Focus 1.8 Zetec odd power loss at speed

[Bottlethroddy]

Greetings! My first point of call was the FFOC which wouldnt let me ask a technical question without paying up. Yourselves, like my club (I run a Vauxhall owners club) offers this advice free, therefore Ive registered here instead. SO it does work :)

Anyway, iv picked up a 1999 Focus 1.8 Ghia from eBay. If Im honest, it was an idle bid, and I never expected to win it, but I did. Its been to the moon and back (170k) but it runs as smooth as silk, so i can only assume its spent a lot of its life on the motorway. More evidence of this is a very worn steering wheel and gearknob, but a remarkably good condition drivers seat.

BUT, and theres always a but, at motorway speeds at par throttle, cruising at 70, occasionally there will be a sudden loss of power for about 1 second, before a jerk as the power comes back on. Now I have NO experience with ford engines being the enemy (lol) but if this were an ecotec (what we call an ecowreck) it would probably be one of the eleventy million sensors playing up. But if it were a simple electrical system, like on a c20xe, I would diagnose maybe a clogged fuel filter or injectors. Its getting a full service next week anyway, but i just wanted to post to see if this was a common fault which a full filter service wont fix.

I thank you for your time reading my drivel, and ill be sticking around for as long as the feckus does (im going for the big 200, so long as the Mrs doesnt hedge it first once she gets a licence lol)

Lee

[pete j]

Greetings! My first point of call was the FFOC which wouldnt let me ask a technical question without paying up. Yourselves, like my club (I run a Vauxhall owners club) offers this advice free, therefore Ive registered here instead. SO it does work :)

Anyway, iv picked up a 1999 Focus 1.8 Ghia from ebay. If Im honest, it was an idle bid, and I never expected to win it, but I did. Its been to the moon and back (170k) but it runs as smooth as silk, so i can only assume its spent a lot of its life on the motorway. More evidence of this is a very worn steering wheel and gearknob, but a remarkably good condition drivers seat.

BUT, and theres always a but, at motorway speeds at par throttle, cruising at 70, occasionally there will be a sudden loss of power for about 1 second, before a jerk as the power comes back on. Now I have NO experience with ford engines being the enemy (lol) but if this were an ecotec (what we call an ecowreck) it would probably be one of the eleventy million sensors playing up. But if it were a simple electrical system, like on a c20xe, I would diagnose maybe a clogged fuel filter or injectors. Its getting a full service next week anyway, but i just wanted to post to see if this was a common fault which a full filter service wont fix.

I thank you for your time reading my drivel, and ill be sticking around for as long as the feckus does (im going for the big 200, so long as the Mrs doesnt hedge it first once she gets a licence lol)

Lee

[SierraYankee99]

You dont say if its 1.8 petrol or diesel. Diesel I'd say potentially a throttle position sensor fault. Solution, new accelerator pedal which I had to replace on mine a couple of years ago. Cost, approx £60+VAT.

If its a petrol, plugs, leads, coil pack, any number of sensors on the engine could be failing. My advice, get the ECU read mate, it will tell you exactly whats wrong. Welcome to the lighter side of motoring. BTW I take it the poster above me has followed you and isnt happy?