Ford Focus cutting out when braking.

Buttonmoons

Hi I've got an X reg Focus that just passed it's MOT last month - It needed a new coil pack and some other bits - however I noticed this issue before the MOT - basically when I brake going down a hill the battery light on the dashboard sometimes flashes up - but more recently - on two occasions, all the lights on the dashboard have came up and the car just shut down, lights and everything - It always restarts fine, and the clutch is right in so It's not because I'm stalling it.

Any ideas? I thought it was the battery :rotfl: because it was always that light that appeared - and it's always on the same hill near my house that it does it

mad_rich

Is it just when actually braking, or does it also happen when slowing quickly using the gears. (Don't blow up your engine when trying this!)

Could feasibly be the servos causing load on a weak alternator and causing it to get upset?

enfield_freddy

"Could feasibly be the servos causing load on a weak alternator and causing it to get upset? "


I don,t think so , what has a brake servo (air/hydrolic) got to do with an altenator (electrical)


OP it sounds like there is a bad connection on the wiring loom , look towards where the ign switch plus into the loom , unplug it and check for corrosion on the terminals

marlot

It sounds electrical, especially as you've not mentioned the engine stuttering.

Start with the basics...

Check the battery is secure, and the leads are tight.

Also check the earth cable between the engine and the car body.

Would also be worth getting the codes checked in case anything has been stored.

You're then onto checking the connectors into the ECU, the crank sensor etc.

Edited to add: You don't have a massive bunch of keys do you? It wouldn't be the first time that someone has nudged the keys when going for the brake, and the heavy keys have caused the switch to fail

DTDfanBoy

Buttonmoons wrote: »

It always restarts fine, and the clutch is right in so It's not because I'm stalling it.

Perhaps driving properly down the hill with the car in gear and engaged will stop the problem

forgotmyname

Going downhill in neutral or in gear but the clutch pushed down?

Buttonmoons

Clutch is pushed to go down the gears and when I'm coming to a complete stop - and it's at the complete stop it dies.

MessyBetty

I had exactly the same problem with my X reg focus it was when I reduced speed at roundabouts it turned out to be dirt in the fuel pipe like you when I turned the ignition it started fine. Good luck I hope its something and nothing x

arcon5

DTDfanBoy wrote: »

Perhaps driving properly down the hill with the car in gear and engaged will stop the problem

go on then, entertain us, how will this fix the fault on ops car?
may not happen (which I doubt) but how will it fix it Mr Perfect

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

arcon5 wrote: »

go on then, entertain us, how will this fix the fault on ops car?
may not happen (which I doubt) but how will it fix it Mr Perfect

The basic point he makes though it right, cars are designed to manage the engine so that when the engine is on overrun it will not use fuel. Dipping the clutch when driving along is not the right way to drive, loss of control and higher fuel consumption being the two obvious downsides.

It may be that the electronics are getting confused and stalling the engine. Only dip the clutch when coming to a halt at traffic lights when the engine is about to get lumpy.

If the OP is habitually coasting, then it is not necessarily surprising that they are having problems with the engine cutting out, but in the end there is an underlying idle problem that a decent garage should be able to identify.

(Now I did have a friend who had an LPG converted Vauxhall that would cut out under power - that was a scary ride).

=rizla=

I've had this before, turned out to be the idle control valve sticking, try cleaning it with some carb cleaner and see how you get on.