Ford Focus Care & Maintenance

vadp · May 2001

"I realy wish that all of the auto makers would take a tip from Subaru."

What do you mean? Switching to the boxer engine layout?

silver_bullet · May 2001

Just so you know, torque steer isn't related directly to half shaft length - it is more closely related to the mass of the drive axle. In the case of the VW you mentioned, the axles were of different length, but very similar mass - how? VW used a hollow shaft on the long side and a solid shaft on the short side. Very clever. Those early GTIs still suffered from some torque steer, though. Try driving a new SAAB Viggen if you want to experience serious torque steer

petedo · May 2001

I think modernperformance.com sells a differential for the ZX3 for $300. I've seen a Quaife differential but I think that was ALOT.
I don't know what the difference is but I'm thinking I'm going to need one to lay the power down after I start modifying my Focus. For the time being I'm trying to put some easy miles on to break it in. I'm going to hit 1000 miles tomorrow.

njbongo · May 2001

No, vadp, what I meant was that more effort should be put into trying to eliminate torque steer in mid to high power FWD cars. Obviously, other automakers are not going to switch to the boxster layout, but even with our 'regular' 4-bangers it is still possible position everything to get more even length axles. Maybe I'm ranting a little, but you would think after 20 years of mostly FWD cars be produced, more effort would go here.

And Silver_bullet, just so YOU know, your completely wrong about mass. It is in no way MORE important than length. Anyone good at physics will confirm this. The physics equation for torque is 'torque=forceXdistance'. It has nothing to do with mass. You can have the same length axles with a DIFFERENT MASS on each one and it will have no effect. It may be true that VW and others MAY have tried to compensate by different mass axles (I can't confirm or deny that one), but it would have little effect. Think of this....have you ever tried to break a bolt free on say, a lugnut that was really stuck on? If you put a long pipe on the end of the the lug wrench then broke it free, it came right off right? Same principle for the longer axle. The mass of that pipe has nothing to do with it, it's the length. That's why the harder you step on the gas (more force), the more torque steer you get. It's a whole different ball game once the car is already moving, that's where a locking differential would help. That's a really complicated equation that you can't really apply without knowing the weight of the car, speed, length of the axles, etc...

As far as driving a 'SAAB Viggen', my guess is that model SAAB is turbo right?....MORE FORCE, MORE TORQUE !!!! (see torque=forceXdistance above)...hehehe

Please don't think I'm trying to flame you, cause I'm not. Just trying to point you towards the truth. Now, when some idiot tries to argue with you about this, grab the nearest physics book and bash him over the head with it. Even with our ultra-modern, technologically advanced, new millenium automobiles (yeah right), we STILL cannot defy the laws of physics or gravity....YET !!!

later
V

silver_bullet · May 2001

Yes, 20 years as an ASE certified tech taught me a few things about stuck fasteners

. And yes, I remember my college physics, too - but your lesson about force x distance has nothing to do with this drive axle discussion, because the drive torque is being applied along the axis of the shaft - not at some perpendicular distance from the center line of the shaft. If you assume that the differential is delivering equal torque to both drive axles, and the wheel/tire/brake assemblies are the same at the outboard ends of the shafts, the MASS of the shaft itself will affect how it responds - Isaac Newton taught us that objects at rest like to stay that way, so when you apply torque to a massive shaft and a less massive one simultaneously, the less massive one will spin up faster. It is the difference in how each side "spins up" that produces the phenomenon known as "torque steer". No flames meant from this end, either.

esto · May 2001

So torque = mass x acceleration x distance.

Seems to me that torque is directly proportional to mass, n'est pas?

njbongo · May 2001

Ok, I've considered BOTH of our equations here. Mine has everything to do with this, you just have to 'reverse' the process. As it turns out, we are BOTH right !!!!

Here's something I found on another site:

"There are two another torque steer problems unique to front-drive cars with transverse engines. typically, the engine is mounted on the right side of the chassis with the transaxle on the left. As a result of this configutration, the right halfshaft is usually much longer htan the left halfshaft. The first problem arises as, itf these were manufactured from iddentical materials, the longer right shaft would have a much greater torqe angle then the left for the application of an equal amout of torque. Step on the gas, and the car would veer immediately to the left then straighten. This is a fairly easy fix - change the Torque moment of the shafts to be equal. On VW products using trnasverse engines, the right halfshaft is usually a much larger diameter than the left and is hollow.

