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Ford Focus Care & Maintenance

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Comments

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I'd suggest getting an alignment elsewhere and doing 5,000 mile tire rotations. Also, tire mileage depends on how you drive and the quality of the tires you are buying. For most drivers, a set of OEM tires on a lower priced car are usually done about 30,000 miles, so you aren't too far off the mark. Mine are shot at 30K, and I think it's only because of the quality of the OEM tire. What are you running on there now? Did you replace with the exact OEM tire?

    also if bad alignment were the problem, your tires would show conspicuously suspicious wear patterns.
  • mrsdonimrsdoni Member Posts: 4
    Keep in mind my problem is NOISE the tires make due to the car not staying aligned.

    The rear tires DO have very bad irregular wear. So much so that when rotated to the front, they sound like tractor tires :( The tread depth is still very good but the noise they create is horrible. I replaced the orignial Pirelli tires (because of the same noise issue) with BF Goodrich (recommended to me) of the exact same size that came on the car.

    I have taken the car to two different dealerships for alignment. The car will simply not stay aligned. I drive the same roads I have driven for the past 12 years (all paved). My last vehicle was an Explorer that would get 65K + to a set of tires and was rarely out of alignment for the 185,000k miles I drove it.

    Does anyone else have to get their Focus 4-wheel aligned every 3-6 months??

    I guess I was hoping there was a recall on it that would fix the problem.

    The gas savings seems to be going towards tires & alignment instead of my pocketbook. I am looking at the explorers again and thinking of trading up.
  • randomnessrandomness Member Posts: 10
    I have an 05 Focus Zx4 and jumped a curb hard enough that it triggered the air bag(but didn't come out) and made that loud backfiring noise when I went over it.

    Brought it to the dealership and they fixed the alignment and supposedly test drove it and said it was fine. They said the car considered that jump an "accident" and something was bent but it was nothing that needed to be fixed or would cause problems other than if I get into an accident, the air bag won't deploy. So I waited and saved $1500 that I don't have.

    - Alignment still seems slightly off.
    - Newest issue I am noticing on the highway, I'll be doing like 50 and won't really push on the gas to stay there or because I want to slow down. When I do this, the car now jumps a few times until I push on the gas or brake.
    - Also seems like I have to push harder on the gas when I want to go faster.
    - Sometimes the car seems ..shaky. Either it's stopped or I've gotten used to it; I'm not sure.

    Something just seems..off. I don't know. Before it always had that new car feel to it and since that incident it doesn't. Any ideas?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I still think that whoever is doing the alignment doesn't know what they're doing. The only other explanation would be a bent frame, but then the car would not align in the first place. Have you ever been hit? Do you know the car's history from Day One?

    I don't think 65K on tires is the norm anyway, so you were very lucky on the Explorer. If you are in the San Francisco area I can recommend an alignment shop that knows their business and would be able to get to the bottom of this very annoying problem.

    it would be helpful to see a photo of the tire wear patterns. Some types of wear are not actually alignment issues, such as "cupping" (suspension) or center-wear only or two-sided edgewear (inflation issues).
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    i agree, it seems to me the tires may be cupping.

    this may help
    http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=53702
  • danzigdandanzigdan Member Posts: 50
    Are 2003 Focus models considered "past the hump" of many of the problems that plagued early Focuses? I really want a wagon with the 2.3 engine (I'm in NY so they are available here).
  • mrsdonimrsdoni Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for your reply Mr_Shiftright :)

    Since my last post, I have taken my Focus to another tire shop in town and purchased 4 new tires.... they are soooo quiet compared to the old set!!

    They said that the "cupping" issue is probably due to the suspension and that another customer with a Mazda Protege (same suspension as my SES Focus) had the same problem. They recommended a 'harder tire' instead of the high performance tires which are 'softer'.

    Every 5k miles, I will get them rotated (it's free! Yay!) and will get the alignment checked at the same time. Hopefully, these will wear out evenly...
  • randomnessrandomness Member Posts: 10
    Brought my car back and went on a test drive with the guy. He felt something off too and said it was shakey but the alignment was fine. Turned out to be the balance because of a bent wheel. So for some reason they took my front wheel off and put it in the back so of course it's still bumpy and messed up. (Also, already had tires rotated so now I'd have one old front in the back and an old back tire..) It still sucks on bumpy or unpaved roads and I feel every bump I hit. I'm surprised I haven't been pulled over yet for drunk driving because of all the swerving I do now to avoid potholes and bumps. I had to stay around 60 on the highway the other day because it was so irritating.

