We regularly carry out work for businesses in Cardiff who run a fleet of vehicles. It does not matter what the problem is we can repair it. So, with that being said let’s look at more recent work being carried out from the garage. Pictured below we have a Ford Transit van.

This van came into the garage experiencing engine problems and was in limp mode on arrival. We inspected the engine and could see that the vacuum pump had ceased and had damaged the cam shaft in the engine. This is what caused loss of power in the engine.

A vacuum pump on a Ford Transit vehicle is installed on to the cylinder head of the engine. It is mainly used on diesel engines as diesel engines need more help generating vacuum than petrol engines. Vacuum pumps supply vacuum for all kinds of vehicle systems such as the turbo charger actuator, EGR emissions system as well as assistance with the brakes. Any problem with the vacuum pump means you will run into trouble with any one of these systems.

In the case for the van above the vacuum pump not working correctly caused damage to the cam shaft of the engine. If the vacuum pump is not working properly the load pressure can transfer to the cam shaft and can cause the cam shaft to fail. This is what happened and why the van needed an engine repair here at the garage.

When you have a vacuum fault anyone of the following error codes could be visible on your dashboard:

P1479 Brake Booster Vacuum System Mechanical Failure

This error code informs you that you could have a split hose in the vacuum pump, a leak or that the pump is about to fail.

P1478 Brake Booster Vacuum System Performance

This indicates that the vacuum pump is not working at optimal performance and it will need checking.

P258B Vacuum Pump Control Circuit Range/Performance

This can mean that there is an electrical issue with the pump

P258C Vacuum Pump Control Circuit Low

This error code means that there can be some kind of wiring electrical issue with the pump.

P258D Vacuum Pump Control Circuit High

This code can mean that there is a faulty control module on the vehicle which can cause a fault on the vacuum pump.

P2263 Turbo/Supercharger Boost System Performance

This can indicate a problem with the vacuum pump that could be causing a problem with the turbo of the vehicle. An error code like this means the vehicle could go into limp mode or be losing power.

P0299 Turbo Underboost Condition

This error code indicates that the vacuum pump is not supplying adequate vacuum to the turbo charger of the vehicle often causing the vehicle to go into limp mode.

P0401 EGR Flow Insufficient

This code can indicate that the vacuum pump is not sufficiently providing the EGR system with vacuum.

P0404 EGR Control Range/Performance

This is a vacuum pump control module issue and will need diagnosis.

U0401 Invalid Data / Communication Faults

This can occur if there is not sufficient vacuum coming from the pump.

C1B00 / C1B01 Brake Vacuum Sensor Fault (on some models)

This simply means you have a faulty sensor on the pump giving faulty readings and the sensor needs replacing.

Contact us

If you are experiencing problems with your Ford Transit, then book your vehicle in for a diagnostic. We can diagnose any error code on the engine and repair it quickly, reliably and at competitive rates. Use the contact details or form to get in touch.

A1-Diagnostics and ECU Repairs
64 Sloper Road
Leckwith,
Cardiff
CF11 8AB

Tel: (029 20) 220380
Fax: (029 20) 223172

Opening Times

Mon – Fri: 8:00am – 6:00pm

Email: info@a1-diagnostics.com