The second problem arises as a result of the CV joints needed (two per side). Torqe si needed to drive CV joints unless they are running with zero deflection. The torque required is a function of the angle between the driving and driven halves. The more they are deflected, the more energy they consume. As a result, under acceleration, drive shafts on either side of a FWD will tend to adjust themselves to equalize torque. As the shafts are of unequal length, the CV joints on either side would run with unequal deflections. The geometry involved usually causes transverse FWD cars to pull slightly to the left under acceleratione. One FWD manufacturer (whose identity escapes me) used a layshaft on the right side of their vehicle so that both halfshafts were of equal length and torque steer was minimized. My bet would be Cadillac on the Northstar equipped vehicles, as that much power from a transverse engine could be a real wheel-ripper, and a rude surprise to your typical Cadillac owner."

njbongo · May 2001

Sorry, had to do this in two posts because of the length....now, read this page:

http://www.motorage.com/edindex/0299032.htm

Like I said, we ARE both right, but the LENGTH (or distance) of the axles is still more important. If adjusting the mass worked correclty, then my old GTI would nt have had ANY torque steer. If VW is still doing things this way, it's not working 100% because even the new cars (especially any with the 1.8T) still have very noticable torque steer. The Audi on the other hand has a similar front end, but the AWD models don't have the problem because of the AWD and traction control. There are OTHER ways to compensate, but the only MECHANICAL way that works 100% is having the same length axles. If you want proof, go drive any Subaru or Porsche Boxster for that matter....they both have equal length axles.

jnmartin · May 2001

I haven't gotten my car back yet, but the tech I talked to said that the noise was a loose shock. I guess when I get it back I'll be able to tell you if the noise and the loss of traction are gone.

I hate my dealer and am asking around for a reliable one in the area to take care of my baby. There are 4 in the Syracuse area and I still have a couple to work with.

I'm leaving for vacation today, and expect to put close to 2000 miles on her round trip. That's if I get her back today, we're still waiting for a part. For my dealer's sake it had better be a smooth ride. I'm not in the mood for continued problems with them right now and the smile and compromising attitude is gone.

njbongo · May 2001

That's good news.....if the dealers telling ou the truth. A loose shock or strut would definetly cause that problem also. When I said wheel alignment, I asummed the idiots would have actually CHECKED for something so obvious by now. Stupid me !!!!!

It reallt S**CKS that the car is so good, and the dealers so bad. I'm still crossing my fingers...no problems at ALL yet, so I have no idea if my dealer's service dept is any good. We'll see...

Let us know what happens, and good luck !

V

jansa · May 2001

I’m new to the board and appreciate all the great info I’ve received here, and on the Hatchback board. Just took delivery of my Jackpot Gold ZX3 yesterday and am anxious to replace the floor mats (especially front). Thought maybe the Kona edition kind would work, if I could find them. Just called one (of many) local parts departments, and the fellow there couldn’t find them in his book. Would really appreciate some specific suggestions for floor mats. More interested in protection and durability than style. Thanks.

pro5girlie · June 2001

Hi! Congrats on your purchase. If you're looking for Kona mats, try asking the people on www.teamfocaljet.com. We have over 2000 members, so hopefully someone knows something. This is a great little place to talk, but when you need to speak to a broader audience, focaljet is the place. By the way, my name over there is focswagongrl. My boyfriend has a focus wagon. Great car! Later!

axel1997 · June 2001

I'm sorry, I'm lost. Someone over at Escape-Central.com ( http://www.escape-central.com ) posted that there was a club over here at Edmunds for Ford Escape owners. I have never been here before but I cannot find it. I searched under Ford Clubs and all that I found was these Ford Focus clubs. Sorry to post here, but I'm hoping someone here more familiar with Edmunds can help me? Is there any Escape club here at Edmunds? Help. Thanks.

Axel

Karen_S · June 2001

At the present time, there isn't a specific Ford Escape club available. BUT, that can be easily remedied. I'll do a bit of investigating and see if there are any Escape owners interested in getting one going.

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

iltr · August 2001

We just bought my wife a yellow 2001 ZX3 with the 16 inch wheel package and 50 series tires. I looked in the owners manual for the correct tire pressure and it states to look on the drivers door. Not there. What is the correct factory recommended pressure? Right now it has 30 PSI.

njbongo · August 2001

It's in the passenger door....I think it's 34PSI...double check your door panel

markrn · August 2001

I have an S2 automatic and while under the car changing the oil i noticed right where the transmission bell housing mates to the block their appears to be a port / viewing hole on the bottom. What is the purpose for it and there is no plug present and does there need to be.Any info is appreciated. thanks

kebbat · August 2001

this is truly unbelievable to me .... my car was hit a few weeks ago (someone backed into my PARKED car .... I wasn't even in it)so I brought it to my local Ford collision center to have it repaired. Got stuck driving a rental for over a week and finally got the word yesterday that my car was ready.

