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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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#280 of 309 Re: Focus 100K maintenance? [0311vn] by zombietom3 Feb 01, 2008 (7:21 pm)
Replying to: 0311vn (Jan 31, 2008 4:50 pm) I don't think Ford has changed the maintenance interval recommendations for many years. I had my plugs replaced at just over 100k miles and then gas mileage dropped about 10%. After several months of that I consulted with the fleet mechanic where I work, who maintains all our Ford cars and trucks. He said the plugs the shop (not Ford) had installed in my car were too cold and I should replace with Ford (Motorcraft) parts. I did that and got back about half of the lost fuel efficiency. The other half must be lost due to change of commute about the same time I changed plugs.   The mechanic said there is nothing else to a tuneup besides new plugs as the computer will do the rest.   As for the timing belt and water pump, I had them replaced at 127k miles and thought I had pushed as far as I dared. You don't want the timing belt to fail on the road and make an expensive job way more expensive. I paid about $650 for that at non-Ford shop. I don't know if there are any warning signs that the timing belt is weakening/slipping/stretching/???, but maybe some others here know.   I think it's still standard to replace the water pump after spending the $r&$r to get at the timing belt and the water pump is right there.
#281 of 309 Ford Focus 2001 SE 2.3 147,000miles by bigbamadude Feb 01, 2008 (7:41 pm)
For all the do it yourselfers on the Focus: The car is great, it just starts having problems after the last payment is made. LOL With mine, the "check engine light" stays on. Started out as cutting out at crusing speeds, but not under load and not when the motor is cold. Went through 3 different certified mechanics and the Ford Service experts. Those guys do not work cheap either, All were temp. fixes. Have replaced vac. hoses, plugs, injectors, coil pack, plug wires. Finally got a shade tree mechanic to replace the fuel filter. Doesn't cut out any more, runs great. Engine light stays on. Now the freaking heater doesn't work. Did fix the cig. lighter after 5 years thou. LOL Going to flush the cooling system tomorrow. If that don't work, will buy a warmer jacket and stay saving money for a new car. Oh, yeah. Always replace the water pump whenever changing the timing belt, Always. If you don't, the old one will leak and will cost you another 100 or so to fix it. It is just their nature to do these things. Only other major thing I have done with my Focus is replace the struts, because I live on a washboard dirt road that beats cars to death. Still is a great little car. Now tomorrow when I start to flush the system, the motor will fall out. Oh well Replies to this message: zombietom3 (Feb 02, 2008 1:58 pm)
#282 of 309 Re: Ford Focus 2001 SE 2.3 147,000miles [bigbamadude] by zombietom3 Feb 02, 2008 (1:58 pm)
Replying to: bigbamadude (Feb 01, 2008 7:41 pm) You might try resetting the "check engine light" by disconnecting the battery pos lead for a short while. The computer will reset when you reconnect the battery. Then if the light comes back on after a few minutes or a few days or a few weeks there might actually be something wrong.
#283 of 309 Check engine light on my Focus by bigbamadude Feb 02, 2008 (4:33 pm)
On this one, have to disconnect the neg. cable to re-set the engine light. Leaving it disconnected tonight to see if the computor will dump all the errors. Car is running fine now. Had to flush it twice to get the heater core unstopped. Water finally came back clear. Took all freaking afternoon thou. Supposed to be 71 on Monday, so now will proably need the ac. Oh well.
#284 of 309 newbie, 02 zts 4DR w/tranny problems, please help by billiondolrbob Feb 03, 2008 (5:21 pm)
I will be driving along on the highway doing about 65mph and all of a sudden the transmission will start growling and it will downshift and hold around 2500 to 3000 rpm's even when I try to speed up it will not go any faster,   the service department gave me a tranny flush & a new filter , that didn't work. it does not happen all the time, it comes & goes. has it ever happened to you? is there a fix thanks for your help Replies to this message: kinni420 (Mar 01, 2008 1:46 pm)
#285 of 309 Re: newbie, 02 zts 4DR w/tranny problems, please help [billiondolrbob] by kinni420 Mar 01, 2008 (1:46 pm)
Replying to: billiondolrbob (Feb 03, 2008 5:21 pm) It happend to my 97 ford Escort after I flushed the radiator. may be I sprayed too much water in the engine compartment fo too long that i think went in the electrical stuff relating to transmision. And I started getting transmission problems. Wouldn't go in first gear or the final gear ie the fourth. Mine is automatic transmission. but after a few days as the water dried it got fine and is running fine even today say after 25000 more kilometers.
#286 of 309 Re: Ford Focus Fuel Cap [lwen] by srfn7 Apr 20, 2008 (10:58 am)
Replying to: lwen (Jan 22, 2008 2:04 pm) Same thing happened on my 2000 Ford Focus. I had the key but for whatever reason it would not come off, I waited a few days until I needed gas then I called around for a locksmith and their prices to take the thing off. I did not want to do it myself as I was thinking I might set off a spark or something and the thing would explode. Prices for a locksmith ranged from $85 down to $40. 'Course I went with the cheaper one and guess what? He pried it off with a screwdriver! Could have done it myself now I know better. Save yourself the money and do it yourself.
#287 of 309 Car jumping and now it just stalled. by randomness May 10, 2008 (10:38 am)
2005 Focus Sedan. Automatic. 19,000 miles on it.    All of a sudden the car has been jumping. It's random, it's happened driving 80 on the highway or 30 on the street. Sometimes it's kind of jumped or hesitated when I accelerated BUT it's also done it when I've taken my foot off the gas and was just letting the car roll.    Yesterday, I went to brake at a red light and the car wasn't stopping as fast as it should've. The only *excuse* that would make any sense was that it was raining and I could've been in a deep puddle and it slid. As if that wasn't bad enough, the car stalled. I stepped on the gas and it did nothing so I had to shut it off (again, still sticking out in the middle of an intersection and pissing a bunch of people behind me off) and wait like 5 minutes before I was able to go again. I can't blame the rain because it wasn't raining that hard and I've driven in much worse rain and much bigger puddles than that. Replies to this message: lostwrench (May 10, 2008 5:20 pm)
#288 of 309 Re: Car jumping and now it just stalled. [randomness] by lostwrench May 10, 2008 (5:20 pm)
Replying to: randomness (May 10, 2008 10:38 am) What do you mean by the term jumping?
#289 of 309 Re: Car jumping and now it just stalled. [randomness] by randomness May 10, 2008 (6:13 pm)
Exactly that. Jumping. Like driving down a road and the ride going smooth and all of a sudden the car jerks or jumps even when the gas isn't pushed. This has only happened a couple of times. It didn't do this the day it stalled at the light.   I guess it's also kind of hesitated when I've pushed the gas because there were times on the highway I had to push it harder than I normally had to push it and kind of pump it. That's also only happened a couple times so I didn't think much of it. Replies to this message: randomness (May 13, 2008 8:40 am)

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