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I was having a dump. I just presumed I'd nipped off a big one.

Before the Mk2.5 Focus I'd owned about 25 cars in 5 years... Some didn't even last a fortnight, worst one lasted 3 hours... Focus is by far the longest owned at 3.5 years - but that's not through lack of wanting to change it for at least 3 of those years lol. The trick there was paying so much I couldn't afford to change it. Mk3 Focus I'm hoping to last 1 year, not looking long term with it but once I've got the AC sorted I'm hoping to spend nothing on it for the next 11 months, bar £20 for the MOT in June. I change cars for various reasons though, sometimes I've needed more doors for disabled relative access and changed from 3 to 5, sometimes I've needed more space and bought an estate, sometimes I've needed cheaper running costs, sometimes I've just wanted to get rid of a car due to a bad experience with it. I do get bored easily as well though, had a few 'fun' weekend cars during the Focus ownership to help stop me changing it. Cars were the only sociable thing I did though, so the choice of car, and regularly chopping and changing gave me things to talk about with other 'car people' as I'm unbelievably boring on any subject other than cars lol. I don't really know any local car people now since just owning boring comfort spec cars and just wander the shows on my own. It's the only sociable thing I did but can't with the Focus's as there aren't any local Ford shows, I mainly go to VAG or Retro shows, which obviously the Focus doesn't fit into lol. I try to sell before major problems or before age/mileage where the value drops off. I lost a lot less changing cars every few months compared to owning them for 1-3 years though...I know that's the opposite to most peoples experience! My Great Aunt and Uncle used to change their cars every 18 months...yes another brand new one each every 18 months lol. Last one they both had was a 3.0 petrol Nissan QX... How the other half live, eh!

I bought my car outright from the local Ford dealer, brand new, almost four years ago. My daughter is now almost 12 years old, when she's old enough to drive I'll teach her in this car, then gift it to her when she passes her test...until then I'll continue to enjoy my Fiesta.

Due to my previous garage the longest l had vehicle was 2yrs, now we've had our W reg focus roughly 4yrs after going elsewhere n my p reg essy 2 ish yes now had slight minor problems but wouldn't change them as it's better the devil you know plus there's less electrics to go wrong with them 👍 so till they have to be scrapped they'll be with us till the end.

I've got a 108 for getting to work, half the power at 68hp from the same size engine as my fez. Keeptrying to pull out to overtake and then always think nah. Trick is keeping it moving at speed like a go kart but the roll and skinny tyres make for superb understeer

There's nothing 'performance' about a Mk 2.5 Zetec S, it's the same engine's found in normal Zetec's, (apart from the Zetec S 1.6 Ti-VCT 115bhp over standard Zetec 1.6 100bhp). It's all about the styling, they've got the ST skirt & spoiler with unique sporty grill, diffuser and alloy's. Inside extras are basically Aluminium Sport Pedals and Chrome Handbrake (possibly a gear knob). I will say though, having a car that looks better does make you feel better, even if you can't beat anyone in a race lol.

Hi everyone, new to this site but thought i'd share my recent experience with you as it may help. My car is a Ford SMax 2.0 tdci 2008, we bought this car brand new and have covered a 114,000 miles in it. In ten years it's only let us down twice, once a battery and again in January! My brother-in-law owns his owns garage and has all the latest tech & his friend is also a Ford Tech mechanic but it still took 4 weeks to sort out. The problem- the car would crank over but not fire up.....half an hour later it fired up first time and ran all day without issue. The following day it would turn over without issue but it wouldnt fire up at all. The fault code pointed to low fuel pressure, change the low pressure fuel switch & also put a fresh Ford fuel fitter on & primed it up and off she went....for a week! Back in the garage & engine cover removed, loads of air bubbles in the clear fuel lines, Ford Tech said it's common and some air in the lines is normal (really!?) Every seal & fuels lines checked bone dry, O rings replaced on the leak off pipes, bubbles remained and would not start after 24 hours having been primed to start, any seal that could be replaced was & primed, left for 24 hours wouldn't start. No fault codes! Decided to send the fuel pump off to be checked as its 10 years old...just worn but functioning....decided to have it fully refurbished for £378inc, once fitted to the car and it was primed again it started 1st time....24 hours later it did start but had to be cranked a few seconds...the car was then used all day starting 1st time every time. Left over night again it took some cranking to start, but it did start and it did run but air bubbles were still present. Decided to replace the top visible fuel lines with Ford items (£100 for 2 pipes) and fit two non return pipes at the same time, primed the thing up off it went again, starting 1st time throughout the day. Next day it started keenly first time!! no air in the fuel lines or anything! Brother in law decided to inspect the old fuel pipes and couldn't see any damage or splits at all...on further scrutiny he carefully opened the pipes up and INSIDE the pipe was a small split..this split was not visible at all from the outside! clearly this was sucking in air and the route cause. Like l said at the start of the post the SMax has been and continues to be a great car! and l have no intention of selling it....l hope post may help someone with the same issue.

