2015 Ford Focus ST-3 Estate with Mountune
Discussion
Beefmeister said:
It'll be interesting to see when the first people get their MP275 equipped cars on a rolling road as I've heard that the number starts with a 3 in reality...
No plans to put mine on a RR but I agree, would definitely be interesting to see what figure an MP275 car makes. ChrisRS6 said:
What's with the flappy rubber mudflaps?
They aren't really 'flappy' (they are fairly rigid) but they keep a fair amount of muck & detritus off the sides of the car. Hub said:
I suppose you didn't have it unmodified for long enough to notice many differences in the way the facelift drives. Does it handle the power any better for example?
Although I only had the car for a short while before I got the MP275 kit fitted I did feel fairly quickly that the new facelifted car is a LOT better on the road than the MK3 pre-facelifted cars. I had my 2012 ST for approx. 2.5 years, I got used to the car pulling you all over the road when accelerating hard (torque steer) but the new car is a lot less lairy. Thats even with my new estate having the 19" alloys on it and the old 2012 car the 18" alloys. You would expect a fair amount of tramlining but there isn't really any at all. Gives more confidence when the roads are damp, can plant the throttle without worrying about the car pulling itself out of your intended direction. Thanks for all the comments folks, appreciated it!
oobster said:
So onto my present car, a 2015 Ford Focus ST-3 Estate (Petrol) in Stealth Grey:
[ig]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5831/20635211258_3eb74ca3b4_z.jpg[/img]2015 Ford Focus ST-3 Stealth Estate by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
[ig]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5773/20635248728_8271cf346a_z.jpg[/img]2015 Ford Focus ST-3 Stealth Estate by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
Dribble.[ig]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5831/20635211258_3eb74ca3b4_z.jpg[/img]2015 Ford Focus ST-3 Stealth Estate by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
[ig]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5773/20635248728_8271cf346a_z.jpg[/img]2015 Ford Focus ST-3 Stealth Estate by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
You went for silver wheels too. Maximum win.
Bubba Zanetti said:
I've got a couple of questions if I may?
1. What are the service intervals?
2. Does it have split/fold rear seats - you mention the sub-woofer in the boot does this take up load space?
I believe it's every 10K miles for servicing and it does have split-fold rear seats. I'd nip out and take a quick pic of the back seats (and inside the boot) but it's chucking it down!1. What are the service intervals?
2. Does it have split/fold rear seats - you mention the sub-woofer in the boot does this take up load space?
No the subwoofer doesn't take up any load space, it sits inside the middle of the spare wheel.
Podie said:
Oobster, how you getting on with the car? Better than the previous Mk3?
Aye getting on with it fine, it's now done 3.3K miles and is absolutely filthy! I downloaded a Sync wallpaper and uploaded it into the car which is quite a good wee idea. Fuel consumption is still fairly hard on the wallet at an indicated 28mpg but then I do drive it fairly quickly when the conditions allow. Got used to the increased induction noise now and I don't really mind it. Certainly isn't loud enough to be intrusive although I still feel the car has a fair bit of loosening-up to do before it releases that wee extra bit of power.
Getting the Sync system to recognise my (Scottish) voice is turning out to be a bit of a challenge! I'm not known for my patience and I frequently end up getting scunnered speaking in the poshest loudest voice I can muster only for the Sync system to play a piece of music or call someone nowhere near sounding the same as what I asked!
Sorry to dig up, but I have the pre facelift ST-3, does the facelift still torque steer and tramline like a pig? Perfect tyre pressures and 'sport mode' help this problem but its still a nuisance at times.
I have had the airbox lid removed on mine for the last year or so which makes things a bit louder and gives you a bit of turbo noise at times, ive just this week put it back on and it feels like someone has strangled the car. Going to remove it again.
I have had the airbox lid removed on mine for the last year or so which makes things a bit louder and gives you a bit of turbo noise at times, ive just this week put it back on and it feels like someone has strangled the car. Going to remove it again.
MikeGoodwin said:
Sorry to dig up, but I have the pre facelift ST-3, does the facelift still torque steer and tramline like a pig? Perfect tyre pressures and 'sport mode' help this problem but its still a nuisance at times.
