Ford Focus Hatchback ZX3 - Part VI

moses5

I checked the Ford Focus forum in the SEDAN room. A few people are hearing the clunks and thunks in their rear suspension as well. I am going to email some of their comments to the ownerconnection site.

tickbitty

No clunks and thunks here! Took my baby on a 500 mile trip this weekend, no problems, did 70 thru 80 mph a lot and it felt like 40. Very smooth and quiet, nice ride! Passed a malibu blue ZX3 and had my first chance to honk and wave to my brethren! - Only one little issue: the a/c kind of stinks when I first turn it on - smells like wet pavement (or like coolant!:) It's very noticeable. Is that normal?

silver_bullet

A stale sort of smell is often unavoidable, especially in very humid climates (like Houston, where I live) since mold and mildew form very quickly in the evaporator core. Coolant smells are a whole different matter! If you truly smell coolant (has kind of a sweet, maple syrupy sort of odor), you might have a leak in or at the heater core - have your dealer check it out. The regular A/C stink can be minimized by spraying a special substance into the intake for the system. Wurth, and other companies make such a spray. Aren't A/C systems a hassle?

tickbitty

Yes, I suppose. I do live in VA, and it is EXTREMELY humid (and very hot in the summer.) Haven't had AC at all in over 10 years so I was pretty happy to get it though. THanks, I'll check about the spray stuff.

gmanzx3

Be very wary of any report put out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety!!!

Think about it...it is run by the INSURANCE industry. If they come out with "un-biased" information that says that any car is less crash worthy that normal. They get to charge you MORE MONEY. Same thing with promoting that speed kills. If you get a ticket for speeding...they get to charge you MORE MONEY. What do you possibly think the results are going to be? This is a VERY corrupt and biased agency. Statistics can be focused (no pun) on any angle that they wish. It is just a normal inconsistancy with statistics. This agency/the media/politicians use this "spin tactic" every day. DON'T BE FOOLED. We ZX3 owners should be more intelligent than that.

cefurod

Try using Honda Polish spray on your wheel to remove brake dust. This spray can be applied to justt about any surfaces. I used it on motorcycles to clean the plastic, frame, and wheels. It removes bugs and road grim. Just spray it on a cloth and wipe. Also good for removing bird doodoo.
If it's not too personal, can you people post where you are from? I'm in NJ.
Ford sent me a small bottle of touch up paint and a Quick Tip manual for the zx3. The funny thing is, the picture of the manual lock is totally wrong.
I hope i get a mug so it could protect my femur.

imsoyboy

I'm from New Jersey too, down near the shore...U?

focusfan

Made the mistake of teaching my girlfriend to drive stick on my focus. I swear I heard her (the car) crying...

gabegarwick

Des Moines, Iowa

BTW- One of the top insurance capitals in the country. (And yes, I work for an insurance company. But no, I don't have anything to do with insurance. My dept. is Network Services)

Gabe

pcleveland2

My ZX3 did a really dumb thing this morning, or maybe I did. Got to work and left my keys in switch. Went back out to put some things in car and it was LOCKED. Don't know how it happened unless I bumped the auto lock button. Anyway had to call Ford Roadside Assistance and they were excellent. First thing they wanted to know was if I was safe. No problem there. The only thing was that where I work is on a State Hwy between two small villages, and we don't have a street number. Tried to convience them that it was the only business with all kinds of Gasoline/Fuel Tankers around, but they still wanted a address. The guy they contracted with knew right where we were so no problem. They seemed to think that because it was New York State that we were talking New York City which is 400 miles away.

Lesson Learned: Keys go with me from now on!

