LS Focus fault register

19-09-2006, 11:24 AM

A mod could make this a sticky if its felt its needed

I thought I may start this thread for people to list what problems they've had with their LS Focus and what was done to fix it, to serve 2 purposes - troubleshooting for current LS Focus owners and to inform potential buyers some problems this car may have.

If we could use the template to keep it more "uniformed"

Month/year build:
Spec Level:
KMs at time of fault:
Symtoms:
Fault:
Fixed? By:
Comments:

I'll start off

Month/year build: Nov 05
Spec Level: LX
KMs at time of fault: 35,000km
Symtoms: At 1/4 throttle car would have momentary loss of power for about 2 seconds every 10 seconds. Red warning light and messages "Speed limited mode" and "Engine Systems Fault"
Fault: Electronic Throttle Body
Fixed? By: Replaced by Ford Warranty - Sameday
Comments: Started about 4 weeks ago, happened once that week. Only started getting bad last week where it came on 5 times during a trip. After switching the engine off then on again it resets the message. Although this is not nessecary (you can drive with the red light on)

mitch_lx · 19-09-2006, 01:06 PM

Stuff me, you already have 35 thousand kms on you're car?

My Fiesta is just shy of being two years old and it has just clicked to 27 thousand.

19-09-2006, 01:10 PM

Its almost at 36,500 from driving over the weekend. Lets just say I've named every tree along Heathcote Rd.

Another fault:

Month/year build: Nov 05
Spec Level: LX
KMs at time of fault: 26,000km
Symtoms: Clutch pedal does not come out the final 3cm of travel, remnants of a spring in drivers footwell
Fault: Broken Clutch pedal spring
Fixed? By: Dealer apparently needed to order it in, havent been called in yet (3-4 months back)
Comments: The clutch actaully feels better. Although it is softer than with the spring, you can actually feel the friction point. I may not worry about replacing it. (dealer said its fine to drive)

20-09-2006, 10:46 AM

So no one else has had a warranty claim on their car?

mitch_lx · 20-09-2006, 10:55 AM

I think most of the problems will be in regards to fit and finish of the car, or lack thereof.

Probably another issue will be this fueling problem on hills, which i dont think anyone has really found a fix to just yet.

FRA · 20-09-2006, 11:06 AM

There is no warranty from what I have seen.

More revs · 20-09-2006, 01:08 PM

Are those tube clamps on the inlet pipes 'use once' ?

20-09-2006, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by More revs

Are those tube clamps on the inlet pipes 'use once' ?

Nope although a bit of strength is needed to get them to join up if you take them off and dont have the right tools.

Id suggest just replacing them with 3" hose screw-clamps like how Ive done

karl74 · 20-09-2006, 11:19 PM

I think this is a great thread BlackLS. Hopefully it may help with some issues i've been having.

Month/year build: Dec 05
Spec Level: LS Zetec
KMs at time of fault: various
Symtoms: Occasionally will not start until 3rd or 4th try and then will be quite a rough start.
Fault: I wish i knew.
Fixed? No.
By:
Comments: Also had fuel pump and fuel sender guage replaced.
Also, occasionally air con will come on when starting car even though it had not been used previously.

More revs · 21-09-2006, 10:31 AM

I'm tempted to believe the Focus has fuel pickup issues with all these related posts. Also, mine has always made a wird grinding noise from the fuel pump at startup. I rolled it into the garage the other day where I could listen carefully and found out there is nothing wrong with the pump mechanically, in my case the noise is caused by air bubbles in the line - which make a grinding 'sound' when they blast along the line and back through the return.

Once the pump has been on a few seconds and the bubbles have gone through the regulator and back to the tank the noise stops. I think it sucks air back through the return / regulator like as if there is no one-way check valve fitted. This hypothesis is compatible with why I have trouble starting when parked on a steep slop particularly nose up. I just turn the key but not start a few times untill the fuel rails are charged and then no probs.

Anyway I'm not bothered by it anymore.

21-09-2006, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karl74

I think this is a great thread BlackLS. Hopefully it may help with some issues i've been having.

Month/year build: Dec 05
Spec Level: LS Zetec
KMs at time of fault: various
Symtoms: Occasionally will not start until 3rd or 4th try and then will be quite a rough start.
Fault: I wish i knew.
Fixed? No.
By:
Comments: Also had fuel pump and fuel sender guage replaced.
Also, occasionally air con will come on when starting car even though it had not been used previously.

Re air con - if you move the switch over to demister, then turn the car on, the air con it'll turn on by itself. This is what you could be doing.

21-09-2006, 11:15 AM

With those who got their pump replaced, and had a good look at it, does the fuel pump/tank have a return line?!

