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Ford Focus Hatchback ZX3 - Part VIII
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And, I've not received a recall notice yet, but Autobytel let me know that there is one. Does anyone know what it is? razor5
if you register your vehicle there,you will receive instant notifications.also.is just by size coincidence that bmw tip fits?
I agree with ZX3beast that you should not really care what others think. Remember you are saving lots of $ on gas. It is peppy and .....well it's peppy.:>)
But, I gave up the Festiva when the radio guys said it was a coffin on wheels. I feel much safer in the ZX3 among the SUV's.
When you drive the ZX3 you will never go back. Test drive one this weekend and you will be amazed how much nicer the ride is, how high you sit, how much room you have, with all controls within easy reach, how much quality there is built in.
Do it!
http://hometown.aol.com/mugwieh/myhomepage
Pat: like that analogy, oil filters and dirty socks....
On Festivas: I personally have never driven one but I always figured that, based on the design and specs, it was the kind of car you'd get only if you couldn't possibly afford something better...sort of like the Yugos (no pun on my name).
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/fordfocusplace
Warning!
Overfilling this engine with
oil will result in damage!
Do not add more then 4 1/2 quarts
Never exceed the full mark on the
dip stick.
At least this would give a heads up to who ever puts in the oil that the proper level is critical, and that the owner is going to check on this.
I can imagine a nice engraved plaque would look nice, if one could be found that would tolerate the heat.
Beast : When I first got the car back, I drove with only the window open and no radio because I was getting used to driving stick. I don't remember hearing the noise. The other day we had a down pour while I was at work my car was parked and I didn't drive during the rain storm. Alas, I think I did first notice the noise after that day. What do you think? Should I have Ford check it out?
Project : Hey great pics. Your baby is looking beautiful. If I had the choice I probably would have gone with the twilight blue. I still love my pitch black, so either way I would have been happy. I really want to put the wings west kit on my car too. I just dont have that kind of money. I still havent put my tip on yet, need the cash first. I will post pics as i get them, glad to finaly see yours.
Dre'
Pat
carlady/host
He said........
"We just received word from Ford --- that as of today --- we are not to accept any more '00 Focus orders".
zx3
"Believe it or not, Mexico's auto assembly plants now are equal to those in the rest of North America in quality and labor productivity-and sometimes better.
Just back from a visit to a Ford plant in Hermosillo, Mr. Harbour(president of Harbour and Associates Inc.)says it easily ranks as one of Ford's best. Many Mexican plants in fact are standouts in quality and productivity. The low labor costs are just icing on the cake.
Ford's Hermosillo facility was ranked as the 6th most efficient subcompact car assebly plant in North America last year by Harbour.
In fact, analysts say workers in most Mexican assembly plants now have as good or better education levels than their counterparts in the U.S."
Love my ZX3 everyday!
Pat
zx3
Will start posting with my take on the car tomorrow! Oh, one question--What sort of break-in driving do you all recommend?
calico
I did a lot of research on break-in before I received my ZX3. There are a lot of schools of thought, but what follows is my best attempt to combine what I've read.
The reason for break-in is because the engine parts need to wear into each other. When they are brand new, they don't fit perfectly.
Break-in in modern automobiles is not as critical as it once was. That does not mean that you shouldn't be careful, however.
A few pointers:
- Take it relatively easy for the first 1000 miles
- vary speeds and revs a lot during this period (i.e., don't just take a long trip on the hwy)
- try to avoid super short trips. This will allow the engine to heat up fully. When the trip is finished, also let the car cool completely. It's important that the engine goes through complete heating/cooling cycles.
- don't rev the car TOO high during break-in, but it won't kill the car to ease it into the upper ranges as you progress through the 1000 miles.
I think that about covers it.
I've found that drives on windy, scenic roads are great, because they allow you to get in some miles, have fun, and they necessitate speed/RPM variance.
Anybody have anything else?
Don't step on them too hard for a while.
The pads need some time to completely break-in too.
Thanks for the excellent "engine break-in" advice.
(You said, "don't push your engine hard for first 1000 miles"). I have a question .....
Local Ford Dlr, has Black Z hatchling, Automatic. Price: $130 over Invoice. That's nice.
Here's the catch ...
He bought it from another dealer 315 miles away.
The other dealer drove it to his place.
You can bet your life, the driver probably pushed that Z at maybe 70-80 mph, for most of the way.
Most likely did not use "break-in" procedures.
I'm guessing, he just jumped into it, pushed it hard on the expressways ---to get it delivered as fast as possible.
Now, how the heck could I (if I buy) "break-in" that engine? It's a little late, ain't it?