Pat

catmom

I agree that A/C smells are common. I find that if I turn the A/C off a few blocks from my destination and let fresh air blow through, it helps dry things out and there is less opportunity for mold and mildew to form.

pcleveland2

Moses 5,
Am wondering if you are hearing the rear wheel when it kicks not only up but back. I don't really know how to describe it, but not only does it up go up and down, but it goes up, back then back forward and down. Kind of a wrist action. Part of the design to save room and have better handling. I haven't noted any unusual noises related to that, but its possible that is what it could be.
Also somebody a while back had their rear coil spring come loose and turn allowing one side of car to drop. Could be yours is loose, but hasn't turned.
One of the very early Focus Reviews talked about something rattleing around in back but it finally went away. Think they noted that other "Foci" were also doing it, but they had no idea what it was. Maybe you could go back into Part 1 and 2 of this topic and find exactly what was going on. Sure it was all covered there.
Pat

zx3beast

i have a pitch black zx3-i did notice what i initially thought was excessive light scratching
on front bumpers + side panels.however,black is a tough nut to maintain,i knew that going into it .
i do enjoy cleaning+waxing the car.i took delivery
in jan.,after many snowfalls + salting,i believe it was related to the elements more so than the factory.after a thorough washing.then polish,then
carnauba wax it looks showroom new again.
the rear thunk+clunk is probably coming from
the real wheel wells+ not from suspension.occurs
usually when wet or temperature extremes.

jheitman

I hear these every once in a while, going over the bump in the end of my driveway, driving along a curve in the road. Just seems like a stone was thrown up into the rear wheel well. However, this can't happen with all the fibereous material in the wheel well.
Brake dust is a problem, but not as much as my sweaky rear brake.
Still love the ZX3, just hope the sweak stops soon.

focusfanatic

Check out the goverments rating-5 stars for driver and passenger! (No side impact tests yet)

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/ncap.cfm?lookup=yes&vehclass=car&vehdesc=Car

Better than any other compact except the golf and jetta, which also have 5 stars for driver and passenger. They, however, suffer a weight penalty for their reinforcements. Not even the saturn LS1 got a 5 star driver rating! Quit worrying about your femurs, guys!

teamzx3yellow

ordered it today... now the wait...


mom, is it here yet

nilo2

I have been waiting on a new passenger seat for my ZX3 almost one month now from my dealer. The seat lever that pushes the seat forward in order to let passengers in the back seat snapped off as my friend got in the car. He kicked it by mistake and broke the whole thing off. Because of the plastic lever, they will have to replace the whole seat. Seems to me that Ford better think of a better design for that lever. First off, I think they could have made the whole seat tilt forward in order for the passenger to get in the back. Because it doesnt, it makes for this monster huge lever to be exposed very easily for someone to kick it in and break it like my friend.

Other than this I have been very happy with my
5-speed ABS infra-red ZX3. I have noticed some some minor "pissoffs" on my ZX3 though: Loose plastic door panel on the passenger side door, loose plastic antenna mount on the roof, loose plastic windshield wiper spray holes on the front hood, and split rubber linings on the the driver door, which now makes some contact with the inside metal of the car. And now I have some small scratches on the inside door panel beacause of that! Arghhhh! Minor details though.. Nothing to prevent me from still loving my dear ZX3..

Was driving around Taunton, MA last Friday and saw a fellow owner of a pitch black ZX3 waive to me! Very cool.. That was the third ZX3 on the road I have seen since I bought mine, which now has almost 4K miles.

nilo2

I have been waiting on a new passenger seat for my ZX3 almost one month now from my dealer. The seat lever that pushes the seat forward in order to let passengers in the back seat snapped off as my friend got in the car. He kicked it by mistake and broke the whole thing off. Because of the plastic lever, they will have to replace the whole seat. Seems to me that Ford better think of a better design for that lever. First off, I think they could have made the whole seat tilt forward in order for the passenger to get in the back. Because it doesnt, it makes for this monster huge lever to be exposed very easily for someone to kick it in and break it like my friend.

Other than this I have been very happy with my
5-speed ABS infra-red ZX3. I have noticed some some minor "pissoffs" on my ZX3 though: Loose plastic door panel on the passenger side door, loose plastic antenna mount on the roof, loose plastic windshield wiper spray holes on the front hood, and split rubber linings on the the driver door, which now makes some contact with the inside metal of the car. And now I have some small scratches on the inside door panel beacause of that! Arghhhh! Minor details though.. Nothing to prevent me from still loving my dear ZX3..

