I ordered my zx3 from a dealership with what I wanted and got it for invoice. Of course, I live in truck-ville northern california where not many people are buying zx3s.
The dealer in Issaquah sold me an infra-red ZX3 for less than MSRP. I didn't like the Focus when they first came out, but I really like the design and look of them the more I look at it.
Anyway, I was talking to the dealer and he did say that the Foci are selling very well around here and he wasn't surprised the dealerships in Seattle were asking $2000 over list, but he seriously doubts they are getting it.
See you on the road - remember, if you're waving at a red ZX3 in Seattle please use all of your fingers!
For those of you lucky ones with higher gas mileage figures -- did your higher mileage come as the vehicle racked up more miles or did you get your good mileage from day one? I'm wondering if, as a vehicle's mileage increases, if gas mileage gets better, as well.
I'd like to trade my zx3 when it will be a 3 years old and get some more performance oriented version of Focus (hatchback highly preffered). SVT version would sound great if they would offer it with 5-speed automatic the type that's currently used in Euro versions (I like the auto more than manual because I love my wife and hate traffic jams with tons of traffic lights in my area),but even if Ford would sell it with "auto" as a option the price would probably jump into $20K regions. And despite of other great SVT cars that are automatics ( spectacular SVT Lightning) it does not look like Ford will offer automatic as option for it's SVT Focus. So the only way to get there will be 2003 ZX3 Focus with: 16 inch wheels 205 series tires and 4 wheel disc brakes and most important a new engine 2,3l. 145 up with 140 torque, hopefully $249 super chip , I&N drop in filter/ or one of cold air intakes, Mobil 1 and a few other inexpensive mods will add-on and make it a 155hp car. I think it will be a great choice for all automatic fans out there. Estimated cost with the upgrades around $16.5K. Modern automatic should not be called a slush box like it's old predecessors (3 speed, overdrive less transmissions). That will be my direction with current ZX3.
I had a thought today about the 5w-20 oil that is recommended for the 2001 Focus. I called my mechanic, who did my first and only oil change so far, and he said that he wasn't sure, but that he probably put 10w-30 in my car. Then I read in the users manual that 5w-20 would produce the best gas mileage. So I wonder if the 10w-30 may not be lubricating things well enough and reducing my mileage. I get a poor 22 or so in suburban driving (35 or so on my 12 year old Colt). Any thoughts on this? Could the oil viscosity have a significant effect on mileage? Should I panic and have him replace the 10w-30 with the recommended 5w-20? Or is the difference really insignificant? Thanks for any feedback.
5W-20 will pump up a bit faster in a cold engine and provide a bit better lubrication after a cold start. On the other hand, a 10W-30 oil will provide slightly better film strength at higher temps. If you live in a cold climate, the 5W-20 would be a better choice, but when in doubt, follow your owner's manual recommendation. I seriously doubt you are going to see a dramatic difference in gas mileage going from 10W-30 to 5W-20.
The idea of a 170hp. ZX3 is interesting but will it be worth paying 5 grand more for it than I did for the current 2001 model I now have? I wonder if the SVT will be plagued by first year production problems like the 2000 ZX3s were. It's usually a good idea not to buy anything in its' first year of production. Guess it will depend on how much the SVT will differ from the 2001 ZX3 (other than the engine and trans.). My better judgement tells me to wait til the car is in production for a full year but it might be kind of fun to do something stupid and impulsive and just order one and get it over with.
Richard, You have the 2001 Zetec? If so it requires the 5w20 per the manual. I asked a ford tech about this and he said the 2001 zetec motor is built to much tighter specs than the 2000 zetec (although they are essentially the same motor). He went on to say that to get the oil to the places it needs to go you had to use the 5w20 oil.
I would normally agree with silver bullet on this, but considering what the ford tech told me, now I have to think twice. I have not read the 2001 manual and don't know what it says about 10w30. I there have to defer to the ford tech, I should properly call him a Master Tech. Unless the manual says otherwise, I would him replace it. These newer motors are what I grew up with.
