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Ford Focus Hatchback ZX3 - Part VIII
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Comments
Be careful out there folks.
Your comment is really funny.
Have you spend some time outside America?
We have so many "experts" here without a real life experience.
I live in San Diego and NEVER was run off the road by others. You have done something really outrageous. There are so many ignorant drivers in this area: people driving 55 mph on the freeway in the fast lane while other four lanes are empty. And if I blink my headlights at them and they suddenly slam on their brakes--hey, I would probably become really pissed off.
ZX3,
I am agree with you on american driving.
The problem is that everybody can obtain a car and a driver license here without spending considerable amounts of time and money. Therefore the relative level of skill is not high at all. But at the same time american roads are still one of the safest in the world.
So the only problem with driving in America as I see is lack of effort on behalf of majority of the driveres in improving of their driving skills.
BTW italian drivers are famous for their crazy driving. Hey, try tailgating a merc in Moscow. There is a good chance you'll swallow a bullet before too long.
carlady/host
Let's compare if we can, here in America we could have 50 times as many cars on the road than in Italy. So even if in Italy there are only 2 dead victims of car accidents a day,proportionaly you are in the same ratio as we are.
How many deadly car accidents per day do you get in Italy ?
How many cars are there on Italian roads ?
I wish there is no dead accidents on the roads in Italy ,but I'm afraid that it's not all that safe on those narrow Italian roads, with famous Italian temperament and small(even comparing to euro standards) Italian cars.
...just my 2 cents.
kdominczak, I don't have the Italian statistics to hand but I am sure they make for sorry reading. Far too many people die on the roads here. I lost a friend in an accident and his wife was left a widow, physically and mentally scarred for life. Another friend lost her boyfriend at the wheel of a BMW. She watched him bleed to death beside her.
My post had nothing to do with petty national rivalries. Excuse me if you saw it that way.
Maybe this is all down to my frustration as I am still waiting on the delivery of my Focus. I've been searching for days for independent confirmation of the recall from Ford and some information about when the problem will be resolved but I can't find a thing. The dealer insists he is doing all he can.
Oh well let's just get back to the reason we came here in the first place. Tell you what, I'll just shut up until my car arrives.
P.S. Apologies carlady, I'll try to stay on-topic next time.
Italians drive as if they are prepared for anything to hapeen at any time...because it most likely will. Americans drive as if they expect everybody to follow the rules all the time...which they don't.
That said, I don't find that Italians are more SKILLFUL. They are just more AWARE and PREPARED.
And trust me, ZX3, Americans are anything but humble and apologetic. They are generally brash and Amerocentric. (This is from observation, not from conjecture)
On my drive home from work, I have to have my visor down on my right. When I turn right near the end of my tip, I have to put it back in the front. My complaint: The clip for the visor is positioned so that you have to push the visor UP into it, rather than forward. This requires that
I take one hand off the wheel (of course) and BOTH eyes for the second or two that it takes to secure it in place. This is not safe. Has anyone else had this problem? Are all fords like this. It seems like a small thing, but all of my previous cars have been set up so that the visor swing into the clip.
I'd probably invest in a new visor isf Ford could supply one.
I had to take my car to the dealer for fixing a stuck lock cylinder.. the key wont go into the ignition, and the car had to be towed to the dealership. it now has 12,800 miles on it.
While I was there, I was trying to get them to fix the windshield also, and they are refusing to do it, saying that it is a stone that caused the crack. I believe there are others who have had the exact same J shaped crack starting at the windshield header and curving around the rearview mirror.
I'd like to hear from you if you have had a windshield problem with the focus.. Thanks.
Funny... A reasonable following distance at reasonable speeds, and we'd ALL be getting where we need to go faster, more safely, and without consuming as much fuel. Yet, there are the lane-changers... Those who think that by gaining 3 or 5 car-lengths on someone, they're somehow going to "come out ahead!"
Forgive me for venting... But there are also those in the parking lots who "stalk" you in their vehicles as you walk out to your car, hoping that they can pounce on your parking spot the moment you back out! This is partly why I park WAY OUT THERE in the lots... It's kind of entertaining to have someone follow me in their car as I walk... Sort of a "Pied Piper" thing!... Of course, it wears off halfway out and they speed around you with great indignance!
Ah well... Such is the motoring mentality!!
Just step on your breaks fast enough and everything will be O.K. Right?
I guess the "moose test" was invented to entertain test drivers in Europe and has no importance for America.
This is what italians do all day long (steering)
And their skill level doesn't differ from the "brush your teeth while driving" american skill?
Yes, I had my windshield develop a crack around the rearview mirror along with another guy online.
Get a ballpoint pen and run it along the crack to "feel" for an impact point. If you feel a bump then it was caused most likely by a stone, if not, then it is most likely a stress crack.
Good luck,
Frank
Thanks again-->Doc
Tangents are a natural result of any type of discussion. This group doesn't seem to have a problem with these temporary and tangential topics, and we always remain on subject in the end. We've formed a bit of a community on this board, and I think we're doing just fine. People are also acting maturely, and not throwing insults around, which is nice to see.
And to those of us in the US, be extra aware when driving this weekend. (More people travel on this holiday than any other.)
Have fun, be safe, come back whole.
Gabe
Hey, I never registered with owners connection but I got the watch anyway...Its really a WATCH. Maybe I'll use it to beat all those foolish American drivers out of the way!
But I swear I spotted Russel Crowe using it to fend off a sword blow in "Gladiator" =]
Pat
choosing a synthetic.i have always believed that
a 6cyl. + 8 cyl. were more forgiving when it comes
to oil maintenance than a 4cyl.my only other question, is it important to stick with a synthetic
once you make the change?
hatchqueen-i agree with your assessment about this group,it always comes full circle.
pcleveland- stainlees mug (did you have recall done?)
I agree, further discussion on this topic would be counter-productive.
Question:
How far does the clutch on your Z-hatchling have to be depressed, before your car will start?
The clutch on my new Z has to be within 1/8-inch of floorboard, before turning the key will "activate" the starter.
This seems way too close. Yes? No?
Thanks, for any replies.
zx3
sounds as though it may be a bad batch of glass
installed.last thing i want is a windshield replaced. we visited this topic before.
rubberban + danny1234-sorry to hear about your situation.
Is this a switch on the firewall that activates starter ignition?
Anyway, thanks for the info.
BTW, what's your mileage, how's your Z running?
Also, I too am interested in wether changing to synthetic oil might mean you can't return to conventional oil later on.
When you got your Z, did you wax it or use any liquid to make it shine more, or have you just washed it? (I'm looking at Maguiar line of finishes, and thinking of doing something).
zx3
My wife is awaiting delvery of her new car in June. She was so impressed with how the visors function on my new Dakota Quad Cab that she wanted a pair for her car.
i use polish once a year.i wax 4 to 6 times a year.
a lot of people swear by zainos,others meguiars,
others zymol ,and so on.as with most things,you are performing the application,if you are satisfied with the results,thats all that really matters.
personally,i dont believe you would harm your finish if you used one over the other.polish is fine as a thorough cleaning agent,but it can and
will remove some paint surface in my opinion.i like carnauba wax for its surface protection qualities.
its easier to keep a waxed finish clean,especially black,which i have.there is a conference on waxes +
polishes here at edmunds.i have posted before about this topic.the beauty of todays finishes have come a long way from the past.my first brand new car a
1976 olds cutlass supreme(at that time the best-selling car in the u.s.)was showing rust on the surface in the first year of ownership,as were many other cars.foreign cars,especially from japan had
tremendous rust problems.one rarely finds rust on
cars today.i brought this up to illustrate that it
is an easier task to maintain a lustrous finish
today.i remember the time when we used to say,we had to simoniz our car.dont sweat your own choice,
some go on + come off easier than others.if you like it,again,thats all that matters.as far as mileage,im rolling up to 3k,time for oil change.
engine seems to be peppier+smooother now.,must be
broken-in.the last couple hundred miles.the engine really has seemed to smooth out.i dont know if its
just a placebo effect or if it really has.just something that seems truly different.has anyone else experienced this?
in answer to a prior post... our 5spd has to have the clutch depressed just about to the floor to start and this IS NORMAL so no need for concern:)
drebe..watch out for the speed traps dude! please have fun but be careful!
will be worth it.i have the manual but a lot of
people here have the auto and swear by the fun
factor just the same.i drove the auto and liked it very much.ive been driving stick 30yrs.and couldnt bring myself to make the switch.i dont believe with
the auto that the fun quotient will be any less.
enjoy!
on the clay process experience? i am also old school and have been out of the loop when it comes
to some of these processes, such as claying.i know
there is a conference on this here,however i would
appreciate hearing about it from someone here like yourself.by the way.mothers is an excellent product as well.i live within 50 mi.of that zaino brothers
co.+ never knew about it till recently.
