00 Focus Chugging/Stalling

How Strange

I have a 00 Focus which has recently starting chugging/stalling. At lower speeds its not really noticeable but on the motorway when I go over 80km I can feel it pulling back as if I took my foot off the accelerator for a few seconds. We had it serviced so sparkplugs etc were replaced and we brought it back to the garage again when we realised the problem still wasn't resolved and they changed a small pipe which feeds air to the engine.

However the problem still persists and we don't know what to do next. I have a young baby and frequently drive on the motorway to go to my parents but I don't feel confident driving the car at the moment as it sometimes feels like the car is going to lose power completely.

Is this a common problem with the focus or has another other focus driver come across it before and how was it resolved.

El Guapo!

It could well be the coil pack. Its a very common problem on the Focus. The coil pack itself is prob about €40 and a 10 min job to change.

Hal1

+1 on the above, but also check for vacuum leaks. The small hose the garage changed, was it the pcv hose by any chance? These can collapse and give the same symptoms your describing. There is a valve attached to the pcv too and that can get clogged with a gunge over time.

Nissan doctor

+2 for a coilpack, Its by far the most common cause of a misfire on in a focus.

David09

+3 for the coilpack, but it could also be a faulty throttle position sensor, especially if it the "chug" occurs just when the accelerator pedal passes a certain point in its sweep, if you get me.

hellyeah

if it turns out to be the coilpack i have one for sale brand new in box never used on gumtree. they are €65 new from a motor factors.
dont go to ford as a genuine ford item i think is close to 200.

http://www.gumtree.ie/dublin/27/74881527.html

audreyp

My car is doing the exact same thing. Once it gets to 80K it happens. I brought it to a garage and they replaced the plug leads. I drove it again and it happened again. Then they replaced the coil pack but again once I drove it, it happened again. They are saying now they are not sure what to do but it would involve looking into it for a few hours. The car is 01 so want to know if this is a solvable issue (ie cheap) or if it will cost me a lot of money to fix. Any help/advice would be appreciated!!

I remember just after the Focus was launched here loads of them suffered from complete coil pack failures, they wouldn't even start at all.

audreyp

But if the coil pack was repaced, any ideas what else could it be? Any help much appreciated, i'm so afraid its going to break down totally one day. I use the motorway every day to get to work so my average speed is 80-100K!

tred

audreyp wrote: »

But if the coil pack was repaced, any ideas what else could it be? Any help much appreciated, i'm so afraid its going to break down totally one day. I use the motorway every day to get to work so my average speed is 80-100K!

did you change the plugs as well. Start with the plugs, then with the pack.

audreyp

The mechanics looked at the plugs and said they were ok and replaced only the plug leads. After that didn't work then they replaced the coil pack. Which also didn't work! They are pretty much out of suggestions at this stage without looking at the car for hours.

Kenny Logins

With mine I changed plugs and leads first with no change and that left the coil pack. It was the coil pack, easy fix.

Sorry, didn't see your reply above. You need a new mechanic.

Optimus Prime

Get them to replace the plugs too, i have had awful trouble with my focus in the last year and half. Ive had the coil replaced 3 times! Water was also getting into the engine when it rained and it was wrecking the plugs. i had a plexiglas sheet cut to go over the top of the engine so the water couldnt get in. I had all the same issues you are describing.

audreyp

The mechanics said that 95% of the time that would fix it, but knowing my luck we were the 5%! Also had bad luck with another car I owned where after lots of back and forth with a garage it ended up being an ECU. Different issue altogether but afraid it will turn into something like that!

audreyp

keithgeo wrote: »

Get them to replace the plugs too, i have had awful trouble with my focus in the last year and half. Ive had the coil replaced 3 times! Water was also getting into the engine when it rained and it was wrecking the plugs. i had a plexiglas sheet cut to go over the top of the engine so the water couldnt get in. I had all the same issues you are describing.

Is that expensive? My NCT is up, is there any chance this is the kind of thing the NCT would fine so then i'd know what to fix?
Would a full service be the best way to go at this stage?

Optimus Prime

I cut it myself and just used screws and bolts and screwed it into the engine. There are actually screw holes in the top of the engine that looks like there should be a cover on it so it fitted nicely in there. with the bolts holding it up off the engine itself. You would still need to fix the underlining issue though and unless you are getting water in your engine like i was i dont know if you would need to do this.

audreyp

I meant are the plugs expensive to replace? Already spent a good bit on my car in the last few months. It needed new tyres, brakes and now this. Starting to feel very frustrated!

Optimus Prime

ah no they are only a few quid.

