What's wrong with my Focus?!

goldspanners

Inactive wrote: »

Erm er..the Focus is 9 years old.;)

just what i was thinking! :rotfl:

goldspanners

TiTheRev wrote: »

Lol, I thought it was an '04 i'd still be dubious about playing with electrics without knowing what sensor does what...

even if it was it would very possibly be the old shape. mine is.

goldspanners

im guessing the focus is petrol. if it is then when were the spark plugs last changed? its 9 years old and could well be on original H.T. leads so these may be worth changing as a cheap option after a good service if it hasnt been done for a while.

i also remember there is a temperature sensor wire which can touch the H.T leads and cause some crazy faults with the dashboard,but i dont think this causes loss of power.

petrol fuel filter should be changed around 65k miles/ 5 years, mine leaked before this mileage and age though.

tomstickland

TiTheRev wrote: »

Nonsense. All fault codes are stored on an ECU, intermittant or otherwise. Disconnecting the battery will a) wipe those fault codes so if you do take it to a garage there will be nothing to say what went wrong, and b) may cause issues with sensors that require a constant feed, creating even more issues.

7/8 years ago you could play a bit more, but electronics on a car now are too advanced for self-maintenance.

So, does the ECU draw current even when the ignition is off?
How can the ECU detect the unplugging of a sensor when it's off?
How does a garage change a sensor?
How can an ECU detect an undetectable fault?

For example, if the throttle positon sensor fails and returns 0v then the ECU can detect that it is out of range. If the TPS has a calibration fault then the ECU cannot detect it.

If you think you can't do DIY maintenance then go ahead and pay a garage and leave me to do my own.

GLN

mine was doing the same - stopped as soon as my friend tightened the accelerator cable.. worth a try?

goldspanners

TiTheRev wrote: »

Nonsense. All fault codes are stored on an ECU, intermittant or otherwise. Disconnecting the battery will a) wipe those fault codes so if you do take it to a garage there will be nothing to say what went wrong, and b) may cause issues with sensors that require a constant feed, creating even more issues.

7/8 years ago you could play a bit more, but electronics on a car now are too advanced for self-maintenance.

the best way to accurately pin point a fault using fault codes is to clear the codes,then run the vehicle until it happens again then re read the codes and the most recent code or most occuring code is probably the one your after. so theres no harm in disconnecting the battery,the fault will more than likely appear again anyway. and if it doesnt then the op has won a watch.

hewhoisnotintheknow

clean the easy sensors for starters

also give it an italian tune up

missingink

XDA wrote: »

I have a 5 year old Focus zetec, and mine recently started cutting out with loss of steering etc. Took it to the garage and it was the fuel filter clogged up with muck. They are supposed to be renewed every 25k anyway.

Do you have any lights flashing on the dash when it cuts out?

Yes, the usual ones that come on when you start up the engine.

jeannieblue

Air flow meter, fuel filter, plugs, coil pack........ list kinda endless.

Get it plugged in and diagnosed - could be anything. Mine was a s*d and it was air flow meter. 53reg and under warranty at the time - dealership was unable to sort it.. typical twits. Sold it since...

missingink

goldspanners wrote: »

im guessing the focus is petrol. if it is then when were the spark plugs last changed? its 9 years old and could well be on original H.T. leads so these may be worth changing as a cheap option after a good service if it hasnt been done for a while.

i also remember there is a temperature sensor wire which can touch the H.T leads and cause some crazy faults with the dashboard,but i dont think this causes loss of power.

petrol fuel filter should be changed around 65k miles/ 5 years, mine leaked before this mileage and age though.

It is petrol. Changed the spark plugs last year/earlier this year when it wasn't firing up properly. We've had the car a couple of years now & never had a service(I know, V bad!:o )

If I remember rightly, there's about 70k on the clock. As far as the previous history goes, I don't think we have any paperwork mentioning a petrol filter change.

We've also used redex in the past when it seemed like it wasn't running 'right'.