Got better as the miles racked up. Can't remember how many miles I had before I noticed the increase. Seems like it was over 1200, but would have to go back into archives to jog my memory. But I never was below 25 mpg.
I drove my baby (2001) off of the lot three days after test driving it with 44 miles on it in late September. I made two trips down south - 1600+ miles round trip and have 9000+ miles on her now. After my brother remarked that his Nissan Maxima was a better car because he gets 300-400 miles per fill-up, I started jotting down info at every time I filled her up. On my trips I averaged 34mpg and I get about 300 miles between fill ups. I figured that's about 25mpg, but did notice that after my trips she ran more smoothly and came close to 27mpg. I live in upstate new york and commute 16+ miles to work each way in a combo of city and highway miles. I only started recording in November, but I looked at some gas receipts and they were about the same, so I'm probably a lucky one who got good mileage from the beginning.
I feel sorry for those that get less both on the highway and in the city, but I'll take my zx3 any day over the gas guzzling suv who spends $28 a fill up. When I had my car in the shop, my dealer gave me his Explorer sport and I hated every minute of driving it. As a Gen Xer, I couldn't be happier that ford aimed the Focus at me. I love, love, love it!
Thanks to all who have provided sites and insight on the zx3 as I've learned a lot from reading your posts.
todays fill-up shown mpg to be approx.27.5. mixed hwy.+city. that seems to be my overall avg. for 14 mo. rolling up to 13,000 mi. recalls aside, shes performing quite well. steering is dead-on center. suspension still soaks-up bumps quite nicely and still great road feel. this is what keeps me liking the car. i cannot find a car on these shores that can match the zx3 when one weighs price/performance. its a fun ride everyday. as far as recalls, the dealer has at this time contacted me that parts are in. i am having the a-pillar re-done. they are replacing a cracked hood catch shield and a cracked washer resevoir bottle. also, they mentioned the clutch master cylinder is to replace as well as the rear seat clip or hinge or whatever it is. if its cheap molded plastic it will eventually crack or break.
Got a call this evening from a Ford Rep. in Mi. asking me how I liked my ZX3. Do they call everyone that buys one? I didn't have anything bad to say about my experience so far so I mentioned all the bad stuff that has been posted on this board, especially regarding the 2000 model. The Rep. said that they are well aware of the problems and are working to resolve them. Although she didn't come right out and say it, I got the impression that Ford feels that a competent service department should be able to handle any and all recall and warranty problems to the satisfaction of all customers. I suppose that would be true in a perfect world but the service depts. at some dealerships are a joke. We have a good one locally but I've seen enough others to know all are not competent or just don't try to be. I asked her about their thoughts on gas mileage for this vehicle and she said not to expect the vehicle to attain its' peak gas mileage until it has about 3000 miles on it. Anyone's experience show this to be true? I've only got about 1800mi on my car but I don't have any complaints about the mileage either. Maybe I'll get a pleasant surprise after turning 3000mi. but I'm not counting on it.
I, too, have been contacted a total of 3 times by Ford since I took delivery of my zx3 at the beginning of Dec. As well, my dealership sent me a thank you letter and a tin of cookies at xmas for buying from them. Yesterday, in the post, I received a thank you card from ford for participating in the surveys. Ford seems to be trying to build up customer good will, but what Ford needs to realise is that a product will speak for itself over time -- no amount of surveys will change a customer's perception of the product. Quality is real as well as preceived.
Interestingly enough, I can't get a call from a Rep at all. Maybe it's the two letters I've sent demanding that something be done about the low gas mileage.
Re; mileage, Viscosity of oil is not a large factor, My guess is ford may have to tweak the engine computer to solve, stay tuned for a new tsb. I have a 2kfocus wagon that has a creaking noise when going over large speed bumps and while making right turns, Anyone have similar experience? reminds me of older fwd cars with bad cv joints. Someone else in an older posting in the sedan section had Lower control arms replaced under warranty, anyone else heard of this? Thanks for any comments the zx-3 is a great car but not big enough for my family.
