[zing007]

I have got a Ford Figo 1.5 Diesel Titanium purchased in December 2016. After a lot of online research I had zeroed in on the Figo.
I understood from my research that Figo is better because it has
1. a great, bullet proof diesel engine.
2. decent build quality.
3. good steering feedback, joy of driving.
These mirages were good for the first 1.5 years of ownership. However, then the issues started one by one.

Initially, one of the horns would suddenly stop working and would require repair, the problem stopped after an email to Ford India where the FASS changed the horn and the connecting coupler.

The next problem started with the air conditioner, the refrigerant gas would leak after some days of use. Initially after the repair the problem would be solved for 1-2 days, then the hissing would start. The hissing sound would increase everyday and one day I would realize the car is not cooling anymore. They changed the condenser, the cooling coil and I don't know what more, every time the problem returned, it is still continuing without any solution.

The recent issue is with the engine, after an approximately 120 km trip to my parents home the engine started giving a knocking sound. The day I drove it home the engine was smooth as usual. We reached home, parked it and the next day when I started it, the knocking sound started. I initially thought that it could be due to some sensor or something. But it didn't subside at all. I asked my SA from the FASS and he was clueless too. Somehow I returned back to my workplace and took the car to the FASS. They asked me to leave the car as it would take time to repair. After two days of diagnosing the SA said today that the sound is from connecting rods and the block requires to be replaced.
It sounds a major engine issue.
And has forced me to examine the cause of it. What actually went wrong? That is why I am sharing my experience and asking it here as there are people here with varying degree of experience with diesel engines and may suggest where things went wrong.

I have serviced my car for last approx. 4 years only at FASS. The last service was at 48000 kms. The car has covered only around 52000 to 53000 kms. It has always been driven single handedly only by me. My monthly running was approx 1250kms every month before lockdown. This whole lockdown period, the car has run too less could that be a reason? My car is still under extended warranty, may be the engine issue will be covered. But why these issues even with strictly following the service guidelines and that too with the TDCi?

From my past experiences with Ford service, I have found that the issues that arise in the car do not subside easily. So will it be good to hold on to the car after they fix it or it would be better to sell it and switch to some other brand?

This is my first post at T-BHP so if I have posted this at wrong place kindly move it to the correct thread.

[greendream]

Don’t be in a hurry to sell the car. I would advise you to pay a visit to another service center. Make it a point there to ask for the senior most technician. Stick with him for future visits too. An experienced guy can diagnose better and if need be get all the parts changed under warranty, at the very outset.

Yes, 52,000 km is fairly early for problems to arise in that engine, that too major ones. Once you’re out of extended warranty then take a call, whether to sell or not. Be optimistic,try a new service center and don’t worry.In some cases irrespective of brands, some cars are bound to be lemons.Yours doesn’t look so.

[WhiteSierra]

Originally Posted by zing007

The next problem started with the air conditioner, the refrigerant gas would leak after some days of use. Initially after the repair the problem would be solved for 1-2 days, then the hissing would start. The hissing sound would increase everyday and one day I would realize the car is not cooling anymore. They changed the condenser, the cooling coil and I don't know what more, every time the problem returned, it is still continuing without any solution.

The recent issue is with the engine, after an approximately 120 km trip to my parents home the engine started giving a knocking sound. The day I drove it home the engine was smooth as usual. We reached home, parked it and the next day when I started it, the knocking sound started. I initially thought that it could be due to some sensor or something. But it didn't subside at all. I asked my SA from the FASS and he was clueless too. Somehow I returned back to my workplace and took the car to the FASS. They asked me to leave the car as it would take time to repair. After two days of diagnosing the SA said today that the sound is from connecting rods and the block requires to be replaced.
It sounds a major engine issue.
And has forced me to examine the cause of it. What actually went wrong? That is why I am sharing my experience and asking it here as there are people here with varying degree of experience with diesel engines and may suggest where things went wrong.


My car is still under extended warranty, may be the engine issue will be covered. But why these issues even with strictly following the service guidelines and that too with the TDCi?

Ford 1.5 TDCI is indeed a great engine. Engine failing at 52K is very premature. With too many issues (I'd leave horn issue) but with major A/C components like condenser and cooling coil being replaced, and you are still facing issues which doesn't seem right. Now with knocking sound coming from engine, and SA diagnosing it as sound from connecting rod just at 52 K kms is unfortunate. May be you got a lemon car?

Here's an other Figo (old) owner who also got a Lemon car. https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ownership.html (Ford Figo : Story of a Defective LEMON (1.2yrs of stressful ownership))

And here is an article on what to do if you are struck with a lemon car. (I'd call it a lemon, as your car is replaced with major parts but still the issue is persistant with the A/C system, now the Engine issue. https://www.team-bhp.com/advice/what...efective-car-0


Few things on what you should do now :

1. Get the engine compression check on all the cylinders, if it is low, it's definitely an issue with engine. Ask F.A.S.S to provide a copy of compression test results.

2. Since your car is on extended warranty, Ask ford dealership to replace engine block and complete A/C system including compressor, cooling coil, condenser on good will gesture. If the reply is negative, write to higher ups in ford who might help you. If not, take it to social media very seriously. There's no way a modern car engine can fail in 4 years and 52k kms. It is totally unacceptable.

3. Have an official e-mail / letter from servicing confirming that there's an engine issue with price estimates for the new engine block, other parts and labour.(all this would be free, but a quotation will have all the parts and part numbers which will be replaced in your car) You can have this as an evidence for any possible issues in future.

4. Ask Ford to provide an extended warranty for 3 more years /100k kms on the new engine block.

Recently, A BHPian's Innova Crysta of 2016 make had some louder engine sound than normal, it was checked by decibel meter. It ran and performed fine without any other engine failing symptoms (low compression, back pressure, white smoke from exhaust, etc). Toyota changed the engine but did not change the gearbox as promised. you can read that post here.

Good luck with your car, try to push your SA for free replacement and keep us posted.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by zing007

So will it be good to hold on to the car after they fix it or it would be better to sell it and switch to some other brand?

For recurrence issues the thumb rule is to identify the root cause and get it sorted rather than changing only the failed part under warranty. Get the engine related parts changed under warranty & try with a different A.S.S for recurrence issues. If that doesn't work, reach a competent system level expert. Sometimes a roadside mechanic is more knowledgeable and experienced than the Super senior expert in the A.S.S

Switching brands will not workout every time. There is no single brand that makes a product without issues. This may be a case of lemon, but remember not all the parts will have issues. Get the issues sorted out and enjoy the car.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by zing007

I have got a Ford Figo 1.5 Diesel Titanium purchased in December 2016.

Should have taken that extended warranty, as all our official articles & reviews recommend!!!

And has forced me to examine the cause of it. What actually went wrong?

Sure looks like a case of bad luck as this is the first time I'm hearing of a premature failure on Ford's 1.5L TDCi.

If you are satisfied with the Ford workshop & its personnel, ask them for a quote. If fair, get the repairs done there itself. ONLY if you know an expert garage outside who you would trust blindly, should you move the car out (either that, or an exorbitant quote given by the dealer).

Would suggest repairing & using the car for another couple of years. The Figo has poor resale and you'll lose too much money.

[WhiteSierra]

Originally Posted by GTO

Should have taken that extended warranty, as all our official articles & reviews recommend!!!



Sure looks like a case of bad luck as this is the first time I'm hearing of a premature failure on Ford's 1.5L TDCi.

Hi GTO, I'm actually surprised to see more BHPians reporting the same in the other thread and the service advisor asking customers to get the engine overhauled. Apparently excess oil consumption started at 80 k kms, which is still premature wear for modern engines. This looks like a serious issue. Back in the day, Premier Padminis and Ambassadors used to require engine work during the same mileage. Modern engines should atleast last 1.5 lakh kms minimum.

Two more BHPians espraveen & chiranjitp mentioned about excess engine oil consumption between each service.

Originally Posted by espraveen

Now to the burning issue:
I have been reporting excessive engine oil consumption to the service center for the last four visits (starting at the 80K KMs service). The Figo has been put under observation since then. No concrete conclusion could be arrived at till the 1.1L KMs service. But, during the current interval, the car has been consuming excessively high amount of the oil. I visited the service center couple of weeks back (Odo 116000KM) and 2 litres of oil was topped up. That's quite a lot. The service manager suggested to run the car for about 1000KM and bring it for a check up. They were pretty sure that I will have to go for an engine overhaul to fix the issue. Should I go for the overhaul?

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post4721248

We own a 2016 Ecosport TDCi (same engine as your Figo), that has done close to 70k km. Since the beginning, I have been monitoring the engine oil levels. There is slight oil consumption, but that was since the beginning & hasn't increased over time. When did you first notice excessive oil consumption?


Latest photo I clicked today, odometer reading at 68600km (400km till the next oil change as the last oil change was done at 59000km):

Actually oil consumption is more here as per the dipstick.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post4774689

[NaXal]

Here is one Aspire known to me clocking some serious kms with stock engine. Owner didn't mention any thing unusual about his maintenance.



Although he is following a 7/8k kms service schedule.

Car is mainly used for highway duties !!

[Thilak29]

I have been driving this engine for 4 years now and clocked 80k kms. Touch wood, no issues so far. I have been purchasing annual warranty since the company offered one expired and I will continue to do that.

I have made it a point to talk to Aspire Diesel cabbies to understand their feedback and so far never heard anyone complain, mind it they clock much higher miles.

I have not noticed the oil consumption issue so far but I will make it a point to keep watch. I am considering switch to non Ford engine oil and been consistently using Liqui Molly Oil additives and CERATEC for smoothness.

I believe the reported case is one off case and wish the owner sails through smoothly.

