Ford Focus Mk2 Common Problems Thread

[Priest1180]

Hey everyone I don’t know if anyone has had this problem but any help would be appreciated. I was driving about 60mph and the engine was slowly losing power I could not get it to accelerate at all. The engine light came on. I came off on a slip road and it pulled away fine from the traffic lights but when I tried to accelerate a little harder it did it again. I have a 1.6 zetec (07). Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks 

[Lyndonriddle]

Hello Everyone

Great Thread

 

I have a focus 2005 2.0l with an overheating problem. I have replaced the thermostat and checked the water pump. the car only overheats in heavy traffic. I have noticed the fan never turns on. How do I check the senors (and where are they) before I can say that the radiator fan is broken? 

 

Thank you

[Tdci-Peter]

On 6/22/2020 at 10:43 AM, Lyndonriddle said:

How do I check the senors (and where are they) before I can say that the radiator fan is broken? 

I am assuming it is 2l TDCI. The only engine temperature sensor is the CHT sensor mounted in the thermostat housing. It sends a signal direct to the ECU. Its value can be read with most decent diagnostic systems like Forscan or Torque, and the gauge on the cluster is controlled by this reading, though there is some question about whether the reading here is mucked about with by the software in some way.

Test if the fan turns on (low speed) with the A/C on. If not, then a fault in the fan motor/driver unit is likely, or a broken wire or bad connection to it. The fan module is an electronic unit with motor built in. It has 3 wires to it: ground, 12v from a relay & fuse in the engine bay fusebox (R14, F1), and a control wire from the ECU which I assume is PWM for variable speed control.

So check it is getting power & ground ok, and then maybe if there is some sort of signal on the line from the ECU.

[Guussi]

Focus 1.6 ti-cvt titanium engine swap and ignition unit to replace i have the engine and ignition piece.  the car is covered under a building i have an engine crane...anyone local in worcestershire who can help me? cash paid

cars to good to scrap

 

[cg13386]

Got a Ford focus 2009 estate petrol automatic. Getting excessive vibration at all speeds only when accelerating. Vibration measured to be between 2.5Hz and 4Hz. Have checked all wheel nuts, all bushings seem fine, all fluids fine. Any suggestions? 

 

Thanks

[Lloydmarcus]

I have a 59 plate 1.8tdci focus I replaced the battery and now when you turn the key dash lights up but doesn’t turn over it blew a relay which I replaced and still doesn’t turn over any ideas ? 

[Tdci-Peter]

On 8/20/2020 at 3:37 PM, Lloydmarcus said:

I have a 59 plate 1.8tdci focus I replaced the battery and now when you turn the key dash lights up but doesn’t turn over it blew a relay which I replaced and still doesn’t turn over any ideas ? 

First check is for any unusual dash displays or lights, especially the immobiliser LED. This should flash once then go out when the ignition is turned on. If it keeps flashing, it is immobilised.

Relays never blow up without good reason, and rarely fail without some external cause, like a short circuit. So my second area to look at would be the starter motor and the solenoid mounted on it. If the battery was replaced due to difficulty in starting, then it is quite possible the starter was the problem all along.

[Pro89]

On 6/14/2020 at 1:51 PM, Ford girl said:

Hi 

Just gone to service my 2005 mk2 2lt gear and the key will not open the bonnet, we have had it open a number of times but today it will not work, you hear it pulled on the cable when you turn the key but nothing, does anyone know how to open the bonnet if the key will not work

Thank you in advance 

Kelly

I know this reply is well late, but the issue is the bonnet has a plastic + shaped part in the lock which snaps if someone slams the bonnet down too hard. It's supposed to be a security feature but it's a pain in the back side is what it is. 

This happened to me last year and the mechanic had to force the bonnet open through the grill and replace part of the lock mechanism. I replaced the plastic clip with one that wouldn't break and I also had to customise the new lock to fit the existing car keys. The experience was a nightmare. I hope you got your bonnet sorted.

