Ford Fiesta occasionally losing power

[Guderian]

I have a 2013 Ford Fiesta Sport (well, I've given it to the GF as a present, so strictly speaking she has it). It's been fully serviced by Ford and only has 35,000 km on the clock. About 4 months ago, completely randomly, it started losing power for a few seconds at a time, always at lowish speeds, never going fast. I'm driving along, say, past a busy market and slow down because of all the traffic, then when I'm through I press the throttle to speed up a bit but nothing happens. So I pull over due to the danger and, a few seconds later, the power returns. There's no telling when this will happen, and it's not very often. I searched for a solution and the most likely thing seemed to be a sticky fuel inlet valve. I took it to the Ford dealer and they had it for an afternoon but couldn't find anything wrong. They rebooted the car's computer, but then a week later it happened again. I took it back, and twice they've taken it for a long drive but the problem never manifested itself. The boss said that unless they experience the problem they can't say exactly what it is that needs fixing.

 

Anyway, it's been fine for several months then, yesterday, it happened again while the GF was driving it in Laem Chabang. She's going to take it to the Ford dealer again, and maybe she'll have better luck than I did explaining the problem to the boss there. In the meantime, I was wondering if anyone else had experienced a similar problem and, if so, what caused it and how did you fix it? I meant to ask this months ago, but as the car's been fine for so long I didn't think it was worth it. The Fiesta is automatic and it's the old 4-cylinder 1.5 litre version.

 

Thanks if you can shed some light on this problem.

[JBChiangRai]

Has it ever run out of petrol?

 

Possibly the fuel lines have some crud in them sucked through from the tank.

[Guderian]

1 minute ago, JBChiangRai said:

Has it ever run out of petrol?

 

Possibly the fuel lines have some crud in them sucked through from the tank.

 

No, never. I've hardly ever even let it get below the quarter-tank level as i don't do much driving in it, using the motorbike around town mostly.

[jvs]

Sometimes the gastank draws a vacuum.

Check the gas cap.

Sounds like a fuel problem,if the garage can not find the cause it could be this.

[dingdongrb]

It's a Ford, what do you expect?

[impulse]

Had the same issue with an '88 Ford Taurus and it turned out to be a bad fuel pump.

 

I'd replace the fuel filter first, though.  Just because it's cheaper and just as likely.  There's no telling what you may put in your tank at a gas station out in the sticks.  Or in BKK.

 

[noobexpat]

I don't know what a 'fuel inlet valve' is supposed to be??

 

Guessing, maybe the low pressure fuel pump that sits in the fuel tank or maybe a sticky throttle body (less likely). 

[Guderian]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Had the same issue with an '88 Ford Taurus and it turned out to be a bad fuel pump.

 

I'd replace the fuel filter first, though.  Just because it's cheaper and just as likely.  There's no telling what you may put in your tank at a gas station out in the sticks.  Or in BKK.

 

 

Wouldn't a defective fuel pump show up on the computer diagnosis they run on the car these days? Maybe a dodgy valve or sludge in the fuel line wouldn't show up, but I'd have thought something like that would. I'm certainly no expert, though.

[In the jungle]

17 minutes ago, Guderian said:

 

Wouldn't a defective fuel pump show up on the computer diagnosis they run on the car these days? Maybe a dodgy valve or sludge in the fuel line wouldn't show up, but I'd have thought something like that would. I'm certainly no expert, though.

 

I don't think it would show up.  I have never seen a fuel pressure sensor on a standard production vehicle.  Maybe more modern cars have such a thing but I cannot see there being one on a 2013 Fiesta.

Edited January 2 by In the jungle

[fredwiggy]

Have had a 2013 Fiesta for a few years now, and almost all of the troubles I've had were, are, related to the TCM. It affects everything electrical. Just a few weeks ago though, the alternator went out, and I was lucky to be able to drive to the nearest Ford dealer about 2 kilos away. Stopped just as I got it parked. Funny thing, the radio went off first, then the power, the car going very slow. Then the warning dash lights, then in the control panel, it said, transmission malfunction, bring to dealer immediately. When it was checked, it didn't show anything transmission related on the computer. Just the charging system, so the warning was wrong. They said the battery was fine, but charging was less than 12 volts, so the alternator was replaced. Problem solved.  The TCM was replaced last year, and it was giving me a lot of trouble beforehand, periodically, and Ford couldn't find the trouble right away , even though it should have shown up on the computer. When it did, I replaced it. The warranty was extended until 200,000 for this car just for that . As far as I recently heard, the service manager said it would be replaced again free because it was again extended more, but it didn't show up on the test while the charging system did, hence the alternator replacement. I also had trouble before when a sensor went out, power failure, acceleration etc. If you can, bring it to another local shop, just to see if they're analysis using the computer is different. Usually problems do show up on a computer test, but not always , or right away.

[impulse]

48 minutes ago, Guderian said:

 

Wouldn't a defective fuel pump show up on the computer diagnosis they run on the car these days? Maybe a dodgy valve or sludge in the fuel line wouldn't show up, but I'd have thought something like that would. I'm certainly no expert, though.

 

I'd hope so, but I don't know.  That's why I mentioned that it was an '88 model.  Back then, you had to catch an intermittent problem as it happened.  I would expect today's computers may record the events.

 

The Taurus was my retired company car that I bought for peanuts.  When I took it to the shop that did all our fleet work and described the problem, he immediately told me to replace the fuel pump.  Strangely, a rebuilt fuel pump cost more than a new one, but he told me to spring the extra money for the rebuilt because the rebuilds fixed some issues that caused them to fail from the factory.  In any case, I never had the problem over the next 10 years or so I kept the car.

 

Edited January 2 by impulse

[retarius]

We had one a 2011 1.6 sport with 77000kms on the clock. Fantastic steering on a low quality crap car in my opinion. I bought it for the wife to learn too drive in, but she didn't like driving and preferred to hire a full-time driver. We went away on vacation and while we were away the driver claimed it had been stopping and starting, then that it broke down. So we got it towed home and had a guy we know look at it....water in the oil, cylinder head warped....need a new engine. Anyway, we had a recon engine fitted for 50,000. The car was too good to scrap, it looks like new, and is good for driving the few km into town. We have two other vehicles so it's a non critical 3rd car. I'll never buy another low quality Ford in my life. Crap cars at high prices. 

[noobexpat]

2 hours ago, In the jungle said:

 

I don't think it would show up.  I have never seen a fuel pressure sensor on a standard production vehicle.  Maybe more modern cars have such a thing but I cannot see there being one on a 2013 Fiesta.

 

The sensor is on the high pressure fuel pump.

The fuel pump in the tank is about flow rate not pressure and you won't get an engine management light for a faulty one.

 

High pressure pump on my audi TT with sensor on the end. Called a pressure regulator sensor.