipment is the only real test. Hell, even my 30 yo car throws an error if you try and do that!
But yeah, some element of parts darts still needed. If you can’t be arsed, eBay with no reserve is the way

You can change the ECU for about a third of that with a scrapper part. There are hundreds of Mondeo/SMax BCMs (aka ECU) on eBay for around £100-£150 or less. The trick is to find one with exactly the same part number codes (on a white sticker on the BCM) and then find a Ford specialist to code it to your VIN. I’ve had it done twice for my 2.0L diesel Mondeo (due to a washer pump leak). Takes about 2-3h labour. There are also some mobile guys who do it if you search Facebook Mondeo/SMax groups.

If that is the error, I would be looking either the option above, or sending it off to someone like ECUTesting

I’ve sold a couple like this on Facebook. Just been honest about what the issues are and history of investigations. Have had a clamour of people (mechanics usually) wanting to buy them. Outstripped the We Buy Any Car value by miles. I can see from tax records that the cars I sold have gone on to be taxed and MOT’d and are still going. I think if you’ve got the skills and space to figure out the issue people are keen to buy them and get them running. Whereas for mortals like us paying for the time spent tracing the fault is prohibitive.

Sounds like it might just need a new fuel pump, assuming the filter is not clogged (going by the common fault reported on the Ford owner forums)? A decent smax petrol will sell pretty fast, so worth getting the fault code confirmed.

If you’re looking for a new car then some scrappage schemes are still around, both with manufacturers and ULEZ cities

Part-ex it at a dealer?

I list on eBay with an honest description of the fault. Someone will buy for parts or think they can fix, maybe they can maybe they can’t but it’s no longer your problem.

Private sale?  Just sell it.  Caveat emptor, it’s someone else’s problem.  I once almost bought a vehicle with a pair of molgrips (no, not him) hanging off the bottom holding something together.

If that offends your morals, hoof it at a dealer as part-ex.

I sold a cmax with a busted ecoboost engine earlier this year

It had been a great car up to the point that the engine exploded 😁

Anyway I put it on gumtree and sold it in less than 24hrs to a chap that swaps the engines and sells them on. He drove down from Coventry for it!

Get a quote from Motorway and be honest about the issue. Worked for us with a Honda needing a part that couldn’t get to the country before an MOT.

Honest ebay description or WBAC. I wouldn’t feel right selling it to an unaware private buyer.

Apparently they now recommend that you replace the engine after 150k miles, I’d be amazed if any of them get to 100k without a new engine.

First and last Ford for us!

A garage near to me said get shot at 80k if it’s still going

I’m still saying fuel pump.  But hard to say.

You live data’d it got signal from the crank sensor?

This is what has happened so far….

GARAGE 1-

·         P0087 – fuel rail/system pressure too low

·         P0089 – fuel pressure regulator A performance

·         P0AOF – engine failed to start

·         P2540 – low pressure fuel system sensor circuit range/performance

GARAGE 2

·         P2540-22 – Low fuel system sensor range performance

·         P0089-62 – fuel pressure regulator performance

·         P0087-62 – fuel rail pressure too low

·         P0A0F- 68 – engine failed to start

·         P215-62 – vehicle speed output shaft speed correlation

The second garage reset the codes. Drove the car for a short while but couldn’t recreate the issue.

FORD GARAGE

Couldn’t recreate the issue.

BACK TO GARAGE 2

– Full service.

– Suggested dodgy fuel

—

Drove to Leeds. Set off back after the weekend….

Cut out after 2 miles

—-

AA REPORT

Patrol found the following fault code/s:

System : Engine control 1 – AG3 / Engine management Motronic MED 17.0

P0251 – 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. –

GARAGE 3 – Auto electrician

– Recreated cutting out

– Reset codes

– Repeatedly recreated lamda sensor issue

– Did something to isolate/avoid lamda sensor

– Issue repeated even with lamda sensor isolated

We recently sold a MK V Golf with a cambelt about to go (down to 2/3s & making noises) and drivers side window that needed a motor replacing with 103k miles on it. Listed on Gumtree & FB with the faults, issues & condition and it was picked up 3 hours later by a dealer who drove down from Guildford (3 hrs away) with a trailer to pick it up.

We had c30 enquiries & offers in the 3 hours before it went so even if dealer hadn’t taken it we’re confident it would have sold. From my brief selling & looking to buy a second hand car experience, it seems that independent/small dealers are interested in anything as they can fix cars cheap & sell them at the current high second hand values..

As i said itll run lean if the pump shits its self. You’ve a pressure fault. How the hell does a lamba sensor drop fuel pressure?

You priced a pump replacement like i said?

They where terrible in the mondeo and focus and knowing ford it’ll be the same in an smax.

How long and how much has your diagnosis cost so far? And why keep taking it different places? Any one can code it. And step one of any diag is a code read. Most places will knock the codes and f£%k it off.  Which is why i said price a pump

Cos 100 quid diag vs 150 quid on putting a pump in I’d pick the pump to prove a point.

But keep cracking on ps a code reader that will do live data is about 30 quid.

Apologies on the poor grammar btw.

Hate typing on a mobile

I’m not hunting a different answer. First place said take it to Ford. Ford couldn’t do it for a month so I tried somewhere recommended by a Ford owner. I kept the Ford slot and when the second place said “take it to ford”, I took it to ford. Who couldn’t find owt.

then it died again, and the AA said “def not pump, 100% electrical”, then the auto electrical guy has said it was this lamda thing, then it wasn’t.

Pump we’ve had range from £300-£700. And everyone’s said “but it might not be that”

One option is grab a cheap odb reader/live data logger

When it goes you can see if anything drops off. Such as crank signal etc.

Codes only tell you what the sensor sees outside its paramiters. So if there’s no fuel it will pick a lean mixture up.  A pump on its own won’t give a p code. Nor would a fuel rail sensor they’d show a pressure drop.   Cos thats what the sensor sees  the fact the sensor sees a pressure drop makes me happy its probably ok.

I doubt an 02 sensor is faulty.  If its a pressure fault coming up its something on that side.

Once its cut out how do you start it again?

Pres the start button and it fires straight up.

Can you get a obd logger off ebay.

Errors are there after the event.

Id love to see live data feed on

Cam signal

Crank signal

Fuel pressure

Then when it cuts you see what source was lost.

Does sound odd. Any rhyme or reason. Hot cold? Under load. Any particular gear etc?

Intermittent faults suck.  Much better when they come in on a flat bed!

Can you stop fannying with it and trade it in?  You’ve decided to sell it, at this juncture you’re throwing money hand over fist trying to repair someone else’s car.

I was thinking about this at 2am..

I wonder if theres something loose in the tank…

So it floats round then gets sucked up cuts fuel off so car stops. Pump stops sucking.

Debris falls away rinse n repeat

Fuel Cap breather blocked?