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Ford Focus Care & Maintenance

309 messages,  Last post on Oct 18, 2009 at 1:19 PM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Focus, Hatchback, Sedan, Wagon

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#21 of 309 Problem with mirrors (?) by silver_bullet Mar 29, 2001 (5:19 am)
Excuse me? This sounds more like a problem with the driver. Why would you expect Ford to pay for a part you broke due to your inability to back out of your own carport? Your post certainly gave me my "laugh for the day"!
#22 of 309 Silver Bullet by maiki Mar 29, 2001 (5:57 am)
Why am I unhappy with Ford about the broken mirror?   Because mirrors shouldn't fall off so easy, at the slightest touch. It's a very flimsy and flimsily attached mirror housing. Unlike those on most cars, it doesn't bend at all, just falls off!
#23 of 309 Maiki by silver_bullet Mar 29, 2001 (6:34 am)
I agree - it would be nice to have folding outside mirrors, but at this price point, you almost never find them. Go look at a Civic, or comparable car and you'll find non-folding side mirrors. I don't find the ZX3 mirrors to be "flimsy", or prone to falling off "at the slightest touch" as you say. I've bumped into mine rather firmly while washing the car, and they're still firmly attached. I don't think any outside mirror is designed to withstand being pried off from the rear by a carport column(!) We've all done dumb things - maybe you just need to take some personal responsibility for this little episode and move on...
#24 of 309 car mirrors by acrazyraisin Mar 29, 2001 (9:38 am)
During one of the recent snow storms I had my car parked out on the street perhaps a bit to far from the curb to the piles of snow, and someone knocked the mirror off (I have no idea how fast they were driving since I was not there) Sure I was upset with the phantom driver, but these things happen. The one thing I have to say to you is that the repair price of $275 for the mirror is way too high. The part should cost about 50, and labor can not possibly be that expensive. I suggest you talk to the dealer again.
#25 of 309 More on the mirrors by maiki Mar 29, 2001 (9:38 pm)
In another forum, where I had also reported on this experience, someone wrote a very interesting post on the subject, concerning mirrors on the European version versus the U.S. version:   ----quote of another person's post--   One of the measures that Ford took to reduce the production cost of the Focus to make it competitive in the US market was to fit simpler (read: cheaper) side mirrors than those fitted to the European version.   The European version of the Focus has side mirrors that fold inwards on impact. They can also (I believe) be folded inwards manually, should you so desire. Some of the models have electric heating elements in the mirrors too, which might be useful in cold climates.   I remember somebody a while back reporting that the European side mirror units could be purchased and retro-fitted to the US-model Focus. Of course, you'll have to find a source for these parts and they are almost certainly going to be more expensive than obtaining the US-spec parts, but if you already have to purchase a replacement mirror, you might want to pursue this option. If you do choose to do this, please let us know how you get on.   Hope this helps.
#26 of 309 European spec parts by silver_bullet Mar 30, 2001 (4:18 am)
Yes, the Euro side mirrors do fold in, and have a part of the housing painted body color too - very spiffy. The upcoming SVT Focus is supposed to have these mirrors. Good luck trying to get them in this country before the SVT comes out - I've never found a Ford dealer willing or able to order non-U.S. spec parts. They all tell me it is not possible due to our liability laws. Funny, BMW dealers used to order Euro-spec parts for me all the time when I owned a gray market 635csi - go figure.
#27 of 309 Break-in driving by kebbat Apr 27, 2001 (4:32 am)
Hi All,   I just got my ZX3 yesterday and I have a quick question ... what is the max speed I should drive during the break in period. The guy at the dealership told me to drive as per usual - but I usually drive kind of fast. Do I have to putter along on the highway at 55 mph until I hit 1000 miles?   Thanks!
#28 of 309 break in by njbongo Apr 27, 2001 (7:45 am)
If you read your owners manual, it doesn't tell you to stay under a certain speed. What it DOES tell you is to VARY your engine speed and NOT to come to any hard stops unless neccessary for the first 500 miles. I followed this with my z, so far 1200 miles and it runs great. My only complaint so far is excessive break dust on the front wheels after 300 miles, but i think that's becasue the breaks were new and the wheels have such wide openings between spokes. I mean, if the were any bigger, you could almost change the brake pads without removing the wheel. Not that I'm complaining, they are pretty for stock wheels....and since washing the car, the dust has not been to bad...hope it was just the breakin.
#29 of 309 njbongo by silver_bullet Apr 27, 2001 (7:57 am)
Good advice for break-in -- but don't count on the brake dust going away. Ford installs very soft metallic based pads that produce ungodly amounts of black dust. I ditched mine in favor of a set of aftermarket pads from EBC (their "Green Stuff" Kevlar street pads). Swapping pads is very easy, and the EBC pads produce virtually no dust and perform better than the stock pads - all for about $90 a set. I'd recommend them.
#30 of 309 1st Weekend w/ the car by kebbat Apr 30, 2001 (4:41 am)
I "only" put 300 miles on it this weekend. Varied my speeds as much as possible and got it up to 75 mph on the highway, but saw lots of NH Troopers lurking about and didn't want to come away with a ticket already.   I noticed the brake dust as well - I'm pretty fanatical about cleaning the car inside and out so I just used my wheel brush on it and it looks great again.   Anyone here use Meguirs Cleaner/Wax ever? It was suggested by my step-dad - he raved about its ease of use and results ..... I'm just a bit nervous to try as I've never used it before.

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