I think a different garage is the way to go for you at this stage, 95% they can fix, they sound like right apes.

audreyp

RoverJames wrote: »

I think a different garage is the way to go for you at this stage, 95% they can fix, they sound like right apes.

Should I go to a Ford Garage at this stage or is it ok to go to any one? Any recommendations who aren't rip off merchants in the Sandyford industrial estate area or Greystones?

Abelloid

Have a read of this thread -

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056136055

audreyp

That's really interesting, I will try by best confident voice and ask the next garage I bring it to if its the Frost Plugs!

Something cheap like that would be fantastic! Really wanted to keep this car running for another year. It's like it knows the car loan is almost up!

Plug

I said it in another thread, the battery can cause chugging with these. Replace it.

audreyp

Plug wrote: »

I said it in another thread, the battery can cause chugging with these. Replace it.

Replace the battery? That is probably quite expensive is it?

Hal1

Get a bosch sliver from halfords, link. There the most expensive at just a shade over €100 (only an extra €28 than there standard ones), but you get what you pay for.

Abelloid

audreyp wrote: »

That's really interesting, I will try by best confident voice and ask the next garage I bring it to if its the Frost Plugs!

Something cheap like that would be fantastic! Really wanted to keep this car running for another year. It's like it knows the car loan is almost up!

I guess my point was that a mechanic that actually knows what he is doing is what you really need, it doesn't seem like your current one does.

audreyp

Thanks, i'll try a different one. Hopefully i'll win the lotto tomorrow and won't have to worry about it!

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions!

Plug

Plug wrote: »

I said it in another thread, the battery can cause chugging with these. Replace it.

Forgot to say, before you replace the battery check the T-peice pipe behind the inlet manifold. They can split and cause chugging.

Hal1

Some pics attached showing the tubing and valve Plug is referring to.

View from manifold


Side view:


Tubing part:


Pcv:

hellyeah

audreyp wrote: »

Should I go to a Ford Garage at this stage or is it ok to go to any one? Any recommendations who aren't rip off merchants in the Sandyford industrial estate area or Greystones?

i had a focus for 6 years and ive seen this problem on a mondeo aswell.
it turned out to be faulty sparkplugs. 5 min job with a mechanic.
would recommend hills garage kilcoole/greystones.

Nissan doctor

I think you need a garage that can actually diagnose the problem rather then just guess because they've heard that the focus often suffers coil problems.

David09

audreyp wrote: »

Is that expensive? My NCT is up, is there any chance this is the kind of thing the NCT would fine so then i'd know what to fix?
Would a full service be the best way to go at this stage?

If the "chugging" you describe is a violent jerking that only happens when the accelerator pedal is at a certain place in it's travel, the the throttle position sensor is most likely the problem.

Bobo78

Had similar problem with my previous car and it turned out to be a combination of dirty/faulty idle air control valve and air flow meter.
They can cause symptoms such as hesitating and staling at certain speeds.

audreyp

Thanks to everyone for their replies. On my way into work this morning the engine light came on and then started chugging really badly, I didn't think it would make it to work, thankfully I did and its in a ford garage now. They think spark plugs or Cat. Con. Does anyone have any idea how much I could expect to pay for a Cat. Converter?

audreyp

Plug wrote: »

Forgot to say, before you replace the battery check the T-peice pipe behind the inlet manifold. They can split and cause chugging.

I just got a call from the ford garage, as you suggested the pipe is cracked and there was also another fault, the Throttle Position Sensor is not working either. Hopefully this is it.

Thanks a millon for your help, it actually sounded on the phone that I knew what I was talking about. (Well more so anyway)

How Strange

Just giving an update on the chugging problem in my car (original post); the fuel filter was changed on the advice of a ford garage and there is a huge improvement. No chugging since and I've driven it lots however I've yet to go on a motorway and test it properly.

Fingers crossed it's sorted. I would fear it's not though as the fuel filter would generally be problematic when starting or in low gears as the filter struggles to prime due to all the crud in there. Hopefully I am wrong

How Strange

OK, I started this thread back in March and we still have the same problem with our car except its getting worse.

The mechanic changed the fuel filter, t pipe thing (don't know the correct name), coil pack, plug leads, spark plugs and theres been no improvement. The plug leads and spark plugs were changed just recently, the rest of it has been done over the last few months as a process of elimination.

Has anyone any ideas what we can try now? We really don't want to have to buy another car as we rarely use it and this one should see us good for another couple of years if we can fix this issue.