 

[Cutler555]

Hello, does anyone know how I can get a EKA code for a 2005 focus? Thanks in advance 

[Wonkeyedan]

just bought a cheap stop gap 08 focus 1.6tdci from a fella, bit tatty but it just needs to get me to work few days a week for a couplke of months. test drove it and all seemed fine for a motor with 150k on it. fella who sold it me mentioned when fuel gets very low the car kinda jumps occasionally. figured ok he's being honest and ill keep fuel in it.

turns out after about half hour of driving it does this a fair bit no matter how much fuel is in it, hard to explain exactly what it is, cant place if its a misfire or not as it feels like a very sudden surge of power and then a microsecond loss of power then its fine, happens at times when cruising at same speed, seems to happen more when you put your foot down. done a bit of investigating and injector seals definitely need doing. turbo seems fine, bit of oil in the pipes and what looks like a decent leak in the pipe coming off top of the turbo although looks like maybe fuel instead of oil so im guessing injector seals will cure this. have the cheap fault code reader which says overboost, underboost and dpf faults on there but im at a loss as to whats causing the jumping, could it be the dpf? im planning on doing injector seals and replacing fuel filter and egr valve asap. and then possibly looking at replacing dpf. also wondering if its wise to drive it at the minute or leave it until its fixed. appreciate any ideas people can throw my way

 

[Tdci-Peter]

On 4/24/2021 at 4:33 PM, Wonkeyedan said:

have the cheap fault code reader which says overboost, underboost and dpf faults on there but im at a loss as to whats causing the jumping, could it be the dpf? im planning on doing injector seals and replacing fuel filter and egr valve asap. and then possibly looking at replacing dpf. also wondering if its wise to drive it at the minute or leave it until its fixed.

If the DTCs (fault error codes) are current, then it will not be doing regens, and the dpf will slowly clog up, possibly to the point where it can not regen even if all the faults are fixed. If the dpf is to be replaced, then this may not matter. Try clearing the codes, to see if and when they return. Better, get Forscan (under £20 with a Windows laptop, not much more with Android or iOS. That can give a more complete idea of what is going on, and can even do a forced regen while stationary (it will not do it if there are errors, but it is another useful test anyway).

A prime cause of power dips is air getting in to the fuel supply, especially as you suspect a leak. There is no tank pump on these, like most Fords, so the main diesel pump has to suck fuel up from the tank & through the filter. Thus the pipes from tank to pump are almost always under suction, and leaks will draw air in rather than let fuel out.

Problems with the turbo actuator are common on these, there is a solenoid valve down the back of the engine that operates the vacuum operated vane actuator. Faulty valves and pipe leaks are frequent. Overboost errors are usually due to turbo actuator problems. If the fault symptom really is power surge first, then dip & recovery, this also points to turbo actuator, as this is one of very few items that can increase power. Fuel Injections are under close ECU control, and will not just surge without some reason.

A sticking EGR valve is also a known cause of power dips, though these are usually just little changes, not sudden jerks.

Blocked DPF sounds unlikely to be the main cause of brief power dips. Air in fuel, then turbo, then injectors, would be my suspect list.

 

[Firsttimeowner]

Good afternoon guys, I'm s first time owner of a focus st MK2.. had the car for 4 days and have an over heating problem. So using the in car heater on full blast it come out cold checked water level and it seems as the the water is evaporating in the engine... Could this be a impeller problem or am I looking at something else... I'm so worried. 

[Tdci-Peter]

16 hours ago, Firsttimeowner said:

it seems as the the water is evaporating in the engine..

It can't actually evaporate and vanish in the engine, it has to go somewhere. Anti-freeze gives the best clues: If there is none in the system then it is an existing problem, and the seller just put water in to save money. If it is clean & pink to orange (almost fluorescent in the right light), then it is Ford long life anti-freeze, and the loss may only be very small. It is a bit more expensive than old 2 year stuff, so less likely to be used as a regular top-up. If it is blueish, dirty or any other colour, then it has been mucked about with, indicating a longer term problem.

The other clue from the antifreeze is the smell, so make sure it has plenty in it, even if you use the cheapest 2 year stuff. (not worth mixing decent Ford anti-freeze with unknown stuff). If there is a head gasket leak, then you should be able to smell it in the exhaust. A heater leak will make the cabin smell, etc.

Also check the oil quality. Look for grey deposits inside the oil filler hole, and, better, inside the crankcase ventilation hoses.