Picked it up at lunchtime .... looks good. Go back to work.

After work drive to the store for a quick second and then head home.

As I walked by the rear bumper I noticed what first looked like caked on mud .... funny, it hadn't rained .... upon closer examination I have found that SOMEONE ELSE HIT MY CAR!!!!!

I don't know when, it either had to be at work or during the 5 minutes I was in the grocery store. Either way .... my right rear bumper has several, make the MANY, scrapes that go deeper than just the paint. Some are down to whatever that metallic looking surface is under the paint. They aren't exactly gouges, but they are more than just surface scratches. They aren't the largest scratches ever, but I will absolutely notice them ever single time I walk by so I want to fix them.

Ford sent me a bottle of touch-up paint a few weeks after I bought my car .... I'm nervous about trying to use this though .... any ideas or suggestions?

cgsangel · August 2001

I had a similar problem with the paint on my rear bumper. It got scratched badly after last winter's sand and ice. I used touch up paint to cover three or four bad scratches and the paint covered well. I didn't attempt to cover every little scratch though, just the deep ones.

My color is the autumn orange paint, and scratches show easily. It is a medium dark color and the under paint color is white. So I had to do something to make it look better. I wish that the black protective cover that comes on the wagons could be made to fit the hatchback too. Maybe in the future that could be an option.

Charlie

mroland · November 2001

Hi
I just picked up my Focus ZX5 Tues night and am wondering about a possible break in period for the car. I couldn't see anything in the manual. Thus far, I havent revved it beyond 4000, at least for the first 500 miles, then increase to 5000, I won't redline it for awhile.

Marc

reallybob · March 2002

Hi gang,

Last October I bought a new 2001 Focus sedan. Shortly after the purchase I began smelling burning oil or rubber, the odor especially noticeable in stop and go traffic, or after climbing a hill and stopping.

I took the car, (a beautiful Infra-Red LX) to the dealership with that complaint. After a brief inspection the mechanic found that the "right inner axle seal" had been leaking. After waiting for about 24 hours I was called and told that a new seal had been received and that I could bring the car in for the repair. I did. A week later I brought the car back to the dealership with the same complaint of a strong burning odor. I was told by the mechanic that the replaced seal was defective so he would have to replace it. About 5 days later the dealership received the new seal and while installing it found that the oil pan gasket was leaking, so had to order a new gasket.

About a week later they replaced that gasket. I noticed shortly after taking the car off the dealerships lot that the smell was still very obvious. I decided to give the car a week to burn off any residue... after that week ended I returned the car to the dealership, again with the same complaint. This time the mechanic found that the "main seal" between the engine and transmission was leaking. After about a week a replacement seal was delivered to the dealership. This time they had to keep the car overnight, giving me a loaner car to drive.

To make this already long story shorter, I returned the car again with that same old complaint. Doing some research the dealership was able to locate SOMEWHERE that there had been a recent "campaign" put out on this model of the Focus recommending the installation of some kind of filter into the A/C heating ventilation system of the car as the intake (apparently) draws air from the engine compartment.

While waiting for this filter to be delivered to the dealership I was driving the car in heavy stop and go traffic in Seattle. While stopped at an intersection I noticed a gray smoke coming from the engine compartment of my car. The first time I'd seen smoke. I mentioned this to the dealership when I delivered the car to them for the installation of the filter.

They installed the filter and steam cleaned the engine. I notice the smell, still, though it's not as obvious. If the smell continues into the coming week I will once again return the car to the dealership with that same old complaint hoping that they'll FINALLY find a solution.

Anyone else out there having this problem? The burning eyes, coughing and nausea is getting to me!

Sorry for the rambling,
Bob

reallybob · March 2002

I almost forgot to mention, the mechanic also tightened the exhaust manifold bolts when he installed the filter.