    If I didn't have to get out of there fast, I would've just asked for a wheel replacement. So I'll be doing that next.
  • comanchero1comanchero1 Member Posts: 1
    Hello Mrs Doni, I have a similar story. I bought my daughter her first car, she makes the payments. A 2006 Ford Focus. This will be the THIRD SET of NEW TIRES !!! And its only 48K miles. I didnt realize it happen so fast thjat the REAR TIRES were wearing out. A Firestone dealer told me that he had a customer with only 8K miles and the REAR TIRES wore out too. Theres a problem with the REAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT on the Ford Focus. And by the way I had the best GOOD YEAR TIRES that money could buy!!! The Attorney General of Florida (MR. BILL) doesnt seem to be pressing the LEMON LAW ISSUE. The dealer BEV SMITH FORD, of WEST PALM BEACH, wants to push it off as a MAINTENANCE PROBLEM, as so does the FORD MOTOR CUSTOMER CARE...and that was established before I have even taken the car in to have it inspected!!! THIS PROBLEM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TIRE ROTATION !!! It's the cambers, and a new kit would probably solve the problem, and unfortunately the dealers dont want to "annie up" to cost!!!
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    i think a few posts back, i provided a link to someone's experience posted on another site where hardware replacement at the rear locations was required.
  • mrsdonimrsdoni Member Posts: 4
    Hi Comanchero1.

    Yep. I've had two places tell me the rear suspension is faulty. I wish Ford Motor Co would offer to replace it.

    The best of luck with yours!
    Doni Marie~
  • zombietom3zombietom3 Member Posts: 74
    Since I want a ZX5 SES I will be scouring the certified used listings for a 2007 when I get ready to buy late next summer. Thank you Ford (NOT) for dropping the hatchback from the line so that I have no choice but to buy used. I would much prefer to buy at end of year clearance prices with a fat factory rebate piled on. Anyway, I'd like to ask buyers rather than sellers what wre the costs for extended warranties actually purchased on these, and how much extended warranty they got for their money. Thanks in advance for any comments.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    It now appears that Ford will bring the Fiesta to these shores in 09 as a 3 and/or 5 door hatch. This makes a Focus Hatch unneeded redundancy.

    I had a Pro5 and the Mazda3 is a great alternative to Focus.

    Mark.
  • zombietom3zombietom3 Member Posts: 74
    I don't think the Fiesta hatch will replace the Focus hatch. It's addressing the sub-compact more than the compact market space, answering the Honda Fit. The Fiesta is a little lighter, at 2336 lb for AT, but incredibly anemic for the small 1.6L engine. I don't know what power plant the American release will come with, but I saw 74KW at the site below, which converts to 99 HP. 99? I think some lawnmowers can muster up that much power. I think they should have kept the ZX5/ZXW at least through the transition, to give Fiesta a change to grow some power options. From what I saw it will be more than a year before America gets a shot at buying a Fiesta. I will have bought a used ZX5 by then, and better off for it I think.
    http://www.ford.co.nz/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1132731178955&pagename=Page&c=DF- - YPage
  • fdeeringfdeering Member Posts: 5
    Did you ever get the problem resolved? i have the same problem. Thanks for any help that you can give.

    best,
    Frank
  • focusfriendfocusfriend Member Posts: 1
    you seem knowledgeable... I just bought a 2001 focus for my daughter and it is coming up on 90K. They recommended the timing belt be replaced at 90K. Is this correct? I checked the www.fleet.ford.com site but wasn't sure about the recommended interval.

