2016 Ford Focus 2.3 RS
Discussion
Thought I would make a Readers Cars thread for my new (to me) 2016 Ford Focus 2.3 RS.
My previous Ford (+ others) car history has already been documented on this forum, see https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
My Focus ST-3 estate was approaching 2 years old and I wasn’t planning to change it, however it was almost due it’s 2nd service, plus it needed two front tyres. I was also considering changing the wheels to 19” Bola B1’s in Candy Red, which I thought would suit/contrast against the stealth grey paint. There was nothing wrong with the standard 19” alloy wheels, I just fancied a change.
So there was approx. £1K to spend on the ST, although the new wheels weren’t a necessity.
I’d had a Focus RS in the past, back in mid-2012. It was an Ultimate Green MK2 RS and although it was an amazing car (that sound – drool!) it had a few problems that were proving difficult to resolve, the main one being a wheel balance/steering wheel wobble. Trips to various companies were not solving the issue so although I’d only owned it for 6’ish months it was moved on via webuyanycar a few days before my brand-new red MK3 Focus ST hatchback arrived at the local Ford dealership.
The less-than-positive experience with the RS obviously hadn’t put me off performance Fords, neither had some issues I had with my MK3 red ST hatchback. The ST Estate had been fairly reliable (only required a new headlight – replaced under warranty with minimal fuss) but browsing the Autotrader website on the sofa one evening back in early August I spotted a Nitrous Blue MK3 Focus RS for sale locally and browsing the spec/images got me interested – it was 9 months old, had only done 1,400 miles and was EXACTLY the spec I would choose if I was buying one brand-new.
The car has the 19” forged satin black alloy wheels, the ‘standard’ Recaro seats with blue bolsters (the ‘shell’ seats are not for me), Luxury pack (reversing sensors, powerfold door mirrors, keyfree system, cruise control and privacy glass) Winter pack (heated steering wheel and heated front seats), sunroof, reverse camera, SYNC3 with satnav, door edge protectors and painted brake calipers. The previous owner had put a decent set of mudflaps on it too, looks like Performance Creations black Kaylan ones.
I made initial enquires about the car, it was for sale at The Leven Motor Company in Edinburgh, the salesman told me that the RS had been traded in by someone from Exeter – he’d bought a Porsche Cayman from them. They guy had driven the RS up from Exeter and I was told he’d ‘taped-up’ the front of the RS to avoid it getting stone-chipped on the motorway between Exeter and Edinburgh!
Looking at approximate trade-in values for my ST Estate it was going to be tight financially – possibly too tight – but I went to see the car, it was pretty-much immaculate (apart from four very small but quite deep scratches in the rear bumper in the shape of a dog’s claws) and after some grovelling to the Mrs and a bit of movement on the price-to-change by the seller a deal was agreed.
I then spoke to the 1st owner via facebook, he told me he spent more time polishing/waxing the car than he did driving it, it was obviously a well looked-after car.
I picked the car up on Thursday 17th August. Here are a couple of pictures, one taken by the dealer for their car ad and one taken by me just after my test drive:
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
Ownership experiences so far (bearing in mind I’ve only owned it for 15 weeks):
a) The standard Recaro seats are very comfortable, however the standard seats in the Focus ST-3 were all leather AND were electrically-adjustable, so a little disappointing that the standard seats in the RS are part leather/part cloth and are not electrically-adjustable. No big deal, but this is supposed to be the halo performance hatchback from Ford and if they can put full leather + electric seats in the Focus ST then they should put them in the RS!!
b) MPG is around 28, which is decent’ish. I tend to drive the car in Sport mode almost all the time as I prefer the sharper accelerator response & the louder exhaust note. The car now was 3,700 miles on it so I’ve done approx. 2300 miles in 15 weeks. I use Tesco Momentum 99ron fuel in the car. I believe the tank capacity on the RS is 51 litres compared to 55 litres on the Focus ST, it certainly seems to cost less to fill from empty than the ST.
c) SYNC3 with the Car Play app is great, I have my iPhone plugged into the car via USB in the armrest and can control playlists etc without touching the phone, however the interface can be occasionally flaky, the car has failed to recognise the phone is plugged in 2 or 3 times so far. Bit annoying.
d) The original supplying dealer in Exeter had screwed the front reg plate onto the car, which was bad enough, but they’d screwed the plate right at its outer edges. This meant I couldn’t put my short plate on the car without the holes showing. I priced-up a replacement front number plate plinth from Ford: £220. I wasn’t prepared to pay that so I put a couple of smooth black plastic grommets into the holes, an RS aficionado would know they are not supposed to be there but to anyone else it looks like they are meant to be there. Dealers – stop screwing reg plates onto cars!!!!!
e) Insurance was a shade over £400 for 1 years fully comprehensive cover with esure, I also purchased GAP insurance with ALA using the Pistonheads discount.
Driving the thing:
Firstly, the brakes are phenomenal. Slightest brush of the pedal and my eyeballs are touching the inside of my spectacles. Very confidence-inspiring.
Some owners have had issues with their RS wandering all over the road without any steering input but my car doesn’t exhibit this issue at all, tracks nice & straight under hard acceleration. The ride can be a little ‘jiggly’ at times though which feels like I am driving over wavy tarmac. Road-holding is fantastic, which you would expect with 4wd and 19” 235/35 Michelin Pilot Supersports on each corner.
