Ford Focus Hatchback ZX3 - Part XII

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Comments

  • njzx3njzx3 Member Posts: 170
    hit 200 miles today... still runnin problem free.. I think I got a winner

    NJ
  • jimmyfocuszx3jimmyfocuszx3 Member Posts: 65
    Hi all, I have been away tending to civil unrest in Lala Land, but order has been restored!

    Just to put my $0.02 in, my Focus gets around 23-25 mpg on average with no highway miles and alot of fast starts if you know what I mean. So while I am disappointed with my mileage I am having a ton of fun and don't dwell on the dead dino's too much.

    Jimmy
  • whyfordwhyford Member Posts: 50
    I am going in for my first oil change before scheduled but i would like to ask this question.

    Do you find your 5-speed Manual MY 2000 Ford Focus ZX-3 suffers from a bogging down/surge feeling at around 2,000 RPMs at constant speed?

    Yes or No?

    I would like to have forum posters back up that this is a problem.

    TIA,

    whyford,
  • njzx3njzx3 Member Posts: 170
    Was sittin around after work today just lookin at my car when I decided that it was time for the good 'ol badge removal.... grabbed a spool of dental floss and took em right off... the foam glue pads that they use to stick on the badges was soft from sittin in the sun all day... the excess glue came off simply with a wet cloth and a little dab of NuFinish. The whole thing only took a few mins and did not damage the paint at all... and I must say, In my opinion... the Z looks great without all those big hoakey lookin badges all over the back...

    NJ
  • afk_xafk_x Member Posts: 393
    Make sure you don't let anyone ride in the back seat. One star rating.....OUCH!
  • superf22superf22 Member Posts: 54
    njzx3 was "just sitting around after work" and after serious consideration--has had the car for less than 24 hours--he decided it was time for the ol' badge removal...

    for weeks I couldn't and wouldn't spend more than an hour without going outside to take a look at my z, open the doors, smell the inside, feel the steering wheel, pop open the trunk and hood, clean the wheels, take pictures, cry, and share my deepest secrest with my new best friend...but I think njzx3 beat me. I can recognize someone in love when I see one.

    enjoy!

    gotta go drive...
  • zx3beastzx3beast Member Posts: 661
    yes,5spd. this has been noted by many.is it a zetec
    design quirk or a deliberate program?i dont know.
  • norwaydougnorwaydoug Member Posts: 249
    Hi Pat,

    Initially, I didn't like the malibu blue too much, but it has really grown on me. It is a really nice color. What color interior do you have? It is a rare color in Philadelphia. Is it unique to the zx-3 model line?

    I have a rainforest green with a charcoal interior and so my comment about malibu blue is valid because I am not patting my own back on my great taste.

    Welcome njZX-3! Did you remove just your focus badge or both the zx-3 and Focus badge? Enjoy your new car! I like mine too.

    I saw a few zinc yellow cars while on vacation. They are pretty hot looking and I definitely would have been tempted to get one (just for fun). In yellow, it really reminds me of a 1998 Honda CRX (a car I consider to be the grandfather of the Zx-3 in many ways).

    Regarding the recall: Does this refer to the design of the c-pillar? (the pillar behind the door that supports the roof). Is it too strong or too weak? Does this apply to all versions or just the sedan and wagon? It seems to me that the z would have a different c-pillar design than the sedan. Comments?

    ND
  • njzx3njzx3 Member Posts: 170
    removed all badges... Focus and ZX3... well... gotta go drive... TINKS in Scranton tonight... i'll post again tomorrow.