    thanks
  • zombietom3zombietom3 Member Posts: 74
    I think Ford's recommended interval for replacing the timing belt has not changed since at least the '97 Escort wagon 2.0 I had mine replaced at 125k miles but I knew I had pushed the window. You do not want that part to fail on the road so it's better in my opinion to schedule the job. Unfortunately it's one of the few expensive repairs you can be sure of running into with this series. Generally water pump and timing belt are replaced as a pair because the R&R labor to get there is the same, so you are only paying parts plus a tiny bit of labor for the water pump. I had it done at an independent shop and it cost about $650, but I'm guessing Ford probably charges $800 or more.
  • lwenlwen Member Posts: 1
    The fuel tank cap on my 2001 Ford Focus is stuck. I thought it might be frozen, but now I'm not so sure. Has this every happened to anyone before? Any ideas on how to fix it, or what it would cost to have someone do it for me?
  • killawavedudekillawavedude Member Posts: 1
    Can anyone tell me where I find the block heater cord. I have a 2005 ZX4 S.
  • rapidrickrapidrick Member Posts: 70
    I've got an 03 ZTW and had the dealer install the block heater. Was not a simple job; they couldn't get a good seal at the freeze plug and had to re-order until they found one that worked. I think they went through 3 of them. I did get a loaner (more like a moaner...) car, so wasn't THAT horribly inconvenient, but a great investment for the two winters in North Dakota.

    Bottom line, unless you are very mechanically adept, I'd leave it to a shop--glad I did.
  • 0311vn0311vn Member Posts: 47
    The manual says the platinum spark plugs should be replaced at 100K on my 01 Focus that has 97K on it. I noticed the milage has dropped off a little and figured the first thing to do is to replace the plugs. Years ago I used to work a bit on cars. Is there any thing other than changing the plugs that needs attention to car engines that are run by onboard computers? Are distributor points a thing of the past?

    If I take the Focus to a mechanic to have the 100K maintenance done, what is the typical expense for that? At 120K when the timing belt is due to be replace, is it still the rule of thumb to also replace the water pump?

    At this point, should I go ahead and have the timing belt and water pump replaced instead of waiting to hit 120K?
  • zombietom3zombietom3 Member Posts: 74
    I don't think Ford has changed the maintenance interval recommendations for many years. I had my plugs replaced at just over 100k miles and then gas mileage dropped about 10%. After several months of that I consulted with the fleet mechanic where I work, who maintains all our Ford cars and trucks. He said the plugs the shop (not Ford) had installed in my car were too cold and I should replace with Ford (Motorcraft) parts. I did that and got back about half of the lost fuel efficiency. The other half must be lost due to change of commute about the same time I changed plugs.

    The mechanic said there is nothing else to a tuneup besides new plugs as the computer will do the rest.

    As for the timing belt and water pump, I had them replaced at 127k miles and thought I had pushed as far as I dared. You don't want the timing belt to fail on the road and make an expensive job way more expensive. I paid about $650 for that at non-Ford shop. I don't know if there are any warning signs that the timing belt is weakening/slipping/stretching/???, but maybe some others here know.

    I think it's still standard to replace the water pump after spending the $r&$r to get at the timing belt and the water pump is right there.
  • bigbamadudebigbamadude Member Posts: 2
    For all the do it yourselfers on the Focus: The car is great, it just starts having problems after the last payment is made. LOL With mine, the "check engine light" stays on. Started out as cutting out at crusing speeds, but not under load and not when the motor is cold. Went through 3 different certified mechanics and the Ford Service experts. Those guys do not work cheap either, All were temp. fixes. Have replaced vac. hoses, plugs, injectors, coil pack, plug wires. Finally got a shade tree mechanic to replace the fuel filter. Doesn't cut out any more, runs great. Engine light stays on. Now the freaking heater doesn't work. Did fix the cig. lighter after 5 years thou. LOL Going to flush the cooling system tomorrow. If that don't work, will buy a warmer jacket and stay saving money for a new car.
    Oh, yeah. Always replace the water pump whenever changing the timing belt, Always. If you don't, the old one will leak and will cost you another 100 or so to fix it. It is just their nature to do these things. Only other major thing I have done with my Focus is replace the struts, because I live on a washboard dirt road that beats cars to death. Still is a great little car. Now tomorrow when I start to flush the system, the motor will fall out. Oh well :)
  • zombietom3zombietom3 Member Posts: 74
    You might try resetting the "check engine light" by disconnecting the battery pos lead for a short while. The computer will reset when you reconnect the battery. Then if the light comes back on after a few minutes or a few days or a few weeks there might actually be something wrong.
  • bigbamadudebigbamadude Member Posts: 2
    On this one, have to disconnect the neg. cable to re-set the engine light. Leaving it disconnected tonight to see if the computor will dump all the errors. Car is running fine now. Had to flush it twice to get the heater core unstopped. Water finally came back clear. Took all freaking afternoon thou. Supposed to be 71 on Monday, so now will proably need the ac. Oh well.
  • billiondolrbobbilliondolrbob Member Posts: 1
    :sick:

