Ford Focus Tyre Pressure Issues

[FamousKop]

Evening all

Sorry this isn’t going to be the most exciting thread you’ve read, but just after some advice.

2 and a bit years ago I bought a 2014 focus tdci. 32,000 miles later and it’s been as good as gold except for the tyre pressure light....

It’s been into the ford main dealer 3 times now, once to replace the initial failed valve on the passenger side, then the drivers side in November 2019, then this Easter (2020) they replaced both front tyre valves under warranty as they were leaking again! (It went for the drivers side and the mechanic did the wrong side so I got both done for nothing!)

Yet despite this the light is still coming on and there’s on obvious impact on the steering! 2 years of this light on and off has effected the wheel balance and tracking as well at anything above 55mph.

It’s really starting to drive me mad and I’m wondering if there’s something else that could cause it (alloy wheel damage etc). Any previous experience and advice would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[RobXjcoupe]

Tyre pressure is heat sensitive and generally in the cold weather if you don’t check and top the pressure you will get low pressure warnings. That said have physically checked the tyre pressure yourself? Relying on warnings lights and such isn’t good practice. Tech breaks.

[FamousKop]

Hi there

Yeah I’ve checked it and there is an obvious loss of pressure, it’s seem to come in odd waves where it comes on regularly then nothing for weeks!!

I did read something somewhere about a damaged alloy possibly effecting it, may be worth a look?

Thanks

[GreenV8S]

How many wheels are actually losing pressure?

What is the rate of losing pressure?

[Novexx]

Is it possible that the wheels have a issue with the bead seats or porosity & the dealer is trying to side step this by replacing the valves & sending you on your way?

An experienced tyre fitter should be able to identify the issue with minimal time & cost.

[stevemcs]

What size alloy, any cracks in the tyre ? Sometimes you will find they can leak through the carcas

[Yuxi]

I don't see how tyres losing air can affect wheel balance or tracking.
Are you adding air to the tyres when the light comes on, have they actually lost pressure?

[It's fixable...]

We had some issues with dodgy tyre pressure indication lights and audible warnings when we bought (new to us) my wife's 11 plate Focus TDCi, we found recalibrating the system at the dash stopped those problems - the procedure is described in the handbook.

For reference ours is running factory spec low profiles and the handling is very sensitive to tyre pressures and feels quite skitterish when pressures are off. We keep on top of it by checking tyre pressures every week and after a lot of experimenting we run 28psi front and 34psi rear to get best handling.

The fronts do scrub out in the inside and when replacing we move the rears to the front to finish them off and put the new carcases on the rear - tyres last about 18 months - 2 years..

[It's fixable...]

Sorry, should have posted a bit more...

Agree with the other posters, for consistency, rely on your own gauge or the same garage air pump - ours gets done as part of the weekly supermarket run.

If you do find that you have a consistent problem, in our experience you might have a mis-shapen tyre that doesnt sit on the rim very well, the wife also used to bump up onto and down off the low curb outside MILs house, but had several big losses of tyre pressure afterwards and on one memorable occasion rang me from 100m down the road as she had a pancake flat, so just take a broader look at your driving habits and see if you can match them to your tyre pressure losses...

If you do think you have a damaged rim, best to visit your local friendly tyre fitter and ask them to demount the tyre and inspect the rim, most places only charge £10-£15 to do it and from a safety point of view best to find out that way rather than stacking the whole thing up at 70 when it catastrophically fails :-)

f there is minor damage or porosity they can normally cheaply fix it - if they recommend replacement ask them to remount the tyre and get surfing for the best price rather than being bent over in the heat of the moment....

[Robmainstgarage]

Had this with a eco sport last week, poor lass has to do the tyre pressures every 3 days!
Local ford garage just agreed they were crap and 2 local tyre centres weren't any better.
I took the tyres off and the valves out and there was a lot of corrosion to the alloy wheel were the valve goes through.
It turns out that 4 local tyre centres and 4 other garages I'm freindly with don't have any kit for tyre pressure monitoring systems. There loss and all that so now £2k light I have the full kit (replacement valves, sensors, seal, special valve cores, sepcial tools and diagnostic kit to reprogram them)
If you get the tyres taken off, carefully unbolt the valve out of the wheel you'll see the problem, but of emery tape to clean up the wheel, posibly new seals on the valves and get the fitter to put some bead sealer on the valve seal when refitting

[lorenburton]

The tyre pressure warning light illuminates on the Ford Focus often due to tyre pressure falling 25% or more below the threshold allowance in one or more tyres. Before resetting the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), check pressure in all tyres including the spare if you have one.