Hal1

Did your mechanic cleaning the trottle body? there is a a trottle position sensor too that can require cleaning occasionally. Easy to clean the trottle body, just follow the big hose from the air box that goes to the engine. Once hose is removed you will find it. Spray some carb cleaner in there and it will remove any carbon deposits or gunge etc. The sensor is beside it.



trottle sensor.

audreyp

How Strange wrote: »

OK, I started this thread back in March and we still have the same problem with our car except its getting worse.

The mechanic changed the fuel filter, t pipe thing (don't know the correct name), coil pack, plug leads, spark plugs and theres been no improvement. The plug leads and spark plugs were changed just recently, the rest of it has been done over the last few months as a process of elimination.

Has anyone any ideas what we can try now? We really don't want to have to buy another car as we rarely use it and this one should see us good for another couple of years if we can fix this issue.

We had the same problem and we replaced the plug leads and the coil pack. It was still broken and had to bring it to a Ford Garage. They said three things were wrong. T pipe cracked and the throttle position sensor was gone and lastly there was a software update my car never got.

So they did the update straight away and told me to collect the car and bring it in 3 days later when the other parts came in. When I drove it home after the update the car was a million times better! It didn't chug at all and never chugged since. I did bring it in to get the pipe replaced and the sensor replaced a few days later. And its been working since. Though the timing belt is due now! (Always something!)

The ford garage did say that often when all of those things happen together it is a sign the catalytic converter needs to be replaced. Have you checked that?

Have you gone to a Ford Garage and had a comprehensive diagnostics?

How Strange

audreyp wrote: »

We had the same problem and we replaced the plug leads and the coil pack. It was still broken and had to bring it to a Ford Garage. They said three things were wrong. T pipe cracked and the throttle position sensor was gone and lastly there was a software update my car never got.

So they did the update straight away and told me to collect the car and bring it in 3 days later when the other parts came in. When I drove it home after the update the car was a million times better! It didn't chug at all and never chugged since. I did bring it in to get the pipe replaced and the sensor replaced a few days later. And its been working since. Though the timing belt is due now! (Always something!)

The ford garage did say that often when all of those things happen together it is a sign the catalytic converter needs to be replaced. Have you checked that?

Have you gone to a Ford Garage and had a comprehensive diagnostics?

I think we had the pipe replaced but not the sensor. I never even thought that a 00 car would need software updates; I'd have thought only higher spec cars would.

As for the cat convertor, we had a problem with engine emissions for our nct last August and one mechanic said to get it replaced but another told us that cat convertors aren't even used in cars in Ireland so there's rarely a need to replace them. We put some solution into the fuel tank to clean the engine which worked fine and on our retest the emissions were back down to an acceptable level.

I haven't been to a ford garage yet, I normally go to independent mechanics as my experience of dealerships is they charge a hell of a lot more for the same work but perhaps its something we'll have to do.

audreyp

They do charge more than independent mechanics but we were at our wits end at that stage and went to ford. I think independent garages are fine for fixing the obviously problems but when something strange goes on like this I think it needs the car experts. I won't always go to Ford but I will if something like this starts acting up.

My timing belt as mentioned before needs to be replaced but will go to an independent garage for something routine like that.

Good luck, I understand your frustration :-/

I didn't think my car had software to be honest :-) It's an 01!

How Strange

audreyp wrote: »

They do charge more than independent mechanics but we were at our wits end at that stage and went to ford. I think independent garages are fine for fixing the obviously problems but when something strange goes on like this I think it needs the car experts. I won't always go to Ford but I will if something like this starts acting up.

My timing belt as mentioned before needs to be replaced but will go to an independent garage for something routine like that.

Good luck, I understand your frustration :-/

I didn't think my car had software to be honest :-) It's an 01!

well we're definitely at that stage too!

Our timing belt cost about €300 to replace with an independent mechanic and i think most of that was labour as it's quite labour intensive.

How Strange

Hal1 no I don't think this was done so I'll mention it to the mechanic

Needler

00 Focus Chugging

It needs your bank details for direct debit

Plug

How Strange wrote: »

OK, I started this thread back in March and we still have the same problem with our car except its getting worse.

The mechanic changed the fuel filter, t pipe thing (don't know the correct name), coil pack, plug leads, spark plugs and theres been no improvement. The plug leads and spark plugs were changed just recently, the rest of it has been done over the last few months as a process of elimination.

Has anyone any ideas what we can try now? We really don't want to have to buy another car as we rarely use it and this one should see us good for another couple of years if we can fix this issue.

Has the mechanic done a fuel pressure test? Earlier focus fuel pumps gave trouble. It might be worth a try.