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My Focus is Melting!

  • 05-11-2011 8:04pm
    #1
    dr.fuzzenstein
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,620 ✭✭✭✭


    Right, a few weeks back I had an error code from my car ('06 Ford Focus CMax, 1.8 TDCI) that indicated an error with the glow plugs or circuitry of same.
    I bought new plugs, fitted them, same error.
    When I disconnected the wiring bracket from the engine block, the fault disappeared.
    So, thinking that there was simply a short in that connector/bracket, I left it off the block and went on my merry way.
    Now, three days ago the car just conked out on the drive and has since refused to start.
    After towing it to a garage, the mechanic told me there where a whole pile of errors logged in the computer, throttle position sensor, fuel pressure wrong, invalid data (of what I don't know) and something to do with the alternator.
    In short, almost every system was reporting something wrong, errors across the board.
    After he cleared them, the alternator error stayed, so he is checking that out next week.
    The thing is:
    The wire going to the glow plugs gets so hot, the insulation around it has melted, he figures it is probable that it melted a few wires together somewhere in the loom.
    Has anyone ever had that fault with the same Focus?
    What was the cause?
    How bad is it and how much to put it right?
    Ideas, theories, suggestions, smart remarks, insults all welcome!


Comments

  • #2
    dr.fuzzenstein
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,620 ✭✭✭✭dr.fuzzenstein


    So, no one's had that problem then? Or even heard of it?


  • #3
    bfocusd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 723 ✭✭✭bfocusd


    Ive only heard of two things with ford electronics,

    my mate had one of the first mk2 ones in ire it was a ghia hatchback, they were on there way home from the garage and the car cut, turned out after about a month of it just stoppin on its own and all mechanics looking at it, there were cables touchin around the fuse board, when u went over a bump it caused the immobliser to activate and stop the car. It was actually in every mk2 05 focus, they all had to be repaired before being sold!

    and about 3 years ago mine went all herbie, out of the blue I parked it in my garden and when I took the key out everything turned on, it locked me in, the wipers, lights, air con, everytihng came on, when I put the key back in and started it, it was fine, so I escaped, disconnected the battery and took it to ford the next morning, since that night nothing has happened..

    does anything there sound familar?
    Would you contact ford and ask them, maybe the ecu needs to be replaced or something?


  • #4
    dr.fuzzenstein
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,620 ✭✭✭✭dr.fuzzenstein


    Your first scenario sounds the most plausible.
    The missus had reversed it out of the drive when it just conked out and since then has refused to start, it just went from running to not running in a split second and hasn't started since.
    Plus something seems to be draining power and there are a million error codes, this would suggest cables are touching.
    I'll pass that on to my mechanic, I don't have the car in the main dealer, because I haven't won the lotto yet, hooking it up to the computer alone is E70 at Ford, my indie charged me a tenner last time.
    I think main dealers (not just Ford TBF) must be using gold and jewel encrusted tools and computers and their garages must be built to the same standard as the Taj Mahal.;)


  • #5
    bfocusd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 723 ✭✭✭bfocusd


    No harm in giving them a quick phone call, just ask if they ever heard of it, and what the fix may be?

    thats funny you mention that as I went to ford a few weeks ago after a new radio I got blew a load of fuses, I asked the guy in reception and he has a look and said id have to book it in, at the time I didnt know the extent of the damage, a guy I know said sure fuses are easy to change, I had a tester, and he showed me how to check them, 4 fuses were blown and 3 were actually missing! In all it took us about 30 mins to check them in the dark and replace the blown ones all at a cost of about 3 euro! how 3 were totally gone is beyond me also! im no mechanic at all obv, but ford wanted 110 to run thiis check and fix the problem..

    The thing with the ghia focus also was resolved by seperating the cables, maybe just ask ford is that a possibility as they should know it happened before, the car was bought in airton road also, they had it for about a month so maybe someone there remembers it.


  • #6
    bfocusd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 723 ✭✭✭bfocusd


    dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »
    I don't have the car in the main dealer, because I haven't won the lotto yet, hooking it up to the computer alone is E70 at Ford, my indie charged me a tenner last time.

    I though you may want to check this out, I was in ford today and noticed a sign on the wall saying that the computer is 40euro, I know its not the same as your mechanic, but its cheaper than tthe 70 quid you were quoted.
    The garage with it on the wall was FORT motors in beside the ashleaf shopping center crumlin, they are usually fairly priced for ford.


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  • #7
    dr.fuzzenstein
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,620 ✭✭✭✭dr.fuzzenstein


    Cheers for the tip, but it's a bit far for me.
    Had the car with Charlie Mcenery in Ennis, he had to trace the wiring to find a burnt bit, possibly caused by corrosion in the wiring loom when the fusebox was previously removed (not by me).
    He had the alternator checked, the wires fixed and put some injector cleaner into the tank to clean the gunk out.
    Cost me E170, but worth every penny and the main dealer would have been twice that.
    Car good as new and running sweet.
    Happy days!
    Who would have thought that Ford electrics could be dodgy?


  • #8
    MidlandsM
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,737 ✭✭✭MidlandsM


    any car can have dodge electrics.....but I've had a few focus's with alternator issues.


  • #9
    bfocusd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 723 ✭✭✭bfocusd


    dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »
    Cheers for the tip, but it's a bit far for me.
    Had the car with Charlie Mcenery in Ennis, he had to trace the wiring to find a burnt bit, possibly caused by corrosion in the wiring loom when the fusebox was previously removed (not by me).
    He had the alternator checked, the wires fixed and put some injector cleaner into the tank to clean the gunk out.
    Cost me E170, but worth every penny and the main dealer would have been twice that.
    Car good as new and running sweet.
    Happy days!
    Who would have thought that Ford electrics could be dodgy?

    thats good to hear! And a decent price too, did you mechanic have any idea what may have caused it?


  • #10
    dr.fuzzenstein
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,620 ✭✭✭✭dr.fuzzenstein


    bfocusd wrote: »
    thats good to hear! And a decent price too, did you mechanic have any idea what may have caused it?

    You can never be entirely sure.
    He mentioned corroded wires, which could have been caused by someone removing the fusebox, or at least that's his theory, but we'll never know for sure.
    The guy is spot on, efficient and reasonable, I do most of my own servicing and repairs, but if anything else goes wrong that I can't fix, he's on my call list.


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