Galaxy TDCI limp mode on hard acceleration

[jjnurminen]

Hi,

my 2014 Mk2 Galaxy (2.0 TDCI) often goes into limp mode when accelerating hard. It shows "service engine now" on the dash and loses power (I guess the turbo gets disabled?). Stopping the car and switching the engine off will "cure" the problem.

The problem occurs only after I've been driving at motorway speeds for about an hour. On shorter drives, I cannot trigger the problem, even if I push the car hard.

I've had the fault codes read at a nearby shop (with a generic OBDII scanner, I guess). According to them, there were no fault codes stored. I've also had the fuel filter changed.

What's next? 

 

 

 

 

[unofix]

16 minutes ago, jjnurminen said:

(with a generic OBDII scanner, I guess). According to them, there were no fault codes stored. I've also had the fuel filter changed.

What's next? 

I think you already know what needs to be done, get the DTC's checked using FORScan. Generic code readers often will not read Ford specific DTC's. Get yourself a laptop and read the codes yourself.

[jjnurminen]

30 minutes ago, unofix said:

I think you already know what needs to be done, get the DTC's checked using FORScan. Generic code readers often will not read Ford specific DTC's. Get yourself a laptop and read the codes yourself.

Thank you for the suggestion. I had been looking into FORScan, but found this:

https://forscan.org/faq.html#qgen1

"Absolute majority of Ford, Mazda, Lincoln and Mercury models starting from 1996 model year are supported. Exception are quite rare: models unified with other manufacturers, for example Ford Galaxy Mk2."

So I was under the impression that FORScan doesn't work on the Mk2 Galaxy. Is this untrue?

I don't have a Windows laptop, but I guess I could also use Android and a bluetooth dongle, if it works.

[unofix]

You have a Mk3 Ford Galaxy (2006 - 2015), and so FORScan will support it.

Android with bluetooth dongle will work to read DTC's but you can not do programming with it.

 

[jjnurminen]

51 minutes ago, unofix said:

You have a Mk3 Ford Galaxy (2006 - 2015), and so FORScan will support it.

Android with bluetooth dongle will work to read DTC's but you can not do programming with it.

 

Thanks for the clarification! It's a "second generation" Galaxy, so stupidly I had assumed it was a Mk2. I'm gonna see if I find a reasonably priced dongle that's compatible with FORScan.

[unofix]

https://tunnelrat-electronics.fwscart.com/WiFi_Modified_with_switch_ELM327/p4541936_17045473.aspx

[jjnurminen]

Ok, I managed to get FORScan working and read the codes. There are no stored DTCs from the PCM. There is one for the instrument panel control though (attached below). It doesn't show date or distance, so I've no clue when it occured or if it's relevant to my problem.

Is it possible that the relevant DTC is not stored in memory, i.e. the car needs to be scanned immediately after the fault has occurred?

 

 

===IPC DTC U0416:68-88===
Code: U0416 - Invalid Data Received From  Vehicle Dynamics Control Module

Additional Fault Symptom:
 - Event Information

Status: 
 - Previously Set DTC - Not Present at Time of Request
 - Malfunction Indicator Lamp is On for this DTC
 

 

[unofix]

Interesting !!

DTC's never have time / date / or distance recorded,  it would be very useful if they did but sadly they don't.

3 hours ago, jjnurminen said:

- Malfunction Indicator Lamp is On for this DTC

So this has set the engine management light to 'On' Now that you have the DTC code use FORScan to clear the code and the light should go out.

Drive the vehicle and see if the DTC comes back. If it does I think you have a Canbus problem.

[jjnurminen]

52 minutes ago, unofix said:

Interesting !!

DTC's never have time / date / or distance recorded,  it would be very useful if they did but sadly they don't.

So this has set the engine management light to 'On' Now that you have the DTC code use FORScan to clear the code and the light should go out.

Drive the vehicle and see if the DTC comes back. If it does I think you have a Canbus problem.