Acceleration is underwhelming if I am honest. The ST-3 estate I had before was fitted with the Mountune MP275 kit so it was reasonably quick but the RS doesn’t feel significantly faster. It’s definitely fast, just not night-and-day different from the ST. The Mountune upgrade product for the RS is supposed to sort this though, see below.
Bits & Bobs added since purchase:
a) Climair wind deflectors for all 4 windows, I removed the Climair stickers from them before fitting (which was a pain in the butt)
b) Replacement front & rear Ford badges (not 100% happy with these, may remove) and a couple of other RS gel badges – wheels and boot spoiler.
c) a PH smiley on the back!
d) Colour-coded windscreen washer jets
e) A clear vinyl protection strip for the rear bumper, was only 20-something quid from Ford, it covers up the small scratches I mentioned earlier, I take it a dog has tried to jump into the boot at some point and it’s claws have caught on the flat bit of the bumper. I had a bodyshop try to flat the lacquer and polish back up but the marks were too deep (they were fairly difficult to spot anyway to be fair). The vinyl protection strip covers the marks up and is damn-near invisible.
e) Matt black wheel nut covers to cover up the shiny silver nuts.
f) A simple matt black vinyl sunstrip with blue pinstripe along the bottom.
Another couple of recent pics, taken last weekend after I’d spent a few hours cleaning it:
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
Plans for the future:
The car is booked into Harrisons of Peebles (a Mountune Pro dealer) to get the Mountune FPM375 modification fitted, as well as the Sound Suppression Chamber. The modification takes the car from 350PS/470Nm to 375PS/510Nm (or 370bhp-376ft/lb in old money) and costs around £995 inc. fitting, still retaining the Ford warranty. The reviews I have read online from owners who have had this done to their cars suggest it is a great modification and it is “how it should have left the factory”.
The FPM375 comprises of:
a) High Performance Air Filter
b) Replacement alloy crossover duct
c) Replacement silicon hoses
d) High-flow Induction Kit
e) Uprated recirculation valve
g) Engine map modified
The Sound Suppression Chamber is a small nomex-lined hose that replaces the standard resonator on the turbocharger and is used to cure an annoying whistle that some cars can suffer from once they are modified. My car might not have this issue once the FPM375 is added, but for £20 I’ll get it fitted at the same time as the FPM375 and there’ll be no need for a repeat visit if the car does start whistling!
Harrisons also fitted the Mountune upgrade to my previous Focus ST Estate.
I am going to get the 1st service done at the same time and due to the 1st owner purchasing a transferable extended warranty & service plan I can’t get the car serviced until AFTER it is 1 year old, the car was registered in late November 2016 and the first available date I have after that is in-between Xmas and New Year. Frustrating having to wait, patience isn’t something I possess!
I also have a set of 4 Eibach 20mm spacers waiting to go on the car, haven’t got round to fitting them yet due to the crap weather.
Worries:
Apart from the theft concern my main worry is the engine: there have been a fair few owners having problems with the cylinder head gasket on their cars failing which ends up damaging the block, Ford have been replacing the engines on these cars. There are threads on RS-specific forums regarding this issue & it crops up regularly on RS-based facebook groups.
I hope it doesn’t happen to my car, if it does then the car will get taken to a Ford dealer and the issue sorted but I worry what’ll happen to the car while it is sitting waiting for the new engine to arrive, what will I use to drive around in while I am waiting, the whole hassle factor etc. I have my fingers (and toes) crossed it won’t happen to me but time will tell.
As long as this thread doesn’t descend into a big argument I’ll try to keep it updated with any thoughts, issues, etc – especially after the Mountune upgrade is fitted.
My previous Ford (+ others) car history has already been documented on this forum, see https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
My Focus ST-3 estate was approaching 2 years old and I wasn’t planning to change it, however it was almost due it’s 2nd service, plus it needed two front tyres. I was also considering changing the wheels to 19” Bola B1’s in Candy Red, which I thought would suit/contrast against the stealth grey paint. There was nothing wrong with the standard 19” alloy wheels, I just fancied a change.
So there was approx. £1K to spend on the ST, although the new wheels weren’t a necessity.
I’d had a Focus RS in the past, back in mid-2012. It was an Ultimate Green MK2 RS and although it was an amazing car (that sound – drool!) it had a few problems that were proving difficult to resolve, the main one being a wheel balance/steering wheel wobble. Trips to various companies were not solving the issue so although I’d only owned it for 6’ish months it was moved on via webuyanycar a few days before my brand-new red MK3 Focus ST hatchback arrived at the local Ford dealership.
The less-than-positive experience with the RS obviously hadn’t put me off performance Fords, neither had some issues I had with my MK3 red ST hatchback. The ST Estate had been fairly reliable (only required a new headlight – replaced under warranty with minimal fuss) but browsing the Autotrader website on the sofa one evening back in early August I spotted a Nitrous Blue MK3 Focus RS for sale locally and browsing the spec/images got me interested – it was 9 months old, had only done 1,400 miles and was EXACTLY the spec I would choose if I was buying one brand-new.