See ya!

weakside · April 2002

I bought my ZTW last week and the Southern Ford Dealers Assoc. was running a promotion where a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty was thrown in free. I never got any paper work for this and when asked, their answer was that it would be in the computer under the VIN. Shouldn't I get some sort of paperwork or something? If not, is there a way I can check that this warranty is actually in their computers?

rthayer · April 2002

This is in reply to message 74 by weakside re:
the extended powertrain warranty for Focus. My
experience: Ford announced in October 2001 a
100k extended powertrain warranty on all 02 Foci
but dealers here claimed no knowledge of this
offer and said it was apparently "regional" in
scope. This is not what the Detroit news or
Edmunds said, both citing a press release by
Ford saying all 02 Foci would be given this
warranty. I pursued this with Ford and gave it
up as a blind alley. You get auto-generated
computer replies from their Customer Service
and nothing else. I really cannot fault the dealer
as he is not in receipt of anything in writing
from Ford. I never heard the VIN connection bit
but this leads me to wonder if this would only
apply to the original purchaser or the warranty
automatically carries forward to whomever has
the car with less than 100k on it. Bottom line:
Ford has not ever responded to me on this issue
and I seriously doubt they ever will given the
financial situation they are in. BTW, Focus
sales are down 11% last month reflecting a drop
off in fleet buying in wake of 9/11.

rcs3 · April 2002

I purchased a 2002 ZTS fully loaded, on 4/9 on 4/16 (575 miles on it) it was 90 degrees out an on my way home the radiator hose blew off reservoir. After pushing back on I drove straight to the dealer, who told me all the mechanics went home, it was 4:40 and they leave at 4:30. After some persistence the dealer got someone to replace the clamp that split. Can anyone tell me this car gets good gas milage? So far I am getting 23 MPG all highway. How can the sticker say 26 City 32 Highway?

fdthird · May 2002

Not on my Focus, but on a 97 Ford Van I owned...a new dealer was able to put my VIN in thier computer and up popped the info on my Ford Extended Warranty, so they are tied into the VIN.

This being the case, I would imagine that a Ford Dealer could input your VIN and see if the car had that warranty or not.

ffunny · July 2002

I hope it is appropriate to post this question here... If not then please let me know a better or more appropriate place to post. I am considering buying a Focus ZTW. One of my major hesitations is that my mechanic does not service Fords. It took me a long time to find an honest mechanic. Can anyone recommend a mechanic or dealer in Orange County, California? I'm not necessarily concerned about finding the cheapest place. In my experience it's cheaper in the long run to pay a little more for needed repairs than to pay for unneeded ones.

ikoiko2u · July 2002

Our 2000 Focus SE Sedan with 21000 miles is at the dealer for a complete brake overhaul: new rotors and pads. My wife is not a heavy handed driver. She drives with two children (5,3). In our car ownership experience we have NEVER had to the repair the brakes before the warranty period expired. Heck, my Subaru Outback has 40000 on the original brakes.

The sad part of this is the dealer service rep said the brake replacement is chronic with Focus. The brake repair, coupled with the various TSR's that have come out since 2000, has convinced us to stay away from Ford products.

stephens37 · July 2002

I recently purchased the ZTW. How has your gas mileage been? Also do you find the seats comfortable?

lynnf7 · October 2002

I'm looking for a used car to replace my mom's 1989 Chevy Celebrity (about time, eh?). She likes the 2000 Focus sedan beacause it's easy to get in and out of. But I've heard there are a lot of reliabililty problems with these cars. What do you think? Would you want your 70 year old mother driving to church in a 2000 Focus?? The dealer has it marked at 12,000.00. Is that a little high? Help! and Thanks!

focus090 · October 2002

i was checking out the other focus disscussions ( i usually post in the zx5 one), and was reading some of your guys' comments.
i had a 2000 focus se sedan for 2 years, and had not one single problem with it, had maybe 5 recalls - but not one of them took more than THAT visit to complete or inspect. that car ran great for an SOHC, instead of having the zetec engine (a far better engine). the main problem with the first focus' is that they were rushed to production. this car was supposed to not debut until 2002, but at the time, ford was having financial problems, low sales and such, so the rushed the focus out the door. and when you rush things, things are going to get messed up. thats what happened with the focus' produced at the very beginnning - chipping paint, faulty power windows, small things that make people gasp (but aren't really all that big of a problem). this car is an enormous hit in europe, and they havent had any problems with their models, so of course we had to go and screw up a good thing here in the u.s.
but, keep in mind that ford has come a long long way since the focus first debuted. quality is up, and people are constantly purchasing focus'. when you look at the cars that are in tha same class as the focus what do you see? stale, played out cars like the cavalier, the neon, and those like em. the styling, interior room and interior styling among other things makes this car a great seller. my lease on my se sedan was up in may, and i looked at every car under the sun in the same category - and i ended where i started with the focus. this time, i got a zx5,for 3 years. when i looked at the prices, what they had to offer, and the overall package of cars in the same category and such, you couldnt beat it. the quality is there, and the styling is too - now, dont think i'm a domestic car freak, i just think that this little car has gotten too much of a bad rap in some cases. do people frown when dodge has a recall? or mercedes benz? or volkswagen? nope. but when ford does it, or mercury, people go, "oh, boy, ANOTHER recall?!?!?!?" its no big deal, they do this to keep people safe, bring things to their attention.
i'll pit this car against any in its class - heck, maybe other classes as well...i know this car inside and out, from replacing stock headlights to getting better gas mileage and more acceleration. for $17,170 and $221 a month its a steal, not to mention the clean record i've had for both of mine.