So that checks if water is going out the exhaust, into the cabin or into the oil. Other leak points are the coolant reservoir (put some cardboard under it), radiator & all the hoses in the engine bay. Again anti-freeze can help, it tends to leave a stain where it leaks & dries, and will smell if recently leaking.

[unofix]

You need to do the checks Tdci-Peter has listed above. As he says the coolant can not vanish it has to be going some place.

A stuck thermostat can cause an engine to overheat and the excess pressure causes the safety relief valve on the expansion tank filler cap to open which then dumps the water out of the tank.

[Firsttimeowner]

Hey guys thanks for the replies.. so I went and picked my car up from the first garage who said it was my head gasket that needed replacing was quoted £2300 yes you read that correct. So started ringing around to try get it cheaper lowest I could find was 1400.. so taking it there tomorrow... However although when I started the car up there was a bit of white smoke not pouring out while sitting idle.. I started driving.. and had my partner following me.. at traffic lights she told me there was no white smoke at all.. the heaters worked almost instantly.. and the drive back home was fine.. no issues... Woke up this morning.. turned the car over and bang heat immediately from the vents in the car no white smoke at all... So did a couple other checks.. checked the oil Dip stick.. wasn't creamy in colour it was however a little white.. not massively creamy.. collent level hadn't dropped but could smell like s petrol spell once opened .. took it for a drive the heating blasted out first time . It is really confusing me is it the head gasket ? Does a head gasket always chuck out white smoke (because the car isn't doing that at the moment) could it be a impeller problem or even a thermostat... I'm really lost at this point . It did fail a head gasket test but I wasn't present when this test took place.. any advice greatful 

[Tdci-Peter]

20 hours ago, Firsttimeowner said:

Does a head gasket always chuck out white smoke (because the car isn't doing that at the moment) could it be a impeller problem or even a thermostat... I'm really lost at this point . It did fail a head gasket test but I wasn't present when this test took place.. any advice greatful 

A head gasket can vary if the leak is small. With aluminium engines, starting up from very cold conditions is more likely to cause a leak, as the aluminium contracts more than the steel head bolts. Once it seals, in warmer weather, it may stay sealed. The amount of white smoke will be directly related to the amount of water loss at any time. So if the head stays sealed, no white smoke.

The usual head gasket water test on petrol engines is to use a chemical that indicates CO dissolved in the water. This can be quite un-reliable, and should not be relied on alone, only in conjunction with other symptoms.

The dip stick is not a good place to look for the water-oil emulsion. It forms in the coldest places in the engine, inside the cam cover, and particularly inside the crankcase vent hoses. The water in the emulsion will slowly evaporate when the oil gets hot enough. Also a head leak has to be quite bad before water finds it way past the pistons into the crankcase, or even directly into the oil passages where these pass through the CH gasket. 

If the leak is small, a treatment like K-seal can be effective at sealing it up. On a 2007 car I would go this route before looking for an expensive gasket replacement. It worked on my Vauxhall 2l petrol engine, where a head leak came back, about 2 years after I paid out £700 for a gasket replacement. They did not skim the surfaces flat, I believe. They also left a ventilation hose kinked, that caused the engine to pump all its oil out all over the road, due to internal pressure build-up. I had gone for the cheapest quote on the repair, even though the garage claimed to be a Vauxhall dealer!

If it is not losing coolant, I would get the oil & filter changed, maybe invest in some K-seal to keep handy & try if the leak re-started. It is very difficult to look for the leak that is not currently present, and you still don't 100% know there is a head leak.

If the leak returns, and seems to be getting into the exhaust, prompt action is a good idea. Anti-freeze wrecks cats, I found that out also during the Vauxhall episode. Serves me right for buying a Vauxhall I suppose!

 

 

[GazP]

Already posted about this problem with our 2008 Focus Titanium hatchback in the "Mk 3 boot leaks" thread but had no reply for weeks.

Our Focus has a water leak in the boot, as the carpet is going mouldy and ruined what we had in the boot. As there is a common water leak on the Mk 3, does the Mk 2 suffer from the same problem; the vents behind the rear bumper? we can't find a leak from the boot seal but water is obviously getting in somewhere.