    NJ
  • frankjayfrankjay Member Posts: 11
    They've delayed production on the moonroof for the 2001 ZX3s! If I want one on my ordered 2001 I'll have to wait until 10-2 before they will start building them. Then add another 4 to 6 weeks on top of that!
  • frankjayfrankjay Member Posts: 11
    Since you had that fuel sending unit replaced, I would definitely disconnect your battery for several hours. This will erase the adaptive portion of your computer's memory - which likes to make changes to fuel, timing, etc. in response to both parts that are slightly out of spec and your driving habits. It is designed to keep your car running smoothly even as it ages. But sometimes it is screwey. Once you erase it, it will start relearning and could improve things. I've read of a few Mustang guys who did this on stock cars with driveability and fuel economy problems and they cleared right up.
  • rwgreenbergrwgreenberg Member Posts: 154
    I just got the same news from my local dealer. I guess it's worth waiting for, rather than taking the chance of a local installer srewing things up.
  • drebe73drebe73 Member Posts: 243
    Does anyone feel that the Pilars are in your way sometimes, especially the rear between the hatch and rear side window? I had though with the huge windows that there would be less blind spots but I was wrong. Speaking of gas milage, When I first got back my car, the gas gauge seemed to drop a lot less quickly then it seems it does these days. I need to do a calculation to see actual miles per gallon.
  • tomp8tomp8 Member Posts: 23
    Every time I release the brake pedal, or the handbrake, I can hear a sqeak-noise. I can also hear it when I start to press on the brake pedal. The noise is definitely coming from inside if the rear drum. It is not cause by spinning of the wheels/drums because I can hear the noise when the car is at a standstill.

    Is there anybody else who has experienced this problem?!

    The problem started months ago. The service technician opened the drum and cleaned it - that worked for about two hours. I decided to wait a while just in case a part needed to wear-in. No such luck after months of waiting.
  • tomp8tomp8 Member Posts: 23
    I forgot a few other irritations/problems about my Focus. [I still love my RF-Green 5-sp A/C ZX3, BTW]

    1. The ignition switch sticks every now and then. I remove the key, and the ?barrel? of the lock remains pressed inside. When that happens, I have to push the barrel to release it - otherwise, the chime/warning does not shut off, and the steering wheel will not lock.

    2. I have some defects in the paint on several of the alloy wheels in between the spokes near the center. Fortunately, the brake dusk hides most of it ;)

    3. Occasional rattle noises from the engine compartment when idling. Probably the same "diesel" noise others have been noting. I rarely hear the noise now after 8000+km.


    Finally, I have a question for everybody. Why do service technicians insist on leaving a car unlocked before/after servicing it? Every time I have come back for my car, I have found that they leave the car siting on the lot unlocked (I discovered this twice since I would check my car before picking up my keys/having it washed). Who is responsible in case of theft/break-in?
  • reed122reed122 Member Posts: 20
    Hi all. I'm looking for some seat covers for my Z.
    Anybody out there have any comments, suggestions,
    links? Thanks.
  • jcu1886jcu1886 Member Posts: 39
    I had the same problem with the ignition switch sticking. A little WD-40 fixed it. It hasn't happened again.
  • anonymousanonymous Member Posts: 314
    yes,5spd. this has been noted by many.is it a
    zetec
    design quirk or a deliberate program?i dont know.


    My thoughts are far different than yours zx3beast as it is never a "deliberate program" and my "poll" question if answered by anyone interested would lead me to my next question which was...

    Poll Question #2.

    Are we getting poor MPG because of this problem ?

    What i am trying to find out is if the "motor boating" at around 2,000 - 2,800 RPM at constant speed has any relation to the MPG some of seem to find a problem.

    I truly do like the car but i am more than upset by the MPG i am getting.

    Sunoco, same station and a recently built station to boot.

    The MPG upsets me to the point of well....taking
    action on this.

    Price of gas is on the rise and i want the figures
    posted or near nuff.

    Sorry FORD but when i come in for an oil change.

    Giddy up on the MPG or i go serious!

    Argh!

    W.
  • zx3beastzx3beast Member Posts: 661
    again,this is old news.deliberate design as in the
    way the chip has been made.i also use sunoco ex-
    clusively,87 octane.avg.25-28 mpg with air on all
    the time,25 mi. roundtrip daily.speeds vary between
    25 to 45 mph. its old news to me,i had the same experience with 1998 zx2 5spd.in same rpm range.
    its been noted by others that this bog may actually
    have the opposite affect.i have to agree,some of
    the mpg numbers posted have been unacceptable.as
    far as my thoughts,i dont know what the problem is.
    i was just relating what has been suggested many times previously.you can also find this concern in
    the ford zx2 forums as well.good luck!
  • drebe73drebe73 Member Posts: 243
    I too have been noticing it has gotten really bad, I'm just below the 3/4 mark right now and I have only gone 63 miles local and highway driving combined. I have a 5 speed. What should I do?
  • domingos34domingos34 Member Posts: 27
    the AC in my zx3 clicks on and off every 5 seconds or so.i can hear a clicking sound from the engine compartment and i can feel a loss of power every time it clicks.IS THIS NORMAL?it just started doing this.has anyone had the same problem ? what should i do?thanks for any help.
  • zx3beastzx3beast Member Posts: 661
    a/c has been designed to shut on + off under certain load conditions.i dont know about every 5
    seconds.
  • zx3beastzx3beast Member Posts: 661
    drebe, how goes it? silver bullet suggested a
    write-in campaign,not a bad idea.perhaps one of the
    talented posters here can draft a letter.theres a
    enough voices here to sign on.what do you think?
  • njzx3njzx3 Member Posts: 170
    Here are a couple pics of my Z... I love the color... looks sharp... and one of the pics is of the back after badge removal and exhaust tip installation... takes a bit to load... take a look if ya like.