    I will be driving along on the highway doing about 65mph and all of a sudden the transmission will start growling and it will downshift and hold around 2500 to 3000 rpm's even when I try to speed up it will not go any faster,

    the service department gave me a tranny flush & a new filter ,
    that didn't work.
    it does not happen all the time, it comes & goes.
    has it ever happened to you?
    is there a fix :sick:
    thanks for your help
  • kinni420kinni420 Member Posts: 1
    It happend to my 97 ford Escort after I flushed the radiator. may be I sprayed too much water in the engine compartment fo too long that i think went in the electrical stuff relating to transmision. And I started getting transmission problems. Wouldn't go in first gear or the final gear ie the fourth. Mine is automatic transmission. but after a few days as the water dried it got fine and is running fine even today say after 25000 more kilometers. :P :shades:
  • srfn7srfn7 Member Posts: 1
    Same thing happened on my 2000 Ford Focus. I had the key but for whatever reason it would not come off, I waited a few days until I needed gas then I called around for a locksmith and their prices to take the thing off. I did not want to do it myself as I was thinking I might set off a spark or something and the thing would explode. Prices for a locksmith ranged from $85 down to $40. 'Course I went with the cheaper one and guess what? He pried it off with a screwdriver! Could have done it myself now I know better. Save yourself the money and do it yourself.
  • randomnessrandomness Member Posts: 10
    2005 Focus Sedan. Automatic. 19,000 miles on it.

    All of a sudden the car has been jumping. It's random, it's happened driving 80 on the highway or 30 on the street. Sometimes it's kind of jumped or hesitated when I accelerated BUT it's also done it when I've taken my foot off the gas and was just letting the car roll.

    Yesterday, I went to brake at a red light and the car wasn't stopping as fast as it should've. The only *excuse* that would make any sense was that it was raining and I could've been in a deep puddle and it slid. As if that wasn't bad enough, the car stalled. I stepped on the gas and it did nothing so I had to shut it off (again, still sticking out in the middle of an intersection and pissing a bunch of people behind me off) and wait like 5 minutes before I was able to go again. I can't blame the rain because it wasn't raining that hard and I've driven in much worse rain and much bigger puddles than that.
  • lostwrenchlostwrench Member Posts: 288
    What do you mean by the term jumping?
  • randomnessrandomness Member Posts: 10
    Exactly that. Jumping. Like driving down a road and the ride going smooth and all of a sudden the car jerks or jumps even when the gas isn't pushed. This has only happened a couple of times. It didn't do this the day it stalled at the light.

    I guess it's also kind of hesitated when I've pushed the gas because there were times on the highway I had to push it harder than I normally had to push it and kind of pump it. That's also only happened a couple times so I didn't think much of it.
  • randomnessrandomness Member Posts: 10
    And of course I bring it to the dealer and they can't find anything wrong.
    "We took it for a ride and it was perfectly fine"
    Ummm yeah because like I said.. it doesn't happen every time I drive.

    Another wasted $90.
  • fdeeringfdeering Member Posts: 5
    it sounds like your transmission is faulty. when was the last time you had it serviced? I'd check with the garage that did the service and ask them if there are any service bulletins on it.
  • fdeeringfdeering Member Posts: 5
    I have a burning oil smell in the cabin of my 01 Focus. i replaced the power steering pump which was leaking fluid onto the exhaust and it's better. it maybe the residual smell in the air vents. Anyone any ideas about getting rid of this residual smell inside the cabin?

    thanks,
    Frank
  • randomnessrandomness Member Posts: 10
    Yeah, after looking through the transmission thread and reading the old post...sounds like some people are having similar issues with no answers.

