2012 Ford Focus Titanium
Discussion
Going back to caliper issues a second, I've confirmed the issue.
That's the old caliper bolted up temporarily.
That's how it sits. Now look at the 'new' one...
That's bolted up using the same retaining clip, same sliding bolts, same rubber boots, same pads and same disc. The only difference is the caliper itself. It's shocking. It's far higher, causing the top to constantly rub and for the bottom not to wear.
Bungz, you were right, it's terrible. I'll bin it and will order a rebuild kit for the original.
Back to the engine issue... I've asked on the Ford Owners Club forums, and they seem to think it could be injector related which is common. I've heard this here and there, so if it is injector related I'm not too bothered. The engine has 141,000 on the clock, so it could just be a seal.
That's the old caliper bolted up temporarily.
That's how it sits. Now look at the 'new' one...
That's bolted up using the same retaining clip, same sliding bolts, same rubber boots, same pads and same disc. The only difference is the caliper itself. It's shocking. It's far higher, causing the top to constantly rub and for the bottom not to wear.
Bungz, you were right, it's terrible. I'll bin it and will order a rebuild kit for the original.
Back to the engine issue... I've asked on the Ford Owners Club forums, and they seem to think it could be injector related which is common. I've heard this here and there, so if it is injector related I'm not too bothered. The engine has 141,000 on the clock, so it could just be a seal.
cornershop said:
Never expected to see a focus titanium on this thread but well done for posting about yours.
We’ve had a 2012 1.6T CMax (150PS) for 6 years or so. Aside from the recall about the coolant system and a heater matrix fault, all has been well, so we have no desire to change it. FFordSH and Ford Warranty, with the latter luckily covering the matrix fault which was a four figure bill in the end.
Really nice cars to drive actually - the engine is quite diesel like in its delivery, with not much puff above 4.5k but with a fulsome torque curve below that. Perfect for road use.
I'm glad you share the same thoughts. I was never one to care about the ease of driving until I drove this one. The specs of it just aids the pleasure of commuting, it's fantastic. I couldn't blame the 1.6TDCi for not having much power above 4.5k, that's where the redline is!We’ve had a 2012 1.6T CMax (150PS) for 6 years or so. Aside from the recall about the coolant system and a heater matrix fault, all has been well, so we have no desire to change it. FFordSH and Ford Warranty, with the latter luckily covering the matrix fault which was a four figure bill in the end.
Really nice cars to drive actually - the engine is quite diesel like in its delivery, with not much puff above 4.5k but with a fulsome torque curve below that. Perfect for road use.
I've just ordered a thermostat. Driving to work this morning (takes about 25 minutes) the temperature doesn't rise above the 1/4 mark, only if I coast with my foot off the throttle. It starts to creep up to almost 1/2 in about 15-20 seconds, until I put my foot down again and it'll drop in the same amount of time to the 1/4 mark. I've not seen anything like it. My previous Ford Fiesta had a thermostat stuck open which caused it to never raise above 1/4, so that mixed with the erratic behaviour (which is another sign of a bad thermostat), I thought I'd best order one. It's done 141,000 miles, which isn't too bad.
Surprisingly, the previous Fiesta I had ran a little quieter with the new thermostat after it was warmed up. This could well be the issue with this car with the very slight tapping when it's warm, the engine won't be running at optimal temp which could cause it to run a tad noisier. I'll see if it's the cause of this one too.
The caliper rebuild kit should be here today or tomorrow, but I'll have to wait until the weekend before I rebuild it. I'd have to have the car off the road when I start to rebuild the old caliper as I'll need to hook it up to the car to push the old piston out (using the brakes), otherwise I'd just remove it by hand and would rebuild it in my own time. Compressed air would help here, but I've not got access to one.
So the plans are to replace the thermostat and to rebuild the caliper. The car should be good to go afterwards. It's been such a pleasure to drive, looks great, outstandingly sleek inside (especially the teal blue lights everywhere rather than your usual red) and whisper quiet for a diesel. If/when I sell this car, it'll be replaced by another Focus.
Does anyone have any experience with going from a 2012 Focus to the Mk4? My issue would be finding one as kitted out as this one. It literally has every single optional extra aside from the self-parking feature, which I'm tempted to fit simply to say that it has everything.
Some goodies came today.