I should have clarified that the "service engine now" light is currently NOT on. It does come on whenever the problem occurs, but then disappears when the engine is restarted.

I thought that all DTC codes will be stored in memory, but the local Ford shop advised me that this is not necessarily the case. Thus I'm thinking that I need to pull aside and read the codes (without killing the engine) the next time the problem occurs.

 

 

 

[Galaxy Lover 1]

did you ever get to the bottom of this mine does similar. I took it to a garage told needed a new battery. Got a new one but still happens. Seems to happen more in cold conditions and or after a good while a driving. I can be knocking of the doors of 100 miles in 6th gear at just about 2000rpm and it comes on with traction control light. Car goes limp mode then when switched off and back on all is clear. 

 

I'm thinking fuel pump or injectors maybe. Alternator is putting out solid 14.5 volts at tick over 

 

[unofix]

3 minutes ago, Galaxy Lover 1 said:

it comes on with traction control light. Car goes limp mode then when switched off and back on all is clear. 

Why given the traction control light do you suspect ...

4 minutes ago, Galaxy Lover 1 said:

I'm thinking fuel pump or injectors maybe.

Why don't you get a laptop with FORScan and see what DTC's might be there? It would seem to me more likely to be something like an ABS sensor.

[jjnurminen]

5 hours ago, Galaxy Lover 1 said:

did you ever get to the bottom of this mine does similar.

 

No, not yet. It's a bit hard to reproduce. Somehow it only seems to happen after a long(ish) motorway drive, 1 hour or so, and might also depend on the outdoor temperature.

I will keep you posted when I manage to trigger it and read the DTCs.

[jjnurminen]

Ok, I finally got this problem to manifest again and read the codes. It seems to happen only in hot weather, after driving a while. The summer has been rather cold here.

The resulting code is :

P003A:00-2F Turbocharger/Supercharger Boost Control A Position Exceeded Learning Limit

What would be the next step? Should I try some kind of relearning/reset procedure? Or is it more likely to be an actual problem with the turbocharger?

 

[termin8r]

I get the same issue in my 2016 Galaxy 2.0 TDCI 180. it happens mainly on one particular hill (very steep) in 3rd or 4th gear.  It's a sudden drop in power like turbo just stopped and the wee spanner light comes on. Goes away after stop/restart. It's getting a bit annoying now as i drive that road quite a bit. A ford mechanic told me likely to be fuel filter but changed that and made no difference.

[Johnny wood]

I have this problem with my 2 2016 ford galaxys one car that I bought 2nd hand 4 weeks ago has done it for the 1st time yesterday.

I had this type of problem with my 2003 ford galaxy on that car it was the air mass meter nodule covered in oil as the turbo was obviously leaking oil.

Took it off and cleaned cleaned it every 1000 miles with brake cleaner.

Not saying this is definitely this now but guessing same as before?

I'm going to buy a new air mass sensor and keep original one in glove box change and clean them (swapping) every 1000 miles..

If this is it then it's a ford national problem with there turbos leaking

[unofix]

13 hours ago, Johnny wood said:

but guessing same as before?

It's rare that guessing works first or even second time. Download FORScan and use a 'vLinker FS' lead to connect to the OBDII port.

If the car has gone in to limp mode it will have stored a DTC.

FORScan: https://forscan.org/download.html

vLinker FS connection cable: https://www.obd2shop.co.uk/wholesale/vgate-vlinker-fs-elm327-for-ford.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwmdGYBhDRARIsABmSEeMMl6PdKWDepTjbj3uApRmhR1eF2IIEMEt4X_1EVZ-2shxEedKyfucaAh7pEALw_wcB

[jjnurminen]

I also changed my fuel filter, but that made no difference.