I ordered a white/grey ZX3 5-speed, advanced trac/disc brakes, side air bags, and premium group on 01/09/01 and still don't have a VIN number. What's the holdup?
dskadar, I ordered a red zx3 with advance-trac, power, etc. for me it took from about 9th October to 22nd December. I would guess your car will be in end of March. I didn't get my VIN until the day before I got the car.
My car now is just shy of 3,000 miles. Problems have been hard to shift into 2nd gear on very cold mornings, a noise that sounds like a chorus of crickets from a loose part on the hatch, and flat. The dealer service people were rude when I first took it in so I complained. I'll see what happens when it goes back in on Tuesday.
My gas mileage has been 25mpg in daily driving and 34 to 35mpg on trips, just about from day one.
The advance-trac is great in snow and slush, and icy roads. On extremely smooth glare ice it didn't help much. I had to take the car to near it's limits to get the system to come on on dry pavement, at that point I could feel a little ABS and the engine backed off a little. Too bad this option costs so much, I think it could help a lot of drivers.
Hello all, I've been reading up on the posts here, and, despite the mileage problems, I'll be purchasing my 01 zx3 (malibu blue, 5-spd, premium package) as soon as the forecasted snow allows me to get to my dealer. I'm buying off the lot cause they happen to have exactly what I wanted. So wish me luck on getting one of the 30mpg ones, I'll keep you posted when I find out what I'm getting with it.
dealer was to replace again a-pillars + b-pillars.wrong parts were shipped. also, passenger front seat belt does not recoil. they bent the hood prop rod and caused the hood to go out of alignment. they never received the rear seat hinge clip. they failed to figure out how to replace the hood catch assembly. seems one has to remove a substantial amount of the interior front end. they were able to replace the cracked washer fluid resevoir bottle. they will contact me when parts arrive. i had posted in tsb and recalls about the fuel injector switch + rear brake shoes. other than that the car is running just fine. eventually, it all work out for the better.
If you're having problems with your Ford Focus, or have insights to offer those with problems, please visit our Ford Focus ZX3 problems discussion. Thanks.
For those who are waiting for ordered Focus models, you're going to have to be VERY patient. I'd say 3 months is the norm. The way it seems to work is that the factory doesn't process the orders until a certain date, then they do them all it once and ship them. People on here ordered a month earlier and a month later than I did and we all recieved the cars around the same date.
Love the car!! gas mileage is good, average 23-25 miles per galoon on city driving, and thats on hard driving. I also average 33-34 miles per gallon on Highway driving, average spped 75-70 miles per hour. I feel lucky, I am currently installing a better radio, not that the factory is bad, but I want to custom build my radio. Have the PIAA bulbs, hyper whites, ooh you should see how good they look. I also have the KKM PEdals, makes a difference on the toe and foot pedaling. I have to take it in for the oil change though, it was supposesed to be done on the 27, but I havent reached 3000 miles yet, I guess I will get it done this week.
Other than that, the dealer is excellent, no compliants, the car handles and drives like a sports car. Dont like Civics, or Echos, or Neons, the coralla is nice, but I prefer the sporty look on the FOcus. Till later, I will keep posted on any problems. The shifter at times is excellent, and at other times it is worthless. I might change the tryanny, maybe? Have fun driving the Focus!!
Hey all. I got my deposit back on the APC Euro Style rear tail lights. Turns out they took orders for them before they made them. The shop will call when they can get then in stock within a weeks time. =(
Did anyone see the new Automobile Magazine? Or was it Road & Track. Anyways one of them is talking about a new BMW two door Hatch to compete with the Golf and A3 when it arrives. Also Toyota and Pontiac are working on Hatches to compete with Fords ZX5 and PT Cruiser with hyped up versions making 180-190 Hp. Maybe Hatches and Wagons are replacing SUV's.
