Does anyone else have the following problems/features on their Focus?
1. Windscreen washer reservoir will start overflowing down rear of wheel arch when filled over a certain point? (Or is mine leaking?)
2. Fan speed decreases when heated screen(s) and/or headlights turned on? (Do I have an electrical problem or do all Focuses do this?)
3. Engine speed increases momentarily when clutch is depressed? (Someone suggested this was for reducing emissions.)
Thanks,
Tim
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1) Don't know, it may be leaking!
2) I've got a Fiesta with this equipment, it puts a massive drain on the car as it sucks that much power so fan speeds are bound to decrease. That's why it is set to turn itself off automatically after a few mins in case you forget...
3) I found the same happened when I started driving my Zetec engined Fiesta, I quickly realised though that it was my driving style, I've now adapted so that I release the accelerator a fraction of a second before I depress the clutch. In my old car, it was more like clutch first and then release accelerator. Until I got used to the Zetec the revs were all over the place! :)
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Can only really comment on the clutch issue, as I haven't driven the Blue Oval badge since my mk3 Zody - unless you count my Saab 96, power courtesy of Henry.
In my family car's handbook it says before operating the starter to depress the clutch. This is because this saves the starter the extra load of dragging round the gearbox mainshaft.
In fact this didn't always work on the older cars I've driven, sometimes making the motor turn more slowly, due perhaps to wear in the clutch.
So the reduction in load allows your idling engine to speed up a little, until the smart electronics spot it and slow it down again.
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2. Fan speed decreases when heated screen(s) and/or headlights turned on? (Do I have an electrical problem or do all Focuses do this?)
I've been driving a new Focus for 9 days and 700 miles.
The fan speed changes at all sort of times, not just when lights are turned on. It's very marked. I don't know why it is.
Biggest problem is total lack of power. I find overtakes are easier in my 1990 1.4 rover.
Apart form tht it's great. Nice alloys and a good stereo and CD.
Bet they depreciate hard though.
--
These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
www.private-eye.co.uk/innews
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I agree with your comments:
Mine was bought 3 years old a couple of months ago.
The fan changes speed a lot - especially when set to 3/4.
Power on my 1.8 is very lacking between approx 3000-4000rpm. There's plenty of torque low down so it's great around town. Overtaking a slow moving vehicle (e.g. tractor) typically needs dropping down to 2nd so that I can use between 4000rpm and 6000rpm. It feels like it ought to have enough power in 3rd, but when it comes to it, it doesn't.
I first test drove the 1.6, but couldn't find one to buy with the spec I wanted. The 1.6 is far more flexible, usable and refined - the 1.8 and 2.0 are relatively poor.
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1) Never noticed this in the 16 months I've owned my '99 Focus 2.0 Ghia hatch.
2) When I use the heated screen not only does the fan-speed decrease but the headlights and the whole dashboard dim, talk about power-hungry! Never had any issues with varying fan-speed at any other times, though on my old '96 Fiesta 1.4 the headlamps would dim for a second every time the A/C condenser kicked in, maybe due to the relatively small engine?
3) Must admit never noticed this so can't comment.
Now for my (very) limited list of gripes with the Focus:-
1) Mine suffers from a couple of irritating trim rattles
2) I'm always accidentally engaging main-beam when attempting to simply flash the headlamps.
As you can see I think it's a darned fine automobile!
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Got a Haynes Manual now so can answer 1 & 2:
1. The filler for the washer reservoir just clips into reservoir, so it overflows from the joint between the filler and the reservoir if it is filled too full.
2. The heated screen is split between the left and right sides, as it requires 2 fuses to handle the high current. Phil's comments about the a/c condenser probably also apply, and make a small difference to the fan speed.
3. Still not sure - but I did come across a comment that the idle control valve stays open for a while when the clutch is depressed to reduce emissions and improve gear changes by holding on to the engine revs.
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1. The heater defaults to recirculated air mode when the fan is switched off. Can't think why it should be designed this way, because you obviously can't have recirculated air unless you have the fan on to recirculate the air.
2. You can't have the rear fog lamps on without having the fronts on. Quirky or what ??
3. I have to tilt the seat squab back further than I would like, to prevent the head restraint from annoyingly just touching the hair on the back of my head.
Other than these quirks, my 2 litre Ghia is most enjoyable. No warranty claims at all in 60k miles.
