SMAX: hesitates when accelerating from low revs
Discussion
I have a 10 plate 2.0 petrol Ecoboost facelift SMAX (203bhp) with the Powershift Auto. 43k miles and in good order otherwise.
However I have an annoying problem. When on small or zero throttle openings, I try and accelerate, the car occasionally just flatlines. No increase in engine revs regardless of throttle position. Only recourse is to shut off the throttle and try again - all quite a laugh when trying to nip into a gap with a car full of kids. My wife drives the car most of the time and she's getting fed up.
Car goes in for a service next week - any thoughts on what it could be or am I looking at a grand for a new ECU or somesuch, or worse still, "they all do that sir....".
I was considering replacing the car with a slightly newer one with the 240bhp version as the SMAX itself is such a great car but am I likely to face the same problems with that one?
Will I be spunking a load of money on a new car only to have the same problem again? The boss'll love that....
Thanks all.
Did you get this sorted out Dapster?
I don’t think ours has ever done that so hopefully you didn’t get the “they all do that” response. It’s a 2011 240 Ecoboost which we’ve had for 4 years now and the mileage is currently at 73k. I probably shouldn’t say this but it has been perfectly reliable and I think I’ll end up replacing it next year with a 4x4 version of the new model.
I don’t think ours has ever done that so hopefully you didn’t get the “they all do that” response. It’s a 2011 240 Ecoboost which we’ve had for 4 years now and the mileage is currently at 73k. I probably shouldn’t say this but it has been perfectly reliable and I think I’ll end up replacing it next year with a 4x4 version of the new model.
In a word, no!
Problem got worse over the last few days until finally, it started cutting out. Eventually it gave up the ghost outside a friends house so I got it recovered by the AA to the Ford dealer. After an hour of diagnosis they announced it was the fuel pump. Fuel pump replaced, all fault codes cleared, quick test run and..... car cuts out again. In fact, there was no change in situation at all.
So they have had the car for 10 days now and have had their Master Technician on it for 5, and having exhausted all of their trouble shooting approaches, have been on the phone to Ford who have had them go through another set of protocols. Today they replaced "a module" and will check again with a cold engine in the morning. If that fails to cure it, then they have to call the Ford field engineer who is on a THREE WEEK lead time.
This has all cost me £750 so far (diagnostic plus the fuel pump), plus a rental car for a week (the loaner is a Fiesta and that's too small for our needs (that's why I have an S-MAX, duh! - I asked for a Mondeo or similar and the dealer principal hasn't bothered to call me back).
So, week later, I'm a grand down and NO WHERE nearer finding out what's going on. Car starts and runs on an open throttle, but when idling, just cuts out. Then starts again no problem before cutting again. Dealer tells me that it's now cutting out on the run, ie on an open throttle so it's getting worse. The AA man said it was possibly a broken wire or damage on the loom causing a short, which may never be found.
I've found a replacement that I'd happily trade it in for but I can't do a deal with a dead car, and even though I could stretch to buying it without the part ex, when (if) they do eventually fix it, I'd really struggle to sell a 6 year old petrol S-Max privately, or else I can get mugged by a WBAC type outfit.
Next instalment when I get some news!
Problem got worse over the last few days until finally, it started cutting out. Eventually it gave up the ghost outside a friends house so I got it recovered by the AA to the Ford dealer. After an hour of diagnosis they announced it was the fuel pump. Fuel pump replaced, all fault codes cleared, quick test run and..... car cuts out again. In fact, there was no change in situation at all.
So they have had the car for 10 days now and have had their Master Technician on it for 5, and having exhausted all of their trouble shooting approaches, have been on the phone to Ford who have had them go through another set of protocols. Today they replaced "a module" and will check again with a cold engine in the morning. If that fails to cure it, then they have to call the Ford field engineer who is on a THREE WEEK lead time.
This has all cost me £750 so far (diagnostic plus the fuel pump), plus a rental car for a week (the loaner is a Fiesta and that's too small for our needs (that's why I have an S-MAX, duh! - I asked for a Mondeo or similar and the dealer principal hasn't bothered to call me back).
So, week later, I'm a grand down and NO WHERE nearer finding out what's going on. Car starts and runs on an open throttle, but when idling, just cuts out. Then starts again no problem before cutting again. Dealer tells me that it's now cutting out on the run, ie on an open throttle so it's getting worse. The AA man said it was possibly a broken wire or damage on the loom causing a short, which may never be found.
I've found a replacement that I'd happily trade it in for but I can't do a deal with a dead car, and even though I could stretch to buying it without the part ex, when (if) they do eventually fix it, I'd really struggle to sell a 6 year old petrol S-Max privately, or else I can get mugged by a WBAC type outfit.
Next instalment when I get some news!
Dapster said:
In a word, no!
Problem got worse over the last few days until finally, it started cutting out. Eventually it gave up the ghost outside a friends house so I got it recovered by the AA to the Ford dealer. After an hour of diagnosis they announced it was the fuel pump. Fuel pump replaced, all fault codes cleared, quick test run and..... car cuts out again. In fact, there was no change in situation at all.
So they have had the car for 10 days now and have had their Master Technician on it for 5, and having exhausted all of their trouble shooting approaches, have been on the phone to Ford who have had them go through another set of protocols. Today they replaced "a module" and will check again with a cold engine in the morning. If that fails to cure it, then they have to call the Ford field engineer who is on a THREE WEEK lead time.
