g4hlf Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 Hi all, just found this forum and it looks like just what I am in need of! I have a Ford Galaxy 1.9TDI Ghia Jan 2002. Around November last year (2005) when I took it in for an MOT and whilst the outside temperature was between 0c and -4c I noticed that the booster heater failed to strike up. I noticed this because I am used to the ticking sound and also the turbine noise it can make when running, I also noticed the engine temperature gauge never got above 70c where it normally sits at 90c. This was the start of a long saga which is still ongoing despite numerous visits to the BT garage at Langley in the UK. The problem now is that this diesel powered booster heater will often fail to strike up resulting in the car interior taking ages to warm up and the engine temperature to run lower then usual. What I have concluded is the heater is less likely to strike up if the car has been left overnight on my drive at home where it sits with it nose about 4 degrees higher in elevation then the rear. If I leave it overnight on the flat then the heater seems more likely for strike up. To date the garage have replaced the external temperature sensor (the one that should kick in when the ambient temp drops below 10c. Other then that I presume they have done some diagnostics but I guess it is usually working when they have it! They have also replaced the glowplug. I now have the documentation on the unit from Ford technical and am confident I now understand who this device operates (at least electrically). I appreciate that the unit is controlled via an external air temperature sensor which activates below 10c and also a water temperature sensor which is located within the booster unit and activates below 75c, there is also an engine running signal that operates a relay that supplies 12v to the as an engine running signal. The problem I am facing is the garage is now trying to tell me after three months they cannot fix if if it isn't broke when they have it, I am arguing I have told you it is intermittent for the last three months and now the ambient temp is increasing it is going to get harder to demonstrate the problem. I have spoken to a number of people and there is a thought that an air leak in the diesel feed to the unit might explain why it seems to fail when stood over time on an incline, I presume if this were the case the leak could be even inside the booster unit ? So that the story but what I would like to try and understand from you knowledgeable people is..... There are two temp sensor, external air and internal water. What combination operates the unit AND OR? i.e if the external air temp is higher then 10c will the unit not operate regardless of water temp? Or could the unit operate if the air temp were higher then 10c but the water below 75c? When the unit fails to strike up after a period of time 90s it shuts down, does this write an event to the WDS log? If it does write an event and assuming that these are saved for sometime then if the heater fails to start say 5 times a week would it be obvious from WDS that there is an intermittent problem? Are these units known to need replacing or do they last forever? Any help would be much appreciated. My warranty is due to expire at the end of April and I get the feeling they are trying to string this out to avoid replacing an expensive unit. I can understand this if they have never seen the problem "live" but how can I prove to someone I really do have a problem! Regards, Paul Quote
Bigjeeze Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 Hi Paul I can't really help you - there are better people than I on this site. WHat I can say is that I too use a BT garage my vehicles being ex BT Fleet. They are great when it comes to basic and standard work but totally flummoxed when it is something like Air Con or Booster Heaters. I would insist that they either fix it or send it to a Ford Garage to have it fixed. It is not reasonable to say that because they can't cure it it isn't there! Keep on at them and ask them to put their objections in writing - at least that way you will have some redress if you have to take it further. Regards Quote
Masked Marauder Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 Check for corroded connections on the metering pump. Quote
g4hlf Posted March 29, 2006 Author Report Posted March 29, 2006 Check for corroded connections on the metering pump. I have seen reference to the metering pump and can see on the wiring diagram it is within the booster heater. Looking and the disasembley instructions I can only see a fuel pump and what is described as a blower motor, am I correct to think this is the same thing as the metering pump? Out of interest (I'm not a mechanic) can some one give a brief description how the unit generates heat? I thought diesel had to be compressed heavily to combust?Also what makes the characteristic "ticking noise" and what makes the turbine sound? Regards, Paul Quote
Masked Marauder Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 The metering pump is located in the center of the car plumbed into the fuel lines. It supplies pluses of fuel through a nozzle into the airflow from the booster heater fan and over a glowing plug which ignites it. The hot exhaust then passes through a heat exchanger warming the engine coolant. The ticking is the metering pump pulsing the fuel through (the faster the ticks the more fuel is being forced in) and the turbine sound is the fan in the booster heater pushing the air through. Quote
g4hlf Posted March 29, 2006 Author Report Posted March 29, 2006 The metering pump is located in the center of the car plumbed into the fuel lines. It supplies pluses of fuel through a nozzle into the airflow from the booster heater fan and over a glowing plug which ignites it. The hot exhaust then passes through a heat exchanger warming the engine coolant. The ticking is the metering pump pulsing the fuel through (the faster the ticks the more fuel is being forced in) and the turbine sound is the fan in the booster heater pushing the air through. Masked, Thank you for your information, this is all coming together now I think! So can you tell me if my following assumptions are correct.... The metering pump is also referred to as the injection pump and is controlled from the booster heater module? The control module determines how much diesel the metering pump should squirt in based on water temperature measured by the temperature sensor located within the booster pump housing? Other questions I have are.... From your previous comments am I correct to assume that corroded connectors on the metering pump are a common problem? It is common for the metering pump itself to fail on an intermittent basis? Do both the ambient air temp sensor (below 10c) and the water temp sensor (below 75c) have to be active for the booster to operate, i.e both rather then either? Apologies for lots of assumptions but here is one final one for now :-) If I'm close with the above then the checking and/or replacement of the metering pump would take place well before any thought about replacing the entire booster unit? Quote
Jeff115 Posted March 30, 2006 Report Posted March 30, 2006 So can you tell me if my following assumptions are correct.... The metering pump is also referred to as the injection pump and is controlled from the booster heater module?The control module determines how much diesel the metering pump should squirt in based on water temperature measured by the temperature sensor located within the booster pump housing? I have never seen it referred to as 'an injection pump' but it does control the flow of diesel to and into the booster heater and the booster heater control module controls it to deliver fuel at full or part load modes. The coolant temperature measured by the sensor in the booster heater determines when the booster heater should from full to part load to off modes (or if overheat => off). Other questions I have are.... From your previous comments am I correct to assume that corroded connectors on the metering pump are a common problem?Other members have had this problem due to the exposure of the connections to the elements, water, salt, grit etc. It is common for the metering pump itself to fail on an intermittent basis?I've not heared of it failing intermittent basis but possible if bad electrical connections. You can follow this to test fuel delivery of booster metering pump Do both the ambient air temp sensor (below 10c) and the water temp sensor (below 75c) have to be active for the booster to operate, i.e both rather then either?Yes, both to intiate booster start but booster can operate at part load if cooant drops to 88 degrees, from memory. Apologies for lots of assumptions but here is one final one for now :-) If I'm close with the above then the checking and/or replacement of the metering pump would take place well before any thought about replacing the entire booster unit?Yes, but test the connections to and from, fuel delivery lines and quantity of fuel delivered by the pump before contemplating replacement. And Do a Search as all of the above have been covered many times,hope this helps,Jeff. Quote
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