02 Focus Ghia misfiring + dying

t4ff

I have a 2002 Ford Focus Ghia (Zetec engine) that's been really well looked after with 65,000km on the clock. For the past week or so it's been spluttering and jerking slightly at low gears. On the way to work yesterday, the engine warning light started flashing and I managed to pull over just as the car died completely.

A guy came to tow it who fired it up and said it sounded like the engine was misfiring and it could be coil pack problems. I called a local garage who said they were too busy but agreed to look at it when I said it was potentially a coil pack issue and a quick job.

I went to collect it and the guy told me that they'd done a compression test and one of the engine valves had died and it'd cost more than the car's worth to replace, so he hadn't looked at it further. I got the feeling that he was too busy to care and look at it properly. He charged me 50 for the checking + filling the oil up and I drove it home with the engine light on (30km), and it died just as I got home

I've found posts saying that coil packs are a common problem with this car and the symptoms are very similar, but would it cause the car to die completely? It's now stuttering bad while idling as well as pulling away, but when I drove it home it was fine at cruise speed..

If the valve in the engine has gone, is it better to ditch the car? Is it worth taking it to another garage for a 2nd opinion and hoping its less serious?

Edit: Spelt 'dieing' as 'dying' in thread title. That's what getting the 6:30am bus does to you.

Edit 2:

dooroy

The compression test would rule out other causes - coil , injector etc.
If the compression is down on one cylinder then thats that - it would need cylinder head removed to sort out so much more work.
Even with a miss on one cylinder a car can seem fine - but is well down on power and miss much more obvious on tickover.

t4ff

dooroy wrote: »

The compression test would rule out other causes - coil , injector etc.
If the compression is down on one cylinder then thats that - it would need cylinder head removed to sort out so much more work.
Even with a miss on one cylinder a car can seem fine - but is well down on power and miss much more obvious on tickover.

Thanks for your reply. So it seems strange that it's the cause of complete engine failure of the car?

Special Circumstances

t4ff wrote: »

I've found posts saying that coil packs are a common problem with this car and the symptoms are very similar, but would it cause the car to die completely? It's now stuttering bad while idling as well as pulling away, but when I drove it home it was fine at cruise speed..

If the valve in the engine has gone, is it better to ditch the car? Is it worth taking it to another garage for a 2nd opinion and hoping its less serious?

OK, except for the compression test showing something well off, I would have said to check the crankcase vent hose.

This is a T shaped hose that lives between the air intake manifold (that black plastic collection of 4 "pipes" at the front of your engine) and the main engine block.

This hose rots/rips/collapses on EVERY one of these engines. This causes the engine to pull in more air than it is expecting leading to revving of it's own accord when you clutch it, bad idle, awful lurching when accelerating etc.

You should be able to hear it hissing if there is a hole in it. You may not be able to pull it off without destroying it completely, and it is very very awkward because of where it is - but if you can work a bit of tape on there and patch the hose and your problems go away...

It wouldn't cause bad compression though, (unless you were running so lean for so long that something very bad happened!) so you may just be screwed if the compression is genuinely low in some cylinder.

And yes, coils seem to common problem with these.

jimbis

I'd definitely get a second opinion, where are you based?

t4ff

Special Circumstances wrote: »

OK, except for the compression test showing something well off, I would have said to check the crankcase vent hose.

This is a T shaped hose that lives between the air intake manifold (that black plastic collection of 4 "pipes" at the front of your engine) and the main engine block.

This hose rots/rips/collapses on EVERY one of these engines. This causes the engine to pull in more air than it is expecting leading to revving of it's own accord when you clutch it, bad idle, awful lurching when accelerating etc.

You should be able to hear it hissing if there is a hole in it. You may not be able to pull it off without destroying it completely, and it is very very awkward because of where it is - but if you can work a bit of tape on there and patch the hose and your problems go away...

It wouldn't cause bad compression though, (unless you were running so lean for so long that something very bad happened!) so you may just be screwed if the compression is genuinely low in some cylinder.

And yes, coils seem to common problem with these.

Thanks for the reply. I'll check the hose when I get home from work today.

I was also recommended to pull the plugs and check for water in the wells, a problem that's also apparently bad in older Fords.

I'd definitely get a second opinion, where are you based?

Going to take it to the garage tomorrow. Based in Drogheda, but the car broke down in Dundalk and the garage I took it to was there.

I've really wanted to take a closer look at it but I'm fighting against the daylight - tomorrow will be my first day to get a real inspection for myself.

Special Circumstances

I had thought that the water in the plug wells was a trait of the next generation, 05 on.. but I've been warned to stop posting stupid stuff in this forum so....

There are very knowledgeable Ford guys who read this forum. Martin something is very helpful guy so hopefully he will have some input for you. Still and all... If the the compression is gone in one cylinder it might just be byebye time for a 02 focus when you factor in insurance on old cars and all the rest.

I was shocked to drive a 04 focus with no ABS recently.. I thought it was standard by that year!

t4ff

Special Circumstances wrote: »

I had thought that the water in the plug wells was a trait of the next generation, 05 on.. but I've been warned to stop posting stupid stuff in this forum so....

There are very knowledgeable Ford guys who read this forum. Martin something is very helpful guy so hopefully he will have some input for you. Still and all... If the the compression is gone in one cylinder it might just be byebye time for a 02 focus when you factor in insurance on old cars and all the rest.

I was shocked to drive a 04 focus with no ABS recently.. I thought it was standard by that year!

I have nothing first hand regarding the plug wells, just seen it come up on a lot of Google results when I've been digging for info from 02 Fords.

Got my fingers crossed for tomorrow!

biko

FYI - dying is the correct way to spell it. Dieing isn't a word.

t4ff

biko wrote: »

FYI - dying is the correct way to spell it. Dieing isn't a word.

fml. thanks

t4ff

Small update.

Couldn't get my guy to come out today and have a look at it but a friend who's an apprentice came over. We took the car for a spin around the block and it drove smooth as silk, when we pulled back up in the drive it started stuttering while idling. Got a good look under the bonnet for the first time in the light and the only thing that really stands out to me is that the well where the spark plugs are is very wet.

I inherited the car from an in-law after he passed away earlier this year. I have no idea when it was last serviced or what maintenance work has been done on it up to this point. I don't necessarily want to go pulling out spark plugs/removing the air filter or coil pack housing to check in case I can't get them back in or get the car started again.. Or should I just go for it and check for any obvious corrosion? There's a part co. next to my house, so if it turned out that something was obviously in a **** state I could wander down and spend a couple of quid on the parts.

I've a real mechanic coming to have a look at it on Monday, but I'm in work for the week so it's less than ideal.

punisher5112

Hi have you changed the coil pack and plugs. These commonly go and now even come with ford genuine plugs as they have had many issues over the years.

Water in where plugs is is easy fix dry out with paper towel or suck dome out if possible then only change the plugs once dried.

You can get coil pack in a motor factors and should solve the problem.

Give the car a service and fuel filter also.

Hal1

Did your friend (mechanic) plug the spark plugs out to check them?

If water is getting into them it will look like this pic:

t4ff

Hal1 wrote: »

Did your friend (mechanic) plug the spark plugs out to check them?

If water is getting into them it will look like this pic:

I haven't unplugged them since I'm worried that I won't be able to start the car if I need to get it to the garage if there's an issue. The real mechanic is coming Monday, if he unplugs them and the car can't start at least I can blame him :rolleyes:

Hal1

Sure giving advice over the internet never harmed anyone .