Do you just have loads of problems and fed up spending or fed up with the same look and just want a change. Had mine coming to 4 years and its my own car not lease/contract. I always seem to spend money on it just normal stuff like service stuff and new tyres etc then sell it for other peoples joy then see another one.

Hi from the other side of ‘the bridge’ 😉

Exactly that. Non turbo engines are hard to get more power out of without modding them first. You'd be looking at 10hp tops in reality, which isn't really noticeable under normal driving.

I have uploaded a new topic please see if you can help me

Hey guys, Been a lurker for some time now. Easily a couple of years- Getting more and more into my motors now and having gotten so much useful advice over the years from posts on here I've finally signed up to join in :)

That's what I mean. The 200L took ages. It wasn't until I switched to seachem prime and stability that it actually started cycling properly. I lost a few danios at the start because it wasn't ready. That and they are suicidal finding their way in to the original filter housing.

I have put some media and water across but it still takes time. Just speeds it up. I've got no ammonia in the second tank now, just waiting for the nitrite to drop to zero then I'll move the danios and turn up the temp on my main tank.

This is the two long cables https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Ford-Focus-MK2-Focus-C-Max-Parking-Hand-Brake-Cable-1707756/272378051214?epid=1109769678&hash=item3f6aff3a8e:g:oN8AAOSwmCVY~Amx This is one of the two short ones (both the same each side) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Ford-Focus-MK2-Focus-C-Max-Parking-Hand-Brake-Cable-1525806/252764977574?epid=1209791250&hash=item3ad9f779a6:g:busAAOSwr~lYnkb8

It's probably best just to stick to the usual 10% per week for a pond. You need to treat the tap water though. It's easier with an aquarium as you can use buckets and just treat the new water. Otherwise you have to treat the whole volume. If it's had no regular water changes then there is probably really high nitrate levels already present. You can test for these yourself with test kits. That and other built up compounds will be what the algae is feeding on.

Partial water changes should be once every 1-2 weeks, when you're cleaning the filters. Is that nitrate from the water company? If so it's basically zero. Mine comes out the tap at around 40. The good thing is that water changes with near zero nitrates makes it much easier to control the nitrate level in the pond. What volume is the pond and how big are the fish on average? That will determine how big water changes need to be. (Or a larger amount less often) With regards plants, the faster growing the more rapidly they'll pull nutrients out of the water. Hornswort is great for that, but you'll need to keep thinning it out

Call it in asap. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

I answered about as thoroughly as I can. The mobile app is no longer utilised by the club and therefore not functional. It was based on the Tapatalk app so moving over to Tapatalk and subscribing to the club there is your only option other than viewing on a mobile browser. I use Tapatalk when away from a PC and have no dramas at all. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

12 ye

got pond fish, there the easiest to keep, but you dont see them in the winter. then in the summer you have to protect them from herons.

Wow, maybe not. Not knowing who sometimes they just keel over without warning. Prefer my cheap fish, haha.

Lovely looking fish those discus. Wish my water wasn't so hard.

Only been driving 7 years and owned 3 cars in that time. So 2 - 3 years it would seem.

I tend to keep mine around 6 - 8 yrs normally.

I tend to keep my cars for along time. Current car for 4 years 2 months currently ST24 - 10 years 3 months Sierra Sapphire - 10 years (2 years owned at same time as the ST24) Escort MK3 - 2 years 6 months (my first car) All bought used and outright. I like them all and if things didn't go wrong I'd probably still have the ST24, I miss the V6

New or old bought outright or on finance don't matter as long as you like what you have that's all that matters, as to jonro2009 if it wasn't for people like you we wouldn't have got the essy or focus we have, would be nice to see what the first owner of my 96 thinks of it still being on the road given they don't have the best rating of the essy's 😂

I am possibly a bad example Jason, I buy on PCP which is a personal choice and not everyone’s cup of tea but that’s not the question. I tend to change my car every 18-30 months because I get bored very quickly. As is life there is always something that is perceived to be newer and better so while I can afford to do it I just chop and change. I tend to try and keep my monthly payments the same at all times and don’t put down any deposit. I never keep a car long enough to MOT it and where possible I will negotiate a deal which includes at least one free service. Over the last 10 years I have had 7 brand new cars never paid an MOT and only paid for 2 annual services, i don’t drink or smoke nor do I have expensive hobbies so my cars are my vice lol. My choice to change is rarely based on anything other than liking to shop for cars and getting the deal, apart from this time. I changed my car last week because I needed an automatic due to no longer being fit to drive a manual, which at 37 is quite sad really. I can certainly see why some people tend to keep their cars for several years though, as stated above - if it’s reliable and you like it then why change. Why spend money on something you don’t plan to keep and won’t see a return on. Horses for courses 🙂

It's not as bad as it sounds 😂 it's just a round cylinder which you turn from the side instead but to the same affect as in the video 👍

Your right why sell a good car and as you said every car will need some money spent on it sometime. I do tend to keep a car a nice bit if it aint been a pain like my Corsa 2009 Design which i had for just over 12 months as it was nothing but problems. You hear of a nice few just get bored of it and want a newer or fresher look,in 4 years (touch wood) its been amazing and nothing as yet to sell. You here of a nice few keep it for over 10 years but just seeing what people do and why.