The car has the 19” forged satin black alloy wheels, the ‘standard’ Recaro seats with blue bolsters (the ‘shell’ seats are not for me), Luxury pack (reversing sensors, powerfold door mirrors, keyfree system, cruise control and privacy glass) Winter pack (heated steering wheel and heated front seats), sunroof, reverse camera, SYNC3 with satnav, door edge protectors and painted brake calipers. The previous owner had put a decent set of mudflaps on it too, looks like Performance Creations black Kaylan ones.
I made initial enquires about the car, it was for sale at The Leven Motor Company in Edinburgh, the salesman told me that the RS had been traded in by someone from Exeter – he’d bought a Porsche Cayman from them. They guy had driven the RS up from Exeter and I was told he’d ‘taped-up’ the front of the RS to avoid it getting stone-chipped on the motorway between Exeter and Edinburgh!
Looking at approximate trade-in values for my ST Estate it was going to be tight financially – possibly too tight – but I went to see the car, it was pretty-much immaculate (apart from four very small but quite deep scratches in the rear bumper in the shape of a dog’s claws) and after some grovelling to the Mrs and a bit of movement on the price-to-change by the seller a deal was agreed.
I then spoke to the 1st owner via facebook, he told me he spent more time polishing/waxing the car than he did driving it, it was obviously a well looked-after car.
I picked the car up on Thursday 17th August. Here are a couple of pictures, one taken by the dealer for their car ad and one taken by me just after my test drive:
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on FlickrOwnership experiences so far (bearing in mind I’ve only owned it for 15 weeks):
a) The standard Recaro seats are very comfortable, however the standard seats in the Focus ST-3 were all leather AND were electrically-adjustable, so a little disappointing that the standard seats in the RS are part leather/part cloth and are not electrically-adjustable. No big deal, but this is supposed to be the halo performance hatchback from Ford and if they can put full leather + electric seats in the Focus ST then they should put them in the RS!!
b) MPG is around 28, which is decent’ish. I tend to drive the car in Sport mode almost all the time as I prefer the sharper accelerator response & the louder exhaust note. The car now was 3,700 miles on it so I’ve done approx. 2300 miles in 15 weeks. I use Tesco Momentum 99ron fuel in the car. I believe the tank capacity on the RS is 51 litres compared to 55 litres on the Focus ST, it certainly seems to cost less to fill from empty than the ST.
c) SYNC3 with the Car Play app is great, I have my iPhone plugged into the car via USB in the armrest and can control playlists etc without touching the phone, however the interface can be occasionally flaky, the car has failed to recognise the phone is plugged in 2 or 3 times so far. Bit annoying.
d) The original supplying dealer in Exeter had screwed the front reg plate onto the car, which was bad enough, but they’d screwed the plate right at its outer edges. This meant I couldn’t put my short plate on the car without the holes showing. I priced-up a replacement front number plate plinth from Ford: £220. I wasn’t prepared to pay that so I put a couple of smooth black plastic grommets into the holes, an RS aficionado would know they are not supposed to be there but to anyone else it looks like they are meant to be there. Dealers – stop screwing reg plates onto cars!!!!!
e) Insurance was a shade over £400 for 1 years fully comprehensive cover with esure, I also purchased GAP insurance with ALA using the Pistonheads discount.
Driving the thing:
Firstly, the brakes are phenomenal. Slightest brush of the pedal and my eyeballs are touching the inside of my spectacles. Very confidence-inspiring.
Some owners have had issues with their RS wandering all over the road without any steering input but my car doesn’t exhibit this issue at all, tracks nice & straight under hard acceleration. The ride can be a little ‘jiggly’ at times though which feels like I am driving over wavy tarmac. Road-holding is fantastic, which you would expect with 4wd and 19” 235/35 Michelin Pilot Supersports on each corner.
Acceleration is underwhelming if I am honest. The ST-3 estate I had before was fitted with the Mountune MP275 kit so it was reasonably quick but the RS doesn’t feel significantly faster. It’s definitely fast, just not night-and-day different from the ST. The Mountune upgrade product for the RS is supposed to sort this though, see below.
Bits & Bobs added since purchase:
a) Climair wind deflectors for all 4 windows, I removed the Climair stickers from them before fitting (which was a pain in the butt)
b) Replacement front & rear Ford badges (not 100% happy with these, may remove) and a couple of other RS gel badges – wheels and boot spoiler.
c) a PH smiley on the back!
d) Colour-coded windscreen washer jets
e) A clear vinyl protection strip for the rear bumper, was only 20-something quid from Ford, it covers up the small scratches I mentioned earlier, I take it a dog has tried to jump into the boot at some point and it’s claws have caught on the flat bit of the bumper. I had a bodyshop try to flat the lacquer and polish back up but the marks were too deep (they were fairly difficult to spot anyway to be fair). The vinyl protection strip covers the marks up and is damn-near invisible.
e) Matt black wheel nut covers to cover up the shiny silver nuts.
f) A simple matt black vinyl sunstrip with blue pinstripe along the bottom.
