constantly monitors the oxygen content of the
exhaust gas. If the percentage of oxygen in
the exhaust gas is incorrect, an electrical
signal is sent to the ECU. The ECU processes
this information, and then sends a command
to the fuel injection system, telling it to change
the air/fuel mixture; the end result is an air/fuel
mixture ratio which is constantly maintained
at a predetermined ratio, regardless of driving
conditions. This happens in a fraction of a
second, and goes on almost all the time while
the engine is running - the exceptions are that
the ECU cuts out the system and runs the
engine on values pre-programmed
(“mapped”) into its memory both while the
oxygen sensor is reaching its normal
operating temperature after the engine has
been started from cold, and when the throttle
is fully open for full acceleration.
In the event of a sensor malfunction, a
back-up circuit will take over, to provide
driveability until the problem is identified and
fixed.
Precautions
(a) Always disconnect the power by
uncoupling the battery terminals - see
Section 1 of Chapter 5 - before removing
any of the electronic control system’s
electrical connectors.
(b) When installing a battery, be particularly
careful to avoid reversing the positive and
negative battery leads.
(c) Do not subject any components of the
system (especially the ECU) to severe
impact during removal or installation.
(d) Do not be careless during fault diagnosis.
Even slight terminal contact can invalidate
a testing procedure, and damage one of
the numerous transistor circuits.
(e) Never attempt to work on the ECU, to test
it (with any kind of test equipment), or to
open its cover.
(f) If you are inspecting electronic control
system components during rainy weather,
make sure that water does not enter any
part. When washing the engine
compartment, do not spray these parts or
their electrical connectors with water.
General
The various components of the fuel, ignition
and emissions control systems (not forgetting
the same ECU’s control of sub-systems such
as the radiator cooling fan, air conditioning
and automatic transmission, where
appropriate) are so closely interlinked that
diagnosis of a fault in any one component is
virtually impossible using traditional methods.
Working on simpler systems in the past, the
experienced mechanic may well have been
able to use personal skill and knowledge
immediately to pinpoint the cause of a fault, or
quickly to isolate the fault, by elimination;however, with an engine management system
integrated to this degree, this is not likely to
be possible in most instances, because of the
number of symptoms that could arise from
even a minor fault.
So that the causes of faults can be quickly
and accurately traced and rectified, the ECU
is provided with a built-in self-diagnosis
facility, which detects malfunctions in the
system’s components. When a fault occurs,
three things happen: the ECU identifies the
fault, stores a corresponding code in its
memory, and (in most cases) runs the system
using back-up values pre-programmed
(“mapped”) into its memory; some form of
driveability is thus maintained, to enable the
vehicle to be driven to a garage for attention.
Any faults that may have occurred are
indicated in the form of three-digit codes
when the system is connected (via the built-in
diagnosis or self-test connectors, as
appropriate) to special diagnostic equipment -
this points the user in the direction of the
faulty circuit, so that further tests can pinpoint
the exact location of the fault.
Given below is the procedure that would be
followed by a Ford technician to trace a fault
from scratch. Should your vehicle’s engine
management system develop a fault, read
through the procedure and decide how much
you can attempt, depending on your skill and
experience and the equipment available to
you, or whether it would be simpler to have
the vehicle attended to by your local Ford
dealer. If you are concerned about the
apparent complexity of the system, however,
remember the comments made in the fourth
paragraph of Section 1 of this Chapter; the
preliminary checks require nothing but care,
patience and a few minor items of equipment,
and may well eliminate the majority of faults.
(a) Preliminary checks
(b) Fault code read-out *
(c) Check ignition timing and base idle
speed. Recheck fault codes to establish
whether fault has been cured or not *
(d) Carry out basic check of ignition system
components. Recheck fault codes to
establish whether fault has been cured or
not *
(e) Carry out basic check of fuel system
components. Recheck fault codes to
establish whether fault has been cured or
not *
(f) If fault is still not located, carry out system
test *
Note:Operations marked with an asterisk
require special test equipment.
Preliminary checks
Note:When carrying out these checks to
trace a fault, remember that if the fault has
appeared only a short time after any part of
the vehicle has been serviced or overhauled,
the first place to check is where that work was
carried out, however unrelated it may appear,
to ensure that no carelessly-refitted
components are causing the problem.If you are tracing the cause of a “partial”
engine fault, such as lack of performance, in
addition to the checks outlined below, check
the compression pressures (see Part A of
Chapter 2) and bear in mind the possibility
that one of the hydraulic tappets might be
faulty, producing an incorrect valve clearance.