New thermostat:
The blue seal is a little too flush for my liking. I've tested it on a flat surface and it does seem to make a good seal, but I may protrude the seal a little by placing something in the plastic runs before re-fitting, just so that it's out a tad more.
And a new piston rebuild kit.
Except there's a bit of an issue with the inner seal of the kit. It's much larger than the piston.
I've not seen this before, and I'm almost certain that they must have sent the wrong one. I've emailed the seller, but in the meantime I could just use the inner seal off the new caliper I bought that doesn't fit well. There's nothing wrong with the piston or seals, it's practically new. I could have just used that piston and seals in the original caliper rather than buying a rebuilt kit, but I realised this after I purchased the kit. Still, at least I have spares.
I'll pop both pistons out of the new and original caliper and will compare the seals from the rebuilt kit. Hopefully by this weekend the thermostat will be on too, although that could wait another week. I've just replaced the shock absorber in the MX-5 and am having far too much fun driving that to work than the Focus.
New thermostat:
The blue seal is a little too flush for my liking. I've tested it on a flat surface and it does seem to make a good seal, but I may protrude the seal a little by placing something in the plastic runs before re-fitting, just so that it's out a tad more.
And a new piston rebuild kit.
Except there's a bit of an issue with the inner seal of the kit. It's much larger than the piston.
I've not seen this before, and I'm almost certain that they must have sent the wrong one. I've emailed the seller, but in the meantime I could just use the inner seal off the new caliper I bought that doesn't fit well. There's nothing wrong with the piston or seals, it's practically new. I could have just used that piston and seals in the original caliper rather than buying a rebuilt kit, but I realised this after I purchased the kit. Still, at least I have spares.
I'll pop both pistons out of the new and original caliper and will compare the seals from the rebuilt kit. Hopefully by this weekend the thermostat will be on too, although that could wait another week. I've just replaced the shock absorber in the MX-5 and am having far too much fun driving that to work than the Focus.
I re-built the caliper yesterday. The inner and outer seal of the rebuild kit were awful. The inner seal was such a tight fit (due to it being so big) that the piston would barely slide no matter how much force. I almost had to hook it back up to the car to push it back out again. The outer seal wouldn't go on either, kept slipping off. So in the end I took the seals off the new (badly fitting) caliper as they're practically new, and put those on the old caliper, but used the brand new piston that came with the pack along with new sliding boots and a bleed nipple.
Nice and new.
I've bolted it up to the car, but have yet to bleed it. I've ordered a bleeding kit as there's been so many times I've thought "Ah it'll just be this once and I wouldn't have to bleed again), but here I am bleeding the car a second time, after already re-builing the MX-5's caliper and bleeding that too. Safe to say, I'll get my use out of the kit.
I seriously need a garage. Moving house next year and that's part of the criteria.
Nice and new.
I've bolted it up to the car, but have yet to bleed it. I've ordered a bleeding kit as there's been so many times I've thought "Ah it'll just be this once and I wouldn't have to bleed again), but here I am bleeding the car a second time, after already re-builing the MX-5's caliper and bleeding that too. Safe to say, I'll get my use out of the kit.
I seriously need a garage. Moving house next year and that's part of the criteria.
Next up after that will be the thermostat. I've noticed the gasket is very low and flush to the face of the thermostat, which worries me of making a good seal. I've ordered another gasket to compare as apparently they've updated it to make it thicker. If the new gasket is the same, I'll trim the new gasket and will place that underneath the existing one to push out the gasket a little more. Either way, it'll be a good seal.
When the thermostat is done, if all is well with the car and there aren't any brake or engine issues after testing both for a week or two, I'll go ahead and order a tail lamp. The titanium comes with LED strips in each lamp, and the O/S tail lamp has LED's blown in the strips, creating gaps. I didn't notice it at first, but then I caught one flickering as I was walking away from the car. It's not a priority at all, but if the brake caliper and thermostat are a success, then the car literally hasn't a single fault (not even cosmetically), so it'll be worth purchasing that to put the car back to perfection.
I've been driving the MX-5 lately as I've replaced its shock absorber, and missed how fun it was. But I really miss driving this. I've not owned a 'modern' car such as this before (2003 was the latest year for a car I've owned), and having a car that whispers along with amazing soundproof (especially for a diesel, you can barely hear it), with a bonkers amount of optional extras in a car that could practically drive itself, I've fallen for it hugely. I used to be very much:
"My car doesn't need auto wipers, I'll do it myself!"
