Funky's Mk1 Focus flange wagon
Discussion
Ok, first time I've done this. Be gentle, all.
I am here to introduce you to my new(ish) shed. A 54 plate Mk1 Focus 1.6 petrol.
Bought it locally at the end of March for just under £700. Not cheap, but I live in Lincolnshire and it was the best sub £1k car I had seen at the time.
At the moment, it drives ok. List of known issues is as follows:
1. Needs oil change (attempting to do that myself soon)
2. Needs PS fluid change as it's filthy (attempting to do that myself soon)
3. Needs coolant change as it looks old and it's the wrong colour (attempting to do that myself soon)
4. Needs tyres (see another thread I started about this today)
5. Has a weird bouncy/wobbling noise coming from the front right when I turn sharp left. Need to look into this (attempting to do that myself soon)
6. Sometimes has a weird metallic grindy/pinging noise from the wheel area when doing 50mph +. Hasn't done this for weeks though, so could have been a stone or something in the wheel
7. Rusty rear arches (attempting to do that myself soon)
8. Aircon doesn't work. Don't really care about that as it has windows
9. Buggered offside front wing where some a-hole smashed into it a few days after I bought it. Will look into that
10. Remote central locking is hit and miss. Sometimes locks, sometimes won't unlock on the key fob. Replaced battery, still the same. Don't really care too much as I can lock and unlock with the key
11. Oh yes - speedo sometimes drops to zero when going along. Could need a new speed sensor. Hasn't done this for weeks though since it dropped at 60mph, made the car stutter, picked itself up and carried on fine. Weird. (attempting to do that myself soon)
Apart from the above, it seems to go ok. It hasn't used any oil or other fluids over the last few months, so that is a good sign. When I bought it the poor bugger hardly had any oil in though. It's only used for local and the odd long run, so fits the bill perfectly.
MOT is next Jan. However, due to the rust, I'm thinking of getting it a new MOT before winter sets in. I'll try to fix what rust issues I can. However, I'm not a mechanic and I'm learning with this car. Bought a haynes manual for it recently. Woo!
That's about it really. It's quite refreshing having a car you can dump anywhere and not care about.
Some pics (it looks cleaner than it does now because I took the pics soon after I bought it):
Edit to add - cambelt done six years ago this month. Hopefully it has enough life in it to last the rest of my ownership.
I am here to introduce you to my new(ish) shed. A 54 plate Mk1 Focus 1.6 petrol.
Bought it locally at the end of March for just under £700. Not cheap, but I live in Lincolnshire and it was the best sub £1k car I had seen at the time.
At the moment, it drives ok. List of known issues is as follows:
1. Needs oil change (attempting to do that myself soon)
2. Needs PS fluid change as it's filthy (attempting to do that myself soon)
3. Needs coolant change as it looks old and it's the wrong colour (attempting to do that myself soon)
4. Needs tyres (see another thread I started about this today)
5. Has a weird bouncy/wobbling noise coming from the front right when I turn sharp left. Need to look into this (attempting to do that myself soon)
6. Sometimes has a weird metallic grindy/pinging noise from the wheel area when doing 50mph +. Hasn't done this for weeks though, so could have been a stone or something in the wheel
7. Rusty rear arches (attempting to do that myself soon)
8. Aircon doesn't work. Don't really care about that as it has windows
9. Buggered offside front wing where some a-hole smashed into it a few days after I bought it. Will look into that
10. Remote central locking is hit and miss. Sometimes locks, sometimes won't unlock on the key fob. Replaced battery, still the same. Don't really care too much as I can lock and unlock with the key
11. Oh yes - speedo sometimes drops to zero when going along. Could need a new speed sensor. Hasn't done this for weeks though since it dropped at 60mph, made the car stutter, picked itself up and carried on fine. Weird. (attempting to do that myself soon)
Apart from the above, it seems to go ok. It hasn't used any oil or other fluids over the last few months, so that is a good sign. When I bought it the poor bugger hardly had any oil in though. It's only used for local and the odd long run, so fits the bill perfectly.
MOT is next Jan. However, due to the rust, I'm thinking of getting it a new MOT before winter sets in. I'll try to fix what rust issues I can. However, I'm not a mechanic and I'm learning with this car. Bought a haynes manual for it recently. Woo!
That's about it really. It's quite refreshing having a car you can dump anywhere and not care about.
Some pics (it looks cleaner than it does now because I took the pics soon after I bought it):
Edit to add - cambelt done six years ago this month. Hopefully it has enough life in it to last the rest of my ownership.
Edited by funkyrobot on Wednesday 19th June 14:54
Few more things I've remembered as I just drove it:
1. Non standard fuel filler cap. Original ripped off. How?
2. Funny idle. When stopping, revs drop to just over 1k for a few seconds, then drop below and settle.
3. Slight rattly/belt noise. Can hear a slight rattle when the engine is running and when turned off, it's like a belt takes a bit longer to slow down.