    I had it "serviced" today. They found nothing wrong.
  • rapidrickrapidrick Member Posts: 70
    I'm guessing by "jumping" you mean to say, in car talk, uncommanded acceleration. Transmission IS a possibility, but not the first one I'd look at. A computer controls most timing/fuel mix settings, and can command the throttle as well (do you have DSC or AdvanceTrak?) Maybe a reflash of the ECM (electronic control module, or whatever it's called on a Focus) might do the trick.

    Then again, you may have put in some crap fuel, which can cause similar issues. Ethanol (even at 10%) is crap, as it robs power and gas mileage. Don't get me going on that JUNK that goes in our fuel...though, it seems to be popular with unknowing fools these days spouting their foolish garbage about helping the farmer at the cost of feed prices...sorry ;-)

    Good luck, and keep us posted!
  • sk69sk69 Member Posts: 4
    Hi - I have an 06 Focus Sedan silver, with only 14k miles. Never paid much attention to the coat on such a new car (although I had it cleaned/waxed regularly - live in the Northeast). After being to the carwash today, I've noticed multiple (over 100) small superficial rust spots, especially on the lower half of the doors and on the door frames. Many of them were already too deep to remove just by wiping/rubbing. Did anybody have a similar problem? Could Ford be of any help (I guess warranty would only cover if it's already perforating). What can I do on my own - remove with polish and then wax by hand? Use touch-up paint afterwards? Any input is appreciated.
    Thx
  • dancinangi80dancinangi80 Member Posts: 2
    Did you ever fiqure out what was wrong with your car? I'm having the same problem with it now...

    Thanks,

    Angela
  • wonare1onewonare1one Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 ford focus ZX3 and i was pressing the gas it started to putt, i downshifted to 2nd then it died out! i have gas in it (meaning low but before the light!). any ideas? comments? im thinkin a problem with the fuel filter or fuel pump!
  • roryamosroryamos Member Posts: 1
    Silver Bullet, do you still have that cd? If so, does it offer any advice on how to get the alternator out of the engine compartment once you remove it from the mountings? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
  • 0311vn0311vn Member Posts: 47
    I'm told that car seats are angled upward on the sides to help keep passengers in place, but the the angles of the seats seem to work on a pressure point that is causing what maybe a sciatic nerve inflammation, something I've never suffered from. At 200 pounds, I am not overly large for a Focus seat. Is their a seat cushion on the market for cars that is designed to fill the gap between the raised edges of car seats? I think this could solve my problem.

    Bring back bench seats in cars where you can move around a bit while driving.
  • hatchbackguyhatchbackguy Member Posts: 1
    Well, my 04 Focus hatchback has 113,000 miles and the only problem I've had was to replace the rear shocks. Otherwise it's been good reliable transportation. We take a couple of 5000+ mile driving trips a year and will average about 32mpg. So, for us, it's still a great car.
  • whitey9whitey9 Member Posts: 138
    Close the windows/sunroof, and shut off the blower. Set the fresh air/recirc button to recirc. Breathe easy. Next time take it to a PROFESSIONAL, before you burn it down! It's only your car!
  • fdeeringfdeering Member Posts: 5
    Hey, be nice - other folks have had similar problems - if you don't have anything constructive to add to the discussion, I'd appreciate it if you would butt out.

    regards,
    Frank
  • markus5markus5 Member Posts: 102
    This is a Plastic cylinder just aft of Air Cleaner box. It is not in clear sight and I don' t remember reading any thing about it in the Owners Manual for the 2.3 engine Focus 2004. Has any body had any experience with this ? :confuse:
  • bonejobbonejob Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2006 ZX4 SES (Sedan) and my car was exhibiting what sounds from your description to be exactly the same problem. My car's squeaking was emanating from two places:

    Underneath the car, there is a bracket and bushing assembly which supports the parking brake cable near the rear suspension. As the passenger's side rear wheel moves up and down with the bumps in the road, this bracket assembly apparently can be the source of a squeaking noise as the parking brake cable moves with the suspension. This is my dealer's explanation anyhow. He fixed it in 10 minutes and didn't even charge me for it.

