Ford Focus Hatchback ZX3 - Part XII

skater4

Well, they are putting in a new windshield as I write this. I took my z to the dealer yesterday, and they did the old "pen test." The thing is, once I stuck my own pen in there and really looked at the source of the crack, I could feel and see the little impact hole. They said it had probably been there for a couple of weeks before the heat made it expand. Don't you hate when the dealer is right? :-) Anyway, to make a long story short, my insurance is covering the entire cost of replacement. They even waived the deductible because I'm using someone who is in their "glass network." Pretty good, but now I'm hoping my insurance doesn't go up! I'll let you know how the new windshield holds up.

Miata, thanks for the link to the other Focus board. It was very helpful. And thanks to everyone on this board for always being so very willing and able to help each other out. It's nice to know there are people like you out there!

powerslide

I hope the details come out BEFORE my car arrives from the factory. If it is a serious matter, I may just kiss my deposit goodbye and go buy that Accord instead.

zgrrrl

Ahhh.... the warped rotors. If you go back to the colored posts in the last forum you will see all of my brake complaints...

The short of it - they resurfaced my warped rotors for me a couple weeks ago (and I had been feeling the slip before BUT they resurfaced when the huge SHIMMY came along). I wanted them to replace the rotors but they just resurfaced. I am keeping an eye (ear? foot) on the brakes to see if it happens again...if it does I'll be sure thhis time to get the new ones.

They just love me in that service department (not!) because I am in there once trouble starts only because I do not want to be stuck in a situation like yours. If that means they all run when they see my car coming - oh well

So they won't cover it because you waited so long?

brightness

Actually, trees produce very little oxygen on a net-net basis, especially old-growth trees. Since photosynthesis reduces C02 and H2O to O2 and hydrocarbon, we can measure the net amount of oxygen a forest produces by the amount of wood mass it is generating. The amount is very little in natural old growth forests; when wood mass does increase significantly in a natural forest, it's only forest fire waiting to happen, which once again recombines the O2 and hydrocarbon back into CO2. Tree farms on the other hand do produce quite a bit of oxygen because of their fast growth young trees; all that building timber and firewood we take out of the tree farms are proof of the amount of oxygen they are producing at the same time.

Most of the oxygen produced in the planet's carbon cycle is produced by plankton and algae on the surface of seas and oceans. Like 85% or so.

I love trees and hug them because of personal taste and enjoyment. Nothing more nothing less; no more spiritually superior or inferior to a guy who gets his rocks off riding vibrating hogs.

Jim

vadp

Thank you Jim.
Just love intelligent comments.

BTW since there is no visible activity on this board at the moment I propose to send the vice perpetrator to Russia where he can join his party comrades.

mzn

Flame extinguishers at the ready. :-) Let's get Focused!

carlady/host

lunaquest

I just ordered my 2001 Malibu blue ZX3-very excited for it to arrive in a few months (dealer said 6 weeks, HA!) Dealer advised me not to get the moonroof put in by the manufacturer though as they are putting them in poorly. Any of you hear any problems concerning moon-roofs put in by manufacturer? Jen

njzx3

I got the call today!! ran right outta work and to the lot... he threw me my key... I ran to the holding pen and jumped in... and then he tells me I cant have it until tomorrow =( oh well... I cant wait!!! it's such a lovely site.. only 5 miles on her! too bad I used up all my sick days with my tonsils... I just wanna drive and drive and drive some more!!

NJ

njzx3

did your Z come too? we both put in our orders within 24 hours of each other

zx3beast

gabe,now we know where to hang that heavy-duty
watch,courtesy of ford.

fgaydos

"too bad I used up all my sick days
with my tonsils... I just wanna drive and drive"

You made me laugh out loud, thanks.:>)

Congrats and enjoy!

kdominczak

We were there, feeling like little boys getting our favorite toy, what a great moment.
...and please, remember about break-in period!

sven100

... and anyone else who knows. What do the '01 ZX3 16" aluminium wheels look like? I want to order an '01, but not without knowing what the wheels will look like. Local dealers are clueless. The upgraded wheels are bundled in with AC and some other goodies. Thanks.

jamers85

who can i write to regarding this matter. i ask the service personel but he said no matter who i write to they won't cover it. Any idea to whom i should take this.