focus090 · October 2002

12,000 for a used 2000 focus is too much. at the end of my 2 year lease, with only 16,600 miles on it, it was only worth like 8000 tops. goto kellybluebook.com for a really good ballpark price. but yeah, 12,000 is too much - unless you live near new york or in that region, cuz i have heard they pay more for cars.

piglover · January 2003

Has anyone personally changed the coolant on the Focus. The manual says to refill, the heater supply hose has to be disconnected from the engine. And with a funnel add the coolant. Does anyone know how easy this is to do? Does anyone know if the Ford (green) coolant is any different from the Prestone.
Lou

dsha · January 2003

My new 2002 Focus sedan only run 1650 mile up till now. Everyday I drive my car to go work and home around 10 miles in the city. The fuel economy of my car is only about 17mpg. I am wondering if it is too low. Is that normal for a new car? But the window sticker said the fuel economy is 26mpg in the city when I bought my new car about two months ago. Can any one help me out?
Thanks!

rwgreenberg · January 2003

I tend to think it is. I drive 10 miles to work in the suburbs and get about 22 mpg. I have about 16,000 miles on the odo. Somehow I think that the "definition" of city used to test mileage translates roughly into typical suburban driving conditions...at least on Long Island anyway.

piglover · April 2003

Has anyone changed the transmission fluid on the Focus? I thought it was going to be easy. The manual says to disconnect the lower hose that runs to the transmission oil cooler. I loosened the hose clamp and slid it about 5 inches up the hose and twisted and pulled and could not get the hose off the end of the cooler. Didn't want to twist to hard for fear of breaking the cooler connection. Ended up siphoning the fluid from the dipstick tube; but was only able to remove about a quart.
Lou

gmzx3 · June 2003

I recently changed my coolant (37K miles) and it was simple. I did npot remeove any hoses. If I had done it this way, I would do it on the platic manifold near the radiator.

First, I removed the cap from the reservoir, opened the drain plug - drivers side, bottom of radiator and drained it cold. I got about 4 of the 6 qts total out. Then I put tightened the drain plug, filled the system with water and ran the engine to open the thermostat. I drained it again, tightened the drain plug by hand, let the engine cool and put about 3 quarts of Prestone (green) in the reservoir (tank). I then filled it the rest of the way with water (to the full line). I drove the car, checked for leaks and checked to make sure it was full the next day. A week or so later I checked the coolant strenght in the expansion tank. It was about -45.

I have access to a pH meter and checked the old vs new coolnat. The new was over 10 and the old stuff was around 8 (more acidic).

Gary

Has anyone personally changed the coolant on the Focus. The manual says to refill, the heater supply hose has to be disconnected from the engine. And with a funnel add the coolant. Does anyone know how easy this is to do? Does anyone know if the Ford (green) coolant is any different from the Prestone.
Lou

starbird · July 2003

I actually like my 2000 focus, but I am disappointed that with only 24000 miles on the clock its going to have to have all its brake pads replaced at a cost of $750! I too have had the burning smell mentioned by other dealers. That cost $289 for the dealer to tell me they couldn't find what was causing it. Although I was going to try and get the Taurus replacement for my next car, I'm thinking about getting something that has fewer problems (plus the smell makes you feel ill on long drives).

