2009 MB Mondeo Oil Pressure Switch Faulty

5tumpy · 26-06-2015, 04:19 PM

Hey all,

My 2009 Mondeo TDCi has a loose wire on the oil pressure sensor/switch causing the oil pressure light to come on randomly... This weekend I need to be in Canberra tomorrow (180km round trip) and then I'm working Sunday and Monday nights (400-450km round trip)... My car is the only vehicle I have available to me in that time and I can't cancel the stuff I have on without losing a significant amount of money on Sunday (work only pays penalties if I work the shift, not on leave) and breaking my 3 year old daughter's heart tomorrow by not taking her to best friend's birthday party in Canberra... Can I risk it, given that the oil was changed again today and everything is perfect with the engine?

Here's the background story:

So on Wednesday I got my car serviced by a local mechanic. Get the car back, drive it to my house about 15 mins away, no worries at all...

An hour or so later, I have to leave for work, in Sydney, about 180km drive from where I live (Goulburn)... Anyway, about 40km into my trip I get off the freeway to get dinner... As soon as I brake, oil pressure light comes on... Pull over, go inside, get dinner, leave the car for 15 mins or so, go back, check the oil, all good, no worries... Get back in to car, turn it on, oil light goes off as normal... Get all the way to Sydney, brake again to get off the M7 at work, and guess what? Light comes on again... Work is 5 mins away, so I keep driving, leave it for a few hours, check it again, oil is fine, jack it up, check underneath, no leaks I can see, every looks ok...

Work in Sydney Wednesday, drive back 20 mins to my parents place, crash there for the day, back to work Thursday night, same thing, every time I brake, light comes on, after a minute or 2, it's off again...

Drive back to Goulburn this morning, same thing again... Call the mechanic, go in and drop the car off, sit there for 2 hours while his mechanics troubleshoot, he comes back "No luck mate, we don't know what's wrong with it, we need to hook the computer up to it, but our plug is different to the one in your car. Can you go up to Ford and get it checked, and then come back and we'll sort you out?" So I do...

Ford tells me they're too busy, come back at 2pm and they'll be able to sort me out... So I go back to the mechanic, tell him, as it's 11am, don't really want to hang around for 3 hours, ask him what he thinks is the problem, could it be a sensor etc... He says to me "Let Ford check it before we spend anymore money mate!"... Fair enough...

Anyway, so I go to Ford, the 20 year old kid there doesn't even plug it into the tool, chucks it on a hoist, and has a poke around... 10 minutes later comes in, talks to the service girl and I hear them asking the parts bloke about a sensor... Long story short, one of the wires on the sensor has been damaged, can probably be soldered back together, but they don't have time. Suggests I go back to the mechanic... Go back there, and long story short old mate has ****ed off to the Snow at 2pm, and left me high and dry for the weekend... He told me to come back after 2pm when I saw Ford, and still didn't mention he was going early... Sigh... Why are good mechanics so hard to find?!

I'll add to that I've never had a problem with the car before they did the service... The car has never even so much as blown smoke other than normal condensation out the exhaust... So I'm 95% sure they are to blame for the damaged wiring in the first place...

Thanks guys!

**russellw** · 27-06-2015, 08:09 AM

Should be fine to drive - if you are concerned just keep checking the oil regularly.

Cheers
Russ

5tumpy · 28-06-2015, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russellw

Should be fine to drive - if you are concerned just keep checking the oil regularly.

Cheers
Russ

Thanks mate! Ended up calling in sick tonight... I have a chest infection and feel like I'm dying... But the car made it Canberra and back with no worries yesterday...

5tumpy · 30-06-2015, 07:42 PM

Yey... So finally got it in with the Mechanic today... Turns out the switch is actually fine... Well done Ford! It's the oil pump that's shot... Car's done 200,000km and this is the first thing other than oil and filters that's needed to be replaced in that time... Just waiting on them getting a price on the parts needed tomorrow... Anyone have an idea of what I'm going to be up for? Had a look online, but can only find them on ebay... Repco was no help and only other option in town is Supercheap...

Cheers all!

Binny · 30-06-2015, 08:48 PM

So it actually had low oil pressure then? Thats a worry. I hope it didn't cause any extra wear and tear.
Its still seems strange that it happened after you had it serviced. You would think that if it was the oil pump the light would be on all the time. Not just when braking "shrugs"

5tumpy · 30-06-2015, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binny

So it actually had low oil pressure then? Thats a worry. I hope it didn't cause any extra wear and tear.
Its still seems strange that it happened after you had it serviced. You would think that if it was the oil pump the light would be on all the time. Not just when braking "shrugs"

Yeah, it's my fault really... I left it way too long between oil changes, and it looks like I've gunked up the pump... The oil pressure was ok 95% of the time... Apparently the reason it wasn't so much the braking, as not accelerating... The mechanics were able to replicate it and are confident we got it before any real damage occurred...

Just worried about the cost of the pump, as I can't find an after market manufacturer, only Ford... And we know how they love charging like a wounded bull!

mik · 30-06-2015, 11:53 PM

you never know, sometimes a part you might think to be hugely expensive may turn out to be a fairly good price, the scary bit might be what is involved labor wise in fitting the bugger..
just had a look at pommy parts on ebay similar engine but smaller ??.... but for fiesta/fusion tdci .... 89 pounds , dunno what the $$$ conversion is , perhaps like temperature farenheit /celcius ..... double it and add 30

(ford probably wont be that cheap) + all your oils and any other bits and pieces needed + labor to do the job. .
good luck any way.

cobrin · 01-07-2015, 10:45 AM

the pound is almost double, so 90 pounds is about $180.

5tumpy · 01-07-2015, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mik

you never know, sometimes a part you might think to be hugely expensive may turn out to be a fairly good price, the scary bit might be what is involved labor wise in fitting the bugger..
just had a look at pommy parts on ebay similar engine but smaller ??.... but for fiesta/fusion tdci .... 89 pounds , dunno what the $$$ conversion is , perhaps like temperature farenheit /celcius ..... double it and add 30

(ford probably wont be that cheap) + all your oils and any other bits and pieces needed + labor to do the job. .
good luck any way.

Just heard back from the mechanic... It's about 4.5-5 hours labour to do it... All up with oil etc they quoted me $900-1000 for the job... The worst part is they can't fit me in until next week, so I'm without a car until next Wednesday, maybe Tuesday if I'm lucky...

FML is all I can say... This is the worst timing too... Just had to ring my boss and explain it all to him and ask for a week off at 1 day's notice... If not, I'm going to have to leave my wife and daughter and live with my parents for a week... Sigh...

mik · 01-07-2015, 11:42 PM

i was actually thinking the job cost may even have been a bit more than that, but good luck to you 5tumpy..
Look on the bright side, you will get your pride and joy back next week and all will be right with the world ;) .

5tumpy · 10-07-2015, 07:55 PM

So I got my car back tonight... $1000 later, they changed the oil pump... Only took them the better part of 2 weeks to get it sorted...

I had to work tonight, they dicked me around all day, finally pick the car up at 5pm have to go straight up to Sydney for work... Get 20 mins up the road, pull in for fuel... Same bloody problem again!!!!

Whenever the revs get low, oil pressure drops, oil pressure light comes on, accelerate a bit, light goes off and everything is fine...

Mechanic replaced Oil pump, drain plug gasket and used $154 worth of 5W30 oil... Still doing the exact same thing... Anyone got any ideas if it's not the oil pump?

cobrin · 12-07-2015, 01:17 AM

Oh, not good...

internal leakage - bearings gallery seals turbo - you name it kinda deal aka mechanical
blockage (not likely considering it's nature when it happens)
pressure switch or harness ect...
air ingress in oil pickup tube strainer ect...

I'd be getting an oil pressure gauge on it and seeing exactly what pressure you are getting.