Was driving around Taunton, MA last Friday and saw a fellow owner of a pitch black ZX3 waive to me! Very cool.. That was the third ZX3 on the road I have seen since I bought mine, which now has almost 4K miles.

razor5

.....did I hear someone say Zinc Yellow? That's not on my chart. What does it look like? Got pic?

audiolizard

Zinc Yellow is a newer color that seems pretty rare, but you can order it. I was having a tough time deciding between CD Silver and Zinc Yellow(and most of the other colors). I was considering changing the order from CD Silver to Zinc Yellow since I still could. I went to a different dealer lot that had about 50 Foci in every color except Twilight Blue and Zinc Yellow, and I ended up staying with the silver. I still haven't been able to find any Foci or even any pictures of Foci in the Zinc Yellow. It should be the same as the Yellow Mustangs, though. I wish I could see one so I'd know I made the right choice.

Audiolizard

mzn

Friends, I hid post #325 above because it contained a link which skewed our screen sign. To read that post, just click on "Hidden." Thanks!

carlady/host

calico1

Tickbitty, Kevin, and Gabe -- thanks for all the great info on bike racks. (And tickbitty, how was BRUUUUUCE?)

My watch showed up in the mail just before I left town. The calicomobile is malibu blue, and the watch is yellow, but that's okay. It's still a pretty cool watch.

While I was in Bethlehem, PA this weekend, I saw two ZX3s! A hunter green and a CD silver. The CD silver was driving around Lehigh University this afternoon. The hunter green was across the street from the hotel. I got to point them out to everyone and say -- see, that's what I got! Isn't it great? I only wish I had had the calicomobile with me! I noticed something about the cars. The color of a ZX3 really changes the whole overall appearance, like no other car I've seen. Anyway, if those ZX3s belong to any of you, my fellow Team ZX3ers, let me know!
Calico1

silverzx3

Hello all, I have been on a road trip and have missed the posts for the last week or so. 1500 miles Cape Girardeau Mo. to Columbus Ohio (lots of running around in Columbus)and back. Saw 1 red ZX3 @ OH/IN Border on Easter Sunday. He looked, I gave a "thumbs up." I saw about 20 sedans, most of them didn't seem to be enthusiasts (rentals?)
Lots of looks, some "holy [non-permissible content removed] thats cool" and some, what a "dork car."

I'm glad to see all the motorcyclist on the forum.


+++++++++++Cup holder+++++++++++ got a 32 OZ.er @ White Castles (slider pilot) would not fit! Pull out your dark grey cup holder insert Viola!!!! the 32 OZ fits perfect. (could this be a engineered feature?)

zx3

To: bjamminn:
What did you mean in your Post#399, when you said you "had to pay" to replace some bad parts in the front suspension of your Z?
Doesn't your Z have a warranty?
Doesn't a new Z's warranty cover the whole car?
Thanx for any enlightenment you can give me on this.
zx3

kdominczak

Unfortunately, it's not so easy to forget about our femurs.
Do you remember how "femur" became so famous here?
Someone did say that the crash tests for focus came out very well , except for the "femur" test!
What've happened later, we all know... "femur" became the most popular subject of jokes and funny comments since the "too small cup holders saga".
So please let's start talking about our beloved Focus and some more serious subjects than femur or cup holders dilemma.
Thank you.

jedimaster1

I have been looking at the main page of the Owner's Club conference as I surf my way on in here and it still only says there are two Owner's Clubs. When are we starting the ZX3 Club?

Almost at 3k miles on my ZX3, and finally saw my first ZX3 around here, on my way from work (Atlanta). I saw it getting on the Interstate and it was about a quarter mile ahead of me. I put on the speed and caught up with it, saw a couple really cute girls in it, waved at them and flashed my charming smile. They waved back and we sort of played catch-up, racing back and forth (while zooming by everyone else in traffic) until they had to get off at their exit.