I am a long time ford owner. Had my mk3 escort since I was 16 so 16 years now loved every minute of it. The car was a 1.1L then I fitted a 1.6cvh after 6 month. After 5 years I fitted a home built 2.1 zetec turbo now running 322whp with plenty to go. I also bought a st220 6 month ago as a daily driver. Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

I thought a Kit is a kit (Belt/pully/tensioner) another thing to ask if its the full kit.

Hi i came across this whilst searching for the same thing, noticed you are in the same area as me aswell, got a 2010 model and there is some rust showing at that part no where near as bad as the photo. Looking like some bubbles now developing on the rear wheel arch, otherwise the car runs like a dream, so pretty annoying. Torn between trading the car in or getting it repaired, going to get a quote from a local hopefully in the next week so will maybe come back here and let you know, if i remember!!:)

Thanks mate, it will be with the bodyshop until next Friday, my new splitter won’t arrive until after I collect the van so I’ll fit that once it’s home, and the wheels will be refreshed the month after 👍

Crikey, that is bad! Mine doesn't have rust there I think, but my rear frame is rusty and so is my exhaust!

Easy way to check is feel for a ridge around rubber tyre valve.

The Mk3 1.6 diesel is a 8 valve 115bhp . It is a good engine, just change the oil every 5k and fuel filter every 2 years. The newer 1.5 diesel is 120 bhp which is a very good engine , we have them at our work and every person drives rags them. 20 k in a year and the average says 55 mpg on the trip computer, and they are not driven slowly. Easily achieve 60+ if driven sensibly.

I would say go diesel route. The 1.6 diesel is a great engine economical and performance not to bad. Get it remapped and it totally transformes the car. It will achieve 60mpg average and make it into a rapid sprinter. The 1.0 petrol are very thirsty cars once on the motorway.

You could argue it but you’ll get nowhere lol. changing it again in 3 years? What is the need? It’ll last another 8 years easily.

Anything involving the smell of fuel should have you scurrying to a mechanic to have it looked at. Aside from the carcinogenic effects of the benzine in the vapour (I'd rather be dumb from lead than dying from benzine, but hey ho), fuel is quite burney. Leaving that aside, youre a month on and no closer to establishing the cause of the problem, so do the sensible thing and get it looked at proper, like. At this rate the excess fuel consumption will end up coating you more than a proper repair.

I have seen this problem a few times before. In these cases the problem was caused by low quality fuel. On these cars I solved the problem by updating the PCM software to the latest version and told the owners to use better quality fuel. The 1.0 ECOboost is very sensitive for quality and octane rating of the fuel. Sometimes even the brand of fuel can make a huge difference.

Thanks guys, I think I'll wet-vac the whole seat. Had a similar issue with my partners car and the wet-vac sorted it out, I was hoping for a quicker solution as getting that bad boy out is a pain!

Sounds like the exhaust to me, the back box is often the culprit check the mounts

Glad you've got it off useful info thanks, hope you find a pump, I'd go for new, but there are a few on eBay. Just search for Mondeo Tdci oil pump the titinium bit is irrelevant

You lot are all my friends 🤗🤗😂😂👍👍

ahh ill be your friend lol

Plus on top of that you have to pay for maintenance, service repairs and tyres for a car someone else owns. Madness. You can lease one from £259 a month, so why anyone would chuck their money at a PCP is beyond me. Either buy one, or lease one. This halfway house in the middle is a rip off.

What engine is it, the S line is more about dress up. To me, it just seemed a lot of money for a 2y/o car. You're only paying £250pm on yours and it was brand new (i assume). VAG cars seem to command a higher perceived value despite being no better built than the rest of them and the dealers seem to use that.

Update: Someone at work recommended a garage that would look at the issue I was having. They ran a diagnostic that pointed towards injector. First point of call was to check the Fuel filter to make sure that was good. Apparently a blocked/dirty fuel filter tends to throw up an injector fault. If there's not enough fuel getting to the injector, it flags as an injector fault. Turns out mine was very very dirty one and full of bits of crap. Fuel filter changed, injector cleaner run and the car now goes right through the rev range in every gear. £122 instead on £1100 odd. Big thanks to you and everyone else on here for your help and support