Thanx for reponses

scouse

Great news, I will be on the phone to my dealer first thing in the morning to complain bitterly, could this mean that at 11 weeks and 6 days I am now a record holder if not key holder ?????

guyindasky

Ask your service manager for the name and phone number of the zone manager.

silver_bullet

It won't hurt to write to the zone representative, but don't expect too much sympathy. As a friction device, brakes (as well as clutches and tires) are among those items that get used up as they wear. How quickly they get used up, and whether or not they wear evenly, is largely under YOUR control, so the manufacturer usually looks the other way when problems arise. If an overwhelming majority of cars develop the same problem, logic suggests a design problem, and a recall often results; if not, well, it is your problem, and you are expected to pay for it. Read your warranty a bit more carefully, and you'll see it is not a document guaranteeing that Ford will fix every single problem you might possibly experience. That said, the zone service rep might authorize coverage for your brake problem just to keep you happy, but many of us can attest to the unlikelihood of that occurring

njzx3

gonna go get my Z today around 4:40!! woohoo!!

ctzx3

Come check out my Focus site. Lots of pics and modifications.

HTTP://PAGES.ABOUT.COM/FOCUSZX3

miata23

NJZX3,

There are TWO TSB's regarding the passenger side leak: # 8284 and # 13953

Congrats on finally getting your Z - you're right - getting that phone call felt great

only1harry

These rankings were released recently by J.D. Power & Assoc. and rank the auto manufacturers by individual problems experienced per 100 vehicles.
As you can see, Acura leads everyone.

Results of J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study. Problems reported per 100 vehicles.

Acura 91
Lexus 103
Infiniti 107
BMW 118
Toyota 118
Porsche 122
Honda 126
Buick 130
Mercedes-Benz 134
Jaguar 137
Plymouth 137
Saab 138
Lincoln 139
Audi 141
Mercury 143
Cadillac 146
Volvo 150
Chrysler 151
Mazda 153
Nissan 153
Industry Average 154
Oldsmobile 162
Ford 162
Saturn 164
Mitsubishi 166
Pontiac 167
Chevrolet 168
Dodge 174
GNC 175
Jeep 188
Land Rover 192
Isuzu 193
Subaru 199
VW 200
Hyundai 203
Daewoo 211
Suzuki 224
Kia 251

skater4

NJ, you sound like me when I got that same phone call. It is a great feeling, isn't it? This is a little off-topic, but I just gotta tell you that I almost fell off my chair when you mentioned going up to Scranton to go to Tinks. Ah, what a flood of memories! I graduated from the Univ. of Scranton in 1995, and I recall those days so fondly. Not that Scranton is the hippest town in the world, but I'll be jealously thinking of you in my old stomping grounds. Have fun, and ENJOY YOUR Z!!

drebe73

very nice site, I need to get one up for my baby as well. I love that shift knob that you have. All Aluminum, even lock out ring? Where did you get it and how much? Was it easy to install? Man I love the Wings west kit, wish I could afford to get on for mine. Unfortunatly I have to drop a 260 buck car payment and 200 insurance payment each month. Your car looks Awesome.

drebe73

i made my previous post before i saw the links on your site ctzx3.

wesl

Ctzx3:
Great website. I am glad to see that the Focus is creating decent aftermarket support. You should check out www.batinc.net. They are developing parts for the Focus, and are a great source for any European Focus/Zetec parts you may be interested in. When the 5-door comes this way, I may have to trade in my 95 Contour SE. Later, Wes.

reed122

...congrats on finally getting your Z.
hope it's as trouble free as mine.
by the way, where in NJ are you from? I grew up in Old Bridge. moved to albuquerque in `92.
can't say I miss it too much. Too many people,
traffic sucks, etc..
good luck with the Z.

njzx3

Reed: Im in a tiny little nub of a town called Allendale... it's right on the border of Suffern NY.

Skater4: Sounds like you have some great memories at Tinks!! I'll be sure to do a shot for ya

well... it's 3:40 right now... im waitin for my pops to get back from work so I can go get my Z. they wont let me finance it by myself as a 21 year old 1st time buyer... gotta have a co-signer.. I should be goin within the next hour. I'll keep ya all posted.

NJ

konagrl

First, before I gripe, I have to say Congratulations!!! to njzx3.

That said, I still love my car, but I am REALLY pi**ed off about the gas milage. I am only getting 20-21 mpg. I feel this is ridiculous! I have an auto and the a/c is running a lot, but come on. I just traded an Olds Alero in on my husband's runner and the alero w/ v6 got at least 26-28 mpg under the same conditions. Anyway, PLEASE someone tell me this will improve. I am still under 1000 miles, but was expecting mileage more in the 28-30 range. A Neon I previously owned was still getting 32-34 ragged out with 120K. If this doesn't improve, is there anything I can do about it? dealer wise or otherwise???