Someone posted that they replaced their OEM bulbs w/ PIAA superwhites. Do these bulbs allow you to actually see farther down the road or are the bulbs just putting out a whiter light than stock bulbs? I don't care for the low cutoff of the Focus stock lamps and would like to add aftermarket lights -- preferably driving lights which will light up the road further ahead so I'm not overdriving my stock lamps, like the old "pencil beams". Any suggestions will be welcome. There are so many choices out there it's difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.TIA
I'm a reporter working on a story who needs to talk to younger buyers, 25 or younger, who are happy with their Ford Focus. If you fit that profile and are willing to be interviewed, please send e-mail to userf@cris.com.
Well, well, well... I just read that the Mazda will be releasing the Protege 5 for the next model year. Looks like JimmyFocus has hit the nail on the head, 5-doors are suddenly cool.
I exchanged a few emails with the guys at http://www.fordracing.net recently to see if they were planning a rear disc (rotor) brake conversion kit for the Focus. They currently have a kit for the ZX2 with a MSRP of $695.
The good news is that a kit for the Focus is planned and should be available "later this summer". ABS will still function normally, which may not be the case with some aftermarket kits. The retail price hadn't been determined, but I would be surprised if it was significantly different from the cost of the ZX2 kit.
The only thing they weren't sure about was whether or not the kit would fit inside the 15" wheels, or if 16" wheels would be required because of the size of the new disc and caliper. I gave them my opinion that they would be well advised to make the kit work with the 15" wheels so that they could sell to owners with both wheel sizes.
If anybody here would be interested in this kit now might be a good idea to provide your opinion on the wheel size issue to Ford Racing (although their website appears to be down as I am typing this...).
Nice to see that April edition of Sport Compact Car Mag's "Eight Great Rides" includes the ZX3. The Z-car is running with some fine machines, including: Integra Type R; Miata; Sentra SE; Impreza WRX; Celica GT-S; MR2 Spyder and the GTI 1.8T. The article extols the virtues of the car such as "...a driver's car; quick and competent, yet inexpensive and practical; behaves like one of Europe's finest thoroughbreds; great shift linkage; agile, handsome, and spirited -- a driver-friendly platform that is pocketbook cheap and loaded with thrills; etc., ". Clearly this mag focuses on performance and "hotrodability" and no mention is made of build quality or durability-related issues. Conclusion: unlike Rodney Dangerfield, the Focus IS getting some serious respect!!
I got my car back from the dealer with new synthetic trans oil and all the rattles and squeaks taken care of. Wow, what a difference! There is still a little stiffness going into second but, overall it seems much smoother. I hadn't realized how noisy the squeaks were now I have a very quiet car.
I just wish the dealer service people were as easy to work with as Saturn people were.
Has anybody painted the rear drum brakes on their Focus? My Focus is now a year old with 15,000km and the drums are about half-covered in rust. I figure I would have to remove the drum/cover, remove the rust, put some kind of rust preventer, then paint using a high-temp spay paint (probably black).
Am I on the right track?? Do I even need to remove the drum... just the wheel and mask the car?
You described the job well - remove the drums and clean them thoroughly with Brakleen or similar, rub them down with Scotchbrite, and apply a good quality high temp paint (like engine enamel). After the paint cures, refit the drums, making sure the inside is completely clean and has no overspray - a light rub with Scotchbrite is a good idea, but clean out all traces of dust. You might want to consider putting a VERY light smear of grease on the contact surface of the alloy wheel so it will not get stick to the hub and drum.
As for removing the drum, is there anything special to do? I have read someplace that the drum can be removed as soon as the wheel is removed. Other people have said that the drum/cover is attached from behind somewhere... that loosening the drum with a rubber mallet will not work.
I've an off-topic question for all you car nuts out there. I recently saw (on speedvision) an advertisement for something called DuraShine. It is touted as a paint protectant and far superior to any car wax or polish or polymer product . DuraShine's claim to fame is that it allows water to "sheet" off the surface and not bead up like waxed surfaces. Supposedly this prevents dirt and chemicals in the beaded water from penetrating the paint or clearcoat surface as the water dries.