Regarding the clutch interlock, you should have to depress the pedal fully before the starter circuit is enabled. Don't worry about "linkage" wear, our cars have hydraulic clutch actuation, not mechanical (cable) actuation. The loclout switch should be fine for a long time.
Drebe, I guess you found out what the max speed of the front spoiler is :-) Way to go! You might want to carefully drill some small holes and attach the pieces together with some small nuts and screws - use flat washers under the screw heads to spread the clamping force.
Paint clay is not new - body shops have used it for many years to remove overspray. Beware, this is a product that can create as many problems as it can fix if used incorrectly. It MUST be used with liberal amounts of lubricant, and you must be careful to not pick up any grit in the clay, or you will create some serious scratches.
If your car was not part of the 00E09 campaign, you won't likely get a mug from Ford. I've seen your wishes for a mug, and it breaks my heart
Was part of campaign. Work was done Mar 13th. Notified here and thru ownerconnection, but not thru U.S. Postal Service. Thanks much for the offer, but I've just been venting. It's a nice place to vent, because its also a nice place to express how happy I am with the ZX3. Just keep thinking (wishfully) that someone from Ford Customer Service would read my vents and do something about it. Really appreciate your offer.
Pat
I have just received the ordering guide for the 2001 Focus and the following
are the highlights of the changes.....
New Colors
Egg Yolk Yellow Clearcoat
Jackpot Gold Clearcoat Metallic
Twilight Blue Clearcoat Metallic
Fog Lights now standard on the ZTS
New 6 spoke 16" wheels standard on ZTS, optional on ZX3 as part of option
package
Front armrest now standard on SE Sedan and Wagon
Power windows now standard on SE Sedan and Wagon
Single disc CD standard on all models except the LX
New MANUAL moonroof ZX3 only
Front and rear floor mats and smokers package standard on all models
New premium group (air conditioning, 16" alum. wheels, tilt/telescoping,
front armrest, cruise, front maplights now available on ZX3
Manual transmission available on SE Wagon
Power Group on ZX3 now includes windows/locks/mirrors and remote entry on
ZX3, and is only available with the premium group
Zetec engine now standard on SE Wagon
side impact airbags optional on all models, when ordered with side airbags
the rear seats get head restraints!
Automatic transmission on ZX3 is only available with the premium group
(manual transmission is available with or without the premium group)
and last but certainly not least......
Advance Trac - integrated vehicle dynamics designed to provide precise
handling in adverse situations available on ZTS and ZX3 only. This package
includes traction control.
stick with the old carnauba wax.as far as the first
oil change,im going to do one petroleum then do
switch to synthetic.im putting my trust into a local shop which is very familiar with the overfill
problems posted here.there was a time i would do it
myself but to much hassle in disposal etc.
Pat
Pat
True on backorder. I'm still waiting for a drop in K&N air filter and a Lund bug/stone deflector
Over two weeks. Started checking elsewhere to see if anyone will treat me better.
Pat
back.you had mentioned hauling bearings.seems to
me today,that in many industries,there is very little warehousing of parts of any kind,like the past.seems most co.wholesale+retail operate in the
just in time inventory mode.excuse me,if this is off topic.i just wanted to express a view to calm
any doubts or fears on the issue of delivery + wait
on parts pertaining to our much-loved focus.
wholesale distribution is how i make a living.
i despise backorders,its leaving money on the table
the answer i always get is,there will always be
backorders.i say poor excuse,poor management of
inventory,a total lack of expertise on forecasting
the needs + wants of the customer.the 2 parts you
mentioned,i am going to check my dealer for availability.i will check on tuesday and report back.they are suppose to be the largest on the east coast for whatever thats worth.