Check also that the fuel filter has been
renewed at the recommended intervals.
If the system appears completely dead,
remember the possibility that the
alarm/inhibitor system may be responsible.
1The first check for anyone without special
test equipment is to switch on the ignition,
and to listen for the fuel pump (the sound of
an electric motor running, audible from
beneath the rear seats); assuming there is
sufficient fuel in the tank, the pump should
start and run for approximately one or two
seconds, then stop, each time the ignition is
switched on. If the pump runs continuously all
the time the ignition is switched on, the
electronic control system is running in the
back-up (or “limp-home”) mode referred to by
Ford as “Limited Operation Strategy” (LOS).
This almost certainly indicates a fault in the
ECU itself, and the vehicle should therefore be
taken to a Ford dealer for a full test of the
complete system using the correct diagnostic
equipment; do not waste time trying to test
the system without such facilities.
2If the fuel pump is working correctly (or not
at all), a considerable amount of fault
diagnosis is still possible without special test
equipment. Start the checking procedure as
follows.
3Open the bonnet and check the condition
of the battery connections - remake the
connections or renew the leads if a fault is
found (Chapter 5). Use the same techniques
to ensure that all earth points in the engine
compartment provide good electrical contact
through clean, metal-to-metal joints, and that
all are securely fastened. (In addition to the
earth connection at the engine lifting eye and
that from the transmission to the
body/battery, there is one earth connection
behind each headlight assembly, and one
below the power steering fluid reservoir.)
4Referring to the information given in
Chapter 12 and in the wiring diagrams at the
back of this manual, check that all fuses
protecting the circuits related to the engine
management system are in good condition.
Fit new fuses if required; while you are there,
check that all relays are securely plugged into
their sockets.
5Next work methodically around the engine
compartment, checking all visible wiring, and
the connections between sections of the
wiring loom. What you are looking for at this
stage is wiring that is obviously damaged by
chafing against sharp edges, or against
moving suspension/transmission components
and/or the auxiliary drivebelt, by being
trapped or crushed between carelessly-
refitted components, or melted by being
forced into contact with hot engine castings,
3 Diagnosis system -
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compartment, but on Estate models, it is on
the right-hand side.
Some models are fitted with a headlight
levelling system, which is controlled by a knob
on the facia. On position “0”, the headlights
are in their base position, and on position “5”,
the headlights are in their maximum inclined
angle.
It should be noted that, when portions of
the electrical system are serviced, the cable
should be disconnected from the battery
negative terminal, to prevent electrical shorts
and fires.
Caution: When disconnecting the
battery for work described in the
following Sections, refer to
Chapter 5, Section 1.
Note:Refer to the precautions given in
“Safety first!” and in Section 1 of this Chapter
before starting work. The following tests relate
to testing of the main electrical circuits, and
should not be used to test delicate electronic
circuits (such as engine management systems,
anti-lock braking systems, etc), particularly
where an electronic control module is used.
Also refer to the precautions given in Chapter
5, Section 1.
General
1A typical electrical circuit consists of an
electrical component, any switches, relays,
motors, fuses, fusible links or circuit breakers
related to that component, and the wiring and
connectors which link the component to both
the battery and the chassis. To help to
pinpoint a problem in an electrical circuit,
wiring diagrams are included at the end of this
manual.
2Before attempting to diagnose an electrical
fault, first study the appropriate wiring
diagram, to obtain a complete understanding
of the components included in the particular
circuit concerned. The possible sources of a
fault can be narrowed down by noting if other
components related to the circuit are
operating properly. If several components or
circuits fail at one time, the problem is likely to
be related to a shared fuse or earth
connection.
3Electrical problems usually stem from
simple causes, such as loose or corroded
connections, a faulty earth connection, a
blown fuse, a melted fusible link, or a faulty
relay (refer to Section 3 for details of testing
relays). Visually inspect the condition of all
fuses, wires and connections in a problem
circuit before testing the components. Use
the wiring diagrams to determine which
terminal connections will need to be checked
in order to pinpoint the trouble-spot.
4The basic tools required for electrical fault-
finding include a circuit tester or voltmeter (a
12-volt bulb with a set of test leads can alsobe used for certain tests); an ohmmeter (to
measure resistance and check for continuity);
a battery and set of test leads; and a jumper
wire, preferably with a circuit breaker or fuse
incorporated, which can be used to bypass
suspect wires or electrical components.