Should I buy it? Would you? Thanks for any info.
zx3
Every moving part does some adjusting during these time (wheel bearings etc.)
I would refuse to buy a car with more than 10 miles on it. Unless I plan to trade it in in a couple of years.
Here is a link to a forum dedicated to this topic.
Those guys have some real mechanical knowledge.
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/engaged/edmund.cgi?f=0&c=Pickups&t=1791&q=43-62
Just turned 250K on its original engine(no overhauls) and tranny.
BTW it has a 3-cylinder 1,0 Liter 90% of the time full load stressed engine.
Hard to beat, HAH?
the pics-that is one fine looking car man.now
that is a mod with class.a job well done.also,i
happen to agree with you about the break-in theory.
never made much sense to me to take it easy in the beginning,then drive like you normally would.
i did however take it easy at first because i was
treating it like a newborn,it grew up real fast.drebe73- i have experienced the same noise after the well is wet-coming from rear.once it drys
out its fine.there is some kind of carpeted material wrapped in that well area.kind of funky,
but has good sound quieting qualities.i like it
it cleans up real easily.all cars have their little quirks. i consider this only a minor annoyance.
used the spellcheck-time for glasses-old age setting in
The vote so far is split. Anyone else?
Hmmm... maybe I should just pass on the sale. But $135 over Invoice is sure tempting.
zx3
the fact you will have a 3yr./36000 mi. warranty
i have posted previously that i traded my zx2 for zx3.my zx2 having 35,500 milesat the time + zero
problems.same engine as zx3.drove it hard+fast from
day one.as many here have posted before this engine
loves to rev.now now,$135 over invoice is a very
good buy. i paid $200 over in january.given the extraordinary value that the z is, that $135 over
is hard to pass up.demand for car will drive price up.also,those who bought the first year have received the best value + are the beneficiaries
of lower depreciation.what cant be measured in pure dollars is the pride of ownership of a truly breakthrough automobile.i was around when the first mustangs caused a sensation.ford has done it again,
with an even more refined vehicle for another generation.i have never seen,heard or read as many people excited by a car as much as this one.
although ford is targeting the youngsters this car
has appeal to all age groups + both genders.i believe that caught them by surprise.good luck in
whatever you decide.i do sense however that you want to go for it.
by the way for anyone who plans on keeping the stock air box, i'm looking to sell the pera air filter (drop in) that came with the system. i'll sell it for 20 dollars shipped unless someone makes a better offer. let me know, my email is kban@yahoo.com.
If it was true I would be the first in line to buy a dealer demo and save some bucks.
ZX3,
you've heard enough.
Just use your common sence.
I don't subscribe to the "Break it in like you're going to drive it" theory. There's absolutely no real reasoning behind it and nothing to back it up, although I've heard a lot of people say it (Including a mechanic or two). When an engine is put together, not everything fits perfectly, it needs a chance to wear together. If the only chance you're giving it is at 7000 RPM, its going to wear in too fast, and you could end up with some oil buring problems amongst other things. The other thing is heat cycling. Take a piston out of a brand new engine and put it in an oven at about 500 degrees for awhile. When it comes out its going to be a mess (Cracks etc). Do the same thing with a piston out of a 100K mile engine and it will look exactly the same. You subject brand new parts to too much heat and they deform. You do it gradually over time and they dont.
Finally we are getting somewhere.
BUT IT IS 4.5 QUARTS AND MY MALIBU BLUE ZX3 PROVES IT!!
ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN GET A LOCKING GAS CAP???
MY WEBSITE:
http://members.xoom.com/SubaruRally
It was ordered March 23rd with manual trans, ac, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, map/dome lights, electric windows and mirrors, abs, side air bags, and cruise control. Paid dealer invoice through Auto Nation/Charlie Thomas Ford here in Houston.
In reference to several posts ago, mine still had the Good Year tires, not the Firestone.
After having read yall's posts for the last 9 weeks, I feel I know my new car better than Ford. Thanks for all the tips and advice on the previous posts. It's nice not to have to learn problems by experience like some of you have gone through.
One thing stands out so far, the wait was worth it. It is amazing that this little car looks so good, drives so well, and is so practical. We have one of the best kept secrets in the automotive world.
My chrome BMW tip is on, Window tinting and waxing this weekend.
Having fun in Houston traffic, which used to be a contradiction in terms.
RV
I just installed the chrome tip on my z too and it looks good! I paid 9.84 with tax. The BMW dealer was very pleasant and was not at all snooty that it was being installed on a Ford Focus. Very gracious actually. I just twisted the tip on and it went on without difficulty. I made sure my tailpipe was cool before I performed the installation. This concludes my mods on my zx3.
Have a nice week end!
ND