Jump to content
Do Not Sell My Personal Information


Buying Advice - Mk2 Focus 1.6 Tdci


Pitmonster
 Share

Recommended Posts

Buying advice - Mk2 Focus 1.6 TDCi

Potential buyer - what to look out for

Hi everyone,

New member here, looking to buy a Mk2 Focus with the 1.6 or 1.8 TDCi engine soon, was hoping for a bit of advice on known issues and what to look out for.

Firstly let me thank everyone for all the helpful post & advice on the forum. So far I've had a really good look around as much I possibly can and gained a lot of valuable information doing so, but there are some more detailed questions I'd like to know before purchasing.

Budget is around £5k and I'm looking for something that's around 5 years old, with approx 50k miles on the clock (hey, look at all those 5's...)

5-door hatch is the most likely option, or possibly an estate. I don't want a 3-door hatch or 4-door saloon.

Engine must be a diesel, and I'm probably going for the 1.6 TDCi as I think it would give the better fuel economy while still giving okay real-world performance. Obviously 1.8s are more common, but I've seen quite a few 1.6s

I've structured the questions a little - hopefully it's not too geeky, it's just so we can keep track of things.

Oh, and thanks in advance for your help, it's very much appreciated.

1. Fuel Economy 1.6 -v- 1.8

1a. Obviously fuel economy is mostly affected by the driver's right foot and the type of roads you use etc - but what real-world difference is there between the 1.6 and 1.8 TDCi engines?

I ask this because there are a lot more 1.8s available, and I know from driving my ex-boss's 1.8 a few years ago that it's pretty torquey & powerful which 'encourages' you to put your foot down at the expense of using more fuel. I'm not sure I can resist the temptation, and economy is a huge factor for me.

2. Diesel Particulate Filter

From what I've read, it's probably better to get a car without (if possible), as I'll likely be hitting a costly change in about 2-3 years.

2a. Do all 1.6 Diesels have a DPF? I know there are two versions (90/110bhp)

2b. How can I tell if a car has one or not? Can I tell from the year / engine code/serial number / Euro IV or V compliant / official Co2 output from DVLA / or a visible check (i.e. of the filter itself or the filler for the Eolys additive)?

2c. If I do end up with a DPF model, how can I tell if the additive has been refilled properly (at c. 37.5k miles)?

2d. Does the 1.8 TDCi have the DPF? (Ifso it may be more economical overall to get a 1.8 - what I lose on fuel economy I may save on not having to replace the DPF)

2e. As a replacement DPF costs around £183 (from an advertiser at the top of this page), is it worth fitting a replacement now anyway, as a preventative measure i.e. before it fails & goes into "limp-home" mode?

2f. Can this be done by any garage, or does it need to be a Ford dealer? What would the cost be, if I supplied the part?

3. service intervals?

3a. How far apart are service intervals? (miles/years)

3b. How many times should a 5-yr old Focus have been serviced, with 50k on the clock?

4. Cambelt/chain.

4a. Does the 1.6 engine use a belt or a chain? What about the 1.8?

4b. When should it be changed? (based on miles and/or years)

5. oil.

I've read that a very specific low SAP oil must always be used, and even short periods of using the wrong oil can have adverse effects.

(source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_DLD_engine#DLD-416)

5a. Is this true of false? I know not all sources can be trusted

5b. If true, does this apply to DPF engines only, or all engines?

5c. If the car has a full Ford service history, is it safe to assume the correct oil has always been used?

5d. What specific oil should be used?

5e. What symptoms should I look out for, to possibly identify if the wrong oil has been used?

6. Dual Mass Flywheel.

I know the 2.0 TDCi used in the Mk2 Mondeo uses a dual mass flywheel, and have read about problems with it.

6a. Does the 1.6 TDCi use a DMF?

7. Auxiallary drive gear.

I used to own a Citroen Xsara HDI, which is know is related to certain Ford TDCi engines.

On the end of the crankshaft is an auxiallary drive gear, and a belt that drives the alternator, power steering, and air conditioning.