"My car doesn't need cruise control, I've got my right foot!"
"My car is better with no optional extras, it's more focused!" (I'd love to know how many people here have told themselves that when owning their basic spec car, I certainly have).
But after owning a car that's got options which I'd expect to see on a Mercedes and not on a Ford, I totally get the want for a car like this. I've liked me cars to be A to A cars, not A to B cars. In other words, for pleasure and not commuting. But with something like this, you really appreciate just what an A to B car can do and how well it can do it. It's lovely.
I wonder what the Mk4 focus is like. They look beautiful, but the boot looks a little small from the outside...
When the thermostat is done, if all is well with the car and there aren't any brake or engine issues after testing both for a week or two, I'll go ahead and order a tail lamp. The titanium comes with LED strips in each lamp, and the O/S tail lamp has LED's blown in the strips, creating gaps. I didn't notice it at first, but then I caught one flickering as I was walking away from the car. It's not a priority at all, but if the brake caliper and thermostat are a success, then the car literally hasn't a single fault (not even cosmetically), so it'll be worth purchasing that to put the car back to perfection.
I've been driving the MX-5 lately as I've replaced its shock absorber, and missed how fun it was. But I really miss driving this. I've not owned a 'modern' car such as this before (2003 was the latest year for a car I've owned), and having a car that whispers along with amazing soundproof (especially for a diesel, you can barely hear it), with a bonkers amount of optional extras in a car that could practically drive itself, I've fallen for it hugely. I used to be very much:
"My car doesn't need auto wipers, I'll do it myself!"
"My car doesn't need cruise control, I've got my right foot!"
"My car is better with no optional extras, it's more focused!" (I'd love to know how many people here have told themselves that when owning their basic spec car, I certainly have).
But after owning a car that's got options which I'd expect to see on a Mercedes and not on a Ford, I totally get the want for a car like this. I've liked me cars to be A to A cars, not A to B cars. In other words, for pleasure and not commuting. But with something like this, you really appreciate just what an A to B car can do and how well it can do it. It's lovely.
I wonder what the Mk4 focus is like. They look beautiful, but the boot looks a little small from the outside...
JakeT said:
I've been reading this for a while, but not commented. Hopefully you're at the end of your brake woes now.
More options are always better to me. It takes those moments where you 'dislike' the car away when you're tired, or cold, or whatever. Even the little things like ambient lighting, and climate control, makes a car much more liveable.
I hope so too. Time will tell, I'll see if I have time tomorrow to bleed the brakes. Annoyingly it's looking like I'll have to jack the car up on each corner and take each wheel off to do it. I'd rather not do that, as it's very time consuming, not that great on a gravel driveway, and if I drive it and feel like they need more bleeding then it's a pain to do it all over again. Hopefully I'll be able to release the bleed nipple with the alloys still on the car.More options are always better to me. It takes those moments where you 'dislike' the car away when you're tired, or cold, or whatever. Even the little things like ambient lighting, and climate control, makes a car much more liveable.
You're absolutely right with the options. The Boxster I had previously was the most basic one you could get. It didn't even have traction control. This is such a blissful driving experience that I'm finding myself enjoying day to day driving, as opposed to weekend driving. I can certainly see why taxi drivers would invest in a car like this, though I don't tend to see any Focus' as taxi's.
Just purchased this
It'll be so much easier to bleed the brakes now, and will be a one-man job.
If anyone hasn't seen/used one yet, it sets up like this:
The other end attaches to the bleed nipple. The idea is that, with the nipple closed, you build vacuum with the pump until the gauge is quite full. Then when you open the nipple, the vacuum will suck the brake fluid out of the caliper and into the container, then you close it before the dial gets below 5, or just keep pumping to keep the vacuum up, then close when there's no bubbles. Repeat when needed. No need to pump the brakes, and the vacuum will only allow the fluid to travel one way.
I've tested it with a jug of water, covering my finger over the end to similate the nipple being open/closed, and it works brilliantly. For £19, this has certainly made things a lot easier and will give me a proper bleed of the whole system. I've also seen that with the front wheels turned left/right, I can get to the bleed nipple without jacking the car up. The rear drums are easy to reach, thanks to the 18" wheels.