Thanks, and don't get the wrong idea, I still love my Kona, but the main reason I wanted a smaller "economy" car was fuel economy. : )

jedimaster1

Your gas mileage will increase the more you drive. I have almost 9,500 miles on my car now and I am getting about 25-30 mpg (I would get over 30 if I didn't drive at 85mph all the time on the Interstate). I, too, got 20-23mpg when I first got the car. It will go up, just have patience. And no, I don't think there is anything the dealer can do for you, but you can drive slower . There might be some aftermarket accessories you can get (such as fuel intake system?) that might increase your mileage. But the ZX3 has the best mileage of all of the Focuses, according to the latest Car & Driver tests.

Clint

twilightbliss

Hey - has anyone noticed a mildew smell in their ZX3? I live in Santa Fe, which is usually very dry. But on days when it's overcast or rainy (especially rainy), I notice this awful mildew smell inside my car. I thought it might be the air conditioner filter, but it seems to be present even when the air isn't on. Could it be those weird pieces of carpet in the rear wheel wells?

I totally love my car, but this smell thing really bugs me. I was wondering if anybody has heard of this problem (on a ZX3 or otherwise), and if you have any advice. I'm a little embarrassed about going to the dealer and saying "My car smells like mold when it rains!"

Thanks!!

silver_bullet

Inspect your floor areas very carefully, and make sure you aren't suffering the water intrusion problem (especially on the passenger's side) that some others have experienced. You nose knows! I doubt the fibrous wheel well liners at the rear would be causing your problem. Another possibility is mold/mildew growing in your A/C evaporator core or air plenum under the dash. There are chemicals that can be sprayed into the fresh air intake (for the cabin, not the engine!) that will kill the mold - this is a VERY common problem here in Houston, land of 100 degree temps and 100% humidity :-(

stevehoutx

My 5sp ZX3 has about 3500 miles and I'd love to
be getting 20 or 21 mpg. I've been consistently getting around 19. My previous 2 tanks teased me
with 20+ mpg, but the last tank was about 17.5.
The highest I've ever gotten was 24 on a short
road trip. (Interesting to note that the
EPA rating for the Crown Victoria is
17 mpg / 24 mpg).

I wrote ownerconnection and they told me to
drive slower, carpool, or take public transit!

I took it to the Ford dealer and they told me
Ford won't pay for fuel economy diagnostics
before 6000 miles.

I keep hearing these stories of improved
mileage. The guy in the parts department
said his wife's Focus started getting better
mileage at about 6000 miles.

What I don't understand is why I (we) have to
put up with this - my last car, an Acura Integra,
got good mileage right off the lot.

I love the way my ZX3 drives. The package is
super, the AC works great (a big plus in Houston),
and the price is a steal. BUT... until the
fuel economy is up to par I can't recommend it
to my friends.

In the meantime, I think I'm also going to
check the terms of the Texas lemon law. In
addition, I have a "secret plan of action"
(nothing illegal or destructive, of course),
which I will describe and implement if the
mileage hasn't improved by about 7500 miles.

zx3beast

congrats + best of luck.many happy miles.

jwkessler1

My new zinker got 33.6 MPG on the last tank - This on a mix of hilly/twisty county roads with lots of speed changes and the A/C on, and a fair bit of interstate running at 70 to 75 MPH. It now has about 1200 miles on it.

I'm quite curious about the fuel economy variations I keep seeing reported. What can cause that?

Well, there are a few items that can do it. Obviously anything that makes the engine work harder will make it suck more fuel.

Driving fast a lot will do that.

I've seen people who unconsiously pump the gas pedel as they drive. As a driver this may be unnoticible, but it can make passengers nearly ill. Watch your own driving habits carefully or ask passengers if your speed tends to vary frequently. Speed control would eliminate that, and I use mine as much as I can.

It's great fun to see how fast you can get your Focus up to speed, but doing it on a regular basis won't help your fuel economy one bit.

Drag, especially at high speeds, can play a big role. I've heard that the ZX3 has a pretty awful drag coefficient, but that wouldn't account for all the variability we see.

The Kona has that roof rack which surly can't help much.

Driving with the windows down increases drag. At higher speeds. Running the A/C actually should improve efficiency.

Finally, I've seen conditions where the brakes drag a bit on cars (not specifically on the Focus). This puts just a bit of extra drag on the car and reduces efficiency. If this was occuring you might notice one or more wheels are hotter then you would expect after a long drive. You can also jack up each wheel in turn and see if it spins freely. The fronts will have a bit more then the rear of course due to the transaxal.