This is the first time I've seen something like this. Does anyone have any experience with this product and would you like to voice your opinion? Do dirt and chemicals in water really penetrate the clear coat and ruin the paint job?
The drums should just come off when you remove the wheels - I don't believe there is a set screw retaining them, but if there is, you'd see it on the front face of the drum. Make sure you have the hand brake released! If they need gentle persuasion, just tap the drum with a soft faced mallet - never hit a cast iron part the a metal hammer, unless you are trying to break it.
To the person who has ordered euro tail lights for their focus....how do you intend to have rear illumination you shift into reverse??? On the Euro model, the reverse tail light (there's only one) is in the bumper....along with the rear fog light.
Hows it going people!! Just got my stereo installed it sounds killer!! It better I paid a pretty penny for everything I installed in it! Anyways! Have to still change the oil, running in the 3011 miles on the tach, humm!
Cobie:
The PIAA are alot whiter than the stock, thus the night vision you get with them is much more improved. As far as distance, humm, while distance is not increased, I found the PIAA's or HELLA bulbs provide far better visibilty. Besides when turned on they resemble lights costing more. That is my take, if you want to know more on the bulbs, or on what you could do to improve distance with your headlights, go to FOCALJET.com, and check out thier message board. They have alot of interesting subjects, and while mostly everything is about aftermarket power increases, you can start your own topic by becoming a member where I found everybody wants to help out!
Love the car, even though the seat belt on the passager side wont work, after the stereo install the seat belt stopping working, anyways! I will pick that up with my dealer. I also got the check engine light on, but I figured it was because the air sensor was disconnected, triguring the light. The light turned off by it self, no grief here, still love the car.
all of a sudden my front passenger seat belt had stopped working. of course, no replacement available.still waiting on a laundry list of parts to arrive. i like the car, i dont care too much for the parts selection and delivery system of same. its pathetic, and thats being kind.
Beast, You really have bad luck with this car. I feel guilty everything is working well for me. Had a transit bus clip me while I was nosing into traffic. Just caught drivers side front bumper as I sat waiting for traffic to go by. Left lots of rubber and a dimple on the left edge. Sent in a replacement request to the transit agency. Should be Ok but whole front bumper will need to be replaced. Which reminds me, I wish the bumper was more functional, I mean they should be able to be bumped a little without seeing every little ding show up as chipped paint. Whoever thought to paint a bumper? Does not make sense. Had the latest recalls taken care of, everything works. No problems. Hope this is the last of them.
thanks for the sentiments. please dont feel guilty,im glad your ride is running well.im sorry to hear about the bus incident. actually, my problems are more of a nuisance situation. i have learned to live with the current inconvenience, such as it is. given the price i have paid and the performance less recalls,its still a fine value. some of the parts are really cheap,not all, but enough to cause some headaches. i genuinely like the car and find it quite comfortable to drive on a daily basis. i have no intention of giving up on it. im in it till they make it right. the dealer is taking very good care of me now and has been very attentive to get things right. actually, i have empathy for the dealer,its ford who put them in that sorry position with their faulty products and recall nonsense.
Hello everyone i just got my new 2001 red zx3. it has all the toy's on it . I just hope i have good luck with it . I had a 1999 cavalier with all the toys on it but i did not have very good luck with it and i got it new just like my Z. I think the the zx3 is a very nice car for the money. thanks for all of your help and keep this club going .
and a couple of electric basses and a small rack of stuff to haul around. Fits with ease into the wagon, yes, but as for value for the money, seems like the ZX3 5-speed has everything the wagon does and more, minus about $3k, am I right? So if I can fit my rig into the ZX3, I'd really prefer that model. The street edition wagon is cool, but seems like a special order item for most dealers who still don't believe people want a sporty wagon. (Soon to be released Mazda 5-door sport looks nice, btw)
In the wagon, the back seats don't actually fold flat... they seem to stop at about a 30% angle. Is it the same in the ZX3? Or do they fold flat?