Zetec20 · 21-09-2006, 12:24 PM

Month/year build: Sep 05
Spec Level: Zetec
KMs at time of fault: Various
Symtoms: see below
Fault: Broken Clutch pedal spring at roughly... 22,000k's same as blackls, part of face plate of clutch snapping off at 11,000k's, wires between battery, alternator, and starter motor fried at roughly 17,000k's all fixed under warranty same days
Comments: having a brother that works for ford is awesome, he's now service advisor which makes it even better

mitch_lx · 21-09-2006, 12:48 PM

Month/year of build:Sept 05
Spec Level: zetec20
Kms at time of Fault: Various
Symptoms: looks like a nob
Fault: Driver can be quite a nob at times
Fix: Not as yet

Zetec20 · 21-09-2006, 01:17 PM

Month/year of build:Sept 05
Spec Level: mitch_lx
Kms at time of Fault: Constantly
Symptoms: constant stabs at zetec20
Fault: inferiority complex due to driving a 'little' car and being jealous of bigger and better things, myself included :P
Fix: common sense

mitch_lx · 21-09-2006, 01:21 PM

Month/year of build: Sept 05
Spec Level: Zetec20
Kms at time of fault: happening right now
Symptoms: Wheel size choice
Fault: Overcompensating with wheel size choice in order to take away attention from his small cockpit size.
Fix: www.doodle-enlargers.com

Zetec20 · 21-09-2006, 01:25 PM

haha, not overcompensation, accessorising!

mitch_lx · 21-09-2006, 01:30 PM

:p :p :p

Pieoter · 21-09-2006, 02:28 PM

Take it easy girls
Issac is compensating
Mitch is a little whinging

mitch_lx · 21-09-2006, 06:08 PM

Pie is a little understeery :P

Pieoter · 21-09-2006, 08:45 PM

When you can control a car with half a control arm missing you can talk. Until then you can't so go home

Dshibi · 21-09-2006, 11:08 PM

Month/year build: It's brand new, 06 build.
Spec Level: LX
KMs at time of fault: No idea, but only a few thousand.
Symtoms: Interior is wet.
Fault: Passenger side rear quarter window seal faulty/dodgey
Fixed? By: Sinclair Ford, except they didn't tint the damned window.
Comments: Well, poor quality control for starters, it wasn't until the torrential downpours the other week we found the fault. Then, to fix the window and not tint it is a bit stupid. But at least it's fixed. Mum was too scared to drive the car while it was faulty though.

mitch_lx · 22-09-2006, 06:46 AM

I am home pie.

More revs · 22-09-2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackLS

With those who got their pump replaced, and had a good look at it, does the fuel pump/tank have a return line?!

Haven't had a close look yet, only listened for fuel pump noises and fuel running through pipes.

Doesn't really change things if it's returnless as all this means is all the other bits like pump, regulator, pickup and returns are internal to the tank. If there's air in the system it still makes the same noises.

murph · 23-09-2006, 11:51 PM

Hmm here's my list

Month/year build: July 05
Spec Level: Zetec
KMs at time of fault: 32
Symptoms: Poor finish on paint.
Fault: Run in paint above drivers door, hair in paint on front guard, star in paint on rear bar. Black out in front spoiler not masked off correctly.
Fixed? By: Eventually took over a year and two goes back to the panel shop to get right.
Comments: Still not happy, black out not done due to special paint needing to be ordered. Overall paint very poor....

Month/year build: July 05
Spec Level: Zetec
KMs at time of fault: 1500
Symptoms: Grease in the engine bay
Fault: Split in the rubber boot on the drivers side CV joint.
Fixed? By: Drive shaft replaced.
Comments: Bugger, I knew I brought one too early....

Month/year build: July 05
Spec Level: Zetec
KMs at time of fault: 1500, 8300, 11000
Symptoms: Starting problem, takes a couple of goes to start.
Fault: Reset the computer
Fixed? By: Yes after the third time, seems to be fine now
Comments: Couldn't believe it when the dealer said to me "Well mate you work in IT, you have to reboot computers all the time, it's the same with these cars"..... Hmm since when did Microsoft write code for ECU's !!!

Month/year build: July 05
Spec Level: Zetec
KMs at time of fault: 13200
Symptoms: Water in boot
Fault: Boot not adjusted correctly
Fixed? By: Well so far....
Comments: We will see next time it rains

Had various other problems with the car trim bits not right, panels not lined up, dealer putting a dent in the bonnet because they don't know how to close it (got fixed). Also think the A/C compressor is noisy but the dealer has ok'd it, we will see.

I love to drive this car it's a lot of fun, good practical car can pack the family in it which is good, cheap to run even when driving it hard. Get a lot of comments about it but won't recommend one to anybody, just too many build quality problems which is unfortunate as I'm sure I've put off a few buyers.

Stugots · 24-09-2006, 03:50 AM

Damn it Murph! I wish you made that post 24 hours earlier!

:

24-09-2006, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murph

*snip*

Man you got a lemon. In the US you would have been given a new car by law.

The ECU thingy, sounds more like the symtoms of the fuel pickup problem.

mauro · 01-10-2006, 12:17 AM

noisy motor when starting in morning it rattles dealer cant find fault
its a 1.8 few minutes at idle noise goes away does any body know

mauro · 01-10-2006, 12:21 AM

noisy motor when starting in morning it rattles dealer cant find fault
its a 1.8 few minutes at idle noise goes away does any body know also had
fuel gauge faulty ford changed 3 senders in tank know good they changed
instrument cluster all ok

01-10-2006, 10:19 AM

Thats a LR focus mate ;)