# Problems with New Ford S-max



## ask73 (24 Feb 2008)

Hi, 

I bought a new S-max through a non-FORD main dealer on Friday
The back tail light was broken on receipt but they said they would replace it. I accepted this and took the car.

On driving the car black black smoke came from the exhaust to the extent that it was dangerous to be driving behind me. I contacted the garage and the Ford dealer from where it came and I was told to contact Ford direct that it was neither of their responsibility. I rang FORD less than 24 hours after getting the car with 100km on teh clock and they picked the car up using RAC to bring it back to the main Ford dealer. It seems that there is a burst pipe in the engine and it will have to be stripped back to fix it making it a very much 2nd hand car. 

Any ideas on the direction I should take on this as I do not want the car back given it's initial problems


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## RS2K (25 Feb 2008)

You'll have to give them a chance fix it. It may be perfect then.

A repair doesn't make a car any more 2nd hand btw.


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## ford jedi (25 Feb 2008)

goin by the sounds of it you got a diesel smax ?? and if you did id say it was just an intercooler hose which came off giving you the black smoke. 

as rs2k said repairing the hose dosent make it second hand .or de value it ,it devalued the day you drove it out.


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## westside (6 May 2008)

RS2K,Ford_jedi,

I recently added the following post but did not get any reply
http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=81347

I was search for s-max issue and came across this thread. Do you think my problem could be caused by an intercooler hose coming loose? Is this a known S-Max issue


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## RS2K (7 May 2008)

westside said:


> RS2K,Ford_jedi,
> 
> I recently added the following post but did not get any reply
> http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=81347
> ...



Sounds like an engine plumbing issue somewhere. Refitting a hose could take seconds literally.

Get it back to the dealer pronto. Show them (and let them smell) the problem. It's most likely a minor issue. The engine is a well proven unit.


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## mik_da_man (7 May 2008)

ask73 said:


> I contacted the garage and the Ford dealer from where it came and I was told to contact Ford direct that it was neither of their responsibility.


 
Well it was their responsibility - they sold you the car !!!


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## Purple (7 May 2008)

mik_da_man said:


> Well it was their responsibility - they sold you the car !!!


Correct. Give the car back to whomever you bought it from and let them do the running around to get it sorted out. Any half decent dealer will give you a courtesy car while yours in is being fixed.


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## 21grams (7 May 2008)

RS2K said:


> The engine is a well proven unit.


Is this engine out of the same stable as the TDCI engines on the MIV Mondeo? 

I've been doing some research over on Honest John and very few engines seem to divide people so much. If you were to take whats said on HJ, there is a strong possiblility of major dmf and clutch issues with this engine. 

Would I be right in saying the vast vast majority of these engines provide long years of trouble free service or are they prone to high cost faults?


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## RS2K (8 May 2008)

Yep. Same unit.

The Duratorq *DLD-418* is a 1.8 L (1753 cc) intercooled common rail diesel engine. It is completely unrelated to the 1.4/1.6 units, and is a development of Ford's 1.8 8v Endura-D engine that saw service through the 1980s and 1990s. However, Ford considers it part of the DLD family, as evidenced by the official "DLD" name.
 The Endura-D was heavily revised and updated with a variable-vane turbocharger and a Delphi high-pressure common rail injection system and relaunched in 2001 as the 'DuraTorq TDCi', with the original engine being rebadged 'DuraTorq TDDi'.
 The output of the original 2001 unit is 85 kW (113 hp) at 3800 rpm and 250 N·m (184 ft·lbf) at 1850 rpm. In August 2002, a version appeared in the Ford Focus with reduced power, producing 74 kW (98 hp) at 3850 rpm and 240 N·m (177 ft·lbf) at 1750 rpm. Early 2005 saw the more powerful unit's torque boosted to 280 N·m (207 ft·lbf) at 1900 rpm, with power remaining unchanged at 85 kW (113 hp).
 The latest versions of the DLD-418 were released with the 2007 Ford Mondeo. One has an output of 74 kW (98 hp) at 3850 rpm and 280 N·m (207 ft·lbf) at 1800 rpm. The more powerful variant has an output of 92 kW (123 hp) at 3700 rpm and 320 N·m (236 ft·lbf) at 1800 rpm.

....and yes. There are generally reliable.


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## CrazyWater (8 May 2008)

Mine is a blast and of course I knew all of that also


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## 21grams (8 May 2008)

Many thanks for the information. I'm beginning to think sites like HonestJohn act as funnels for all the disaffected owners out there and reading them could give somebody a very skewed view of a car.


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## RS2K (8 May 2008)

I find Honest John to be ok. Parkers is pretty good too. Of course people are much more inclined to post bad experiences than good or even adequate ones. We are a bunch of moaners
sadly.


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## westside (13 May 2008)

Guys,

thanks for the replies. Just brought my s-max to my ford dealer. One of the mechanics came out to have a look and knew the problem as soon as the engine was switched on - faulty injector washers. He has order 4 new injector pipes and washers. said it was a know problem. the bad smell was coming from diesel burning off the engine block.


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