Another couple of recent pics, taken last weekend after I’d spent a few hours cleaning it:
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on FlickrPlans for the future:
The car is booked into Harrisons of Peebles (a Mountune Pro dealer) to get the Mountune FPM375 modification fitted, as well as the Sound Suppression Chamber. The modification takes the car from 350PS/470Nm to 375PS/510Nm (or 370bhp-376ft/lb in old money) and costs around £995 inc. fitting, still retaining the Ford warranty. The reviews I have read online from owners who have had this done to their cars suggest it is a great modification and it is “how it should have left the factory”.
The FPM375 comprises of:
a) High Performance Air Filter
b) Replacement alloy crossover duct
c) Replacement silicon hoses
d) High-flow Induction Kit
e) Uprated recirculation valve
g) Engine map modified
The Sound Suppression Chamber is a small nomex-lined hose that replaces the standard resonator on the turbocharger and is used to cure an annoying whistle that some cars can suffer from once they are modified. My car might not have this issue once the FPM375 is added, but for £20 I’ll get it fitted at the same time as the FPM375 and there’ll be no need for a repeat visit if the car does start whistling!
Harrisons also fitted the Mountune upgrade to my previous Focus ST Estate.
I am going to get the 1st service done at the same time and due to the 1st owner purchasing a transferable extended warranty & service plan I can’t get the car serviced until AFTER it is 1 year old, the car was registered in late November 2016 and the first available date I have after that is in-between Xmas and New Year. Frustrating having to wait, patience isn’t something I possess!
I also have a set of 4 Eibach 20mm spacers waiting to go on the car, haven’t got round to fitting them yet due to the crap weather.
Worries:
Apart from the theft concern my main worry is the engine: there have been a fair few owners having problems with the cylinder head gasket on their cars failing which ends up damaging the block, Ford have been replacing the engines on these cars. There are threads on RS-specific forums regarding this issue & it crops up regularly on RS-based facebook groups.
I hope it doesn’t happen to my car, if it does then the car will get taken to a Ford dealer and the issue sorted but I worry what’ll happen to the car while it is sitting waiting for the new engine to arrive, what will I use to drive around in while I am waiting, the whole hassle factor etc. I have my fingers (and toes) crossed it won’t happen to me but time will tell.
As long as this thread doesn’t descend into a big argument I’ll try to keep it updated with any thoughts, issues, etc – especially after the Mountune upgrade is fitted.
Aye some absolutely stunning vehicles in their showroom Grant, I think that would be my first port-of-call if my lottery numbers came up!
The RS had a 'winter protection detail' today at Steven Bryce Valeting and Detailing in Wishaw, Scotland:
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
It needed it, the exterior was absolutely filthy, I haven't been able to wash/clean it myself due to the horrible weather recently - firstly a storm (which resulted in a bit of roof tile landing RIGHT next to the RS, fortunately it didn't hit it) then sub-zero temperatures.
The car is still booked in with Harrisons Ford in Peebles in late December for the Mountune FPM375 kit to be fitted to it, plus it's 1st annual service. It's now done 5,000 miles, and still in daily use.
Seems a bit spluttery on Shell V-Power, but runs fine on Tesco Momentum. The Sync/apple car play had another stubborn refusal to play nicely again recently but apart from that all is well.
I'll update again once the Mountune upgrade is fitted.
The RS had a 'winter protection detail' today at Steven Bryce Valeting and Detailing in Wishaw, Scotland:
2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on Flickr2016 Ford Focus RS by Andy McMillan, on FlickrIt needed it, the exterior was absolutely filthy, I haven't been able to wash/clean it myself due to the horrible weather recently - firstly a storm (which resulted in a bit of roof tile landing RIGHT next to the RS, fortunately it didn't hit it) then sub-zero temperatures.
The car is still booked in with Harrisons Ford in Peebles in late December for the Mountune FPM375 kit to be fitted to it, plus it's 1st annual service. It's now done 5,000 miles, and still in daily use.
Seems a bit spluttery on Shell V-Power, but runs fine on Tesco Momentum. The Sync/apple car play had another stubborn refusal to play nicely again recently but apart from that all is well.
I'll update again once the Mountune upgrade is fitted.
A wee update...
Mountune FPM375
The Mountune upgrade was fitted to my car in between Xmas & New Year by Harrisons of Peebles, the car was serviced at the same time. All completed in 3.5'ish hours while I had a nice cooked breakfast at a nearby Wetherspoons!
The only PITA was getting my insurer to accept the modification - it took almost as long on the phone as getting the kit fitted to the car! I was on hold for AGES. Anyway, all sorted in the end.
Now, the Mountune FPM375 is definitely an improvement. Previously when accelerating I felt like asking the car "Eh, hello, I've asked for speed here, how about delivering?" Sure it was quick, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that the car was holding back, whereas now hard acceleration really shoves me back into the Recaro. Fuel consumption appears to have taken a hit though, down to an indicated 26mpg. Not THAT bothered about the MPG though.
What I do have an issue with, and I hope this isn't taken as me being a stereotypical tight scotsman, is: I don't feel the upgrade is worth £1K. It's good, but it's not £1K good. It's how the car SHOULD have felt like when it was built.
It is, of course, all a ruse to get owners to upgrade their cars whilst retaining a reasonably 'safe' tune and getting more £££ out of owners pockets. Which I have fallen for. Like an eejit.