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1. The heater defaults to recirculated air mode when the fan is switched off. Can't think why it should be designed this way, because you obviously can't have recirculated air unless you have the fan on to recirculate the air.
L'escargot, mine doesn't do this!
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>> 1. The heater defaults to recirculated air mode when the >> fan is switched off. Can't think why it should be >> designed this way, because you obviously can't have recirculated air unless >> you have the fan on to recirculate the air. L'escargot, mine doesn't do this!
Lucky you, Phil !! Soon after I bought the car I checked with Ford customer care department. They confirmed that that was how it had been designed. They couldn't recommended any change to the car's specification, because it would conflict with the "type approval" that it had been given, and mumbled something about it being safer when stationary in traffic. My Ford dealer couldn't come up with a method of easily changing it ~ apparently cars no longer have conventional wiring like they used to have. Perhaps Ford subsequently realised the error of their ways, and perhaps yours is a later model than mine. I bought mine April 1999.
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>> >> 1. The heater defaults to recirculated air mode when >> the >> >> fan is switched off. Can't think why it should >> be >> >> designed this way, because you obviously can't have recirculated air >> unless >> >> you have the fan on to recirculate the air. >> >> L'escargot, mine doesn't do this! >> Lucky you, Phil !! Soon after I bought the car I checked with Ford customer care department. They confirmed that that was how it had been designed. They couldn't recommended any change to the car's specification, because it would conflict with the "type approval" that it had been given, and mumbled something about it being safer when stationary in traffic. My Ford dealer couldn't come up with a method of easily changing it ~ apparently cars no longer have conventional wiring like they used to have. Perhaps Ford subsequently realised the error of their ways, and perhaps yours is a later model than mine. I bought mine April 1999.
PS I was told to leave the fan on all the time to counteract it's annoying habit !! Quirky or what ??
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Does anyone else have the following problems/features on their Focus? 1. Windscreen washer reservoir will start overflowing down rear of wheel arch when filled over a certain point?
I always fill mine up to the very top and I've often wondered why the level went down even though I hadn't used the washers. Couldn't imagine that it was evaporation, but on the other hand I hadn't seen evidence of a leak. Obviously haven't looked hard enough.
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My Mondeo 1.8 (roughly the same engine I think) does exactly the same with the clutch & electrics.
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3. Engine speed increases momentarily when clutch is depressed? (Someone suggested this was for reducing emissions.)
If the Focus has a hydraulic clutch (and seeing as we've got one outside I should go out and check) then the change in engine speed would be due to the power assistance. This comes from a vacuum feed from the inlet manifold (same as brakes) and depressing the clutch will cause the engine to run lean for a couple of seconds. You should see the same effect from stabbing the brakes.
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I doubt there is any power assistance from the servo to the hydraulic clutch.
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u know u all should have bought a civic or corolla ?
the funniest focus quirk is the boy racers spinning the wheels on the sea front fill the cab full of tyre fumes cos the cab air intake is at ground level behind the front wheels !
wouldnt want to take one through a ford
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I would have done, but couldn't find a recent model Civic or Corolla that was around 3 years old. The traction control system is very effective though. ;-)
To clarify my point about the engine idle speed when the clutch is depressed:
If I drive along in first, take my foot off the accelerator, brake, then depress the clutch, the engine revs drop as expected to idle, then rise almost immediately to approx 1500rpm, then drop to idle again after a couple of seconds.
It is most noticeable at low engine speeds/1st gear. It appears to be intended to aid smoother gear changes (and possibly somehow reduce emmissions as I mentioned before). However, as I am used to holding the engine speed slightly when changing gear, and the Focus does it for me, I find that it doesn't work out so well! Obviously, I'll get used to it.
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My Fiesta 1.6 has the same characteristic .. engine revs rise to approx 1200rpm and then fall to 800 when I declutch.
I think it's for emission control - ensure any surplus fuel is burnt - also I suspect to prevent wear to the drive train in gear changes. (Mini /100s of 1970s vintage had the same effect with a spring to prevent the accelerator closing too quickly.. so nothing new :-)
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Thanks to all for your replies.
My original question was based on the fact that I have recently bought the Focus, and I wanted to make sure that the few apparently strange features it has are supposed to be there, and there is nothing wrong.
I have found it to be a very good car. Very different from the Mondeos I have driven in the past - far more precise handling and steering, and responsive in terms of acceleration and braking. Also surprisingly easy to park, despite the high rear window. Getting used to the different controls for the wipers and main beam too!
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