Hi Mike, I know what you mean about the pre-facelift, I felt the same with mine, the car would pull itself all over the road under hard acceleration. No, my facelift car doesn't seem to suffer from this greatly, even with the Mountune MP275 kit fitted. Now that the car has done nearly 7K miles it has loosened up somewhat and I can accelerate hard without having to fight the steering wheel.
Since the thread has been bumped i'll add a few more words about the car.
MPG is showing on the trip computer as 27mpg, but then I do tend to have a fairly heavy right foot. No stand-out issues with this car (so far!) apart from a loud hiss through the stereo a couple of weeks ago, regardless of what input I set it to. Searched over on the ST Owners Club forum and there have been a few MK3 ST owners complaining of this, although all said the problem sorted itself without any main dealer intervention. Indeed, my car 'sorted itself' within half an hour and although it is annoying (it happened to me on a Friday evening drive home from work when I needed the music on LOUD in order to keep me awake!) it doesn't seem to be a fault/problem that occurs frequently.
Only other 'modification' is a set of 20mm-per-side Eibach spacers, I had ordered 15mm - after being assured they would fit - but they didn't fit. There isn't enough space in the back of the 19" 'style pack' alloy wheel mating face for the short piece of the existing studs to go into, but there is with the 20mm spacers. Quite like how the car looks now, I was considering getting the wheels painted (even started a thread in General Gassing recently) but after long & careful consideration I have decided to keep them silver.
I may change my mind once the car has gone through another Scottish winter with all the grit & salt getting flung over the wheels.
No other plans with the car, well none that I have the time or money to carry out. In a brief moment of daydreaming madness I wondered what the car would look like with an all-over shades-of-grey camo wrap on it but I gave myself a slap and put that idea to bed.
The Mrs has just taken delivery of a brand-new Fiesta Titanium 1.0 ecoboost auto and although I've only had a quick drive of it the wee thing can certainly shift! The £££ involved in purchasing the new Fiesta though means that funds for me to spend on this Focus (or a MK3 Focus RS) are non-existent.
Quick recent pic with the spacers fitted, just after I'd spent 4 hours giving it it's first thorough clean of 2016:
Untitled by Andy McMillan, on Flickr5potTurbo said:
Oobster : I do like the look of your ST wagon.
Is there any idea as to what/why the high through a hissing fit?
Also, do you know if anyone makes a bike rack for these, since a tow hitch isn't possible, with the zorsts as they are?
Thank you!Is there any idea as to what/why the high through a hissing fit?
Also, do you know if anyone makes a bike rack for these, since a tow hitch isn't possible, with the zorsts as they are?
I am not really sure what caused the stereo to throw a hissy fit, although there was a suggestion or two over on the Focus ST Owners Club forum that the issue has something to do with the sound symposer system - i.e. the system that feeds engine/induction sound into the passenger cabin. Posters on that forum said, if I remember correctly, that the MK3 ST used a pipe/hose from the engine compartment into the cabin and the new facelifted MK3.5 channels the sound via the stereo.
I, however, have absolutely no idea if that is factually correct, but the suggestion was that there was a fault with this new system that caused interference when trying to listen to music. It seemed to be that the few people who were reporting a similar issue with their cars all had the Sync 2 system with the 'Premium' sound option - i.e. the Sony door speakers and subwoofer in the boot.
Unsure on the bike rack query, haven't looked into that topic myself, the estate does come with roof 'rails' though which (I imagine) would be ideal for securing a rack to.
oobster said:
Thank you!
I am not really sure what caused the stereo to throw a hissy fit, although there was a suggestion or two over on the Focus ST Owners Club forum that the issue has something to do with the sound symposer system - i.e. the system that feeds engine/induction sound into the passenger cabin. Posters on that forum said, if I remember correctly, that the MK3 ST used a pipe/hose from the engine compartment into the cabin and the new facelifted MK3.5 channels the sound via the stereo.
I, however, have absolutely no idea if that is factually correct, but the suggestion was that there was a fault with this new system that caused interference when trying to listen to music. It seemed to be that the few people who were reporting a similar issue with their cars all had the Sync 2 system with the 'Premium' sound option - i.e. the Sony door speakers and subwoofer in the boot.
Unsure on the bike rack query, haven't looked into that topic myself, the estate does come with roof 'rails' though which (I imagine) would be ideal for securing a rack to.