On a separate note, is the chrome boot trim stuck on from the outside, or bolted on from the inside? Ours has come adrift and it looks like retaining clips are all broken, being held on by just the wires to the number plate lights inside (and now some duct tape!). Would we have to remove the inside tailgate trim for access?

[Gokhan]

[chrisx1976]

Hi guys!

Someone please help!

I have a 2007 Focus 1.8 petrol, and a few weeks ago i noticed some problems with the instrument cluster. One day after starting the car, all gauges got crazy! Fuel was on full while i was on the gas station two weeks ago, speed stayed on zero while i was driving, etc... So i decided, that the time has come, and i need to resolder the connection on the back of the cluster. So i asked my friend, who do this type of soldering, and he did the job. He spotted some cracks, and resoldered them all.

After i connected back in the cluster, i tried 3 times to start the car, and it was fine, everything was working. So i disconected again, put together the whole housing, did some cleaning on it, and connected back again, and it won't start.

Pats light flashing like crazy, and it wont turn/crank, nothing! So i check if there are any fault codes stored, and i got a P1260, and a B1681. Ok so i tought we made things worst, but the crazy thing is that i can start the car, if i disconnect the battery for a 15 minutes maybe. I can clear the codes before, but after i turn off the car, it wont star again, pats goes crazy again, and the codes come back.  Before you ask, i tried with the second key... does the same.

What do you think? Resolder again, or try look somewhere else?

By the way, sorry for my bad english, it's not my native language!

 

...Thanks....

 

[unofix]

You need to fully resolder every joint even if they look OK you still need to solder them. 

[chrisx1976]

12 minutes ago, unofix said:

You need to fully resolder every joint even if they look OK you still need to solder them. 

 

So you think we make it worse, than before, and we must do it from scratch? 😵

[Tdci-Peter]

On 6/9/2021 at 5:53 AM, chrisx1976 said:

After i connected back in the cluster, i tried 3 times to start the car, and it was fine, everything was working. So i disconected again, put together the whole housing, did some cleaning on it, and connected back again, and it won't start.

B1681 might be a helpful code here, also the PATS flash code might be useful.

B1681: PATS Receiver Module Signal Not Received

That suggests the IC (cluster) is not getting a signal from the transceiver module around the ignition key. If you were using a diagnostic system like Forscan, it would tell you which module the fault code was in. If the code was in the IC, it would confirm it was the short link from transceiver to IC.  It could be a fault in the cluster, a connector or wiring problem, or a faulty transceiver.

If the DTC was in the PCM (ECU), then a CAN bus fault is more likely. But there are 5 connectors in the CAN bus from IC to ECU, including the one on the IC. So the fault still may not be in the IC.

If it was a CAN bus fault, I would expect to see far more error codes than just those two.

The CAN bus resistance test (60 ohms between pins 6 & 14 on the diagnostic connector with the ignition off) would help confirm if there was a HS-CAN bus problem. You might have to repeat it quite a few times as the problem seems to be intermittent. Also it needs a good diagnostic system like Forscan to be able to clear the Theft DTCs, once set they tend to stick. That might be why you have to do the battery disconnect.

Re-soldering complex surface mount pcbs is not easy, especially if you try to do the big, fine pitch ICs. I would try more investigations, as above, before getting too drastic with the IC.

[chrisx1976]

On 6/10/2021 at 11:26 PM, Tdci-Peter said:

B1681 might be a helpful code here, also the PATS flash code might be useful.

B1681: PATS Receiver Module Signal Not Received

That suggests the IC (cluster) is not getting a signal from the transceiver module around the ignition key. If you were using a diagnostic system like Forscan, it would tell you which module the fault code was in. If the code was

 

Thanks for the reply!

After a day of standing, the car starts, and i can clear all fault codes. Everything looks okay right now, but i noticed today, that the speedo wont go over 60 km ,so i think its the IC again. Every day i check the fault codes, but they wont come back. To answer you, the B1681 was in the dashboard, and the P1260 in the ECU. I made pictures luckily. A few months ago, i got a U1900 i noticed as i was browsing my pictures.

[unofix]

Try resetting the dials:

 

[chrisx1976]

7 minutes ago, unofix said:

Try resetting the dials:

 

Thanks, but i did this! The speedo moves all the way to 240 km/h, and back to zero.