[abhi9044]

I would like to add my 2 cents here. A connecting rod going bad is a very serious issue, and can only go bad if the engine has been overheated or starved of oil(provided that there was no manufacturing defect). The connecting rod is the second most strong part used in the engine, after the crankshaft because it is the part which takes the push and pull of the piston. Also, the con-rod in the diesels is much thicker and beefier when compared to petrol engines.

And from what I've found online, Figo's 1.5 TDCI connecting rod is pretty beefy(not as much as the 1.4 though). So a connecting rod is the last thing that you should be looking for.

Also, ask the SA how come were they able to figure out that it was a faulty connecting rod? Had they removed the head and then inspected the pistons? If so, did they had your permission to do so? Also, ask for videos and pictures of the same from them. I'm attaching a video for a Hyundai i20 that had a seized engine due to oil starvation(oil strainer was choked after engine flush), and in this case the con-rods were bent. So this should explain how it should be checked. Although it might not be precise, but will surely help you understand the details a bit more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpHB...eshchandragond

Skip to 12:10 if you just want to see how a bend con-rod will affect the pistons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eno...eshchandragond

Skip to: 4:47 if you want to see the bend connecting rods.

Also, if possible get the car checked from outside. I think it could be due to the Hydraulic tappets as they might not be able to retain oil pressure. There could be various other reasons, so I would request you to post a video of the car with it's engine running.

For the air conditioner, you might want to visit someone who only deals with Air Conditioning System for car. They should be able to figure out the leak and fix it permanently.

Abhishek.

[sunilg33]

I too had my apprehensions on the 1.5 Tdci. But its performing great in my Ecosport at 113K Kms/7 years without any issue. Never had any issue with the oil levels also. Ive come across numerous 1.5 Tdci's with 2 lakh+ kms and no engine issues.

Yours could be an one of case and better to get it verified from another Ford service center.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by zing007

My car is still under extended warranty, may be the engine issue will be covered.

Given that your car is under Extended Warranty (is it 2+2 or 2+3?), there's not a lot of reason for you to worry about the repair. I'd suggest that you drop an email to Ford + tweet so they're in the loop as well.

Why this happened in the first place - other owners of the same engine and ASC/Ford may have some explanation.

So will it be good to hold on to the car after they fix it or it would be better to sell it and switch to some other brand?

I think you're jumping the gun to look at worst case scenario. Yes, three failures (one including the engine) can cause you to worry. Hold on until what Ford and the ASC have to say; drive around post repair to really think about how you feel about this car.

Originally Posted by GTO

Should have taken that extended warranty, as all our official articles & reviews recommend!!!

He does, thankfully. But it is indeed surprising that several owners, across manufacturers feel that EW is a wasteful expenditure. I just paid 16k (yep!) for 5th year EW on my EcoSport AT (DCT). And will pay for it as long as EW is available (took the 7th year on our City as well). One small glitch somewhere and the EW more than pays for itself.

[harmanjeet14]

I faced a similar situation few years back. I have first generation 1.2 petrol Figo. At around 40k, the engine started consuming oil. Luckily for us, the car was still under warranty.

Though Ford took its own sweet time, they did replace the entire engine block. The car has run around 80k post the incident, without any issues.

My two cents, follow up with Ford actively, and get the defective parts replaced. From your post, it seems the service centre you are visiting is not competent enough - they are not able to fix a minor issue about a horn. Try and find a better service centre, perhaps one which is operating from a long time, and has experienced technicians.

[arjab]

Originally Posted by zing007

After two days of diagnosing the SA said today that the sound is from connecting rods and the block requires to be replaced.
It sounds a major engine issue.

Did you push-start it at any point of time?

[COMMUTER]

My 1.5 Tdci Figo had done 97k km till now and is still going strong. I stopped getting it service at the service center after they pilfered my AC condenser and did a top up instead of oil change at the 50k km mark. Link (All about diesel engine oils)I have been getting it serviced at FNGs and have been very happy with the ownership till date.

I did visit the Raba Ford with a good referral for the gear rod assembly change and found their service satisfactory.

Ac condenser was swapped with another car when they made me leave the car at the service center on a weekend.

The car is great but the unscrupulousness of some service center personnel is appallingly horrendous.

I avoided taking the extended warranty and decided to not leave my car at an FASS without close supervision.

I am planning a preemptive overhaul at the 1L mark involving changing clutch assembly, timing belt, high output alternator, etc.

Paying attention to the oil changes goes a long way in avoiding early onset of engine issues.

[R_Gowardhan]

Sorry to hear about your ordeal. The Ford 1.5L TDCi is a mighty good engine and this is one of the first times I am reading about an issue with it.

Since you mentioned that the AC issue is still unresolved and the the kind of damage as confirmed by FASS, I am tempted to point to the overheating angle. You may want to start with checking the coolant levels and then proceed with getting the plumbing from the radiator to the heater coil checked. Also, is there any change in the odour from the AC vents?

My suggestion may sound lame as it is one of the first thing any mechanic would have checked; but, to err is human. The FASS staff may have missed checking this or maybe anticipated a potential ripping off opportunity during previous repairs.