    http://members.xoom.com/utcobol/index.html

    NJ
  • thedave2thedave2 Member Posts: 6
    hey thats a nice car.. i owned a car that looked like it, it was called a daewoo lanos.. id send you a pic, but unfortunately the front got taken off by a truck....just remember it is a little car.... not everyone is watching out for you
  • zx3beastzx3beast Member Posts: 661
    nj-thanks, your z looks great.dont they all? where
    did you put the badging? you have a nice "new car"
    shine going.after 8 months,im still treating mine like a
    newborn.out of the way parking and so forth,you
    know the routine.it handles unlike any domestic
    hatch i ever driven.
  • njzx3njzx3 Member Posts: 170
    I know exactly what you mean... I just did a 240 mile round trip to see my friends band play in PA... I swear... I dont know if it is the car or what, but on about 5 different occasions, people driving trucks/suv's practically took out my front end by cutting in front of me... good thing my brakes are working well... there must be an underground campain amongst SUV/Truck owners to try as hard as possible to run Z drivers off the road.

    I hit about 550 miles today... still havent noticed that "diesel rattle" but I did, however, begin to notice that engine bog between about 2500-3000rpm. The cruise control works great, and i figure im getting about 25-30mpg highway/city split... not bad and I assume that it'll improve with time since ive only had my z since thursday evening...


    zx3beast: Yes... they do all look great!! as a matter of fact, i passed a Zinc Yellow Z on saturday on my way to Scranton PA... Was in New York State just past the NJ border... I think it was on 287/87/6 somewhere around there... thats a great color on the Z. I have the badging in my garage... I realy have no use for it... I personally thought it was a bit too big and hoakey lookin on my Z.. plus it's fun driving and seeing all these people staring tryin to figure out what kinda car it is... I especially enjoyed one occasion when there was a bunch of people driving in a high-end BMW and as they passed they all had their heads cocked and staring at my car... so I did what i had to do... I smiled, waved, and HIT THE GAS!!!

    By the way... if anyone wants my badging, let me know... the first person to ask for it can have it

    NJ
  • zx3beastzx3beast Member Posts: 661
    nj- you should keep the badging as a family heirloom to pass on to future generations.20 yrs.
    from now we will all look back on a classic.also,
    suv drivers, well just let me say they drive diff-
    erently.im sure you are familiar with the garden
    state pkwy.on saturday,im heading south to cape may
    i just pass avalon,did you know z cruises very nicely around 80 mph? sometimes one has to keep with the traffic flow,you know what im saying.
    anyway, you know those crossovers for the police to
    cut back+forth,north-south? all of a sudden a suv
    appears, im right on top of it pumping the brakes
    or im in a nasty situation.well,the brakes are operating just fine.if im not mistaken suv's are
    not equipped with rear view,side mirrors,or turn signals.
  • njzx3njzx3 Member Posts: 170
    lol a family heirloom... ya... i guess yer right... unless someone truly wants it... I definately know the GS pkwy... and I hate it with a passion. you're also right about cruisin at 80mph... Ive noticed in my Z that one you hit about 75+mph the Z just takes off and drives incredibly.... guess it has to do with all the torque being high end?

    NJ
  • kostamojenkostamojen Member Posts: 55
    I'd just like to say that ive been doing alot of investigating into what those 16" rims on the 2001 focus included in the Premium Package are...