Before attempting to locate a problem with
test instruments, use the wiring diagram to
determine where to make the connections.
5To find the source of an intermittent wiring
fault (usually due to a poor or dirty
connection, or damaged wiring insulation), a
“wiggle” test can be performed on the wiring.
This involves wiggling the wiring by hand to
see if the fault occurs as the wiring is moved.
It should be possible to narrow down the
source of the fault to a particular section of
wiring. This method of testing can be used in
conjunction with any of the tests described in
the following sub-Sections.
6Apart from problems due to poor
connections, two basic types of fault can
occur in an electrical circuit - open-circuit, or
short-circuit.
7Open-circuit faults are caused by a break
somewhere in the circuit, which prevents
current from flowing. An open-circuit fault will
prevent a component from working.
8Short-circuit faults are caused by a “short”
somewhere in the circuit, which allows the
current flowing in the circuit to “escape” along
an alternative route, usually to earth. Short-
circuit faults are normally caused by a
breakdown in wiring insulation, which allows a
feed wire to touch either another wire, or an
earthed component such as the bodyshell. A
short-circuit fault will normally cause the
relevant circuit fuse to blow.
Finding an open-circuit
9To check for an open-circuit, connect one
lead of a circuit tester or the negative lead of a
voltmeter either to the battery negative
terminal or to a known good earth.
10Connect the other lead to a connector in
the circuit being tested, preferably nearest to
the battery or fuse. At this point, battery
voltage should be present, unless the lead
from the battery or the fuse itself is faulty
(bearing in mind that some circuits are live
only when the ignition switch is moved to a
particular position).
11Switch on the circuit, then connect the
tester lead to the connector nearest the circuit
switch on the component side.
12If voltage is present (indicated either by
the tester bulb lighting or a voltmeter reading,
as applicable), this means that the section of
the circuit between the relevant connector
and the switch is problem-free.
13Continue to check the remainder of the
circuit in the same fashion.
14When a point is reached at which no
voltage is present, the problem must lie
between that point and the previous test point
with voltage. Most problems can be traced to
a broken, corroded or loose connection.
Finding a short-circuit
15To check for a short-circuit, first
disconnect the load(s) from the circuit (loads
are the components which draw current from
a circuit, such as bulbs, motors, heating
elements, etc).
16Remove the relevant fuse from the circuit,
and connect a circuit tester or voltmeter to the
fuse connections.
17Switch on the circuit, bearing in mind that
some circuits are live only when the ignition
switch is moved to a particular position.
18If voltage is present (indicated either by
the tester bulb lighting or a voltmeter reading,
as applicable), this means that there is a
short-circuit.
19If no voltage is present during this test,
but the fuse still blows with the load(s)
reconnected, this indicates an internal fault in
the load(s).
Finding an earth fault
20The battery negative terminal is
connected to “earth” - the metal of the
engine/transmission unit and the vehicle body
- and many systems are wired so that they
only receive a positive feed, the current
returning via the metal of the car body. This
means that the component mounting and the
body form part of that circuit. Loose or
corroded mountings can therefore cause a
range of electrical faults, ranging from total
failure of a circuit, to a puzzling partial failure.
In particular, lights may shine dimly (especially
when another circuit sharing the same earth
point is in operation), motors (eg wiper motors
or the radiator cooling fan motor) may run
slowly, and the operation of one circuit may
have an apparently-unrelated effect on
another. Note that on many vehicles, earth
straps are used between certain components,
such as the engine/transmission and the
body, usually where there is no metal-to-
metal contact between components, due to
flexible rubber mountings, etc.
21To check whether a component is
properly earthed, disconnect the battery (refer
to Chapter 5, Section 1) and connect one lead
of an ohmmeter to a known good earth point.
Connect the other lead to the wire or earth
connection being tested. The resistance
reading should be zero; if not, check the
connection as follows.
22If an earth connection is thought to be
faulty, dismantle the connection, and clean
both the bodyshell and the wire terminal (or
the component earth connection mating
surface) back to bare metal. Be careful to
remove all traces of dirt and corrosion, then
use a knife to trim away any paint, so that a
clean metal-to-metal joint is made. On
reassembly, tighten the joint fasteners
securely; if a wire terminal is being refitted,
use serrated washers between the terminal
and the bodyshell, to ensure a clean and
secure connection. When the connection is
2 Electrical fault finding -
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