DESPERATE FOR HELP

[chumley]

MY FOCUS ESTATE 1800I ZETEC YEAR 2000. REPLACED FUEL PUMP...SPEED SENSER REPLACED....REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND battery TESTED OK.LOTS SPENT AT FORDS ..BUT I STILL GET A RED battery LIGHT COME ON AT THE START OF THE DAY...LATER AT AT LIGHTS OR ROUNDABOUTS REVS DIP ALMOST STALL.....THEN PICKS UP AND MY SPEEDO GO HAYWIRE OVER AND BACK AND AN ALARM BELL SOUNDS ONCE ..IT SEEMS TO REBOOT THEN PICKS UP FINE....ALSO LIGHTS ARE FLICKERING...STUPID CAR SEEMS OK SOME DAYS....AFTER A JOURNEY VERY HOT SMELL FROM UNDER BONNET LIKE SOMETHING OVERHEATING...COULD OLD CODES IN SYSTEM BE CAUSING ANY PROBS AS I WRITE THAT I KNOW IT SOUNDS STUPID...BUT I AM DESPERATE TO SORT THIS OUT.....OR THE CAR MUST GO.

[S-Max Bob]

MY FOCUS ESTATE 1800I ZETEC YEAR 2000. REPLACED FUEL PUMP...SPEED SENSER REPLACED....REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY TESTED OK.LOTS SPENT AT FORDS ..BUT I STILL GET A RED BATTERY LIGHT COME ON AT THE START OF THE DAY...LATER AT AT LIGHTS OR ROUNDABOUTS REVS DIP ALMOST STALL.....THEN PICKS UP AND MY SPEEDO GO HAYWIRE OVER AND BACK AND AN ALARM BELL SOUNDS ONCE ..IT SEEMS TO REBOOT THEN PICKS UP FINE....ALSO LIGHTS ARE FLICKERING...STUPID CAR SEEMS OK SOME DAYS....AFTER A JOURNEY VERY HOT SMELL FROM UNDER BONNET LIKE SOMETHING OVERHEATING...COULD OLD CODES IN SYSTEM BE CAUSING ANY PROBS AS I WRITE THAT I KNOW IT SOUNDS STUPID...BUT I AM DESPERATE TO SORT THIS OUT.....OR THE CAR MUST GO.

what made you replace all that stuff??? was it ford that said it was the problem ? if ford found fault codes they would have reset them when the new parts were fitted.

[chumley]

what made you replace all that stuff??? was it ford that said it was the problem ? if ford found fault codes they would have reset them when the new parts were fitted.

I have had the car for four years high miler when i bought it first year kept blowing fuse on the fuel pump and ford faulted it...so replaced it year later speedo started playing up local garage said speed sense but would not touch it as they can be a pig to do (his words) so fords did it and had to drop gear box (they said ) job done... cost £450 ...year later red battery light up all the experts said alternator...so had it replaced..and battery tested.....months after red battery light back ...lights flickering....revs dipping.....re.boots of the odo thingy......hence desperation just looked at her out front and am tempted to take a baseball bat to her.....taking some vallium instead.

[S-Max Bob]

I have had the car for four years high miler when i bought it first year kept blowing fuse on the fuel pump and ford faulted it...so replaced it year later speedo started playing up local garage said speed sense but would not touch it as they can be a pig to do (his words) so fords did it and had to drop gear box (they said ) job done... cost £450 ...year later red battery light up all the experts said alternator...so had it replaced..and battery tested.....months after red battery light back ...lights flickering....revs dipping.....re.boots of the odo thingy......hence desperation just looked at her out front and am tempted to take a baseball bat to her.....taking some vallium instead.

calm down, calm down sounds eletrical to me but someone more into the focus could help ?

maybe a trip to the dealers to run diagnostices on her, could be loose conection or bad earth ?

good luch though :D

[chumley]

calm down, calm down sounds eletrical to me but someone more into the focus could help ?

maybe a trip to the dealers to run diagnostices on her, could be loose conection or bad earth ?

good luch though :D

I do not intend giving fords any more cash....I will get rid of the car first.

[stef123]

for starters,

a common problem on the focus is the ht leads touching the cylinder head temp sensor, this causes the speedo to go crazy. The cure to this is just to try and route it away from the ht leads.

secondly the engine trying to stall, do the revs hesistate? could be the ICV(idle control valve)

[SierraYankee99]

£450 for a VSS change. A VSS costs £25 for the part and I have never heard of them taking a box out when the pin snaps as it does in 90% of cases. Think you've been ripped off. I second Stefs diagnosis of the idle control valve sticking.

[stef123]

£450 for a VSS change. A VSS costs £25 for the part and I have never heard of them taking a box out when the pin snaps as it does in 90% of cases. Think you've been ripped off. I second Stefs diagnosis of the idle control valve sticking.

yup even at a dealer i would expect to pay more than 70-80 quid fitted. i think the part is £35 plus vat, atleast at my local dealer. you can certainly pick them up on the likes of eBay for £25. Usually if the pin snaps its not a problem, they are usually very corroded anyway. Having to take the Gbox off, that might have just been a rip off excuse.

[chumley]

yup even at a dealer i would expect to pay more than 70-80 quid fitted. i think the part is £35 plus vat, atleast at my local dealer. you can certainly pick them up on the likes of ebay for £25. Usually if the pin snaps its not a problem, they are usually very corroded anyway. Having to take the Gbox off, that might have just been a rip off excuse.

ford of basildon it was...took it in 8am they warned me of worse case scenario..ie it being seized.....called me a 4pm said as expected they would have to drop the ger box put on the bench and let the part soak overnight (their words) called me at 2pm next day telling me the what a bad job it had been....and the cost will be £453.25......what could i say...I knew they were doing me...I had to pay....best bit was when I did pay the chap said "one good thing is .you get nectar points) must admit to losing itn a bit then.....hence why i will not go to fords again.

[Owen J]

Note to self - never visit Ford's of Basildon

"you get nectar points!!" - this is about the worst advert for this dealer that I can think of!!