As with the DMF it has an inner metal part, then a rubber ring, then the outer ring that mates with the belt - the rubber giving some form of vibration damping.

This failed on me twice - at 75k and 150k miles. Apparently this is a known problem, and 75k is the approx lifespan of this part.

7a. Does the 1.6 TDCi use a gear like this, with a rubber ring that may fail, or is it a solid metal gear?

8. Audio

I expect the standard stereo will be the Ford 6000 CD, like this one:

thumbnail_6000cd.jpg

8a. Is it possible to connect my iPod (i.e. a classic iPod, not an iPhone, which will be stored in the glovebox) and still be able to select playlists & skip songs directly from the head unit (and even the steering column controls)?

8b. If not, would it be worth updraging to this one:

86980483.jpg

If I do upgrade to the later head unit, I notice that is has rounded edges while the earlier is almost exactly square.

8c. Does this later head unit come in two styles - one straight-edged, the other curved? I'm sure I've seen square-edged ones on eBay.

8d. If it only comes as a curved-edged version, is there a fascia plate available to fit the straight-edged hole in my dashboard?

(Alternatively I already have a single-DIN iPod compatible head unit, and I've seen fascia plate adaptors for those)

9. Other known issues.

Some cars & engines (i.e. Rover K-series) get a reputation for design flaws & high unreliability, or specific known problems. Thes obviously become well known among owners communities like yourselves.

I haven't heard of any issues at all with the Focus (mk1 or mk2) but are there any other known issues I should be aware of?

Thanks very much for all your help and advice, and I hope to show of my new car to you soon :-)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


hi mate,i have a 2006 1.6 tdci very good cars but are prone to turbos going if not serviced regular so get one with a fsh and none dpf.the 1.6 tdci is a peugeot engine and the 1.8 is a ford engine and does not have dpf,so i am told.mine does around 45mpg to 60mpg so not bad on fuel.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi mate,i have a 2006 1.6 tdci very good cars but are prone to turbos going if not serviced regular so get one with a fsh and none dpf.the 1.6 tdci is a peugeot engine and the 1.8 is a ford engine and does not have dpf,so i am told.mine does around 45mpg to 60mpg so not bad on fuel.

Thanks for your reply. Your comment about turbos failing seems to validate my question (no. 5) about the correct low-SAP oil being used - the link does mention turbo failure. I definitely want a full FSH, and preferably from a Ford dealer.

I looked at one last night and the service book had 3 stamps. Each section has tick boxes for "serviced by a Ford dealer" (one was ticked 'yes', two were ticked 'no') and tick boxes for "were genuine Ford parts used" (two were ticked 'yes', one was ticked 'no'). If genuine Ford parts are used I would hope that includes the oil, so I should be able to look out for that.

(btw I rejected the car because the digital display said there was an engine problem. The dealer said it was the alternator, but I don't want to risk a car that may have an existing fault).

Not having the DPF certainly does seem to be the way to go, and I've seen some 1.6s advertised as Euro 4 or Euro 5. I'm assuming the Euro 5 has the DPF while the Euro 4 does not. Is that correct?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a 54 reg 1.6 tdci 110hp. Performance wise of course it is not going to win any race but you get that nice turBo boost. It is actually quite quick.

1. Fuel Economy 1.6 -v- 1.8

1.6tdci is capable of doing up to 60 mpg (no joke if you slow down a bit). Mine has seen 68mpg on daily commute on the M20, M26, M25 and M23. I have no idea what 1.8tdci is capable of.

2. Diesel Particulate Filter

Earlier 1.6tdci did not come with a DPF. Best way to find out I think to find out how much the road tax is. Mine is without a DPF, so road tax is £95 per annum. Someone would need to confirm this but 1.6tdci with DPF is £30 a year.

2a. Do all 1.6 Diesels have a DPF? I know there are two versions (90/110bhp)

2b. How can I tell if a car has one or not? Can I tell from the year / engine code/serial number / Euro IV or V compliant / official Co2 output from DVLA / or a visible check (i.e. of the filter itself or the filler for the Eolys additive)?

