Hello Folks

I recently acquired a FEH 2005 in Canada and it has 93,000kms on it. The car seems to be running fine and since I am new to hybrids, I am currently using 9.1L/100kms which is roughly 26-27mpg in a mix of city/highway driving.

The question I have may not be related to hybrids per se but, when I ran my finger inside the tail pipe, I saw some black oily soot on it, which was wiped off quite easily by a paper towel. I owned a honda accord and its tail pipe usually would be quite dry. Is this normal in the Ford? I don't hear anything funny when the engine's running....but, I could be wrong. Any ideas?

Secondly, the hand brake appears to be very tight and only goes up a couple of notches...and once it refused to disengage, I had to use superhuman strength to press the button at the end to get it down. Also, twice today I saw the red brakes indicator go off with a chime and a "Service Brakes" message on the dashboard panel....but, no flashes in the ABS indicator. Although both the times the brakes were working absolutely fine and a simple restart of the car got rid of the message. I drove around 80kms after that and didnt face any issues.....but, since its the braking system, I would not like to take a chance.

The previous owner got the brake pads replaced in September and he claims that he never saw that message...

Can some one here please help with both the issues?

Thanks
Anish

 

Black residue inside the tailpipe is likely related to the combustion of fuel (gasoline). I see this in many vehicles.

Stuck/frozen hand parking brake can be related to disuse.

Red brake indicator on dash could be related to several issues. Can you get a code reader and see if any codes are present?

 

Thank you BillyK for your response!
I will get the OBD II readouts tomorrow...

Meanwhile, I opened the air intake compartment and noticed that the air filter was badly clogged....so, I suppose the fuel mixture was too rich causing the black soot in the exhaust. I will have it changed tomorrow and check if it does anything. Next step would be to take a look at the spark plugs. Can some one please show me a video or pictures on how to open the engine cover to access the spark plugs in a FEH 2005 2WD.

I also noticed that when I turn the engine on in the morning I see plenty of white smoke from the exhaust which I am guessing is water vapor since its odourless and condenses into water. This phenomena is also noticed when I turn on the heater in the cabin. Is this normal in cold countries?

Forgive me for asking such basic questions as I am a total newbie as far as cars and more so hybrids are concerned.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Regards,
Anish

 

White smoke on start, often accompanied with a rough initial idle, could be a head gasket leak. Is your coolant level low?

 

Hi! Rick

Coolant level seems to be fine....with the expected pale yellow color.
Should I have a professional check the head gasket....or can I do it myself?

Thanks
Anish

 

I think I'd wait for the group impression first.

I haven't heard anyone mention head gasket problems tho.

Head gaskets are easy to test, they just pressurize one cylinder at a time with an air compressor and watch for leaks in the coolant. Pulling the plugs might show some differences between cylinders too.

 

There should be a big gray cover on the top of your engine. It just pulls off. When you do that, you'll see the coils of the spark plugs. If memory serves, you need an 8mm deep socket to get them off. Then, of course, you'll need a spark plug wrench to pull the plug.

On the break lever that was so hard to return, were you pulling up a bit while you were pushing on the button? The breaks don't wear very fast on these cars. If the previous owner had the pads changed then the fact that the break handle didn't pull hard before engaging is no surprise.

A clogged air filter shouldn't cause the vehicle to run rich. That is what O2 sensors are for. If it were overly clogged you might see a reduction in power, but I doubt you'd really notice it. There's nothing wrong with having a new fresh filter, but I don't think it's going to solve any of your problems.

What temperatures are you operating the vehicle at where you're seeing "white smoke"? Could this just be normal condensation that occurs when a vehicle is running in colder climates? Watch your coolant levels. If they're stable then you're likely ok. Some weird things can happen with bad head gaskets, but let's start simple.

Have you checked your brake fluid level?

 

A compression test would show low in one cylinder. You remove a plug and add one with a pressure gauge and crank it for a few seconds (not sure how this works with a hybrid tho), noting the pressure for all 4 cylinders. If you find an abnormally low one that would be the suspect one.

I agree on the "starting simple", that why I suggested getting the group impression first.

 

Thanks Jworth and Rick, you've been very helpful.
I am glad I came across greenhybrid.com
Coming back to the car, The white smoke or should I say water vapor only appears when I start the car in the morning (In Canada its pretty cold these days). I suppose its condensation which forms around the exhaust system and simply burns off as steam. As the car warms up the smoke disappears and then you can hardly notice any smoke coming out. I have been checking the coolant level every day and it hasn't budged so, I am ruling out the head gasket problem and/or coolant leak.
Now, for the black soot in the tail pipe, its the same steam which moistens the inside and when I run a finger across it, it sticks on as black paste which doesnt smell. Today, I have cleaned the inside of the pipe as far as I could reach when it was moistened in the morning with a soft cloth. I am going to keep a tab over the next few days to check if I still get any black deposits in the pipe. The Air Filter was definitely clogged so, for now atleast I removed it and dusted off some of the dirt with a brush and as soon as I find a replacement I will install a new one. I don't think the air filter was ever changed since, 2005 - 06.
I have receipts from the previous owner listing the oil and filters changed at regular intervals i.e. every 6 months but, maybe that only included the oil filter.
If I find any other nasties I will post right here on this fine forum.
Regards

 

If it was a head gasket, like I said before, you'd usually notice a rough idle when you started it, which it sounds like you don't have. That would be from coolant leaking into the cylinder when the engine is shut off.