I guess the ZX3 buyers in Atlanta are a little slow, I have seen quite a few sedans and wagons, but this was my first ZX3 on the road. (I have actually seen one ZX3 in the parking lot where I work, but it was just one day and it was a rental...I didn't know the ZX3 got demoted to rental status).

I'm getting my oil change done this weekend before my two road trips to Tennessee next month. I thought about doing it myself, but I really don't mind paying the 20 bucks for someone to do it. However, I'm debating on who I should take it to. Many people have said on here that Ford Service keeps overfilling the oil, causing it to spill and burn and smelling nasty. I am thinking of taking it to Jiffy Lube, which is where I have always gone for my other cars and I haven't had any complaints about their work. What do y'all suggest, take it to Jiffy Lube or give my local Ford dealer a chance?

Clint

rlr207

Has anyone checked out the NHTSA site lately? It looks like the femur numbers have changed. They are now within the normal (from the best I can tell) range. Is this right?
Anyway...I just got my black ZX3 and I am thrilled to death. It is my first car that is mine outright and I couldn't be more proud. I have seen a couple others at Penn State, but they are rare.
Wow! is the first word of everyone who rides in it. The room and smoothness of a "small" car is pretty remarkable. Plus, with the back seat folded down, I can move a small army. A wonderfully versatile car. The perfect car for a student on the run with little cash to burn...bravo Ford!
I'll keep everyone posted as I put more mile on it :-)

rubberban

bad grammar mad...btw, you CAN'T see the duck tape under the ebrake bag.

richsktp

The may edition of Super Ford magazine has a zinc yellow zx3 on the cover. I glanced at it at Walmart. It is ultra-bright yellow. Maybe this might be the new color. I was more interested in the upgrades that they did to the car(turbo, computer, beefed-up bottom end in the engine, and even a 75 hp shot of N2O). All said and done. pumped out 250-260 hp outta the little beast. An aside: must.. not.. lose.. control.. keep.. money.. car is good right outta box. Waiting on mine. sigh.

teamzx3yellow

according to kbb.com and my dealership zinc yellow was made available march 17 2000. it's already been too long of a wait... twelve hours too long.

torinopaddy

Someone asked where I got the info on the focus' deviant behaviour. Unfortunately I didn't get it from the net but from the Italian press so here follows a translated excerpt from the article in question:
"After more than 100 years, cars still suffer from strange tendencies. If the driver isn't attentive, they can display an insane sympathy towards the right or the left rather than going straight along their path.
The latest model to manifest this problem on more than isolated cases is the Ford Focus and several readers have written to us explaining what they had to do to try and solve the problem, not always with success. Recently Ford provided its dealers with a detailed procedure which entails a convergenze check, a check of the wheel bearings and the rotation of the wheels according to a predetermined order. It should be noted that Ford, as for other constructors, retain as acceptable, in ideal conditions and with no hands on the steering wheel, a lateral deviation of seven meters for every kilometer passed. In this case, if the problem is within these values, Ford considers it resolved."
The article goes on to explain the reasons for lateral deviation and how to figure out what is causing it. Not much to worry about really, just if any of you guys have this problem, you are not the first and your Ford dealer should know how to deal with it.

Still waiting for my State Blue Focus Zetec ESP...

tickbitty

those from the earlier days of this forum may remember my "burning desire" for the color - I'm bummed that I misssed out by just a few months! Saw a guy yesterday working on a yellow car (by another maker) I asked him something about the car then told him I liked the color. I indicated my "autumn orange" car and said I wished it had come in yellow - he laughed and said he had just bought his car from a neighbor, - who had purchased my twin car, same color as mine!

cefurod

I'm in central jersey, off exit 9 on the turnpike or 130 off the parkway. Which shore are you in?

imsoyboy

I'm exit 105 on the Parkway..I'm in the Monmouth Beach/Raceway area. You're about 30 miles from where I am. Only sited one ZX3 ... one of my neighbors (around 60) owns it. There are a lot of sedans around though. Tons of wagons on the lot!