I'm sure there are more of these simple things that could be causing this problem. And the problem could be due to a combination of several of these "minor" issues adding up.

frankjay

Nearly all engines have much reduced fuel economy while they are being broken in. The reason for this is that the rings on your pistons are slightly designed slightly larger and they are literally "carving" out their own pattern on your cylinder walls (grooves and stuff). This is good because then you will later end up with nice, tightly sealed cylinders. But at first, it is inefficient because of the amount of friction involved (that equals bad gas mileage).

You can't say that an engine will be broken in exactly X miles. It depends a lot on how you drive it! So one new ZX3 owner might start getting better mileage sooner than you because they are speeding their break-in by (whether they know it or not):

1. Varying engine speeds frequently (contributes to more even wear on the cylinder walls).
2. Avoiding a lot of shorts trips where the engine is cold (rings will not expand as much when engine is cold and break-in will be slow).
3. Avoiding high rpm/full throttle and driving in too high of a gear (which is actually worse - i.e. starting in 2nd, shifting too early).
4. Avoiding stop and go driving, or excessively long trips (engines breaking in develop hot spots because of all that friction. excessive heat=bad for new engine).

All of the above is not to increase your mileage but to speed (and improve) your break-in, which will ultimately increase your mileage. The lower the miles on your car, the more crucial the above 4 steps are (especially the first 500 miles). So there you go!

Frank

cgsangel

my mileage improved after a few thousand miles and at 7500 miles, I'm getting about 26/31, with auto. I seldom use the a/c and drive conservatively. So it got a good break in, like the other posts have described I should do it. But the different mpgs seem to vary too much, don't they?

Charlie

njzx3

I went in to get my Z tonight... got there at about 5:00 and did all the financing and whatnot... finally drove off the lot at about 6:30. Car had 6 miles on it when I drove it off the lot... it now has about 120 miles on it I just drove and drove and drove windows open, A/C off... basically drove in big circles through NJ and New York State... went on highways, went on back roads, went through the mountains (more like hills here in NJ/NY) varied my speeds a lot... just wanted to get a feel for exactly how my new baby performed on all types of roads. I am thoroughly impressed. All that driving and I used up less than a half a tank. I dont know how to calculate MPG so if someone can tell me i'll let ya know what im getting on my first tank. I was waiting the whole time for some strange noise or dead spot @ 2k rpm or "diesel rattle" to occur, but not a thing... she purrs like a kitten and drives like a champ.. What an incredible little car. My boss gave me the night shift off so I could go drive... got about $8 worth of change thrown into my car from all my coworkers... they all love it!! I put on my chrome exhaust tip.. wow what a difference it makes, realy makes the exhaust look sharp. With all that said, I can truly say that my Z was worth every second of the long wait. Ayways... time for bed... all that excitement pooped me out.

NJ

reed122

if I'm not mistaken- starting with a full tank,
the next time you fill up, you divide the amount of gas it took into the mileage since last fill.
of course you have to reset the trip odometer after each fill-up.
did I word that right?
I'm pretty sure that's the way it's done.
Anyone else?....

konagrl

MPG = number of miles driven/gallons needed to fill up. This only works when you completely fill your tank and reset the trip counter at every fill up. I was glad to hear all the responses from everyone. I am aware of the break-in time and have been very conscientious about doing it properly. I don't drive excessively fast or do "jack rabbit" starts, I basically feel like it is the car vs. my driving. On my previous 2 cars (the alero and neon) the gas mileage was very nearly comparable on the first tank to what I was getting at 10, 15, 20K miles. But I will hold out hope for an improvement for as long as I can. Thanks everyone for the tips, maybe I will try taking off the roof rack, although our other car (4runner) brand new with roof rack is getting comparable mileage, I guess that is what really sucks, my husband drives a huge car with a v6 and he doesn't have to spend as much on gas as I do. (his commute is shorter) Anyway, it does seem very STRANGE to me that some people on here are getting 27-30 and some are getting 19. That sounds like a consistency issue in manufacturing. We will see what transpires....

njxz3- have a blast with your focus, I still think they rock, despite my current gas mileage issues..

tickbitty

I had the stinky rain smell for a while when the car was new. It happened with A/C, or just the vents or defrost. It quit smelling like that after a couple of months. Just faded away. I think it was a "new car" thing. Very humid here in Va. as well.