I've got 1L of brake fluid arriving tomorrow, so the car should be back on the road by tomorrow evening.
I've said nipple way too many times.
It'll be so much easier to bleed the brakes now, and will be a one-man job.
If anyone hasn't seen/used one yet, it sets up like this:
The other end attaches to the bleed nipple. The idea is that, with the nipple closed, you build vacuum with the pump until the gauge is quite full. Then when you open the nipple, the vacuum will suck the brake fluid out of the caliper and into the container, then you close it before the dial gets below 5, or just keep pumping to keep the vacuum up, then close when there's no bubbles. Repeat when needed. No need to pump the brakes, and the vacuum will only allow the fluid to travel one way.
I've tested it with a jug of water, covering my finger over the end to similate the nipple being open/closed, and it works brilliantly. For £19, this has certainly made things a lot easier and will give me a proper bleed of the whole system. I've also seen that with the front wheels turned left/right, I can get to the bleed nipple without jacking the car up. The rear drums are easy to reach, thanks to the 18" wheels.
I've got 1L of brake fluid arriving tomorrow, so the car should be back on the road by tomorrow evening.
I've said nipple way too many times.
Edited by geraintthomas on Monday 2nd November 21:43
Mark Benson said:
Every time I bleed brakes I tell myself I'll get a decent bleeder. Then they're done and I don't.
That's what I say, then I find myself bleeding them again, and say it again. I did it on the MX-5 with rebuilding a binding caliper, then on this for swapping the caliper, and now I've just rebuilt it I'll need to do it again!Mr Pointy said:
I'm not having a go at you but given how much trouble, time & money the caliper & piston refurb kit have cost you why don't you use proper OEM parts instead of cheap third party stuff, which are clearly not up to standard? You've spent hours taking discs & calipers on & off which you wouldn't have had to do with a Ford part. If the supplier can't even get the right size seals in the packet how confident can you be that the items are manufactured correctly? The braking system is safety critical so why skimp on parts for the sake of a few pounds.
Is the thermostat housing OEM or is this yet another pattern part that's going to give you trouble as the gasket's too thin?
Not at all, after this experience I've completely taken your approach to it. From owning the Boxster and realising how expensive OEM parts can be, I've always gone aftermarket which hasn't caused me issues with my previous cars. I'll be honest, this is the first time I've had such bad issues with aftermarket problems. But that's not to say you're wrong, you're absolutely right.Is the thermostat housing OEM or is this yet another pattern part that's going to give you trouble as the gasket's too thin?
Thermostat was aftermarket but I've ordered a genuine seal just in case. But even with that, I'm tempted to change to OEM.
That's not something I've seen yet! Was seriously cold this morning.
I just had the new seal in the post and it's vastly different. I was right in thinking that the seal that came with the thermostat was the old type before Ford upgraded it.
This is how the original sits, and is dangerously flush.
Look at the difference!
A lot better.
Will see if I get time to fit it today, but it's very, very cold at the moment.
Didn't see that. There we go! Far better.
Managed to get the thermostat out by only removing the airbox and connecting pipe, but my god was it hard. Unfortunately I couldn't drain the radiator as I couldn't remove the jubilee clip from the lower pipe. I have the flexi extension tool where you hook the end over the clip, then squeeze the tool in your hand which opens and locks it, making jubilee clips a doddle. I just couldn't get my hand in a place to push it down the pipe.
I decided to remove all the lower plastics, put an oil catch bowl beneath where the thermostat is, and just pull the pipe on the thermostat. The coolant came out and not a huge amount, which was great as I have a spare 2L of coolant I can use, so I don't have to buy more. It was a bit of a fight to get the clips off the pipes to get the thermostat out, mainly the rear pipe as you could barely see it let alone undo it, but it's done. The new one is ready to go in, but it was starting to get dark so tomorrow will be when I finish it.
Odd though. I placed the thermostat in the sink and poured boiling water onto it, and it started to move as it should. It acted identically to the new one, which is very weird as all symptoms point to a bad thermostat. I could be that it's not closing/opening all of the way, or perhaps I wasn't testing it correctly. Even so, the old one is off and the new one is going on.
All of the symptoms point to a bad thermostat. Engine is only reaching 1/4, worse MPG, erratic temperature gauge that randomly goes to 1/2 when cruising then back down to 1/4 again when my foot is off the accelerator, and when coming to a stop and the engine turns off with the stop/start, cold air comes out of the vents even when on hot. I've had failed thermostats before, and this is text book. Hopefully the new one will sort it.
I'll let you all know Friday.
Managed to get the thermostat out by only removing the airbox and connecting pipe, but my god was it hard. Unfortunately I couldn't drain the radiator as I couldn't remove the jubilee clip from the lower pipe. I have the flexi extension tool where you hook the end over the clip, then squeeze the tool in your hand which opens and locks it, making jubilee clips a doddle. I just couldn't get my hand in a place to push it down the pipe.
I decided to remove all the lower plastics, put an oil catch bowl beneath where the thermostat is, and just pull the pipe on the thermostat. The coolant came out and not a huge amount, which was great as I have a spare 2L of coolant I can use, so I don't have to buy more. It was a bit of a fight to get the clips off the pipes to get the thermostat out, mainly the rear pipe as you could barely see it let alone undo it, but it's done. The new one is ready to go in, but it was starting to get dark so tomorrow will be when I finish it.
Odd though. I placed the thermostat in the sink and poured boiling water onto it, and it started to move as it should. It acted identically to the new one, which is very weird as all symptoms point to a bad thermostat. I could be that it's not closing/opening all of the way, or perhaps I wasn't testing it correctly. Even so, the old one is off and the new one is going on.
All of the symptoms point to a bad thermostat. Engine is only reaching 1/4, worse MPG, erratic temperature gauge that randomly goes to 1/2 when cruising then back down to 1/4 again when my foot is off the accelerator, and when coming to a stop and the engine turns off with the stop/start, cold air comes out of the vents even when on hot. I've had failed thermostats before, and this is text book. Hopefully the new one will sort it.
I'll let you all know Friday.
Thermostat fitted, temperature problem fixed.
That's much better. Temps are spot on to what they should be.
But, it didn't fix my 'chattering' noise issue with the engine. The sound has gotten a little more prominent lately.
Here's a video (turn the sound up, it's very noticeable in person but muffled in the video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wSZUyM9QUQ&fe...
It only happens when the engine is warm, and only on idle. Revving the car or driving it makes it disappear. Someone on the Ford Owners Club has said it could well be injectors on this engine, and it's common.
Thoughts? Wondering if it's to do with the engine oil? It's been running a while now with a bad thermostat so possibly degraded the oil? Thought that probably doesn't make any sense...
That's much better. Temps are spot on to what they should be.
But, it didn't fix my 'chattering' noise issue with the engine. The sound has gotten a little more prominent lately.
Here's a video (turn the sound up, it's very noticeable in person but muffled in the video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wSZUyM9QUQ&fe...
It only happens when the engine is warm, and only on idle. Revving the car or driving it makes it disappear. Someone on the Ford Owners Club has said it could well be injectors on this engine, and it's common.
Thoughts? Wondering if it's to do with the engine oil? It's been running a while now with a bad thermostat so possibly degraded the oil? Thought that probably doesn't make any sense...
Edited by geraintthomas on Friday 6th November 15:02
bungz said:
I would be listening down the belt side of the engine that's usually where those sort of mystery sounds come from especially with high miles.
Injectors can sound a little but as they are right near top of engine its easy to identify.
On second listen i think I get what you mean, a kind of knocking sound? Might just be the way it is its got a lot of miles on it for a 1.6.....
It couldn't be the way it is as it started suddenly a week or two ago. Before it sounded lovely. The belt has been changed less than a year ago, and the sound is coming from near the top. Could well be injectors then?Injectors can sound a little but as they are right near top of engine its easy to identify.
On second listen i think I get what you mean, a kind of knocking sound? Might just be the way it is its got a lot of miles on it for a 1.6.....
Edited by bungz on Friday 6th November 15:08
Well I just did an oil and filter change and it's fixed!
I drove it until it heated up and kept driving it, and it didn't come back. The engine sounds a lot smoother, so I guess it needed an oil change.
It's strange that it did this though. I wonder if it was something to do with how the thermostat kept the engine running far too cold, which could have caused the oil to lose its viscosity? Or perhaps it was low quality oil (the garage I bought it off apparently serviced it when I picked it up). Either way, an oil and filter change has fixed it, which is fantastic.
The only fault with the car now is the rear right LED strip. I didn't notice but it has gaps in true two strips where LED's have blown. Have a look at this photo I took shortly after buying the car:
I didn't even notice. They're about £150 new, £80 used, but I've just managed to grab one on eBay at £38 delivered, which is a bargain. He also sent me a photo to ensure it works fine.
So with the brake problem finally solved, a new thermostat, fresh oil and this new rear cluster, I can finally relax knowing all jobs are done and the car functions like new. Next up will most likely be the xenon projector headlight build, but not for a while. I'm just going to enjoy it.
I drove it until it heated up and kept driving it, and it didn't come back. The engine sounds a lot smoother, so I guess it needed an oil change.
It's strange that it did this though. I wonder if it was something to do with how the thermostat kept the engine running far too cold, which could have caused the oil to lose its viscosity? Or perhaps it was low quality oil (the garage I bought it off apparently serviced it when I picked it up). Either way, an oil and filter change has fixed it, which is fantastic.
The only fault with the car now is the rear right LED strip. I didn't notice but it has gaps in true two strips where LED's have blown. Have a look at this photo I took shortly after buying the car:
I didn't even notice. They're about £150 new, £80 used, but I've just managed to grab one on eBay at £38 delivered, which is a bargain. He also sent me a photo to ensure it works fine.
So with the brake problem finally solved, a new thermostat, fresh oil and this new rear cluster, I can finally relax knowing all jobs are done and the car functions like new. Next up will most likely be the xenon projector headlight build, but not for a while. I'm just going to enjoy it.
JohnWest said:
That’s excellent news and good work as ever, Geraint.
I’ve seen similar behaviour of the temp gauge on my car for a while now. 40 miles of dual carriageway sat at 70 it’d sit bang in the middle (eventually), turn off onto smaller, quick roads and being on and off the throttle would see it drop to 1/4. Idling at lights would see it back to middle again.
I’ll have to get the thermostat changed, I’m not handy enough to do it myself.
I forgot to say, while cleaning the car I found a wet rear footwell. Looks like the dreaded failed boot vent seal has struck my car. But at least it passed its MOT with no advisories yesterday!
Ah! Looks like you have a similar problem, sounds exactly like mine except mine didn't even reach half. Mine reached between 1/4 and 1/2, then went back down to 1/4 when coasting. The thermostats themselves are cheap (depending where you buy it from, mine was £22), but if you get a cheap one be sure to get the updated gasket as shown. If it's a garage, tell them that if it's got a blue gasket them to buy the updated black gasket separately from Ford (or I can link you to the ebay one I bought). I'd say it's totally doable yourself, but holy christ it's the jubilee clips that are the killer. So if you're not that confident, give this one a miss as it's understandable.I’ve seen similar behaviour of the temp gauge on my car for a while now. 40 miles of dual carriageway sat at 70 it’d sit bang in the middle (eventually), turn off onto smaller, quick roads and being on and off the throttle would see it drop to 1/4. Idling at lights would see it back to middle again.
I’ll have to get the thermostat changed, I’m not handy enough to do it myself.
I forgot to say, while cleaning the car I found a wet rear footwell. Looks like the dreaded failed boot vent seal has struck my car. But at least it passed its MOT with no advisories yesterday!
Rear wet footwell and around the spare wheel was the same on mine. Any bathroom sealant will do. When you pull the vents off, you may break the clips off that are securing them on properly, but it won't matter as you're sealing them anyway. The bumper is quite easy to remove with only a few bolts holding it on, but make sure you use masking tape around the rear quarter panels and your lights to stop the bumper scratching the paintwork when you put it back on.
Chrispee said:
Did you find you needed to take the rear lights out to get the bumper off or is it just the 2 bolts on the back, 2 pop rivet things underneath and the screws in each wheel arch?
I have this job on the to do list for my estate after discovering a small lake in the spare wheel well this week
No need to take the rear lights off. I think you're right but I couldn't say for sure, but it's a very easy job for as long as you mask up the body work around the edges of the lights.I have this job on the to do list for my estate after discovering a small lake in the spare wheel well this week
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