Focus 1.6 2002 Hesitant Starting

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Wed 1 Aug 2007 10:41
Focus 1.6 2002 Hesitant Starting - drawde
Just got a 2002 Ford Focus 1.6 from an auction, seem to have got lucky except that it can be a bit hesitant starting.

When the key is turned, it'll turn over for between 5 and 15 seconds before firing, with no pattern of how long it takes. A quick blip of the throttle will make it fire immediately no problem, then it runs as sweetly as the day it left the factory. What could be causing this?

It seems to have been kept in storage for about 6 months before I bought it, if that helps. My first guesses would be plugs or H/T leads, but I'd welcome the opinion of someone who knows what they're talking about before I go randomly replacing bits.

Thanks a lot (and thanks for the recommendation of a Focus!)

drawde
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Wed 1 Aug 2007 11:30
Focus 1.6 2002 Hesitant Starting - jc2
Milage?? service history??Could well be what you say-those engines were designed to fire up on second revolution of the crankshaft.
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Wed 1 Aug 2007 11:49
Focus 1.6 2002 Hesitant Starting - drawde
50,000 miles, Service history is ok, with one or two gaps.

The HJ car-by-car breakdown says that loss of pressure from the fuel rail can cause this, which itself can be caused by either gasket failure or failure of the rail. Is there any way to identify the problem, without paying ford dealer prices, and if it does turn out to be the gasket or rail failure, how easily/expensively can this be fixed?
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