Transit rough starts high fuel consumption

Hi, I'm having a weird issue with my 2015 Ford Transit (diesel engine). Lately, the engine's been running rough during cold starts, and I've also noticed a spike in fuel consumption. I scanned it and there's an error code related to the heating system. Could a defective PTC heater cause these symptoms, like poor running in the cold start phase and higher fuel consumption?

4 comment(s)

Sounds familiar! I had a similar problem with my old BMW. Error memory, poor engine behavior, increased fuel consumption... In my case, the electric auxiliary heater was the culprit. Might be worth checking out your temperature control, HVAC system, and blower motor. Is the error you see specifically pointing to the PTC heater?

Thanks for the info! Yes, the error code seems to indicate a problem with the PTC heater circuit. Was your BMW's symptoms also worse on cold mornings? I'm wondering if it's just coincidence, or if the PTC heater is actually the root cause here because that sounds very likely.

Yep, the colder it was, the worse it ran. I'd say get your Transit to a workshop, if you have the same stored error, most likely you have an electrical fault with the heater.

Took it to the shop, and you were spot on! The PTC heater was indeed defective, and they quoted me around 350€ for the repair. Thanks for the help!

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