Recall
Ford have now issued a recall/fix for the cylinder head gasket issue experienced by MK3 Focus RS owners. This was publicised in early February but, I believe, a lot of owners have been booking their cars into Ford dealerships without having first received their recall letter from Ford and this has resulted in a shortage of parts. A slight revision was also issued to the recall with additonal parts required and this has had a further knock-on effect to owners trying to book their cars in.
I haven't received a letter from Ford yet, but I've made initial enquiries with Harrisons and the car will go in for the work to be done whenever is convenient for me/them. I'm not in any rush.
The work consists of a pressure test + a replacement cylinder head gasket fitted. If the engine fails the pressure test then a new cylinder head will also be fitted.
Other b
ks
The car is approaching 6.5K miles now, and has been used throughout the winter (no choice really) so it has picked up a couple of stonechips on the front bumper, I bought a touch-up stick from eBay for £8 which, when it arrived, looked very wattery and completely the wrong shade but once applied to the stonechips has made them almost invisible.
I've been keeping an eye on the recent RS special edition announcements, first the red and now the very limited orange Heritage edition. I'd like to be in a position to consider one of them, but unless the lottery numbers are favourable i'll be content with what I have!
Other than the above there isn't much to report. The Sync3 CarPlay app continues to be occasionally flaky but that's a fairly minor annoyance. The temptation to try out drift mode is strong, especially on quiet wet roundabouts or on the new sweeping u-shaped sliproad onto the M8 on the way home from work at night, however a reality check reminds me my 2nd name isn't McRae and the Drive Mode button remains untouched. The heated seats, heated steering wheel and heated windscreen have been very welcome recently!
Mountune FPM375
The Mountune upgrade was fitted to my car in between Xmas & New Year by Harrisons of Peebles, the car was serviced at the same time. All completed in 3.5'ish hours while I had a nice cooked breakfast at a nearby Wetherspoons!
The only PITA was getting my insurer to accept the modification - it took almost as long on the phone as getting the kit fitted to the car! I was on hold for AGES. Anyway, all sorted in the end.
Now, the Mountune FPM375 is definitely an improvement. Previously when accelerating I felt like asking the car "Eh, hello, I've asked for speed here, how about delivering?" Sure it was quick, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that the car was holding back, whereas now hard acceleration really shoves me back into the Recaro. Fuel consumption appears to have taken a hit though, down to an indicated 26mpg. Not THAT bothered about the MPG though.
What I do have an issue with, and I hope this isn't taken as me being a stereotypical tight scotsman, is: I don't feel the upgrade is worth £1K. It's good, but it's not £1K good. It's how the car SHOULD have felt like when it was built.
It is, of course, all a ruse to get owners to upgrade their cars whilst retaining a reasonably 'safe' tune and getting more £££ out of owners pockets. Which I have fallen for. Like an eejit.
Recall
Ford have now issued a recall/fix for the cylinder head gasket issue experienced by MK3 Focus RS owners. This was publicised in early February but, I believe, a lot of owners have been booking their cars into Ford dealerships without having first received their recall letter from Ford and this has resulted in a shortage of parts. A slight revision was also issued to the recall with additonal parts required and this has had a further knock-on effect to owners trying to book their cars in.
I haven't received a letter from Ford yet, but I've made initial enquiries with Harrisons and the car will go in for the work to be done whenever is convenient for me/them. I'm not in any rush.
The work consists of a pressure test + a replacement cylinder head gasket fitted. If the engine fails the pressure test then a new cylinder head will also be fitted.
Other b
ksThe car is approaching 6.5K miles now, and has been used throughout the winter (no choice really) so it has picked up a couple of stonechips on the front bumper, I bought a touch-up stick from eBay for £8 which, when it arrived, looked very wattery and completely the wrong shade but once applied to the stonechips has made them almost invisible.
I've been keeping an eye on the recent RS special edition announcements, first the red and now the very limited orange Heritage edition. I'd like to be in a position to consider one of them, but unless the lottery numbers are favourable i'll be content with what I have!
Other than the above there isn't much to report. The Sync3 CarPlay app continues to be occasionally flaky but that's a fairly minor annoyance. The temptation to try out drift mode is strong, especially on quiet wet roundabouts or on the new sweeping u-shaped sliproad onto the M8 on the way home from work at night, however a reality check reminds me my 2nd name isn't McRae and the Drive Mode button remains untouched. The heated seats, heated steering wheel and heated windscreen have been very welcome recently!
The car is now approaching 9K miles, still going well, it's now booked in for the end of May to get the head gasket recall done. Should be in for 3-4 days.
I've also booked the car into a local bodyshop to have the wheels painted gloss black, the standard finish on the forged matt black alloys isn't great and they are a pain to clean.
I fitted the 15mm spacers a couple of weeks ago, makes the car look slightly better.
Quick recent pic after a clean:
2016 Focus RS 01-05-2018 by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
I've also booked the car into a local bodyshop to have the wheels painted gloss black, the standard finish on the forged matt black alloys isn't great and they are a pain to clean.
I fitted the 15mm spacers a couple of weeks ago, makes the car look slightly better.