In the ZX3, you have to tip the rear seat cushion forward before folding the seatbacks down to get a flat load floor - I'm guessing the wagon is similar. I have a friend who owns a shop that specializes in vintage bass guitars, and has to haul a fair bit of bulky stuff. He opted for the ZX3, but it may have been due to the much lower purchase price compared to the wagon.
Comments
Anyway, I was talking to the dealer and he did say that the Foci are selling very well around here and he wasn't surprised the dealerships in Seattle were asking $2000 over list, but he seriously doubts they are getting it.
See you on the road - remember, if you're waving at a red ZX3 in Seattle please use all of your fingers!
I'm wondering if, as a vehicle's mileage increases, if gas mileage gets better, as well.
SVT version would sound great if they would offer it with 5-speed automatic the type that's currently used in Euro versions (I like the auto more than manual because I love my wife and hate traffic jams with tons of traffic lights in my area),but even if Ford would sell it with "auto" as a option the price would probably jump into $20K regions.
And despite of other great SVT cars that are automatics ( spectacular SVT Lightning) it does not look like Ford will offer automatic as option for it's SVT Focus.
So the only way to get there will be 2003 ZX3 Focus with: 16 inch wheels 205 series tires and 4 wheel disc brakes and most important a new engine 2,3l. 145 up with 140 torque, hopefully $249 super chip , I&N drop in filter/ or one of cold air intakes, Mobil 1 and a few other inexpensive mods will add-on and make it a 155hp car. I think it will be a great choice for all automatic fans out there. Estimated cost with the upgrades around $16.5K.
Modern automatic should not be called a slush box like it's old predecessors (3 speed, overdrive less transmissions).
That will be my direction with current ZX3.
You have the 2001 Zetec? If so it requires the 5w20 per the manual. I asked a ford tech about this and he said the 2001 zetec motor is built to much tighter specs than the 2000 zetec (although they are essentially the same motor). He went on to say that to get the oil to the places it needs to go you had to use the 5w20 oil.
I would normally agree with silver bullet on this, but considering what the ford tech told me, now I have to think twice. I have not read the 2001 manual and don't know what it says about 10w30. I there have to defer to the ford tech, I should properly call him a Master Tech. Unless the manual says otherwise, I would him replace it. These newer motors are what I grew up with.
Pat
I drove my baby (2001) off of the lot three days after test driving it with 44 miles on it in late September. I made two trips down south - 1600+ miles round trip and have 9000+ miles on her now. After my brother remarked that his Nissan Maxima was a better car because he gets 300-400 miles per fill-up, I started jotting down info at every time I filled her up. On my trips I averaged 34mpg and I get about 300 miles between fill ups. I figured that's about 25mpg, but did notice that after my trips she ran more smoothly and came close to 27mpg. I live in upstate new york and commute 16+ miles to work each way in a combo of city and highway miles. I only started recording in November, but I looked at some gas receipts and they were about the same, so I'm probably a lucky one who got good mileage from the beginning.
I feel sorry for those that get less both on the highway and in the city, but I'll take my zx3 any day over the gas guzzling suv who spends $28 a fill up. When I had my car in the shop, my dealer gave me his Explorer sport and I hated every minute of driving it. As a Gen Xer, I couldn't be happier that ford aimed the Focus at me. I love, love, love it!
Thanks to all who have provided sites and insight on the zx3 as I've learned a lot from reading your posts.
seems to be my overall avg. for 14 mo. rolling up to 13,000 mi.
recalls aside, shes performing quite well. steering is dead-on center.
suspension still soaks-up bumps quite nicely and still great road feel.
this is what keeps me liking the car. i cannot find a car on these shores
that can match the zx3 when one weighs price/performance. its a fun
ride everyday. as far as recalls, the dealer has at this time contacted
me that parts are in. i am having the a-pillar re-done. they are replacing a cracked hood catch shield and a cracked washer resevoir bottle. also, they mentioned the clutch master cylinder is to replace as well as the rear seat clip or hinge or whatever it is. if its cheap molded plastic it will eventually crack or break.