One way is to find out power output is by entering the car reg in an insurance website like Confused.com, I am sure others can suggest better ways.

2c. If I do end up with a DPF model, how can I tell if the additive has been refilled properly (at c. 37.5k miles)?

Pass..

2d. Does the 1.8 TDCi have the DPF? (If so it may be more economical overall to get a 1.8 - what I lose on fuel economy I may save on not having to replace the DPF)

No.

2e. As a replacement DPF costs around £183 (from an advertiser at the top of this page), is it worth fitting a replacement now anyway, as a preventative measure i.e. before it fails & goes into "limp-home" mode?

Pass..

2f. Can this be done by any garage, or does it need to be a Ford dealer? What would the cost be, if I supplied the part?

Pass

3. service intervals?

12500 miles on a 1.6tdci

3a. How far apart are service intervals? (miles/years)

1 year or 12500 whichever comes first?

3b. How many times should a 5-yr old Focus have been serviced, with 50k on the clock?

Ideally 5 times..

4. Cambelt/chain.

4a. Does the 1.6 engine use a belt or a chain? What about the 1.8?

1.6tdci is cambelt, replacement is at 100k miles.

4b. When should it be changed? (based on miles and/or years)

Questions 5,6,7 are not within my knowledge so others might be able to help you.

8. Audio

Answer: If I am not mistaken the square one is available only on mk2 Focus. Later mk2.5 are equipped with those rounded stereo. Mine is the square one and came with CDDJ button. I had to buy a unit with an AUX button and wired the stereo to an aux input myself, which could easily be done. Unfortunately, you will not be able to control your mp3 player or iPhone from the stalk as I am sure you will need a compatible iPhone aux input that is compatible with the stereo to make this work. You could easily get the fascia or blanking plate off eBay though. In my opinion whilst I appreciate your interest in Focus, for your info Hyundai i30 or Kia Cee'd have this facility, maybe worth a look at?

9. Other known issues.

Works done on mine: new steering rack, new turbo boost pipe (replaced with a newer improved pipe), gunk under front wheel arch which could lead to rusting if not cleaned regularly, wiring for the heated windcsreen which is not securely fastened under the windcsreen wipers. I wont mention other works as they are just normal works associated with having a car! Bear in mind that mine is an early Focus model and a lot of these problems were ironed out post 05 reg.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my 2006 1.6tdci has got dpf it has just cost me £100 to fill the dpf fluid up.my car tax is £95 for the full year.i also have had a turbo fail on me so be very carefull what oil you put in and i change my oil every 5000 miles i think 12000 miles is to long with these engines.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Many thanks Eddie and Fez for your replies, most helpful indeed.

I am regularly trawling Autotrader and can see the annual tax cost/power output/ emissions as part of the vehicle information, so that should help me to see if the car has a DPF or not. I know from recently selling my Mother's car on there that when the advert is created, inputting the registration plate automatically retrieves all such information from the DVLA database, so am happy to trust that information in the advert.

Good suggestion about the Hyundai/Kia but I really do want a Mk 2 Focus - I think they are a lovely car, perfect for my needs, and to be honest the iPod connection is one of those 'nice to have' things rather than a deal-breaker. Plus I can simply install my existing Kenwood and get a blanking plate (which would provide a cubby hole too, as mine is single-DIN)

Thanks again for the advice, it's very much appreciated.

:-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Eddie, that's an excellent link.

As well as describing the visual inspection for the Eolys fluid tank, it also gave this information :

I think you have answered your question about whether your car has a DPF but for information you can tell by looking at the id plate inside the drivers door shut...

If you look 8 fields down on the left (i.e. bottom left of the plate) there will be one letter or number:

7 means your car is a 90bhp car(as 90 bhp it will be without DPF)

V means your car is 110 bhp with DPF

S means your car is 110 bhp without a DPF

Could any body post a picture of their ID plate, so I can see exactly what I'm looking for?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

Here's a picture of the plate on my car which is another recent turbo failure :(

According to the info given above and according to the plate I've got a 110 BHP with DPF :(

hwek2f.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share




×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership