My 2002 Focus 1.6 Zetec has covered 88k. I recently noticed that the exhaust was getting a bit noisy. On checking underneath, the flexible joint ( a wire mesh thing) between the manifold and the exhaust has started to break up inside the mesh. Been told by Ford that you have to renew the whole manifold as you cannot get a separate joint. Cost about £180 plus labour of up to 3 hours. At Ford rates that is £60 per hour! Has anyone else had this problem or would like to comment please? Read more

Hi guys, my 1st visit so hope someone can help. Just got my beloved 53 plate 406 HDi estate back from insurance repairers after a kind soul re-arranged the shape for me. Fab job to the bodywork but key fob won't lock/unlock doors now. Changed battery to no avail, and the key tends to just spin round in driver/passenger door, making locking/unlocking a nightmare.

Repairers took it back in yesterday to local pug dealers, who say blah de blah de blah, and it will cost £170 !!

Have been on these sites which tell you about plip programming but this seems old info and didn't work.

Thanks and happy motoring, Jan


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Hello

When in London on Saturday I returned to my car to find a ticket for not parking within bays, although I made sure this was ok with the parking atendent before I left the car. The number plate on the ticket is incorrect by one didget will they use there photo to correct there error??

Carlos

{General question, so omitted your vehicle make/model - DD} Read more

Hi,

My girlfriend has a '96 Vauxhall Astra 1.7 TD with the Vauxhall Low Blow engine and Bosch fuel system.

It's never been the best starter in the world but recently it has become so unreliable she's reluctant to use it. When attempting to start I turn the key as normal and the glow plug lights come on ok, voltage and timing at the plugs ok too. The engine turns over when cranking and sounds to be turning at a reasonable speed, at least enough to start. Sometimes it will start first time others it may take a good few attempts but nearly always when it does start it's within a few seconds of turning the key i.e. increasing cranking time does not have a positive effect. For this reason I suspect the problem is with the immobiliser and not air in the fuel/backdraining or glow plugs or starting / charging system. There was a problem with the main fuel shut-off solenoid but that was more that it wasn't shutting as opposd to not opening. The plunger has been removed to bypass it at the moment and the engine has been starting and stopping on the immobiliser solenoid.

There are three wires going to this solenoid: black/purple switched live, brown earth and white/red which I can't identify but beleive to be some kind of signal. I have read elsewhere that this is actually a data line feeding a signal to a control unit actually on the fuel pump which in turn activates the immobiliser solenoid valve. I tried cutting the white/red wire with th engine running and the engine continued to run but wouldn't restart, this wire will now be rejoined.

Does anybody have any ideas how to get past the immobiliser solenoid or is there something I'm overlooking?

Cheers in advance.
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My 7 year old owned from new Ford Focus 2.0 Ghia has finally let me down.

Last weekend the car started as normal I moved off but then stalled after a couple of seconds, and couldn?t get re-started. I called Green flag recovery who said it could be the fuel pump, he did all the usual checks then he had a look under the rear seat banged around under the back of the car, and played around with the fuses. After about half an hour the car restarted and I was on my way.

On the way home the abs warning light and traction control light where on permanently, So I checked the fuses when I got home and found they had put a 30 amp rated fuse in place of the blown 15 amp fuse for the fuel pump. So I sorted that out and the next day bought a new battery, as the old one was 7 years old, hoping this would cure it.

The car has been used all week with no problems and I thought it was fixed.

But today after driving around making lots of stops and starts, the car started and stalled again just as before, the 15 amp fuse had blown again. Luckily I was near a VW dealer who charged me 51p for a fuse, this got me on my way again.

I bought some more fuses then at home I turned the ignition and listened to the fuel pump come on, switched the ignition off (without starting the engine), I did this about 8 times then the next try I didn?t hear the fuel pump checked the fuse and it was blown again, replaced the fuse, started the engine and it was fine again.

I remembered the Green Flag man checked the wiring under the rear seat, where I guess it goes to the fuel pump/tank, the wiring is really stuffed through the grommet to under the car, I pulled it gently out and looked closely the black insulated cabling it was quite kinked in a couple of places, I felt it and it did feel a bit warm. Could this cause the problem. I had the seat down to transport some carpet today, and had them down to carry a lot of weight for a car boot sale the week before, it does seem a bit of a coincidence though.

I spoke to the Ford Garage who said they have never heard of such a problem with a Focus and would love me to bring it in to have a look, (labour charge of quite a lot).

Could it be the actual fuel pump or do you think it?s the wiring of something else.
Would using a 20 amp or 30 amp fuse (like Green Flag did) instead of the 15 amp be ok (i doubt it).
When the car is moving it runs perfectly and always has, it's a great car.
This fault is very frustrating any views or help would be greatly appreciated.
s Read more