Phantom Fault?

[FEC]

Afternoon all,
Just throwing this out in case the hive-mind has experienced similar, or has expertise to impart.
Was travelling home last Saturday down from Scotland to Derbyshire...all went fine in my 2019 Swift Escape until
we got close to Manchester. Before that we stopped at Tebay Services for a break and to fill up the diesel, so overall we had been driving on the motorway for quite a while.
Suddenly on the Manchester ringroad there was next to no power in the accelerator. 5th gear and 4th gear couldn't get over 40mph -going down to 3rd, the engine revs were racing and sounded like a Banshee! no warning lights came on, temp gauge in usual spot, dash kept indicating to shift gears, but it was incapable of getting over 35-40mph....and chugged in 4th and 5th and raced in 3rd. put hazards on to warn vehicles and got off the ringroad onto an A road while we worked out what to do. Given the weather I didn't want to risk continuing on home so parked up in Sale and rang the RAC. After a wrangle, where they a) couldn't find me or my breakdown cover via my postcode!!!, then claimed I wasn't covered due to being 'overlength' (happy to do a separate thread on that if anyone wants the boring details) and after a long 7 hour wait due to the awful weather on Saturday (no complaints there as I wasn't in a dangerous situation) the RAC finally came to assist. RAC guy was great, but the diagnostic showed no fault in vehicle, no codes, visual inspection showed nowt. He even came for a ride in the MH to get it up to working temp in case that triggered something -but nope, he said there was nothing amiss, no faults. This meant he couldn't trigger the tow-home option but was snowing hard by midnight so didn't really want that in any case.
So, to cut a long story not very short -his only thought was that I might have picked up contaminated diesel as this could have led to the symptoms I had described. He advised me to fill up with more diesel to mitigate any contamination, which I did first thing the next day. Tiptoed out of Manchester towards the Peak District early next morning and the van performed fine -gears smooth as silk. Ironically it was the awful road conditions rather than any fault that kept my speed down but got into 4th 5th gears no problem and was driving for well over an hour. In the end the only road blocked was a couple of miles from home and my partner and the teenage son put their boots on and hoofed it while I waited for rain to melt the snow so I could finally limp home.
Wondering if this has happened to anyone else, if it sounds like it might be contaminated fuel as suggested or if there are other possible explanations? Bit nervous now of long journeys in the winter in case it recurs.
Many thanks as ever for any advice proffered

 

[Bognor Saint]

Sorry can't help but was drawn to the thread by the title - Phantom (alarm/tracker). I was wondering how this interfered given your symptoms!.

 

[The Coops]

I can't remember exactly and someone on here will know but it does/did trigger a fault if the brake accelerator and/or clutch are touched at the same time and the van goes into limp mode like you described, or ( and don't ask how I know) you have caught the speed setting/cruise control for the van, the engine will rev but won't pull over the speed set. Switch off and it all resets back to normal which appears to be what has happened to your van

 

[FEC]

Thanks for these responses was thinking Phantom a la ghostbusters rather than alarm/tracker! That was too subtle for me but it could well be user error I suppose -don't think I hit all pedals at same time -but not impossible and I've never used the cruise control on it (which doesn't mean it wasn't set by someone else before I owned it obvs). Thanks for the feedback

 

[Burge]

I can't remember exactly and someone on here will know but it does/did trigger a fault if the brake accelerator and/or clutch are touched at the same time and the van goes into limp mode like you described, or ( and don't ask how I know) you have caught the speed setting/cruise control for the van, the engine will rev but won't pull over the speed set. Switch off and it all resets back to normal which appears to be what has happened to your van

Thought that was on the Comfortmatic G/Box ,as happened to us but Engine dies to Tickover & Engine won't Rev with this Scenario, Chris.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[meanders]

Is it an auto (Comfortmatic), or a manual. Both will drop into limp mode under certain conditions if you catch the brake and accelerator together. The Comfortmatic is the subject of many threads here.

However, I suspect the RAC guy is correct with fuel contamination. It might make sense to get the fuel filter changed before you put too much dependency on it. Any garage should be able to test the fuel.

 

[FEC]

Thanks Chris -my engine didn't die but when I was trying to get it into 4th or 5th can't remember which gear it was but a fast bleeping alarm went off until I tried to go down to 3rd again.

 

[FEC]

Thanks meanders -Its a 6b speed manual gearbox -good idea re getting filter checked thanks

 

[FEC]

sorry meant 6 gears not 6b!

 

[Burge]

Thanks meanders -Its a 6b speed manual gearbox -good idea re getting filter checked thanks

Sounds like Bad Fuel then ,thats the way to go getting Fuel Filter changed . Chris.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[FEC]

thanks Chris certainly worth doing

 

[B+W vanman]

Must say the sequence seems more like an inadvertent activation of the speed limiter than contaminated fuel
Contaminated fuel usually provokes misfiring and loss of power, plus loss of throttle response and does not disappear until the contaminant is removed.
How is the speed-limiter on your machine controlled? I assume it’s Ducato based,and Fiat seem to hide some of the electronic controls in random places!

 

[travelling mechanic]

I'd put additive in it as it won't hurt just do good. deisel additive to add to the fuel tank it should help with cleaning for injectors, Maybe a turbo or egr additive to help break down carbon deposits to help clean the exhaust side.. again, some do additives that go in the tank for this.

 

[gus-lopez]

-don't think I hit all pedals at same time

It doesn't take much & very often you do not even know you have done it.

Thought that was on the Comfortmatic G/Box ,as happened to us but Engine dies to Tickover & Engine won't Rev with this Scenario,

It happens on any vehicle with cruise control or even just with the dual switch on the brake pedal. This is why having driven through water you cannot brake whilst travelling with other foot on accelerator to dry off the brakes. It goes in to limp mode. Usually though if you stop touching either pedal it will reset of its own accord or if not a switch off ,back on & restart gets it back to normal.