hotx3 · July 2003

That sounds like a lot for brakes. I have a 2000 with 40K on it and just had the front brake pads replaced (with upgraded pads) for about $250. Are your rotors being replaced?
I'm very surprised about the rear brakes needing work. Unless you drive in the city and really work the brakes, this is very unusual.
Did you get a second opinion on whether the work needs to be done? You really should get a second quote.
I've posted my opinion about how some dealers charge big $$ just to look at what would seem to be an obvious warranty issue - that it just drives people out of the Ford "family". Do you have a choice of dealers? Did you bring the problem to the dealer when you were still under warranty? Have you talked to Ford? Are you willing to be insistent or get ugly (though this doesn't always help)?

stefman722 · August 2003

hey!

i bought new speakers for the focus, since i blew the stock ones, and was wondering how the hell you would take the speaker grill off of this. If anyone knows how to install new speakers in the focus, please reply and tell me how. I would appreciate it. Thanks

hooi · August 2003

I would say watch out when some dealer or car repair place wants to replace all your brakes.

I took my focus to a Firestone when my first set of front brake pads wore out. They wanted to change out everything including rotors and rear drum brakes for $700!

Well, little did they know that just the week before, I brought my Focus in for a recall notice and Ford had already changed out my rear brakes.

So in a huff, I went to the autoparts store and bought me a set of good semi-metallic brake pads. Then my friend, who was a mechanic, changed my front brake pads for me. He also looked at my rotors and said they were fine.

Thus, whenever I hear a person complaining about brakes/rotors that wore too fast, I immediately think that person got taken by a crooked mechanic. Brakes are 40 year old technology...no way do they wear out that quickly.

If your brakes really did wear out that quickly, never replace it with another OEM brake pad. Go to www.tirerack.com and buy some premium brake products that will last longer and go easier on the rotor while running cleaner to boot. Those OEM organic pads that came with the Focus were the worst...they produced too much brake dust.

waelce · October 2003

blower motor works only on high and shuts off a/c

fdthird · October 2003

Its broke

miran · October 2003

i have a ford focus 01 ztech engine ,wagon,this may sound dumb but i couldnt find the radiator cap or the radiator,i would like to change the anti freeze,any one with this knowledge i would appreciate your help.

miran · October 2003

the year was wrong in the original message ,it should be 01 ford focus wagon

norwaydoug · October 2003

The radiator cap is not on the radiator, but located on the white plastic over-flow container.

Please note: This cap is under pressure when the engine is hot. Do not remove cap while the engine is hot or you will be sprayed with hot antifreeze (most unpleasant, I am sure).

NorwayDoug

miran · October 2003

in response to norwaydoug,and gmzx3.according to gmzx3 ,i am still confused ,if there is no radiator cap,when you pour water in the reservoir does that go into the radiator,there has to be a radiator ,and every car i ever owned had a cap ,the reservoir is only an overflow for the water ,and recovery ,where is the radiator ,do you have to take something off the top to get at the cap? i appreciate the help from both of you but am still confused.

gmzx3 · October 2003

The cooling system in the Focus is more like Euro designs I have seen, in that the expansion tank is thicker walled and pressurized. In most other cooling systems the tank is just for overflow and not pressurized. In those systems, a radiator cap keeps the system prsssurized.

The Focus has no pressure cap on the radiator. The cap on the expansion tank allowsd you to add coolant AND maintains system pressure. You add coolant through the cap on the expansion tank on passenger side. As it is the highest part of the system, gravity takes it to the radiator and the rest of the cooling system. The cap on this tank IS the cooling system pressure cap. It does not seem to have a valve to let off excessive pressure as a conventional cap does though.

So, you can remove hoses if you want to flush and fill the system but I simply ran a hose in the expansion tank and flushed it that way. My system was pretty clean after 2 years. I then filled the system with coolant the same way when I was done flushing. I was happily surprized that the system bled itself of air easily.

Gary

in response to norwaydoug,and gmzx3.according to gmzx3 ,i am still confused ,if there is no radiator cap,when you pour water in the reservoir does that go into the radiator,there has to be a radiator ,and every car i ever owned had a cap ,the reservoir is only an overflow for the water ,and recovery ,where is the radiator ,do you have to take something off the top to get at the cap? i appreciate the help from both of you but am still confused.

samchap · March 2005

I need to replace the power steering pump on my 2000 Ford Focus DOC. I would like to do this job myself and save some money. I would like to know if anyone else has had experience with this. Also is there a repair manual that is best for this car thanks
Sammy

barczyk · April 2005

I just went over 70k miles and was thinking it might be time to replace the shocks/struts on my car. The ride is getting rougher but not quite unbearable yet. I was wondering if this is too soon or too late compared to everyone elses experiences.

Ford Focus Care & Maintenance

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