Focus 1.6 55 Plate - Ht Leads...bosch??

[woody190881]

Hello all,

Recently ive been having the problem where the car has been "jerking" or "misfiring" when under load (For example when revs are low in 2nd or 3rd gear and you put your foot down there is a pause then power eventually comes).

I had this earlier in the summer and changing the spark plugs fixed it (I bought 4x from Ford) but recently it has returned. I've just replaced the coil pack and this morning it was much better. There was one occasion when it did "misfire" again but to be fair I was very low on revs and was at the point where I should have gone down a gear. I was "testing" the car to see if the new coil pack had fixed the issue.

If it does start to "misfire" again then ill try the HT leads next.

The price from Ford is extortionate though (Around £85 for a set) but you can get a set of Bosch ones for around £30 delivered on eBay. Are the original ones Ford use Bosch and are they just making a killing at the dealer? The new coil pack I bought was Bosch as I know this is what Ford use so i'm thinking maybe the HT leads are Bosch too?

Does anyone know? Any help is much appreciated :D

[mick85]

U check if core plugs leakin or washer jets

[jeebowhite]

I think they are motorcroft. What you can find is that putting 'aftermarket' ones can make the performance worse, so a £30 would be a gamble in that respect.

[woody190881]

Update to this.

It was doing the same again on the way home last night - under load "jerking" etc.

When the car had cooled down I re-seated all the HT leads both at the spark plug end and coil pack end. I tidied them up and made sure they were all neat and clipped in stable.

This morning the car wasn't "jerking" under load at all! im pretty sure one or more of the leads was the problem and maybe the connection wasn't quite right to either the coil or spark plug. Fingers crossed!

One other note, the HT leads on my focus don't have any noticeable part numbers, they just say "Silicone Lead" on them. I suspect these may not be original Ford ones and a previous owner had changed them. Can anyone who has genuine Ford ones confirm this please?

Thanks

[jeebowhite]

they certainly sound like aftermarkets to be honest.

Glad to see at least that you might have fixed the problem :)

[woody190881]

Absolutely Jeebo.

I hope that's the last, if not ill have to get a new set of good leads and see how it performs then.

The wife is losing the confidence in the car as am I to be honest.

Only just 60k on the clock and this past years its cost nearly a £1k in repairs (Power steering pipe, wheel bearing, clutch, 2 front suspension arms, new coil pack, new plugs, service!).

[jeebowhite]

Unforutnately its when you spend money at the rate you do, its inevitable you lose trust. This happened to me with my last Focus, I
ended up chopping it in for the Kia Cee'd I needed something newer, more reliable, and that car had both and a warranty. I only chopped it in the end, as I needed a much bigger car, otherwise, I cant say I would have left it for a while!

[artscot79]

focus 2004-2007 use Bosch coil pack plugs and leads the ford ones have the Bosch symbol on them with no name but i can confirm they are both Bosch from fords not motorcraft

[woody190881]

Jeebo:

I don't blame you, especially given that Kia give such a good lengthy warranty id be tempted to do the same. Unfortunately we aren't in a position to buy a new or nearly new car so sticking with the focus is the only option at the moment. We could get rid and put an extra £1k in to get another used car but theres always a chance we'd get another lemon.

Artscot

Thanks very much. The coil pack I changed at the weekend was like for like and a Bosch one. At the moment its running great so i'm reluctant to change the leads while its doing this. Although you can get a set of Bosch ones for £30 on eBay so I might just buy them anyway and have them ready if the misfiring starts again. Its obvious the current HT leads aren't Bosch or ford.

[jeebowhite]

The other reason that I ended up chucking the kia was the depreciation! I bought the car for 10k a year before. By the time I was looking to swap it to a larger motor, this was the car:

2010 Kia Cee'd Zetec equivelant (Model "2") 1.6 Petrol, about 35k on the clock (if memory serves correct). All the usuals, Power Steering, electric mirrors etc. 3 years outstanding warranty or about 65k miles (whichever hit first). Excellent condition, bar a few stone chip touch ups.

Kia offered me £3400 for it! yes, the car had lost about £7k in one year!!! In the end I got £3500 for it from the backstreet garage, who sold it on for about £4.5. The car was great, and if it wasnt for the desperate need of space, I would have kept it, but that, coupled with my problematic knee and the miles I was doing, I had to bite the bullet and take the ribbing!

Sadly, I lost out on that, and now, I am looking at my car being a pain and like you am not in a position to swap it should the worst happen. The best thing you can do is maintain it yourself as far as practical! Thats why this place has been a godsend to me (I'm not just singing its praises because I am a mod!) Through my Focus, and now the CMAX, I cant imagine how much money I have saved from the valuable contributions made by the guys on here over the years, and I like to feel that I have now contributed more than I have taken away from it. I wont be leaving this place, until the day I am burried in a wooden box! :p