That's everything I think. Nothing I can't live with for now.
1. Non standard fuel filler cap. Original ripped off. How?
2. Funny idle. When stopping, revs drop to just over 1k for a few seconds, then drop below and settle.
3. Slight rattly/belt noise. Can hear a slight rattle when the engine is running and when turned off, it's like a belt takes a bit longer to slow down.
That's everything I think. Nothing I can't live with for now.
paulyv said:
Smashing car - love a Focus.
I have read a few times on this site that cars are expensive in Lincolnshire. Is this really the case? If so do we know why?
Ancient by-law requiring all cars sold there to have their seats stuffed with pure saffron. Really drives the price up, but makes a delicious Caldeirada.I have read a few times on this site that cars are expensive in Lincolnshire. Is this really the case? If so do we know why?
Drove my dads 1.6 Focus and quite refreshing, not much power but throttle feels instant and seems to like revs. Perfect for driving day to day.
The idle is a bit strange but think it's meant to be like that.
Cheap to fix on the rare occasion something breaks.
Still looks good.
After I drive it I usually end up on Ebay eying st170s but guess the 1.6 is what makes it great.
The idle is a bit strange but think it's meant to be like that.
Cheap to fix on the rare occasion something breaks.
Still looks good.
After I drive it I usually end up on Ebay eying st170s but guess the 1.6 is what makes it great.
HumanSteamroller said:
paulyv said:
Smashing car - love a Focus.
I have read a few times on this site that cars are expensive in Lincolnshire. Is this really the case? If so do we know why?
Ancient by-law requiring all cars sold there to have their seats stuffed with pure saffron. Really drives the price up, but makes a delicious Caldeirada.I have read a few times on this site that cars are expensive in Lincolnshire. Is this really the case? If so do we know why?
Probably due to the fact there are a lot of fields here and lots of gaps between urban areas. In the grand scheme of things, there isn't a lot for sale under £1k unless you head Peterborough or Lincoln way.
Well, there is a lot of s
t for under £1k.V6todayEVmanana said:
Cheap to fix on the rare occasion something breaks.
Great car, did 173k miles in my Mk1 Focus 1.6 Zetec over seven years. In that time only needed a new cam belt, clutch, resistor pack for the heater, oil and tyres.
Are these about to become classics....ST170 could be fun...
Great shed. I have the 1.8 Zetec Mondeo of similar vintage and that has the weird rev thing. I assume it's in case you want to pop it into a gear and set off without it bogging down as much.
I used to have a problem on a BMW where the body control module was literally about 3 inches deep in water and caused the speedo to drop out at random intervals. Might be worth a look into, maybe a crusty connector somewhere?
I used to have a problem on a BMW where the body control module was literally about 3 inches deep in water and caused the speedo to drop out at random intervals. Might be worth a look into, maybe a crusty connector somewhere?
funkyrobot said:
10. Remote central locking is hit and miss. Sometimes locks, sometimes won't unlock on the key fob. Replaced battery, still the same. Don't really care too much as I can lock and unlock with the key
11. Oh yes - speedo sometimes drops to zero when going along. Could need a new speed sensor. Hasn't done this for weeks though since it dropped at 60mph, made the car stutter, picked itself up and carried on fine. Weird. (attempting to do that myself soon)
Wiring can become frayed from where the door is opened/closed on these, causing central locking issues. We never had any issue on ours but my parent's one can be hit and miss.11. Oh yes - speedo sometimes drops to zero when going along. Could need a new speed sensor. Hasn't done this for weeks though since it dropped at 60mph, made the car stutter, picked itself up and carried on fine. Weird. (attempting to do that myself soon)
Speedo issue is probably the speed sensor, we had something similar and was a simple fix. There was a wider issue where the instrument cluster on these would fail, which would mean a whole new dash, but if it's just the speedo then probably just the sensor.
Other than that, we took ours to over 150k miles before I got bored and wanted something a bit newer/quicker. In that time it was just a cam belt, clutch at about 130k miles, heater resistor pack, brakes/tires/oil/etc...
Zetec-S said:
Wiring can become frayed from where the door is opened/closed on these, causing central locking issues. We never had any issue on ours but my parent's one can be hit and miss.
Speedo issue is probably the speed sensor, we had something similar and was a simple fix. There was a wider issue where the instrument cluster on these would fail, which would mean a whole new dash, but if it's just the speedo then probably just the sensor.
Other than that, we took ours to over 150k miles before I got bored and wanted something a bit newer/quicker. In that time it was just a cam belt, clutch at about 130k miles, heater resistor pack, brakes/tires/oil/etc...