This has all cost me £750 so far (diagnostic plus the fuel pump), plus a rental car for a week (the loaner is a Fiesta and that's too small for our needs (that's why I have an S-MAX, duh! - I asked for a Mondeo or similar and the dealer principal hasn't bothered to call me back).
So, week later, I'm a grand down and NO WHERE nearer finding out what's going on. Car starts and runs on an open throttle, but when idling, just cuts out. Then starts again no problem before cutting again. Dealer tells me that it's now cutting out on the run, ie on an open throttle so it's getting worse. The AA man said it was possibly a broken wire or damage on the loom causing a short, which may never be found.
I've found a replacement that I'd happily trade it in for but I can't do a deal with a dead car, and even though I could stretch to buying it without the part ex, when (if) they do eventually fix it, I'd really struggle to sell a 6 year old petrol S-Max privately, or else I can get mugged by a WBAC type outfit.
Next instalment when I get some news!
Hmm, cutting out when idling and also the 2.0 Ecoboost engine? Sounds like the well-documented ECU loom splice issue that the mk3 STs suffer from. Problem got worse over the last few days until finally, it started cutting out. Eventually it gave up the ghost outside a friends house so I got it recovered by the AA to the Ford dealer. After an hour of diagnosis they announced it was the fuel pump. Fuel pump replaced, all fault codes cleared, quick test run and..... car cuts out again. In fact, there was no change in situation at all.
So they have had the car for 10 days now and have had their Master Technician on it for 5, and having exhausted all of their trouble shooting approaches, have been on the phone to Ford who have had them go through another set of protocols. Today they replaced "a module" and will check again with a cold engine in the morning. If that fails to cure it, then they have to call the Ford field engineer who is on a THREE WEEK lead time.
This has all cost me £750 so far (diagnostic plus the fuel pump), plus a rental car for a week (the loaner is a Fiesta and that's too small for our needs (that's why I have an S-MAX, duh! - I asked for a Mondeo or similar and the dealer principal hasn't bothered to call me back).
So, week later, I'm a grand down and NO WHERE nearer finding out what's going on. Car starts and runs on an open throttle, but when idling, just cuts out. Then starts again no problem before cutting again. Dealer tells me that it's now cutting out on the run, ie on an open throttle so it's getting worse. The AA man said it was possibly a broken wire or damage on the loom causing a short, which may never be found.
I've found a replacement that I'd happily trade it in for but I can't do a deal with a dead car, and even though I could stretch to buying it without the part ex, when (if) they do eventually fix it, I'd really struggle to sell a 6 year old petrol S-Max privately, or else I can get mugged by a WBAC type outfit.
Next instalment when I get some news!
Ok, so finally after more a month of work, I got a call saying that after following all of Ford's fault diagnostic processes, they eventually isolated the fault to a fuel pressure sensor which they replaced, and now the car runs fine. This was done on Thu of last week, and since then they tested it according to Ford's procedures for 2 days and then the Master Tech drove it home and back a couple of times - it was given the green light. So now I have it back at home plus a £790 hole in my wallet (plus the car rental and wife grief added to the bill...). Once I get a copy of the invoice sent to me I'll pick out any highlights for you.
I'm not entirely sure they know what was wrong and what they did to fix it, but it's running now. Anyway, time to move it on I think.
If any of you have an Ecoboost that hesitates when accelerating from low revs, drive it straight round to WBAC.com and as long as they offer you within a few hundred of what you think it's worth, get shot of it and avoid yourself a world of pain.
I'm not entirely sure they know what was wrong and what they did to fix it, but it's running now. Anyway, time to move it on I think.
If any of you have an Ecoboost that hesitates when accelerating from low revs, drive it straight round to WBAC.com and as long as they offer you within a few hundred of what you think it's worth, get shot of it and avoid yourself a world of pain.
Edited by Dapster on Tuesday 16th February 20:47
Hi,
Only just found this thread. I had this issue with my s max last summer.
Engine cutting out. This issue did not always flag up a fault code and never a check engine light.
After lots of online looking ,change the fuel pressure sensor and boost sensor kept cropping up.
The part is about £40 and easy to change
So I changed it and it sorted the issue.
Just though I would add this to help other pistonheaders with the same issue.
Paul
Only just found this thread. I had this issue with my s max last summer.
Engine cutting out. This issue did not always flag up a fault code and never a check engine light.
After lots of online looking ,change the fuel pressure sensor and boost sensor kept cropping up.
The part is about £40 and easy to change
So I changed it and it sorted the issue.
Just though I would add this to help other pistonheaders with the same issue.
Paul
Dave_ST220 said:
So basically it sounds like the OP has paid a dealer to swap this that & the another without really knowing what they are doing! Why pay for a fuel pump if it did nothing at all?! I'd be getting onto Ford CRC, why should you pay for their f
k ups?!...
Well, it wasn't exactly like that. I paid a 2 hour diagnostic fee which revealed the faulty fuel pump. I authorised the replacement of the pump and paid for that. Once the pump was replaced and the fault remained, the following 20 days of labour and whatever parts were used were at Fords expense. Even without parts, if they had spent 2 hours a day on it for a month, that would be more than £5,000 worth of labour alone at retail price.k ups?!...The pump made no difference? Which ever way you look at it you've paid for incompetence, it doesn't take 2 hours a day for a month to fix a car, swapping modules & sensors out etc. You even said yourself "I'm not entirely sure they know what was wrong and what they did to fix it, but it's running now"!!
Ford CRC may look at reimbursing you some £££ in my experience.
Ford CRC may look at reimbursing you some £££ in my experience.
Gassing Station | Ford | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff