Sharper Focus - Diesel Car issue 163

A simple operation gives Ford’s best-seller power and torque to rival the great new TDCi. By Victor Harman

To the uninitiated, Chorley’s local delicacy – you guessed it, the Chorley Cake! – is a rather boring, flat, round biscuit dotted with occasional currants, something like a thick, circular Garibaldi that is distinctly short on dried grapes.

There is, however, nothing flat, or boring, about some of the other products of the Lancashire town – located in an area of traditional engineering excellence – and in particular those coming out of fast-growing Bromley’s Tuning.

Mike Bromley and his staff will take virtually any model of electronically controlled turbodiesel into the tuning shop and despatch it not much more than an hour later with the sort of added zest that usually only comes, so I am told, from sniffing or popping something illegal. Many satisfied visitors to Chorley no doubt complete their homeward journey a lot more swiftly than the outward leg!

The subject of this month’s transformation was a Ford Focus TDdi Ghia, driven to Chorley from South Wales by owner Geoff Hughes, in search of a little more oomph. And he did not depart disappointed, which is hardly surprising having traded something less than £400 for a generous 22% extra power and a remarkable 40% more torque at 600rpm lower than in the car’s original state.

The conversion for the ‘old’ TDdi engine is just a little more complex than on most cars, on account of the location of the engine’s electronic control unit (ECU) at shin level on the bulkhead in front of the driver. It demands a small addition to the wiring harness to connect the injection pump to the ECU, and draw power from a suitable point, and this involves removal of the intercooler and some pieces of internal trim. The conversion all comes very professionally packaged, involves nothing too complicated, and installation is comfortably achieved within an hour by one of Bromley’s technicians. Like nearly all the Bromley Tuning Units, the Focus’s V-VP module, contained in a small black box about 6 x 4 x 1 inches, is itself adjustable to individual engines. In this case it is by way of ‘jumper pins’, fitted on a printed circuit board, although in Bromley’s experience the Ford TDdi unit invariably responds faultlessly to the middle of the three available settings, as was the case on this occasion. The setting would only be varied in the event of an under-par performance, or if there were any suggestion of black exhaust smoke.

Having installed the unit, we took the Focus to nearby Weldbank Garage for a run on the rolling road – the easy on/off switching potential of the unit allowing ‘before’ and ‘after’ runs to be performed easily. Standard power output was spot on Ford’s claim, at 90bhp, albeit at a high 4,500rpm. The engine was two or three bhp down on this output at the specified
4,000rpm peak power point, though this was certainly a free-revving example of the TDdi. Torque, though, was unexpectedly well down on the factory’s claimed 148 lb ft, Mr Hughes’ car developing 121 lb ft, again at a rather elevated 3,000rpm.

However, the crux of the matter is the difference achieved by the Tuning Unit. Switching in the unit produced healthy improvements, with power increasing to 110.1bhp at 4,400rpm, and, possibly of greater significance, torque growing to 175.7 lb ft at a far more impressive than standard 2,500rpm.

You would expect such increases to put a smile on an owner’s face and, even with four bulky passengers, the Focus’s improved flexibility and extra overtaking urge were immediately apparent and highly impressive. Mr Hughes has only recently bought his Focus and his decision not to wait for the new TDCi engine appears to have been vindicated. And while the new common-rail unit may be much smoother and quieter than the old unit, there are unlikely to be any TDCi owners getting ‘the drop’ on Mr Hughes in the traffic lights grand prix!

Not that Geoff, a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), would indulge in any such irresponsible or extrovert behaviour. In fact, Mike Bromley and I remarked upon the pleasure of being driven by such a smooth, safe, and obviously accomplished driver.

It is obvious Mr Hughes enjoys his motoring, and will do so even more now, judging by his initial reaction to the added zest of his Focus Ghia. Increased performance is not just for boy-racers, and Mr Hughes came for his Tuning Unit mainly in search of safer overtaking, reduced exposure to traffic hazards, and a little extra fun on the open road when circumstances allow. He certainly went away with all these, plus a big grin on his face and a free K & N free-flow air filter, which Bromley’s is currently offering free of charge with all its conversions.

This particular Focus TDdi appeared smoother and less gruff than others we have experienced, and this conversion, with its easy power delivery and extra low-down punch, also added refinement to the Focus driving experience, which, even in standard form, is rarely less than enjoyable. It is also a common experience for Bromley’s conversions to return small overall improvements in fuel economy.

For more details, Bromley’s has a comprehensive website at www.bromleystuning.com, or telephone 01257 274100.

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