Thankfully, it just seems to be the speedo at the moment. It hasn't done it for a few weeks now though.Speedo issue is probably the speed sensor, we had something similar and was a simple fix. There was a wider issue where the instrument cluster on these would fail, which would mean a whole new dash, but if it's just the speedo then probably just the sensor.
Other than that, we took ours to over 150k miles before I got bored and wanted something a bit newer/quicker. In that time it was just a cam belt, clutch at about 130k miles, heater resistor pack, brakes/tires/oil/etc...
Bizarrely, the central locking seems to be working better too now. Can't explain why. Maybe it's me using it more.
RazerSauber said:
Great shed. I have the 1.8 Zetec Mondeo of similar vintage and that has the weird rev thing. I assume it's in case you want to pop it into a gear and set off without it bogging down as much.
I used to have a problem on a BMW where the body control module was literally about 3 inches deep in water and caused the speedo to drop out at random intervals. Might be worth a look into, maybe a crusty connector somewhere?
Will take a look. Sounds like the rev thing is normal though.I used to have a problem on a BMW where the body control module was literally about 3 inches deep in water and caused the speedo to drop out at random intervals. Might be worth a look into, maybe a crusty connector somewhere?
Great shed! I've had one of these for 7 years so it wasn't quite a shed when bought, guess it is now.
Mine does the idle thing too so I assume it's normal.
Oil and filter a piece of cake on these. They need 5/30 fully synthetic, I use Granville stuff off ebay for around £20 for 5 litres, and a genuine Ford filter. Be aware they have a rubber sump washer that most people don't bother replacing as they can do a few changes before leaking, they're only pence on ebay.
My remote fob got very grumpy, new batteries cured it for a bit but then it played up again. Cured with a replacement fob. New keys can be coded yourself as long as you have two working keys already.
Re the rattly noise on the belt, check the idler pulley (top centre of the belt run) and the belt tensioner pulley (at the bottom, back of the engine). I've just replaced both; the idler wasn't the issue on mine but is a common fault, and it is possible to do the tensioner pulley (inc bearing) without doing the tensioner itself which halves the cost. Pulley bearings were well shot.
I changed the PAS fluid and found it a beggar to bleed for some reason so I'd leave it unless the pump is noisy or the fluid is really dirty.
Coolant change another piece of cake and well worth a flush and change to the correct orange stuff.
I'd also have a look behind the rear wheel arch liners while you're attending to the arches. They are a fabric type that stay wet for ages after the car is driven in rain, while also rubbing against the bodywork at the front of the arch. This eventually causes rust which can creep around to the seatbelt mounts with associated MOT failage. Mine was found before it got too bad and repaired for around £100 per side so not a deal breaker, but if caught early enough is just a clean/treat/paint job.
Must say I love mine. I've bought newer cars to replace it twice and always sold them to go back to the Focus. It does everything well, plus costs pence to run.
Enjoy!
Mine does the idle thing too so I assume it's normal.
Oil and filter a piece of cake on these. They need 5/30 fully synthetic, I use Granville stuff off ebay for around £20 for 5 litres, and a genuine Ford filter. Be aware they have a rubber sump washer that most people don't bother replacing as they can do a few changes before leaking, they're only pence on ebay.
My remote fob got very grumpy, new batteries cured it for a bit but then it played up again. Cured with a replacement fob. New keys can be coded yourself as long as you have two working keys already.
Re the rattly noise on the belt, check the idler pulley (top centre of the belt run) and the belt tensioner pulley (at the bottom, back of the engine). I've just replaced both; the idler wasn't the issue on mine but is a common fault, and it is possible to do the tensioner pulley (inc bearing) without doing the tensioner itself which halves the cost. Pulley bearings were well shot.
I changed the PAS fluid and found it a beggar to bleed for some reason so I'd leave it unless the pump is noisy or the fluid is really dirty.
Coolant change another piece of cake and well worth a flush and change to the correct orange stuff.
I'd also have a look behind the rear wheel arch liners while you're attending to the arches. They are a fabric type that stay wet for ages after the car is driven in rain, while also rubbing against the bodywork at the front of the arch. This eventually causes rust which can creep around to the seatbelt mounts with associated MOT failage. Mine was found before it got too bad and repaired for around £100 per side so not a deal breaker, but if caught early enough is just a clean/treat/paint job.
Must say I love mine. I've bought newer cars to replace it twice and always sold them to go back to the Focus. It does everything well, plus costs pence to run.
Enjoy!
The old flange master has a leak. Think it's where some ham fisted idiot has rammed the pollen filter and the housing back into place. The rubber strips around the top of the bonnet look to be pushed under where they should be and the filter housing isn't secured properly.
Another job to do.