Picked up the tip on Saturday for $7.50 from the BMW dealer, only one in stock. Lists for $9.00 but the parts guy gave me a "Bunny Discount". I didn't care what kind of discount it was I'll take it. Looks a whole lot better than that metal sticking out.

torinopaddy

Maybe I should have held on till this came on the market:

http://www.carseverything.com/reviews/specs.html/Ford_Focus_R_Concept.html

I was saying the R would have 170bhp...only 50bhp short!

imsoyboy

Looks cool but did you see the price ... $20,000
I don't think I would opt for that one.

cefurod

You're not far at all. Maybe i'll see you one day when i head down to the shore. What color is your car? I have a tinted black with no mods.

imsoyboy

Sangria Red...BMW exhaust tip..that's it! oh yeah and ME!

torinopaddy

As I have stated before the hatch is not the bargain basement offering over here (not with the 2.0L Zetec fully loaded) and $20,000 doesn't seem all that much for a hatch this hot. Compare it to the price for the ZTS (I've seen a list price of about $16,000) and it doesn't seem all that much for 90bhp more, the necessary beefing up of the componentry to handle all that torque (245lb/ft), the huge alloys, the new panelwork, (I really like the 'black' headlights and tail-lights), etc.

Maybe it's just that price wasn't a big issue for me when I chose this car. I like it for it's looks, size and performance more than anything. Unfortunately, I had to change my old Peugeot, and the 2.0L DOHC Zetec is the most powerful Focus presently available, so that was the one I chose.

focuszx3r

where do i get this shift knob you are speaking about??

jebogija

just thought I would let you guys in on what we can get here in the UK. Focus T180 1.8 Zetec Turbo 180 bhp, Focus T220, 2.0 Zetec 220 bhp and later this year a Focus T320, yep 320 bhp. All same shape as your zx3's with full dealer warranty. I want one so much it hurts.
Still waiting for my paint to be fixed.

togneter

That's a bargain for the Focus R.

Tell me where else I can get 220hp for that kind of money?

silver_bullet

Togneter, I looked at a '95 BMW M3 coupe last weekend. Cool car, 240hp six cylinder, all the usual M car bells and whistles. The dealer was asking $19,500... and he wanted to deal. If you don't mind accepting the increased maintenance costs of an older car, and bags of power is all you want, there are lots of choices out there. As for me, I'll keep my ZX3, thanks

rubberban

go to www.kustomz.com/focus.html. it gives you full access to the reverse lockout. it doesn't screw in like the stock one, instead you tighten it with a small allen screw.

togneter

Touche'.

I was thinking about new.

gabegarwick

Darn! Mine cost me $14.02 (tax included) from my local BMW dealer. That's a pretty hefty difference, though I'm not going to complain for a tip under $20.

projectzx3

Plans are in the works perhaps. check out this site if you haven't already and become a member...its free...

www.discussion-board.com/clubfocus/

once there click on Miscellaneous and then go to Meeting of Foci...

Edmunds is still my 'main squeeze' so please don't get jealous.

silver_bullet

After volunteering to be a moderator, and receiving an email from Carlady saying that my offer had been forwarded to the appropriate Edmunds contact person, I have heard nothing more. Maybe Gabe has heard something...? Gabe, don't feel bad about the exhaust tip. Prices at BMW dealer parts departments often vary dramatically, and trying to discover the true list price of a part is futile. Like with all marques, BMW dealerships are independent businesses and set their prices for cars, parts and service wherever they see fit.

teamzx3yellow

ok..what is it (its purpose) ?... any pictures

kdominczak

Focus R will be a great [non-permissible content removed] kicker!
Only acceleration on that car should be in the 5 to 6 seconds region(0-60), rather than 7 sec. that Car & Driver did reported.
What do you think?
Is $20k a fair price for that car?
When you can get a VW,(VW GTI 1.8t-150hp - $20K).
How good of a deal is that?