Quick recent pic after a clean:
2016 Focus RS 01-05-2018 by Andy McMillan, on FlickrIt's been 2.5 months since my previous update so.....
The car is now showing just a shade over 11,000 miles so approaching 10K mileage in my ownership, it was the 17th August last year I picked it up so with it being it's 'birthday' weekend (lol) I thought I would give it a thorough clean inside & out:
19-08-18-06 by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
19-08-18-02 by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
What's been happening to the car since the previous update...
I got the car back from Harrisons on Friday 1st June after it had the cylinder head gasket replacement under warranrty/recall which took 5 days.No major issues, I was (very minorly) annoyed that the engine bay was left coated in grime when it wasn't in that condition before I dropped the car off though. Apart from that the car was as it was before the work was carried out, it actually felt slightly faster initially but I put that down to running around in a 1 litre 3-cylinder Fiesta courtesy car for a week!!
I also had the car into a local bodshop for a week in July while I was abroad on holiday - I asked them to repaint the standard matt black finish on the wheels with a gloss black finish. All went fairly well, can't say I am 100% happy with the finish on a couple of the wheels, especially when the bodyshop is one i've been using for over 25 years, but it's probably stuff only I would notice.
I could have asked them to sort the (again - minor) issues but I can't be bothered with the hassle of dropping the car off, arranging lifts or insurance for a courtesty car etc so I'll chalk it up to experience and consider not using the place in future.
Anyway, once I returned from holidays I fitted gloss black RS centre caps (the car comes with matt black 'Ford' logo centre caps) which come as standard on the 'Edition' RS, and I also gave the wheels a coating of Gtechniq C5 Ceramic Wheel Armour which should make them easier to clean for the next few months.
I also fitted black body accent stripes to the front & rear bumper from DMB Graphics, and purchased a set of 4 floor mats from CarMatsNI - they are black with the mid-blue edging and blue RS logo.
The front headlights and front foglights were covered with fly-eye vinyl recently & I purchased a pair of clear/smoked LED lights from Germany. They turned out to be a hassle, the 1st set were damaged and the seller initially wouldn't entertain taking them back & supplying a new set. They claimed I damaged them whilst fitting them (which is a 2/3 minute job per side) and then once I sent them photographic and video evidence showing the damage was INSIDE the lens they then claimed it was 'supposed to be like that'. After several more email exchanges they relented and sent me a new set.
Think that's all for now, still enjoying the car!!
The car is now showing just a shade over 11,000 miles so approaching 10K mileage in my ownership, it was the 17th August last year I picked it up so with it being it's 'birthday' weekend (lol) I thought I would give it a thorough clean inside & out:
19-08-18-06 by Andy McMillan, on Flickr19-08-18-02 by Andy McMillan, on FlickrWhat's been happening to the car since the previous update...
I got the car back from Harrisons on Friday 1st June after it had the cylinder head gasket replacement under warranrty/recall which took 5 days.No major issues, I was (very minorly) annoyed that the engine bay was left coated in grime when it wasn't in that condition before I dropped the car off though. Apart from that the car was as it was before the work was carried out, it actually felt slightly faster initially but I put that down to running around in a 1 litre 3-cylinder Fiesta courtesy car for a week!!
I also had the car into a local bodshop for a week in July while I was abroad on holiday - I asked them to repaint the standard matt black finish on the wheels with a gloss black finish. All went fairly well, can't say I am 100% happy with the finish on a couple of the wheels, especially when the bodyshop is one i've been using for over 25 years, but it's probably stuff only I would notice.
I could have asked them to sort the (again - minor) issues but I can't be bothered with the hassle of dropping the car off, arranging lifts or insurance for a courtesty car etc so I'll chalk it up to experience and consider not using the place in future.
Anyway, once I returned from holidays I fitted gloss black RS centre caps (the car comes with matt black 'Ford' logo centre caps) which come as standard on the 'Edition' RS, and I also gave the wheels a coating of Gtechniq C5 Ceramic Wheel Armour which should make them easier to clean for the next few months.
I also fitted black body accent stripes to the front & rear bumper from DMB Graphics, and purchased a set of 4 floor mats from CarMatsNI - they are black with the mid-blue edging and blue RS logo.
The front headlights and front foglights were covered with fly-eye vinyl recently & I purchased a pair of clear/smoked LED lights from Germany. They turned out to be a hassle, the 1st set were damaged and the seller initially wouldn't entertain taking them back & supplying a new set. They claimed I damaged them whilst fitting them (which is a 2/3 minute job per side) and then once I sent them photographic and video evidence showing the damage was INSIDE the lens they then claimed it was 'supposed to be like that'. After several more email exchanges they relented and sent me a new set.
Think that's all for now, still enjoying the car!!
9 months since previous update...
Still got the RS, still using it every week day for commuting to & from work, mileage is just over 18K now. Had it's 2nd year service at Harrisons of Peebles during the Xmas/New Year hols, no issues.