Yesterday, in the post, I received a thank you card from ford for participating in the surveys. Ford seems to be trying to build up customer good will, but what Ford needs to realise is that a product will speak for itself over time -- no amount of surveys will change a customer's perception of the product. Quality is real as well as preceived.
Hang in there til the 3000. Know I was over the 1200 when the mileage got better.
I have a 2kfocus wagon that has a creaking noise when going over large speed bumps and while making right turns, Anyone have similar experience? reminds me of older fwd cars with bad cv joints. Someone else in an older posting in the sedan section had Lower control arms replaced under warranty, anyone else heard of this? Thanks for any comments the zx-3 is a great car but not big enough for my family.
My car now is just shy of 3,000 miles. Problems have been hard to shift into 2nd gear on very cold mornings, a noise that sounds like a chorus of crickets from a loose part on the hatch, and flat. The dealer service people were rude when I first took it in so I complained. I'll see what happens when it goes back in on Tuesday.
My gas mileage has been 25mpg in daily driving and 34 to 35mpg on trips, just about from day one.
The advance-trac is great in snow and slush, and icy roads. On extremely smooth glare ice it didn't help much. I had to take the car to near it's limits to get the system to come on on dry pavement, at that point I could feel a little ABS and the engine backed off a little. Too bad this option costs so much, I think it could help a lot of drivers.
Tom
I can't get mine into first when cold and then 2nd gear at times is when words fly outta my mouth that are best not printed here.
THIS problem is going to cause an accident for the unlucky ZX-3 and with these lurking SUV's running lights....
hood prop rod and caused the hood to go out of alignment. they never received the rear seat hinge clip. they failed to figure out how to replace the hood catch assembly. seems one has to remove a substantial
amount of the interior front end. they were able to replace the cracked
washer fluid resevoir bottle. they will contact me when parts arrive.
i had posted in tsb and recalls about the fuel injector switch + rear
brake shoes. other than that the car is running just fine. eventually,
it all work out for the better.
Pocahontas
Host
Hatchbacks Message Board
Pocahontas
Host
Hatchbacks Message Board
Other than that, the dealer is excellent, no compliants, the car handles and drives like a sports car. Dont like Civics, or Echos, or Neons, the coralla is nice, but I prefer the sporty look on the FOcus. Till later, I will keep posted on any problems. The shifter at times is excellent, and at other times it is worthless. I might change the tryanny, maybe? Have fun driving the Focus!!
Did anyone see the new Automobile Magazine? Or was it Road & Track. Anyways one of them is talking about a new BMW two door Hatch to compete with the Golf and A3 when it arrives. Also Toyota and Pontiac are working on Hatches to compete with Fords ZX5 and PT Cruiser with hyped up versions making 180-190 Hp. Maybe Hatches and Wagons are replacing SUV's.
Jimmy
Any suggestions will be welcome.
There are so many choices out there it's difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.TIA
Thanks,
autoreporter
They also slammed the CT Snoozer.
SHOV6
Happy Motoring!
Pocahontas
Host
Hatchbacks Message Board
I exchanged a few emails with the guys at http://www.fordracing.net recently
to see if they were planning a rear disc (rotor) brake conversion kit for
the Focus. They currently have a kit for the ZX2 with a MSRP of $695.
The good news is that a kit for the Focus is planned and should be available
"later this summer". ABS will still function normally, which may not be the
case with some aftermarket kits. The retail price hadn't been determined,
but I would be surprised if it was significantly different from the cost of
the ZX2 kit.
The only thing they weren't sure about was whether or not the kit would fit
inside the 15" wheels, or if 16" wheels would be required because of the
size of the new disc and caliper. I gave them my opinion that they would be
well advised to make the kit work with the 15" wheels so that they could
sell to owners with both wheel sizes.
If anybody here would be interested in this kit now might be a good idea to
provide your opinion on the wheel size issue to Ford Racing (although their
website appears to be down as I am typing this...).
Hope this information is useful!
