Focus Mk1 starting issues

[pstruck]

My up until recently very reliable Focus Mk1 (03) 1.6 Zetec has started to have problems starting from cold.

It will fire and just about catch on first turn of the key, but will usually die within a few seconds. Then on subsequent attempts it becomes increasingly difficult to get it to catch at all. When it does it chugs away on less than all four cylinders for 10 or 20 seconds before sorting itself out. Any contact with the throttle peddle during this process only seems to make things worse. Once warm there is no problem. The car does plenty of long trips. The battery is very strong. The 'engine' light is not lit and there are no stored codes that my budget reader will find.

Any ideas anyone?

[mnkiboy]

If it's mis-firing when cold and damp, i'd be looking at changing the plugs and leads. Coil packs can also go but wouldn't usually clear up when warm.

[pstruck]

There certainly was a misfire and yesterday it ran on 3 cylinders all the way home from work. Hope that hasn't stuffed my cat or anything! So today I have replaced the plugs, leads and coil pack and sorted that out. It still seems to have a cold problem starting though.

[theheff]

my advice to you would be, before replacing any parts, would be to do a compression test, aka removing the spark plugs and disconecting the fuel rail (multiplugs), chack for any pressures below 120psi, as mk1 focus's suffer from valve seat wear after about 85k if ragged senseless, if not then id suggest H/T leads and spark plugs, and then if not that then the coil pack, not a difficult job 4 x 27torx screws and a multiplug, always do the cheapest first sparks then h/t then coil pack

[pstruck]

Replaced plugs, HT leads and coil pack. Misfore cured and running smooth now. Starting problem continued for a couple of days further, then just cured itself. I'm half expecting it to return (the starting issue, not the misfire).

[theheff]

if the mis fire is now cured then the starting issue may have been caused buy the amount of unburnt fuel going into the cat,, which would create back pressure, as long as the misfire dosnt start up again, you should be all right

[JackP1]

Just needs a decent run...if you know what i mean

[pstruck]

JackP1 said:

Just needs a decent run...if you know what i mean

It gets one pf those every day and is currently clocking up about 500 miles per week.