Cold-start emissions system fault (Ford common).
P1400 — also written P14OO, P 1400, 1400 — is the OBD-II code for cold start emissions reduction control system malfunction. Same code, same fix: this page covers every spelling of it.
Basically, your car is struggling to clean up its act while the engine is warming up, usually because a vacuum pipe has perished or the cold-start injector is carboned up. It's a classic headache on Ford Duratorq engines.
P1400 is a emissions fault code, typically costing £90–£700 to put right in a UK garage.
What P1400 actually feels like to drive
- The car 'kangaroos' or jerks for the first two minutes of driving from cold.
- Engine feels like it's missing a beat (misfiring) until the temp needle starts to move.
- Noticeable smell of raw diesel or petrol outside the car just after startup.
- Idle speed is hunting up and down while you're defrosting the windscreen.
- DPF warning light might follow shortly after if you keep driving it on short trips.
What causes P1400?
- Failed cold-start injector
- Vacuum leak
- Failed secondary air pump
UK vehicles that throw P1400 most often
- Ford Transit 2.2 TDCi (2011-2016) - very common
- Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi (DV6 engine) 2011-2015
- Ford Mondeo Mk4 2.0 TDCi (TXBA/UFBA codes)
- Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi (2013-2017)
- Land Rover Freelander 2 (2.2 SD4/TD4)
How P1400 is fixed
- Fault-tree by make
- Replace faulty component
The P1400 misdiagnosis that wastes money
I see it all the time—lads rushing to swap out the EGR valve or O2 sensors because they see 'emissions' on the scanner. On these Fords, they usually waste £150 on a new EGR only for the light to pop back on two days later. Most of the time, the fault isn't the sensor itself; it's a tiny, perished vacuum line or a gummed-up cold-start injector that’s not atomising the fuel properly when the block is freezing. Stop guessing and check your vacuum pressures first.
What a UK garage should charge for P1400
A basic diagnostic plug-in will cost you £50-£80 in most UK indies. If it's just a split vacuum hose, you’re looking at £90 including a bit of labour. However, if the fuel vaporiser/injector is shot, a genuine Bosch or OE Ford part is about £250, plus two hours of swearing at rusty bolts, bringing the total to £400-£450. Main dealers will easily quote you £700+ for the same job using the exact same parts.
P1400 repair cost in the UK
Most P1400 repairs land between £90–£700 including parts and labour. The spread is wide because the cheap fix (a sensor, a hose, a leak) and the expensive fix (a major component) throw the same code — which is why a proper diagnosis before parts are bought saves the most money.
Bob's tip on P1400
If a garage tells you that you need a new ECU for a P1400, get your car out of there. Insist on a 'smoke test' of the intake and vacuum system first—it costs about £60 and will find a tiny split in a hose that you'd never see with the naked eye. Also, ask them to check the 'Vaporiser' if it's a Transit or Kuga; these clog up with soot and throw this code, but a simple manual regeneration or cleaning the injector nozzle can save you £400 over a full replacement.
Can you drive with P1400?
Yes.
Urgency: medium.