Had a set of Momo Revenge alloys fitted to the car last weekend at Skidz in Falkirk, I was never happy with the finish on the standard wheels after they were painted by a local bodyshop last summer. I've been using this bodyshop for over 20 years and although I could have asked them to re-do/sort the issues I didn't want the conflict and the hassle of having the car off the road again so after the winter was past I thought I would go for these:
2016 Ford Focus RS 11-05-2019 by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
They are 19" so I used my existing tyres and I went for the dark anthracite option. I did consider 20's, but with the car now having H&R lowered springs fitted I didn't want the harsher ride issues that 20's with 30-profile tyres would bring. I've retained the standard 19" wheels and I may put some tyres on them and use them as my winter set.
I also fitted a Maxton Design rear spoiler extension recently, only £99 + delivery and takes secongs to fit.
The only other thing i've done to the car recently (or had done to it) was some additional security fitted, I've read too many stories on facebook groups etc of performance cars going missing so while what I had fitted won't 100% guarantee the car won't go missing it does give me extra peace of mind.
Apart from the above, all i've been doing is driving it, cleaning it, filling it with fuel, driving it some more, cleaning it again etc! I've not had any mechanical issues with the car at all (touch wood) and it'll be coming up for its 1st MOT in 6 months time. I have no more plans for any more modifications, got to pay off the car + the new wheels before I am allowed to spend any more
but I can't think of anything else I want to do to it at the moment anyway.
Dash trip computer is still showing an average of 28mpg. Still want the car to have electrically-adjustable seats (I think that's how it should have been built) but that's a very minor niggle.
Couple of other very minor niggles - the black mesh grille inside the front bumper is showing some small rust patches, i've touched it up carefully with black paint for now - and the plastic cowl over/around the interior mirror on the windscreen rattles but the noise goes away for a few days if I hit it.
Still got the RS, still using it every week day for commuting to & from work, mileage is just over 18K now. Had it's 2nd year service at Harrisons of Peebles during the Xmas/New Year hols, no issues.
Had a set of Momo Revenge alloys fitted to the car last weekend at Skidz in Falkirk, I was never happy with the finish on the standard wheels after they were painted by a local bodyshop last summer. I've been using this bodyshop for over 20 years and although I could have asked them to re-do/sort the issues I didn't want the conflict and the hassle of having the car off the road again so after the winter was past I thought I would go for these:
2016 Ford Focus RS 11-05-2019 by Andy McMillan, on FlickrThey are 19" so I used my existing tyres and I went for the dark anthracite option. I did consider 20's, but with the car now having H&R lowered springs fitted I didn't want the harsher ride issues that 20's with 30-profile tyres would bring. I've retained the standard 19" wheels and I may put some tyres on them and use them as my winter set.
I also fitted a Maxton Design rear spoiler extension recently, only £99 + delivery and takes secongs to fit.
The only other thing i've done to the car recently (or had done to it) was some additional security fitted, I've read too many stories on facebook groups etc of performance cars going missing so while what I had fitted won't 100% guarantee the car won't go missing it does give me extra peace of mind.
Apart from the above, all i've been doing is driving it, cleaning it, filling it with fuel, driving it some more, cleaning it again etc! I've not had any mechanical issues with the car at all (touch wood) and it'll be coming up for its 1st MOT in 6 months time. I have no more plans for any more modifications, got to pay off the car + the new wheels before I am allowed to spend any more
but I can't think of anything else I want to do to it at the moment anyway. Dash trip computer is still showing an average of 28mpg. Still want the car to have electrically-adjustable seats (I think that's how it should have been built) but that's a very minor niggle.
Couple of other very minor niggles - the black mesh grille inside the front bumper is showing some small rust patches, i've touched it up carefully with black paint for now - and the plastic cowl over/around the interior mirror on the windscreen rattles but the noise goes away for a few days if I hit it.
6 months on... I've still got the RS.
It went into Harrisons in Peebles for it's 3rd annual service earlier this week, plus 1st MOT. All went well, dropped the car off at 8:30am, jumped into one of their courtesy cars to get to work, their driver brought my car back to me at work mid-afternoon.
Really happy with the service, dunno if it's solely down to the spark plug change but the car is pulling more strongly.
MOT just threw up a couple of advisories, one for a tyre near the limit (which I knew about) and a comment about the 'product' on the headlights but 'not seriously reducing light output'.
Both front tyres were a baw hair away from the 2mm wear indicator so with winter most definitely being upon us (minus 6 in Scotland this morning!) I decided to get them replaced, which was done at Skidz in Falkirk yesterday - replaced like-for-like with Michelin Pilot Supersports 235/35/19's.
I was planning to put a set of tyres onto my standard 19" wheels and use them as my winter set but finances haven't worked out favourably in the last few months so looks like i'll be running the Momo wheels through winter.
Mileage is now nearly 24k and the car continues to be used every week day for commuting to and from work aong the M8, no plans to do anything special to or with it next year, I am not planning to sell/trade-in the RS either. Just enjoy driving and cleaning it.
However, the Ford warranty has now run out so if I unexpectedly find I have a few bob kicking about spare I might look at a power increase from Litchfield or Collins but I doubt it. Or maybe changing the exhaust for a Mountune/Milltek/Cobra.
I insured the car with all mods declared through Adrian Flux a couple of months back, decent policy and very competitively-priced too. Hope I never need to claim on it though!