Today I got same problem, but a new code:

---

Code: P2263 - Turbocharger/Supercharger 'A' Boost System Performance

Additional Fault Symptom:
 - Signal Below Allowable Range
---

The tricky thing is that these codes seem to get cleared once you kill the engine. The only way to read it is to trigger the fault, then plug a code reader in while the engine is still running and read the codes.

[Tizer]

2 hours ago, jjnurminen said:

I also changed my fuel filter, but that made no difference.

Today I got same problem, but a new code:

---

Code: P2263 - Turbocharger/Supercharger 'A' Boost System Performance

Additional Fault Symptom:
 - Signal Below Allowable Range
---

The tricky thing is that these codes seem to get cleared once you kill the engine. The only way to read it is to trigger the fault, then plug a code reader in while the engine is still running and read the codes.

The best thing to do is to Live Monitor the Boost Pressure while driving and induce the fault. You will then be able to save the journey and analyse things later.

There may or may not be a PID for Boost Pressure but there will be one for the MAP, which is the same thing on a Diesel engine. There may be one for Desired Boost as well.

If you do the monitoring it is best to monitor the VSS (speed), RPM, Accelerator Position, EGR and MAP as well as Boost at the same time and look to see if anything else strange happend when the fault happens.

[Ivor Waldron]

1. Hi, I have had three Galaxies - a MkII 2013 2.0 Duratec which never gave this problem, a 2016 Diesel 2.0 180bhp manual and a 2017 2.0 180 bhp auto. I crashed the 2016 and wrote it off, but for months before, it gave this limp mode problem, when accelerating on a motorway joining on a slip road, going uphill or overtaking (very dangerous to lose power in the middle of an overtake!!). The 2017 has now been doing this intermittently also. I had brought the manual 2016 one to Ford 3 times but they couldn't find any codes except for generic nonspecific ones. I would love someone to pinpoint this problem, or I am getting rid of my second MkIII galaxy. It's scary to be overtaking someone and lose acceleration. Not a big deal on a motorway, but a very big deal on an A-road or in a short overtaking lane. Please those of you with the gear, keep looking into this. Thanks

[Ivor Waldron]

Update on this: Ford say it's my oli pressure solenoid needs replacing. I've decided to go ahead with it. I'll update if that turns out to fix it. 

[Ivor Waldron]

oil pressure solenoid I mean!

[Sanddancer]

Just reading this with interest just incase I ever get this problem.

Did you change the oil pressure solenoid and if so did it solve the problem

[kenJungUn]

I had this issue while gunning it up a very long steep hill with a full car in very hot weather. Happened a few times.

Interestingly, it didn't happen on the same hills when I wasn't gunning it.

Went away after restart.

The error description that I read above makes sense to me. The conditions are likely way beyond learning parameters and it just gives up. Mine has low mileage and in great condition, so not worried. 

HTH 

 

[Matt Harwood]

Did anyone get to the bottom of this? - I'm experiencing, what seems to be, the same fault.
Mine is cutting out at full throttle/hard acceleration, and brings on the service warning with a spanner symbol, and kills all throttle response until the vehicle is below 24mph, at which point, the engine is in limp mode. Once the ignition is cycled off/on, the fault is gone, and everything works as normal. 
I also found this morning, that staying in the same gear, allowing the revs to gently increase, (in other words, not hard acceleration), the engine cuts at around 4500 rpm, and reacts in exactly the same was as described above...
I've only just started looking into this. It's been code read, but no codes were stored. But this was after cycling the ignition. After reading the above, it looks like I need to do it again whilst the engine is in 'fault' mode. 

[kenJungUn]

Hi Matt.

Get yourself a good quality forscan cable and software. Then run the monitor while driving the car.

That will let you know where issue lies.

It happened me again recently. 

I'm suspecting my fuel pressure regulator because starting is lumpy. But mine thankfully drives very well for the most part.

Hope you get it sorted. When you get the SW and cable, come back here to find out which set of variables to monitor. I can't remember off the top of my head. But you want to be looking at fuel pressure, rpm etc