    So far, ive asked several Ford reps, and they either stated that they had no idea what i was talking about, or that they are probably/are the same wheels that are on the Kona edition.

    So far, the Ford site has not posted anything about the 2001's, so there is no way to be sure... but if you look cross reference the wording on the Kona package with the 2001 (using multiple web sites like edmunds, yahoo autos, carpoint, whatever you can find) they both are worded the same... "16 inch 6 spoke aluminum wheels".

    Depending on your opinion of the Kona rims, this may be a good thing or a bad thing (I say anythings better than those ugly 15's that come standard) and im sure that some of you have been wondering the same thing...

    Never the less, we will find out as soon as Ford updates their site (or we see some pictures/brocures of the 2001)
  • silver_bulletsilver_bullet Member Posts: 1,339
    Ugly is in the eye of the beholder :) I think the design of the standard 15" wheels suits the ZX3 very well, and I'd be willing to bet the Kona style 16 inchers are heavier than the stock 15s. I've looked at all the Kona cars on local lots, and except for the dirt metallic color, I personally dislike the wheel design, the dorky roof rack, and the "tire tread" side moldings. But then I'm 44, and not the Gen X target buyer they have in mind. You can keep those Firestone tires, too...
  • jwkessler1jwkessler1 Member Posts: 99
    Do Subaru Outbacks count as SUVs?

    I was cruising along at 70 MPH in my zinc yellow ZX3 up I-81 to Syracuse Saturday, on my way to the "Great" New York State Fair, when an Outback passed me, pulled into my (right) lane, and slowed to 65 or so. Sheesh! So I moved into the left lane, passed the Outback, returned to the right lane, and guess what? Yup, the Subaru speeds up, passes me, pulls back in front of me, and slows again. This repeated several times until I finally took it up to 75 and lost em.

    I just hate it when people do that. And they do it a lot.

    I've yet to see another zinc yellow other then mine. Thats two reports from NY state though, so I know mine isn't the only one in the state. It's nice to be in a rare color though. I get lots of looks and many comments. Almost everywhere we go someone asks me about it. A great way to meet new people.
  • tomp8tomp8 Member Posts: 23
    Thanks, jcu1886, I will try the WD40 on the ignition switch. Hope it works!
  • gabegarwickgabegarwick Member Posts: 127
    Nice shiny car! Hard to tell from that angle but it looks like you already put on the BMW chrome exhaust tip?

    ..Might have to take my badges off too...
  • njzx3njzx3 Member Posts: 170
    Ya... the exhaist tip has already been put on... it looks great... gives a more stylish look than just having a steel pipe coming out the back.

    NJ
  • brettzx3brettzx3 Member Posts: 28
    The weekend started pretty crappy because my dryer died. Resigning myself to the fact that I needed a new one right away I went to the home store to get one because they keep appliances in stock. I FIT AN EXTRA-LARGE CAPACITY DRYER IN MY ZX3 - WITH THE HATCH CLOSED!!!! Is this the most amazing car in the world or what????? The store employee thought that we were out of our freakin' minds when he saw what we planned on putting the dryer in. But, lo and behold, in it went, without a hitch! People stood around in amazement, gawking at the sight. It was great.
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    to Redline MTL.
    Noticed no difference.
    It doesn't shift any smoother.
    And the diesel rattle is still there.

    njzx3,
    in order to get my tranny to diesel rattle all I have to do is to press the clutch pedal 2-4 times repeatedly.
    The motor boating/stumble/boggle syndrome will go away for a while if you reset the computer.
    Just for a short while. Everybody who's done that got the symptom back.
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    How are you doing?
    Are you still planning on switching to the D4 ATF?
    Wonder what would be the result.
  • zgrrrlzgrrrl Member Posts: 147

    Nd - you asked how my Z was awhile ago, I haven't had a chance to respond...it's great! Hit 6,800 this morning...of course the brakes are slipping again - but I don't want to get into that - y'all have heard enough.

    But this weekend I did hear the rattling diesel noise again. It's the same noise I mentioned day 1 ages ago in number 9 forum I think. Everyone asked me if I was shifting correctly. I need to spend more time driving w/o the radio on ;)

    njzx3 - congrats - sounds like you're having a ball!

