Ask the Car People.SM


Ford Focus Wagon

637 messages,  Last post on Nov 29, 2011 at 9:58 AM

You are in the Ford Focus Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Focus, Wagon



Messages Page 46 of 65

#445 of 637 2004 Focus Wagon ZTW - Gear shifter locking/freezing by nataliep

Feb 09, 2006 (10:26 am)

Hi. I have a 2004 Focus ZTW Wagon, 5-speed Manual Transmission. Last week, I hit a pothole in the road, and dented the rim, ruining the tire.
 
I took it into the dealer for service, and got it back the next day. However, when I started it the next morning, I found it wouldn't go into gear at all. I could move the shifter sideways, in neutral, but no amount of clutching, whether with the engine running or without, would put that puppy into gear. Not forward, not reverse. The clutch had back-pressure, so I got the sense it was working. The engine started fine and was running fine. It just would not go into gear.
 
(Thank god I park in neutral, with the parking brake on). It was -12C, but I have NEVER had cold-weather problems with this car. It has started at -25C and always been able to shift gears. Ironically, I DID notice that shifting was a bit stiffer than normal, when I was driving it home the night before...
 
I ended up getting help to push the car onto the street so I could borrow the boyfriend's car to get to work. I had it towed to my dealer, who later called me and said that the gearbox was literally FROZEN. How the on earth can that happen?
 
This is my second wagon - the first was a 2000 SE I leased for 3 years, and I have never had any kind of "freeze up" of the gearbox, even at -30C.
 
They said they blew it out with air, warmed it up and lubed it and it was fine now. When I went to pick it up later that night, IT WAS FROZEN AGAIN. I told them that this was unacceptable. It just shouldn't be freezing up at all.
 
The dealer has NO IDEA how this could happen and says they've never seen it before. It only happened after being in for service with them, so I'm HIGHLY suspicious. Has anyone experienced anything like this? They are ordering an entirely new shifter/cable gearbox assembly for me from the states, but it will take at least a week to arrive! Not only that, but I will have to "rent" a loaner car, for which the dealer will only cover 1/2 of the cost.
 
Aside from the usual Ford-rear-trunk-latch problems (every ford I've had has the same issues -even my old escort), The Focus Wagons have been great. But this has really put me off... I'd like to know if anyone else has seen this problem in the past or has any ideas about how on earth it could even get water IN to where the shifter is in order to freeze? Or is the mechanic out to lunch, and it's really something else? They claim that if you let the car warm up (for 20 or 30 minutes!) it will shift into gear.
 
-Natalie

#446 of 637 Re: Ford focusdrivetrain warranty-is it for real? [jazvan] by chartbear

Mar 08, 2006 (7:23 pm)

Replying to: jazvan (Feb 05, 2006 8:12 pm)
Thanks Jaz. Still not confortable yet. You seem to imply that the "warranty" began in the middle of 2003 (3 and 1/2) Thats the first I've heard of that. Mine was built 6/22/03 according to the door sticker. Also, my 03 catalogue says that a "warranty" applies only to vehicles sold in Florida and Puerto Rico. The asterisk in mine says "service agreement applicable in other states". Whats the difference between a service agreement and a warranty?
  ">

#451 of 637 Door open indicator is always on! by bettatire

Mar 14, 2006 (3:07 pm)

Hello,
 
Please, has anyone experienced this before. When I start the car ( 2002 Ford wagon SE) the dash board indicator that a door is open stays on, even though all the doors are shut!
I also noticed that when I use the remote keyless entry that the lights on the car do not flash.
Please can someone help, thank you.
Alex :/

#452 of 637 Door open & warranty by jazvan

Mar 25, 2006 (9:06 pm)

Here is a universal fix (not Focus-specific). If you can locate the switch on each door, open each door in turn and manually depress the switch. When you hit the culprit the door open indicator light goes out and of course that is the switch in need of adjustment. I believe the trigger point can be adjusted by screwing the switch body in or out. If this doesn't fix it you have at least eliminated the "easy" fix.
 
Warranty - I read that 2003 warranty thing in another site. Anyway, it's as clear as can be to me that the 04 is covered but I don't have any evidence in front of me to prove the 03 is covered. I dare say there are 2 really big Focus specific sites and I would do a search there.
 
Jaz

#453 of 637 Re: License Plate Lights [jayguy] by cfpeters

Apr 08, 2006 (3:06 pm)

Replying to: jayguy (Jan 01, 2004 7:03 pm)
I decided to try to remove the dents in the rear hatch of my wife's 2001 SE wagon. I removed the inside panel and after tapping on the door to remove the dents a light bulb fell out. Both light units are corroded with one missing the metal end. With the inside panel off I noticed corrosion inside the door around the openings to these lights and also the outer two nuts that holds the plastic strip located over the door latch handle and containing the light units were also corroded! If left unattended I would expect the rust to continue through the door. Any one with corroded lights may want to check this out.

#454 of 637 Gearshift Warning Chime 2006 SES Wagon by bdyment

Apr 12, 2006 (5:49 am)

Is there any way to disable the gearshift warning chime/siren? See my post # 1844--Focus Sedan

Messages Page 46 of 65

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement