Focus ST-3 - Few Questions

[joropug]

Hi all,

Have been checking up on the prices of these and they seem a good buy at the moment.

Is there anything in particular to look out for, when is the cambelt (if it has one) due and what sort of MPG are you looking at ?

At the moment i do a 250 mile roundtrip on motorway once a week so need a car that is going to get at least 30mpg for this journey.

Are the remaps/bluefin good on this engine?

Any advice appreciated.

[y2blade]

bookmarked

I'm looking at these too


some info here
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Hope it helps

[spike ST500]

plenty of choice on remaps & upgrades.

30mpg at a push, but only on a long run, certainly, around 25mpg on average

Edited by spike ST500 on Thursday 11th August 09:11

[aruck]

I have never seen 30mpg in mine. Had it for 18months now. Have got the Dreamscience handset (gives you a choice of re-maps). Currently running DCSI map and averaging 25.4mpg.

Ignoring mpg; I have driven a lot of cars and many of much higher value but non of which are as much fun to drive as the ST.

Edited by aruck on Thursday 11th August 09:06

[joropug]

Im shocked at the MPG, it's between the focus and a TT 225 (used to own one and loved it) although different cars, both have similar performance but the TT is a million miles better on fuel.

I've been viewing the other thread and considering the options, insurane is about the same, tax is more on the focus but hardly bank busting so really its reliability and fuel efficiency i have to worry about.

added bonus in the focus is i bet nobody tailgates you in case you're the police on the motorway ha. Few suction cups in the windscreen and you'll own the road.

[joropug]

Im shocked at the MPG, it's between the focus and a TT 225 (used to own one and loved it) although different cars, both have similar performance but the TT is a million miles better on fuel.

I've been viewing the other thread and considering the options, insurane is about the same, tax is more on the focus but hardly bank busting so really its reliability and fuel efficiency i have to worry about.

added bonus in the focus is i bet nobody tailgates you in case you're the police on the motorway ha. Few suction cups in the windscreen and you'll own the road.

[Justin S]

Have an ST 2 and had a TT 225 for 9 months as a freebee........... Both me and the wife hardly ever drove the TT, didnt like it. Not as quick as the focus. TT I thought was built better until the door panel fell off. Just something about it that just didnt gel with us. Was a 57 plate car. We were glad when the brother in law sold it.

[thetapeworm]

If fuel consumption is a concern the ST probably isn't for you, great cars otherwise though.

[KingNothing]

If you keep off blatting the throttle on the motorway and stay at a constant cruise at 70, 35MPG+ is achievable on long runs. On average I'm at 25 to low 20MPG day to day. Cambelt is 125k or 10 years, whichever is earliest.

What age ST are you looking at buying? Some have faults that migth have been rectified, other will have faults that are likely to occur.

Mines running full mods, but with just a remap on it was excellent, I havent been back in a standard ST but I would never want to return mine to standard.

[thetapeworm]

I really need to get mine sorted with some mods, I like it as it is but it sounds as though I'm missing a lot of fun.

[CharlieHotel]

Fair play they're lovely cars.
Sound great and fast as f*ck when remapped. 275bhp?
Full heated leather and Satnav makes it a nice place to be too.

[aruck]

CharlieHotel said:

Sound great and fast as f*ck when remapped. 275bhp?

Yep dreamscience DSCI or Race+ give 270/275bhp :0)

[CharlieHotel]

aruck said:

Yep dreamscience DSCI or Race+ give 270/275bhp :0)

Yup my fiancees brother has bluefinned his. I haven't been passenger in any other performance car but it is really quick.

[ClintonB]

joropug said:

Hi all,

Have been checking up on the prices of these and they seem a good buy at the moment.

Is there anything in particular to look out for, when is the cambelt (if it has one) due and what sort of MPG are you looking at ?

At the moment i do a 250 mile roundtrip on motorway once a week so need a car that is going to get at least 30mpg for this journey.

Are the remaps/bluefin good on this engine?

Any advice appreciated.

I can't remember exactly but the cambelt change is well into 6 figures - 125k I think (or if not, around the service after that).

On the MPG front, it depends entirely on conditions and how you drive. Do that trip @ 70 in flowing traffic and you will see over 30 - IIRC, last time I did something similar I got around 33ish. However, as always, the flip side is that if you do it at licence threatening speeds, you'll only see 26-28 & if there's traffic as well, it will obviously only go one way.

[Nth]

My girlfriend lives just over 200 miles away and if I reset the OBC I see 28/29 if I'm in a bit of a rush, and have seen 33mpg when taking it very easy (ie. resisting the temptation to hoof it off each roundabout on the A1 )

If you don't reset the OBC though it takes a good while for it to start creeping back up from town driving MPG figures.

[Defcon5]

aruck said:

Yep dreamscience DSCI or Race+ give 270/275bhp :0)

Is that with no other mods?

[Justin S]

You would be best to upgrade the intercooler, as thats the restriction with heat soak. Lots of maps can give that figure, but other things around may need changing as well, such as a sportscat and induction, although a K&N panel filter is good to 300 bhp in the standard airbox.

[KingNothing]

Justin S said:

You would be best to upgrade the intercooler, as thats the restriction with heat soak. Lots of maps can give that figure, but other things around may need changing as well, such as a sportscat and induction, although a K&N panel filter is good to 300 bhp in the standard airbox.

If your goal is to reach 300, your better binning the restrictive standard airbox.

[thetapeworm]

KingNothing said:

Justin S said:

You would be best to upgrade the intercooler, as thats the restriction with heat soak. Lots of maps can give that figure, but other things around may need changing as well, such as a sportscat and induction, although a K&N panel filter is good to 300 bhp in the standard airbox.

If your goal is to reach 300, your better binning the restrictive standard airbox.

I would imagine doing both would make sense, as well as the downpipe and swapping the cat for a sports variant or a decat.

I'm stockpiling bits at the moment - so far all I have is a lovely Radtech IC but I want to do the transformation in one hit for maximum effect.

[Justin S]

Mountune reckon the 'restrictive' box is fine up to 300 bhp..............

Oh and the wife managed 33mpg again last night.................