  • zgrrrlzgrrrl Member Posts: 147
    I've been meaning to ask...re: keys not turning in igniton. I've had that "problem" before, but it's only because the steering wheel was locked. Once I pulled at the wheel, it was no problem. Could that be the problem?

    I am not trying to insult anyone's intelligence here, just wondering. I thought it was a "problem" at first....
  • mznmzn Member Posts: 727
    Friends, a "chain letter" post was removed above, as well as several other posts that referred to it. All "chain letter" posts are a violation of the Participants' Agreement and are removed as soon as we become aware of them. Posts referring to the offending post were removed so that future readers would not be sidetracked. Thanks!

    carlady/host
  • norwaydougnorwaydoug Member Posts: 249
    I am glad you are enjoying your zx-3. I too have a noise at idle. When my car was new, the idle was silent. It was very surprising how quiet it was, but now it is quite loud and very noticeable. Other times, I will hear a rattling sound. I will take it in to the dealer soon (at 8000 Miles) and ask them to check it out. (I'll check this clutching action idea that an earlier poster suggested)

    I do feel that the dealer will not be too helpful and it would be incredibly helpful if someone who is experiencing this problem could share their findings.

    I have no idea what it could be. I cannot accept that this noise is 'normal' because it wasn't present until after 5000 miles. I now have 7400 miles and it is still there. If I have the radio on, I can't hear it, but when it is off....the sound is unmistakeable.

    Other than that, my z is running great. The slight rattle I have had seems to have disappeared! So now I only have 1 problem.

    ND
  • norwaydougnorwaydoug Member Posts: 249
    To clarify my last note: I had a small interior rattle and I am not referring to the engine rattle.

    Sorry for the confusion.

    NorwayDoug
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    norwaydoug,
    i wonder what findings you're talking about.
    Looks like it will take long time if ever(yes I became guite pessimistic in that respect)for Ford to resolve this problem.
    With the number of the manuals out there(I think no more than 20% of all of the Focuses)and an assumption that this noise doesn't lead to a mechanical failure I don't expect any fix from mighty Ford. They're quite busy dealing with the other more "important problems" like the Firestone tire recall.
    Sorry, but most definitely you'll get that "the noise is normal" B.S.
    And if you can't accept it - what else can you do?
  • kdominczakkdominczak Member Posts: 174
    Your baby looks great, did you install those lowering springs?
    The rear of your Z does not look "lifted" like in the other Z's.
    Very mature and stylish color, looking close to VW Golf's GLS blue.
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    BTW My transaxle started to diesel rattle quite early - before I reached 1000 mi mark.
    So far only few people were complaining.
    I mean COMPLAINING.
    The contour people with the similar transaxle had all kinds of the problems and Ford didn't treat them all that well. And those problems were much worse in comparison.

    Earlier poster
  • silver_bulletsilver_bullet Member Posts: 1,339
    Interesting that you went with the MTL. I bought the Redline D4 ATF, and will let you know what I discover as soon as I get a break from work and can change the fluid. Re: engine "rattle", I wonder if people are hearing lifter noise? It's relatively normal for hydraulic lifters to make a little noise like the one people describe, but it usually goes away when the lifters pump up with an increase in oil pressure. Odd. I'm still researching noises and hesitation on the factory CD ROM...
  • njzx3njzx3 Member Posts: 170
    Nope... no lowering springs... just the badge removal and exhaust tip as of now... i cant afford any other mods right now... I think it is just because the color is dark, so the lifted look is not as noticable due to the blending of the paint/dark colored wheel wells


    >>#375 of 377: Re:njzx3 Mon 28 Aug '00 (01:17 PM)
    >>
    >>Your baby looks great, did you install those
    >>lowering springs?
    >>The rear of your Z does not look "lifted" like >>in the other Z's.
  • zgrrrlzgrrrl Member Posts: 147
    My rattling noise happened when I was tooling around the N side of Chicago looking for parking. You could hear it echoing in the narrow streets off the cars and buildings so it kind of accentuated it. I was in 3rd going pretty slow.......
  • pcleveland2pcleveland2 Member Posts: 516
    NorwayDoug knows all about Ford and Customer Service. And in retrospect I think he's had good luck with Ford. Not going to say anything more about it, but you can go back and research it. A legendary and humble member of the club, he is!
    Pat
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