Noob Focus TDi LX 1.8 2002

RenwickCustomer

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Ford Focus Lx Td Di
Hey,

I own a 2002 Ford Focus TDi LX 5Dr 1.8, its done about 116000 miles.

I am the second owner and it is ex Norfolk Council, so apparently it hasn't been ragged a lot. I have owned it for 2 years now, although I have only had it serviced once, very recently due to lack of money.

Now that I have had it serviced all it needed was 3 new tyres and the front brakes. The shock absorbers are having trouble too but i'm having them replaced this weekend.

I have a couple of questions about my car. In reality I only need it to run for about another 2 to 3 years but I would like to have it for more if possible!

The mechanic who serviced it said there was some rusting to the underside, although not a serious amount. He also said the clutch seems to be wearing, due to the fact that it can be a struggle to push the stick into 3rd and 5th.

The mechanic said something about undercoating the bottom of the car to combat the rust, if I want to keep the car for more than 3 years should I consider doing this? Is there anything else I should consider?

Are there any tips for keeping my car? Anything I should be doing regularly? I've been trying to do some research but I'm finding it hard to find anything as there is so much information!

The other questions are about power. My car seems to still have some power left in it, but I find it a struggle to go from 60-70 usually. I did a little reading and saw something about adding a new air filter? I would love to tune the car a little bit but I don't want a rocket or anything. Are there any suggestions as to what to do without shortening the car's life at all? I don't even know how many miles this car is supposed to do! Is there anything I can do with the turbo?

Sorry about the huge amount of questions, and any advice would be sorely appreciated!
 
hi and welcome

rust :- in my opinion get it all sorted then think about getting the underside coated.

clutch :- i had one of these and the clutch lasted till about 130,000 miles and needed replacing, i spent £500 on this and it came with a lifetime garantee for as long as owned the car.

power :- try looking into having the the ecu remapped and see what gains are to be had. check this company out as they are rated by the other members http://celtictuning.co.uk/Benefits.aspx?gclid=CPnz1_PO56YCFUkhfAodKHn76w

enjoy your time with us.
 
This car has an ECU?! I believe the computer is in the glovebox is it not? I had no idea that a 2002 car had one! I'm going to go check!

Thank you for the quick replies!
 
Well colour me completely embarrassed, I am a real noob to be honest. I didn't know anything about ecu's before!

One quick question, the celtic website has 2 variants of my car, 98 and 113hp. I have no idea how to find out which one it is, any ideas? Thank you for the help
 
Did the air filter get changed at the service? They dont get changed every time on ford scheduling but for the sake of a tenner at halfords it's worth it, you'll see a huge difference between a blocked and dirty filter and a clean one. We change the one on our focus 1.8 tdci every year regardless.

Oh, and if it's a TDDI it will be 98hp, tdcis have 115. The output should be written on the top plastic engine cover, cant remember if it's in bhp or kw.
 
Sorry for taking so long to reply,

It turns out they did replace the air filter! I have noticed a difference in power, although I do still seem to have a lot of flat spots. Remapping the car is only £300 though, so its definitely something I will look in to. The next thing is getting the rust all cleaned up!
 
I pay a local firm to Waxoyl my cars it's a dooable DIY job but I just don't fancy (read, can't be bothered) getting all mucky when I can pay some one to do a proper job, plus they thoroughly clean the underside of the car & get into all the awkard places & plug em afterwards too.
Costs about £100ish depending on the car size. :D

Welcome to the forum btw! :D
 
get your clutch done as it might be slipping hence why your struggling to pick up speed. if i remember right to test the clutch for slip, put it in 4th and let the clutch out slowly f it does not stall then your clutch is slipping, you will have to read up on that tho, the other way is to drive in 3rd or 4th at a slow/medium pace then plant your foot and the revs will jump but your speed doesnt then your clutch is slipping
 
in my tddi, the clutch slipping didnt really suffer in 1st and 2nd, but 3rd + and no grunt, flat spots, call them what you will wasnt too clever. had clutch done and it was much improved.
 
A clutch going would affect all gears wouldnt it? I'd be looking at selector rods.

that could also be a possibility, but as he said he is struggling to pick up speed over 60mph the clutch could very well be the source as to why he has a power loss well a transfer of power.
 
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Thanks for all your help guys, I really appreciate it! Unfortunately the car just seems to be dying at the moment, just lost the entire dashboard. Now I think its a case of just nursing it through the amount of time I need it to, rather than looking at ways of making it faster!
 
When i got my Range Rover Remapped, The guy from (company name removed) came to my house and had some software that told him exactly what the BHP was..

About your rust problem, i built a kit car Eagle Rv Jeep years ago and painted everything underneath, axles,coil springs,chassis the whole lot with Hammerite. It was messy but its just about the best coating you can buy.. Served my jeep for many years up and down Salty slipways with the jetski,, used to back it right into the sea and the salt never got into it at all....
 
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Most mechanics are a nightmare, I hate them proper monkeys. All your mechanic will probably do is smother the rust with waxoyl or simular to cover it over. This isn't addressing the issue at all. If rust has already formed it needs taking back to bare metal, a rust arrester/converter used, primed with etch primer or simular, repainted and then undersealed. If It's gone through the metal it'll need new metal welding in.
 

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