rwgreenberg

Congrats on your new Z. Which chrome tip did you get and where did you get it? Thanks, Rich

brettzx3

I've had my car now since 12/11/99 and my mileage has NOT improved a drop. Winter, Spring, Summer, it just doesn't matter. I love the car to death, but I also have the referral problem. Many people have come up to me and asked questions about the car - what is it? who makes it? how much? and then they ask AND HOW'S YOUR MILEAGE? As much as I WANT to say all positive things about my great car I am left to say "it sucks." I think this "break-in" period is BS. I've gotten in between 17-20 miles per gallon, and never more, and have pretty much resigned myself to that sad fact of life. The dealer did hook the car up to whatever diagnostic machines they have to check for problems and, of course, reported that there is nothing wrong. And so life goes on . . . with poor gas mileage . . . but it still goes on.

mzn

njzx3, you've got some cool co-workers! Do they throw money in everyone's new car or is this another Z thing to which we can all look forward? ;-)

carlady/host

norwaydoug

I have a 5 spd. For the first 3000 miles, I would get anywhere from 23-26 mpg. At 7000 miles, I get 28-30 with mostly highway. On a purely highway driving I can get 33 mpg.

I drive pretty conservative. Shift at 3500-4000 rpm between 1-2; about 4000 rpm from 2-3, and then pretty much then shift to 4th and then 5th.

Often I drive at 40 mph in 5th gear when there isn't much traffic. I also drive in 4th gear at 30-35 mph.

Are people driving 50 mph in 4th? Are they driving in 3rd gear at 30 mph for lengthy periods of time? These activities have a negative affect on gas mileage!!

My diesel sound has not appeared for a few days now. I'll let you know if it returns.

I usually get 170-190 miles on from full to 1/2 full. I know this is not very scientific, but perhaps a guide to others. There does seem to be a few posters who are not familar with calculating gas mileage.

For those with a new Focus: Enjoy and welcome. I know you will love your car! Drive Safe and have fun.

ND

konagrl

Since I am done bi***ing about my gas mileage (for now), btw I still thing the break in thing is baloney. There is no excuse for such sucky mpg. I will comment on another area of interest to some.

Borla exhaust. I know there has been a post or 2 from people who have added the borla system to their car.. good luck. I would STRONGLY suggest that you look at alternatives before going with Borla. They are not as "guaranteed" nor as problem free as they are made out to be. We had a borla cat-back system on our 95 tacoma and it was nothing but trouble. The muffler broke. That's right the "solid stainless steel" simply sheared off. Not just once, not just twice, not even just 3 times, but 4!! After multiple replacements, hey that "million mile" warranty is good for something..we are still trying to extract a refund. To make a long story short, they sent us new parts on 3 occasions, btw all 3 times the parts were different and once the pipe was 18 inches too long, how's that for efficiency. And we shipped back parts (at our own expense) 3 times. We have been waiting 2 months for "accounting to process the paperwork", yet accounting says they haven't received the paperwork. Oh wait, I said long story short: Borla is hell to deal with if anything ever goes wrong. Not to mention the words inefficiency and ineptitude come to mind. So that is my 2 cents on borla. Avoid, or if a problem arises I give you a million mile guarantee you will regret!!!

brettzx3

Thanks for going to all that trouble. I really appreciate it. I calculate my mileage by resetting the trip odometer at fill-up; at the next fill up I see how much gas it took to fill up the tank; I take the new number off the trip odometer and divide it by the amount of gas it took to fill up the tank. There was a recall item not too long ago that they fixed on my car, which, I believe, had something to do with maximizing engine performance. They fixed it at the same time as they replaced the Fuel Sending Unit that went bad.

I have not noticed any other problems with the car. It does not pull, I don't believe there are any problems with the brakes, there are no smells, etc. It is a mystery! I would give some credence to break-in, but I've had my car for 9 months now. I got better mileage in my 10 year old car that I traded in.

I mean, it's not something that's haunting my dreams or anything, it's just disappointing, is all. The car in every other respect is awesome.

minizx3

I've gotten as high as 40 mpg on the highway. Street and highway I get about 35mpg. I'm pretty happy with that.

The money thing...is think it's an Italian thing for Good luck.

pcleveland2

Saw a Zinc Yellow ZX3 on Thruway, vicinity Exit 52/53 in Buffalo (Cheektowaga) today. Nice looking! Still like my Malibu Blue better, but the Zinc Yellow sure stands out! Maybe a little to much.

Pat

zx3beast

does anyone here know if re-form(green gas) would
have any affect on mpg? i dont know, just a thought.

pcleveland2

From what I hear, one word. Yes