This post came up as I was searching for "Focus Mk3 stereo hiss". Mine did the exact same earlier on today (Stealth ST-3 with the Premium sound option) and it was horrendous. It didn't happen on the next drive and I hope it doesn't happen again. I am not really sure what caused the stereo to throw a hissy fit, although there was a suggestion or two over on the Focus ST Owners Club forum that the issue has something to do with the sound symposer system - i.e. the system that feeds engine/induction sound into the passenger cabin. Posters on that forum said, if I remember correctly, that the MK3 ST used a pipe/hose from the engine compartment into the cabin and the new facelifted MK3.5 channels the sound via the stereo.
I, however, have absolutely no idea if that is factually correct, but the suggestion was that there was a fault with this new system that caused interference when trying to listen to music. It seemed to be that the few people who were reporting a similar issue with their cars all had the Sync 2 system with the 'Premium' sound option - i.e. the Sony door speakers and subwoofer in the boot.
Unsure on the bike rack query, haven't looked into that topic myself, the estate does come with roof 'rails' though which (I imagine) would be ideal for securing a rack to.
Just ticked over 11,000 miles this week, got it's 1st service last week.
I don't have any more plans for the car now, apart from putting petrol in it (more often that I would like!), cleaning it & driving it.
Decided not to do anything with the wheels, they'll stay silver and if I still have the car in a couple of years time (once it's been through a few winters and the paint on the wheels is chipped to feck) then I might consider getting them painted an different colour.
Here is the car as it stands today:
Focus_ST_11-09-2016-15 by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
Focus_ST_11-09-2016-18 by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
I would LOVE to have an order in for the new Focus RS but finances are limited at the moment so the ST Estate will continue with me for another year at least.
I still haven't encountered any issues with this car, I haven't had a repeat of the loud hiss through the stereo, i'll perhaps need to look at getting a couple of front tyres for it but the current fronts should easily last until next Spring.
MPG is still around 29-31. I've been using almost exclusively Shell V Power Nitro (or whatever it is called this week!).
I don't have any more plans for the car now, apart from putting petrol in it (more often that I would like!), cleaning it & driving it.
Decided not to do anything with the wheels, they'll stay silver and if I still have the car in a couple of years time (once it's been through a few winters and the paint on the wheels is chipped to feck) then I might consider getting them painted an different colour.
Here is the car as it stands today:
Focus_ST_11-09-2016-15 by Andy McMillan, on FlickrFocus_ST_11-09-2016-18 by Andy McMillan, on FlickrI would LOVE to have an order in for the new Focus RS but finances are limited at the moment so the ST Estate will continue with me for another year at least.
I still haven't encountered any issues with this car, I haven't had a repeat of the loud hiss through the stereo, i'll perhaps need to look at getting a couple of front tyres for it but the current fronts should easily last until next Spring.
MPG is still around 29-31. I've been using almost exclusively Shell V Power Nitro (or whatever it is called this week!).
Well, my first fault has appeared:
An orange warning message on the dash: Headlight Malfunction - Service required. Every time I start the car up.
I thought it was just a bulb, my main beam on the nearside headlight isn't working but all other lights are fine.
Seems it is a main dealer job, I was hoping to avoid having to take my car into a Ford main dealers at any point too.
Google searches appear to show this is a common issue with the HID lights on the ST3, more often than not the nearside too on other cars. Owners are reporting the entire headlight unit being replaced.
My car is booked in to a Ford dealer on Tuesday next week, bet it'll be a plug-it-in diagnosis then another visit a few days later to fit parts.
Not the end of the world, but annoying.
An orange warning message on the dash: Headlight Malfunction - Service required. Every time I start the car up.
I thought it was just a bulb, my main beam on the nearside headlight isn't working but all other lights are fine.
Seems it is a main dealer job, I was hoping to avoid having to take my car into a Ford main dealers at any point too.
Google searches appear to show this is a common issue with the HID lights on the ST3, more often than not the nearside too on other cars. Owners are reporting the entire headlight unit being replaced.
My car is booked in to a Ford dealer on Tuesday next week, bet it'll be a plug-it-in diagnosis then another visit a few days later to fit parts.
Not the end of the world, but annoying.
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