Hi All,

I'm looking at a couple of Focus's today a 2014 1.0 Ecoboost 125 and a 2012 1.6, both with 100,000 miles on them. 

I know plenty about cars but always seem to miss something important when i buy. What are the model specific things i should be looking out for?

Also what do you think about a high mileage 1.0? Is the cam belt due at 100,000 and do many go beyond 100k? I will be doing about 8,000 per year and wants something that will last.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Kevin

 

 

If you want something that'll last, I'd suggest not buying a Mk3 Focus on 100k.

Yes, the cambelt is overdue on both engines if not already done.  1.6 cambelt change is only half the price of 1.0 cambelt.  

The wet belt (cam belt) is due at 100k/10 years on the 1.0. It will be about £1500 to replace as it is inside the engine. You also need to be sure the car has been serviced to schedule with no flushes or there is a risk the belt may have already degraded and can block the oil pickup. 
 

Is the 1.6 you are looking at the Ti-VCT or ecoboost?

I’ve ruled out the 1.6 that I looked at because it was rough. 
the 1.0 was in really nice condition, obviously cared for. it has full Ford service history and drove well. I talked to the dealer about the cam belt, he went inside his office then came back 5 minutes later saying he’d phoned Ford and the cam belt was due at 140,000. By I guess I need to speak to Ford myself to check.

Many modern cars can do 150,000 miles easily. What is it with the focus 1.0 that means it might not?

Thanks for any more advice you can offer.

 

 

The official Ford line was originally 150,000 or 10 years whichever came first. As Alex says, most recommendations now say 100,000 miles but whatever, it MUST be done at 10 years.

This is a "wet" cambelt (it runs in oil), and is very difficult and expensive to change (up to £1700 has been quoted by members on here).

You won't have to search far on this site to see several long threads on the consequences of cam belt degradation or failure on these engines (in many cases long before 100k/10 years) which are also found in Fiesta, B-Max, C-Max, etc, not just the Focus.

2 hours ago, Bikergone bald said:

Many modern cars can do 150,000 miles easily. What is it with the focus 1.0 that means it might not?

Just use the search on this forum for "Ecoboost" and count the hundreds of failures that never made it even close to 100,000 miles never mind 140,000 or 150,000.

If the sales man is so very sure and confident that you don't need do anything with the wet belts get the garage to sign a contract stating if the engine fails before 140,000 miles due to ANY related issue to the wet belts including oil pressure failure, they will happily replace your engine for free.

no and no

eco boom - designed to explode - even made watchdog

 

auto "powershift" box ONLY if the car was built after July 2016 the earlier ones are a disaster...

My advice would be, there are plenty of other, better cars out there.

 

I only learnt this one recently

they have subtlety tweaked modern engines and they now need special oils that have a shorter shelf life - its all alleged to be on the back of the need to maintain the health of the emission systems...   the reality is 2 year expensive oil changes or it the engine doesn't last as long

see the specs of oils and engine manu recco these days - re the use of the old high SAPS oils that took abuse well - its no longer suitable for modern engines and vice versa

I believe on the back of that fun "wet" cam belt engines also see higher level of belt degradation in the aged later oils - leading to cam belt failure and the "deliberate" destruction of the engine

All the more reason to switch to EV.

4 minutes ago, mjt said:

All the more reason to switch to EV.

Surely they're designed to fail too?  I heard there's someone at the factory kinking every few metres of copper wire before it's wound to create future weak points...  

29 minutes ago, mjt said:

All the more reason to switch to EV.

I can't see any reason to switch to EV

an extended warranty might be a good option if you can get it, 

it's impossible to pick everything up on a viewing/test drive

 

7 hours ago, DaveT70 said:

I can't see any reason to switch to EV

You get 2 free pints of full fat milk and a yogurt every day included with the warranty 🤣

Hi there are garages that specialise in this engine such as ecopro who can change the belt for less than £1k.  £700 comes to mind which is good value for one of these engines. 

I've always been a believer that if you look after the car, it will look after you.  Regular oil changes on the 1.0 are a must.  If the engine oil doesn't get changed regularly then diluted petrol and acids will attack the rubber belt and degrade it quicker which in turns floods the oil system with bits of rubber which block the oil strainer.  This in turn causes lack of oil pressure and booooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

2 hours ago, JONATHAN_11_80 said:

Hi there are garages that specialise in this engine such as ecopro who can change the belt for less than £1k.  £700 comes to mind which is good value for one of these engines. 

I've always been a believer that if you look after the car, it will look after you.  Regular oil changes on the 1.0 are a must.  If the engine oil doesn't get changed regularly then diluted petrol and acids will attack the rubber belt and degrade it quicker which in turns floods the oil system with bits of rubber which block the oil strainer.  This in turn causes lack of oil pressure and booooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

My local garage CR Allen In Peacehaven gave me the attached quote which only falls above £1000 when the Vat is taken into consideration.

Worth mentioning that they've never carried out the job before so the hours involved might be a bit out. So they're not a specialist 

However there is a garage in Worthing that gave me a quote around £1500 but that included my request to remove the sump and check the oil filter too, so with vat that would be just over £1000 and they are a ford specialist, not necessarily an ecoboom specialist.

If you check my "yet another mk3 timing belt thread" I think the quote is on there.

Where are you anyway? Obviously most of these places for me being in the south coast, aren't viable . I have to make do with the garages I do have 

28 minutes ago, mburdett555 said:

they've never carried out the job before

Your choice, but I wouldn't want them learning on MY car.

2 hours ago, mburdett555 said:

My local garage CR Allen In Peacehaven gave me the attached quote which only falls above £1000 when the Vat is taken into consideration.

Worth mentioning that they've never carried out the job before so the hours involved might be a bit out. So they're not a specialist 

Are they planning on just doing part of the job? I see no mention of the oil pump belt or checking/changing the oil pump and the sump strainer. Also do they already have the special torque multiplier needed or are they just going to buy that for future use ?

I see in the last few weeks there have been a few quotes for £700 or less which makes me wonder just how much of the job are they doing. The labour is always going to between 8 and 12 hours depending on just how much is replaced.

16 hours of labour for a first timer is more realistic than the estimated 8.5 hours.
 

Some other required parts are missing on the estimated quotation. For example the high pressure fuel pipe and the injector seal kit that can not be reused.

It would not be the 1st 1.0 ECOboost that catches fire after the wetbelt(s) are replaced without replacing these parts.

 

1 hour ago, JW1982 said:

It would not be the 1st 1.0 ECOboost that catches fire after the wetbelt(s) are replaced without replacing these parts.

There's always a positive side to look at with any repair 🤣

2 hours ago, JW1982 said:

 For example the high pressure fuel pipe 

 

Haven't seen that in any of my other quotes yet. Seems like everyone and their mum needs to be a mechanic to verify the job is done properly 

Ijmn answer to your specific question - buy an Astra or a Golf .

On 12/12/2022 at 8:55 PM, RMurphy195 said:

buy an Astra or a Golf .

Absolutely look at them.... or you could save some time and don't bother looking at the Astra!