Oh yes, I haven't got round to the other items yet, although new tyres are coming soon.
Need a good afternoon free of my four year old to crack on.
Another job to do.
Oh yes, I haven't got round to the other items yet, although new tyres are coming soon.
Need a good afternoon free of my four year old to crack on.
Benton said:
Great shed! I've had one of these for 7 years so it wasn't quite a shed when bought, guess it is now.
Mine does the idle thing too so I assume it's normal.
Oil and filter a piece of cake on these. They need 5/30 fully synthetic, I use Granville stuff off ebay for around £20 for 5 litres, and a genuine Ford filter. Be aware they have a rubber sump washer that most people don't bother replacing as they can do a few changes before leaking, they're only pence on ebay.
My remote fob got very grumpy, new batteries cured it for a bit but then it played up again. Cured with a replacement fob. New keys can be coded yourself as long as you have two working keys already.
Re the rattly noise on the belt, check the idler pulley (top centre of the belt run) and the belt tensioner pulley (at the bottom, back of the engine). I've just replaced both; the idler wasn't the issue on mine but is a common fault, and it is possible to do the tensioner pulley (inc bearing) without doing the tensioner itself which halves the cost. Pulley bearings were well shot.
I changed the PAS fluid and found it a beggar to bleed for some reason so I'd leave it unless the pump is noisy or the fluid is really dirty.
Coolant change another piece of cake and well worth a flush and change to the correct orange stuff.
I'd also have a look behind the rear wheel arch liners while you're attending to the arches. They are a fabric type that stay wet for ages after the car is driven in rain, while also rubbing against the bodywork at the front of the arch. This eventually causes rust which can creep around to the seatbelt mounts with associated MOT failage. Mine was found before it got too bad and repaired for around £100 per side so not a deal breaker, but if caught early enough is just a clean/treat/paint job.
Must say I love mine. I've bought newer cars to replace it twice and always sold them to go back to the Focus. It does everything well, plus costs pence to run.
Enjoy!
In relation to the oil, I have had 5w/30 part sythentic recommended. This is also what I topped the oil up with? Do I need fully synthetic?Mine does the idle thing too so I assume it's normal.
Oil and filter a piece of cake on these. They need 5/30 fully synthetic, I use Granville stuff off ebay for around £20 for 5 litres, and a genuine Ford filter. Be aware they have a rubber sump washer that most people don't bother replacing as they can do a few changes before leaking, they're only pence on ebay.
My remote fob got very grumpy, new batteries cured it for a bit but then it played up again. Cured with a replacement fob. New keys can be coded yourself as long as you have two working keys already.
Re the rattly noise on the belt, check the idler pulley (top centre of the belt run) and the belt tensioner pulley (at the bottom, back of the engine). I've just replaced both; the idler wasn't the issue on mine but is a common fault, and it is possible to do the tensioner pulley (inc bearing) without doing the tensioner itself which halves the cost. Pulley bearings were well shot.
I changed the PAS fluid and found it a beggar to bleed for some reason so I'd leave it unless the pump is noisy or the fluid is really dirty.
Coolant change another piece of cake and well worth a flush and change to the correct orange stuff.
I'd also have a look behind the rear wheel arch liners while you're attending to the arches. They are a fabric type that stay wet for ages after the car is driven in rain, while also rubbing against the bodywork at the front of the arch. This eventually causes rust which can creep around to the seatbelt mounts with associated MOT failage. Mine was found before it got too bad and repaired for around £100 per side so not a deal breaker, but if caught early enough is just a clean/treat/paint job.
Must say I love mine. I've bought newer cars to replace it twice and always sold them to go back to the Focus. It does everything well, plus costs pence to run.
Enjoy!
I've purchased a sump nut from a Ford dealer and it seems to have a rubber seal as part of the nut. Is this the bit you are referring to? The dealer told me the thing is all in one now as the rubber sump washer thing isn't separate. I bought a filter from Halfords as it matches the filter on there already (long one).
Thanks for the other useful info.
Edited by funkyrobot on Friday 9th August 00:38
Right, the job list increases in size the more I look at the car.
Was messing around under the bonnet earlier trying to see if I can correctly position the rubber around the pollen filter housing. Whilst there, I noticed that the battery is covered in some sort of white and blue flaky substance. I think this is some sort of corrosion or reaction. The battery terminals require some cleaning and sprucing too it seems. It looks a right mess
Thanks for the comments all.
Was messing around under the bonnet earlier trying to see if I can correctly position the rubber around the pollen filter housing. Whilst there, I noticed that the battery is covered in some sort of white and blue flaky substance. I think this is some sort of corrosion or reaction. The battery terminals require some cleaning and sprucing too it seems. It looks a right mess
Thanks for the comments all.
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