    The other place is inside the car and it involves the rear seat. The seat backs are hinged in three places: extreme passenger's side, extreme driver's side, and in the middle where the seat back is split. Each hinge base is secured to the floorpan with torx-head screws. The seat back parts of the hinge are essentially metal dowels that are threaded through the base assemblies. The hinges themselves are quite robust but the metal-to-metal between the hinge dowels and the hinge bases can cause squeaking as the car goes over bumps. The seat hinge is pretty free-moving, so there is just enough side-to-side play in the seat hinges to cause squeaking.

    A surefire way to test is to have someone ride in the back seat. That is something I had never done, since this car is only driven by me, and only occasionally do I have my wife with me, who of course rides in the front passenger seat. But something told me to try that and VOILA!! The infernal squeaking went silent. I had my wife return to the front and like magic, the squeaking returned.

    I got some spray silicone-based dry lubricant and sprayed it liberally into all three hinge assemblies and my car is now squeak-free!

    As for the body flexing, the Ford Focus platform is actually quite commendably stiff. The Focus was designed as not only a bread-and-butter compact car for the hoi polloi, it was designed as the platform for Ford Racing's European rally racing efforts, and as such it has been very successful. The Focus, despite its humble pretensions, is structurally a quite solid piece of work.
  • rc1956rc1956 Member Posts: 1
    how much does a Ford Focus air conditioning unit hold? how many lbs?

    My daughter needs her air conditioning unit recharged and one place has the most reasonable price but charges a flat 39.95 and 10.00 per lb. Other places are 65.00 to 145.00.
  • ranyes1ranyes1 Member Posts: 1
    I had same problem I changed the fan radiator fan resistor and it did the trick I got it at a local auto part store for $28.00
  • redundant1redundant1 Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2011
    I have about $3,000 left on my car loan and I can probably nitpick 3,000 things to fix on it.

    I have a 2005 Focus Sedan SE.
    41,000 miles on it.

    - Needs 4 new tires.
    - One needs a rim/wheel from hitting a pothole bad enough.
    - The air filter is disgusting and needs replacing. Everytime I put my AC or defrosters on, I get black/brown **** on my windshield.
    - 60 degree weather and some nights I have had to put the HEATER on to get the windows defrosted. It does not work with cold air.
    - Steering wheel doesn't ..snap back..as fast as it used to. It's like the power steering is gone or something. This bugs me. I used to be able to turn the wheel all the way and when I let go it would snap straight back and now it snaps back crooked. I asked the dealer this and of course they looked at me like I was an idiot. I did talk to some other Ford owners and they knew what I meant and said their cars don't do it anymore either.
    - Windshield wipers are messed up. I can turn them on but I cannot shut them off. I have to shut them off manually by keep flicking the switch with my fingers and stopping it at the RIGHT spot. Takes concentration to do it right, hopefully I don't; get into an accident someday because I'm playing with the wiper stick.
    - Highway Driving - Sometimes I have to floor it to get it to speed up and switch gears even though this is an autoamtic transmission.
    - I don't think my brakes are as good as they were when I first got it. They seem a bit weaker...even though yesterday I slammed the brakes on to avoid a deer and they worked and no deer got hit.
    - CD Player is scratching and skipping my CDS for some reason.
    - My lights suck. They do not need replacing but they are just NOT bright enough for me. I drive a lot at night, through black holes (People from CT know what I am talking about!) and I strain my eyes trying to see better when I just have crappy lights. The dealership told me I would have to go to a modshop or something to get brighter lights and then told me that brighter lights stress the engine or something out and I'll have more problems down the line.
    - It makes a weird rattling noise while running. Someone said it sounds like my belt snapped but well it's been doing it for months and the dealer said it wasn't anything to really worry about.

    All minor, irritating things... People are like "You only have $3,000" left but well am I going to end up paying the car off with $3000 and then fixing about $3,000 worth of stupid things on it? :confuse:
  • 04monterules04monterules Member Posts: 5
    Just a suggestion to have you struts/shocks inspected -- we have a Focus here as well has been going through tires, inside edges uneven and tires seperated again and the car has wicked boby roll -- is just a suggestion like I said

    GRB
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