No signs of abnormal mechanical noises, ticking or rattling?

hows the performance? thinking turbo
Oil consumption?
Exhaust colour changed?

hard to diagnose this time in the morning,,,need sleep, sorry to hear bud.

5tumpy · 12-07-2015, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cobrin

I'd be getting an oil pressure gauge on it and seeing exactly what pressure you are getting.

It was 8psi before the pump was changed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cobrin

No signs of abnormal mechanical noises, ticking or rattling?

Before the pump was changed, when the oil pressure light came on, it did have a rattle. This is no longer the case with the new pump.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cobrin

hows the performance? thinking turbo
Oil consumption?
Exhaust colour changed?

Performance is as good as ever. Fuel economy is the same, and there's nothing different about the exhaust... It's never even blown smoke when I kick it in the guts... Oil consumption is fine... I've had the car for 110,000 km and it's never needed a top up...

Mate of mine who's a mechanic suggested I try a thicker oil, seeing as the car has done just under 200,000km... Just seems weird that all this happened immediately after an oil change...

cobrin · 12-07-2015, 01:41 PM

any idea what it is now (oil press.) since the change over?

5tumpy · 13-07-2015, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cobrin

any idea what it is now (oil press.) since the change over?

No... But the rattle is gone, even when the oil light is on if that helps...

5tumpy · 13-07-2015, 01:47 PM

Just dropped it off with a new mechanic... This one came recommended from a mate in Sydney who is a mechanic and works in the industry... They seem to have a **** tonne better customer service, fitted me in for diagnostics 10 mins after I called them... We'll see how we go...

If I was a religious man, I'd be praying that the engine isn't stuffed!

5tumpy · 13-07-2015, 06:16 PM

Well we now know what the problem was.

When the mechanics did the oil change, they put a filter for a Petrol Mondeo on it instead of the one for the diesel. New mechanic today did an oil and filter change on it, and now apparently it's fine. They're going to test it again in the morning and should have it back by lunchtime.

Called the original Mechanic back this afternoon and explained everything, requested they refund the cost of the oil pump change, as it wasn't required. They came back and said that it was, their mechanic tested the car with mechanical guages and the oil filter removed, and the problem persisted, which is why they replaced the pump. They offered me $250 back in reimbursement for the oil pump itself, and tried to stick me with the $750 worth of labour and other parts. Then when I told them to go and get stuffed, they offered me 3 services for free as well.

I turned that down, because frankly, I don't trust them, and I don't want them anywhere near my car. So now I guess I'm off to Fair Trading.

Really ****** me off, because not only am I out the $1000 they charged for the oil pump replacement, I'm also out for whatever the new mechanic charges me for their work today... Sigh... Things are tight enough as it is, I don't need this...

cobrin · 13-07-2015, 06:21 PM

WOW, I'm gob smacked...

5tumpy · 13-07-2015, 07:01 PM

The guy even tried to tell me that he couldn't refund the cost for the labour because then he's out of pocket, he has to pay his guys.

I said to him "Mate, come on, you don't pay your blokes anywhere near the $90 an hour you've charged me"... He got shirty with me and told me that it wasn't up to me how much he paid his boys... Completely missing the point...

Getting a little ahead of myself here though, because I don't have the car back, the 2nd mechanic still wants to test it in the morning and make sure it's ok... But still, it's just annoying...

Can someone confirm for me that the part numbers for the oil filters for the petrol and the diesel engines are different? Just want to get my ducks in a row from a 3rd source before I go to FT...

Binny · 13-07-2015, 08:20 PM

Well that's good and bad news. I'm glad that the new mechanic appears to have found the issue. I always thought it wasn't a coincidence that the problem started happening after your service. I guess you won't know for sure until you get it back and are able to test it yourself.

Bad news that you now have to deal with the previous mechanic. It sucks for him that one of his guys stuffed up but that's not your problem it's his. Hopefully you can get the right outcome.

5tumpy · 13-07-2015, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binny

Well that's good and bad news. I'm glad that the new mechanic appears to have found the issue. I always thought it wasn't a coincidence that the problem started happening after your service. I guess you won't know for sure until you get it back and are able to test it yourself.

Yeah, I always thought it was weird too, but blamed the fact that I'd done 30,000km without servicing it, being lazy... Just thought that when they dropped the oil all the sludge or whatever had gummed up the system... Then when they replaced the oil pump and it didn't fix it, I got suspicious, which is why I contacted my mate for advice...

Could have saved myself a **** load of trouble and asked my mate first... Didn't even occur to me that he'd know people down here...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binny

Bad news that you now have to deal with the previous mechanic. It sucks for him that one of his guys stuffed up but that's not your problem it's his. Hopefully you can get the right outcome.

Yeah, I've tried that already, they won't have a bar of it, and pretty much told me to G&GF... So, stuff it, I'm calling fair trading the minute I get my car back tomorrow and confirm it's fixed, and will seek remedy for not only the unnecessary oil pump change, but also for the taxi's I've had to take, and for the new mechanic's charges too, considering that aside from the extra labour for troubleshooting all he ended up doing was an oil and filter change...

cobrin · 14-07-2015, 12:57 AM

2.0L Diesel oil filter AFL98
mine on first oil change which is slightly different to the AFL98, but currently using a genuine Motorcraft (AFL98) from Ford.

2.3L Petrol oil filter AFL6MC

5tumpy · 14-07-2015, 01:30 PM

At this point all I can do is laugh... Got the car back, now perfect again... New mechanic gave me the oil filter back for my Fair Trading case... Well I'll let the picture do the talking:

Click the thumbnail for a bigger version.

The best part? They should have replaced the oil filter when they did the pump change, so I should have been none the wiser to this... Now, because they're stupid and lazy, I'm going to take them to the cleaners, and god help them if my engine is damaged, as we all know how expensive those Duratorq's can be... lol...

Now to do battle with them at Fair Trading... Got a feeling I'm going to end up at NCAT...

Binny · 14-07-2015, 02:13 PM

Wow!
Must have used a lot of torque to squash it down like that.

5tumpy · 14-07-2015, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binny

Wow!
Must have used a lot of torque to squash it down like that.

Tell me about it. Still can't believe they're trying to get out of it! They've clearly screwed up royally, but don't want to admit it.

I've made the complaint to the Dept of Fair Trading, just gotta wait it out now I guess!

Deo · 18-07-2015, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5tumpy

Sigh... Why are good mechanics so hard to find?!

I only just started reading your thread and I was going to suggest - if you are travelling to Sydney regularly why don't you get it maintained there - and I see you have, great.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5tumpy

our plug is different to the one in your car.

I mean come on! Maybe he was just 'simplifying' things for the customer but the PLUG on the Mondeo is just a standard OBD. What he didn't have was the right tool/software.

To be frank, I think you've actually been a bit lucky with the car overall. It sounds like you are used to Aussie fords - this is actually a European car just with a blue oval on it. Euro's can cost a fortune to look after and parts are harder to come by. Also with diesels it's /really/ important to take care of the oil. God help you if they filled it with oil for a petrol along with the filter! !

Sent from my GTi-9305 using bloody Tapatalk

5tumpy · 19-08-2015, 12:32 AM

Got some closure on this today. After referring the case to Fair Trading, and the mechanic screwing around the mediator from FT for a week, not answering his questions, I finally accepted a settlement offer today...

They originally offered me to refund the cost of the pump ($270) and 4 free services. Today they called back and offered me $800 cash, to cover the amount I was out for the good mechanic to rectify their crappy work, and a partial refund for the unnecessary oil pump replacement. I turned this down, as I'm out of pocket $1300.

They then came back to me this afternoon, and upped their offer to $1000, which covers me for everything except the oil pump, which is a brand new, genuine part. I decided to accept this offer.

Bonus is that I've gotten them to admit fault, so I have them by the short and curlies if I have any issues with the engine.

Thanks for your assistance guys!

cobrin · 19-08-2015, 03:10 PM

great outcome....