Regards,
Jon
See my Focus FAQ:
http://users.ev1.net/~sturgeon/car/focus/focus.htm
I just wish the dealer service people were as easy to work with as Saturn people were.
I figure I would have to remove the drum/cover, remove the rust, put some kind of rust preventer, then paint using a high-temp spay paint (probably black).
Am I on the right track?? Do I even need to remove the drum... just the wheel and mask the car?
Any suggestions...Thanks!
As for removing the drum, is there anything special to do? I have read someplace that the drum can be removed as soon as the wheel is removed. Other people have said that the drum/cover is attached from behind somewhere... that loosening the drum with a rubber mallet will not work.
Tom P.
I recently saw (on speedvision) an advertisement for something called DuraShine. It is touted as a paint protectant and far superior to any car wax or polish or polymer product
.
DuraShine's claim to fame is that it allows water to "sheet" off the surface and not bead up like waxed surfaces. Supposedly this prevents dirt and chemicals in the beaded water from penetrating the paint or clearcoat surface as the water dries.
This is the first time I've seen something like this. Does anyone have any experience with this product and would you like to voice your opinion?
Do dirt and chemicals in water really penetrate the clear coat and ruin the paint job?
Cobie:
The PIAA are alot whiter than the stock, thus the night vision you get with them is much more improved. As far as distance, humm, while distance is not increased, I found the PIAA's or HELLA bulbs provide far better visibilty. Besides when turned on they resemble lights costing more. That is my take, if you want to know more on the bulbs, or on what you could do to improve distance with your headlights, go to FOCALJET.com, and check out thier message board. They have alot of interesting subjects, and while mostly everything is about aftermarket power increases, you can start your own topic by becoming a member where I found everybody wants to help out!
Love the car, even though the seat belt on the passager side wont work, after the stereo install the seat belt stopping working, anyways! I will pick that up with my dealer. I also got the check engine light on, but I figured it was because the air sensor was disconnected, triguring the light. The light turned off by it self, no grief here, still love the car.
course, no replacement available.still waiting on a laundry list of parts
to arrive. i like the car, i dont care too much for the parts selection and
delivery system of same. its pathetic, and thats being kind.
You really have bad luck with this car. I feel guilty everything is working well for me.
Had a transit bus clip me while I was nosing into traffic. Just caught drivers side front bumper as I sat waiting for traffic to go by. Left lots of rubber and a dimple on the left edge.
Sent in a replacement request to the transit agency. Should be Ok but whole front bumper will need to be replaced. Which reminds me, I wish the bumper was more functional, I mean they should be able to be bumped a little without seeing every little ding show up as chipped paint. Whoever thought to paint a bumper? Does not make sense.
Had the latest recalls taken care of, everything works. No problems. Hope this is the last of them.
running well.im sorry to hear about the bus incident. actually, my
problems are more of a nuisance situation. i have learned to live with the current inconvenience, such as it is. given the price i have paid and the performance less recalls,its still a fine value. some of the parts are really cheap,not all, but enough to cause some headaches. i genuinely
like the car and find it quite comfortable to drive on a daily basis. i have
no intention of giving up on it. im in it till they make it right. the dealer is taking very good care of me now and has been very attentive to
get things right. actually, i have empathy for the dealer,its ford who
put them in that sorry position with their faulty products and recall
nonsense.
http://www.eden-electronics.com/210XLT.html
23"W x 19.5"H x 18.5"
and a couple of electric basses and a small rack of stuff to haul around. Fits with ease into the wagon, yes, but as for value for the money, seems like the ZX3 5-speed has everything the wagon does and more, minus about $3k, am I right? So if I can fit my rig into the ZX3, I'd really prefer that model. The street edition wagon is cool, but seems like a special order item for most dealers who still don't believe people want a sporty wagon. (Soon to be released Mazda 5-door sport looks nice, btw)
In the wagon, the back seats don't actually fold flat... they seem to stop at about a 30% angle. Is it the same in the ZX3? Or do they fold flat?
Blaine