It went into Harrisons in Peebles for it's 3rd annual service earlier this week, plus 1st MOT. All went well, dropped the car off at 8:30am, jumped into one of their courtesy cars to get to work, their driver brought my car back to me at work mid-afternoon.
Really happy with the service, dunno if it's solely down to the spark plug change but the car is pulling more strongly.
MOT just threw up a couple of advisories, one for a tyre near the limit (which I knew about) and a comment about the 'product' on the headlights but 'not seriously reducing light output'.
Both front tyres were a baw hair away from the 2mm wear indicator so with winter most definitely being upon us (minus 6 in Scotland this morning!) I decided to get them replaced, which was done at Skidz in Falkirk yesterday - replaced like-for-like with Michelin Pilot Supersports 235/35/19's.
I was planning to put a set of tyres onto my standard 19" wheels and use them as my winter set but finances haven't worked out favourably in the last few months so looks like i'll be running the Momo wheels through winter.
Mileage is now nearly 24k and the car continues to be used every week day for commuting to and from work aong the M8, no plans to do anything special to or with it next year, I am not planning to sell/trade-in the RS either. Just enjoy driving and cleaning it.
However, the Ford warranty has now run out so if I unexpectedly find I have a few bob kicking about spare I might look at a power increase from Litchfield or Collins but I doubt it. Or maybe changing the exhaust for a Mountune/Milltek/Cobra.
I insured the car with all mods declared through Adrian Flux a couple of months back, decent policy and very competitively-priced too. Hope I never need to claim on it though!
A wee update, my car has been used maybe a handful of times since the lockdown started but there's now a (relatively small) problem with the car - the air conditioning isn't working.
I noticed in late May the air coming out the vents was no longer cold, and the revs wouldn't drop slightly when the air con was switched on (as they usually do).
Some googling appeared to show that the car senses when the pressure in the system is low and won't allow the compressor to run - I believe because the refrigerant also has lubricating properties and the refrigerant lubricates the compressor.
Unfortunately the sticker under the bonnet shows my car uses the R1234yf refrigerant which is the more expensive out of the two types!
I found somewhere local'ish that could refill the system a few weeks ago (3rd June) and had the refrigerant in stock (most places I called only had the R134a available) and they said they performed a leak test and refill - £130.00.
I then had some nice ice-cold air con, until earlier this week (see below) when I noticed it isn't working again.
Looks like I do have a leak somewhere. Damn. I'll need to get it booked in to be looked at, as, although I am in Scotland, there are times when I do need to use it. The car is out of warranty now so the bill will be payable by me.
I noticed it wasn't working for the 2nd time when I was on the way to one of those photographers that show their images on facebook - I'd seen quite a few of his previous images and was reasonably impressed so decided to get some shots of the RS.
We went to a Wind Farm visitors centre - a place called Whitelee which is in Ayrshire. The road to it is through Eaglesham Moor - quite a desolate single-track road with passing places.
The photographer arrived - Ryan from LomotiveUK Media - with his mate, another photographer, and I've added a couple of their images below:
Photo shoot on Eaglesham Moor road with LomotiveUK Media and Scott Murray Photography 9-7-20 by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
Photo shoot on Eaglesham Moor road with LomotiveUK Media and Scott Murray Photography 9-7-20 by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
Photo shoot on Eaglesham Moor road with LomotiveUK Media and Scott Murray Photography 9-7-20 by Andy McMillan, on Flickr
I noticed in late May the air coming out the vents was no longer cold, and the revs wouldn't drop slightly when the air con was switched on (as they usually do).
Some googling appeared to show that the car senses when the pressure in the system is low and won't allow the compressor to run - I believe because the refrigerant also has lubricating properties and the refrigerant lubricates the compressor.
Unfortunately the sticker under the bonnet shows my car uses the R1234yf refrigerant which is the more expensive out of the two types!
I found somewhere local'ish that could refill the system a few weeks ago (3rd June) and had the refrigerant in stock (most places I called only had the R134a available) and they said they performed a leak test and refill - £130.00.
I then had some nice ice-cold air con, until earlier this week (see below) when I noticed it isn't working again.
Looks like I do have a leak somewhere. Damn. I'll need to get it booked in to be looked at, as, although I am in Scotland, there are times when I do need to use it. The car is out of warranty now so the bill will be payable by me.
I noticed it wasn't working for the 2nd time when I was on the way to one of those photographers that show their images on facebook - I'd seen quite a few of his previous images and was reasonably impressed so decided to get some shots of the RS.
We went to a Wind Farm visitors centre - a place called Whitelee which is in Ayrshire. The road to it is through Eaglesham Moor - quite a desolate single-track road with passing places.
The photographer arrived - Ryan from LomotiveUK Media - with his mate, another photographer, and I've added a couple of their images below:
Photo shoot on Eaglesham Moor road with LomotiveUK Media and Scott Murray Photography 9-7-20 by Andy McMillan, on FlickrPhoto shoot on Eaglesham Moor road with LomotiveUK Media and Scott Murray Photography 9-7-20 by Andy McMillan, on FlickrPhoto shoot on Eaglesham Moor road with LomotiveUK Media and Scott Murray Photography 9-7-20 by Andy McMillan, on FlickrEdited by oobster on Monday 13th July 13:28
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