It sounds like something is intermittently dragging behind my car - like a light piece of metal dragging on the ground. I pulled over twice to look, and everything appears ok. There is also a weird noise that sounds like it could be coming from the trunk - a low pitch rattle. I drive a 2002 Ford Focus manual and this just started today while driving straight on residential streets.
View 2 RepliesMy 02 Ford Focus makes a racket in 5th gear. The engine sounds like it's ready for takeoff. The other gears are quiet but when I pick up speed, the noise is a steady & relentless hum.
View 7 RepliesWent and got new tires on the supercrew. Went going through parking lots or simply driving i hear a loud squeal like brake pad squeal. I put brand new wagner ceramics on the truck. Also if i turn to the left the driver side rear sounds like brakes are dragging against the rotor. Whats goin on with this. The squeal will happen between 10 mph to 20 mph and the grinding noise will happen if I am cruising or turning to the left. It goes away when i apply the brakes.
View 1 RepliesMy R is making a noise I don't think I've heard before.
I've been listening to my Borla exhaust to figure out if it's rubbing on the propshaft. I'm pretty sure that's been sorted, but it still 'sings' a little bit. I'm guessing it's some sort of resonance...
Anyway, while I'm listening carefully, I hear a noise that sounds like 'rotational dragging', almost like a parking brake is dragging a little bit, but no screech or anything. It's particularly bad (though still subtle) when everything is cold. It's been colder here lately, 30-40F.
At moderate speed, 30-40mph, I don't hear the noise under throttle, but when I lift throttle, I hear the dragging sound. It might be that it's always there, and just being masked by engine / exhaust noise. Or it might make more noise when I lift.
It seems to be coming from "under and back" of the driver's seat.
I am running an upgraded Haldex with the switch set full time on 'race'. I had the 40K service at 40K, and I'm now at 76K.
This past January (I live in Minnesota), I started to have an issue with my 2002 Ford Focus 4D SE (120,000 miles, automatic transmission). Sometimes (not always) when I first start the car, either at home or after it's been in a parking lot, it starts just fine, but the car crawls when I step on the gas. Even with the pedal on the floor, it still crawls. At the same time, the speedometer doesn't engage, and the odometer is blank. The engine light is on, too. Then, after the car has traveled a block or so, the speedometer and odometer snap on, the locks snap shut, and the car runs normally. I can get the car to go forward at somewhat normal speed if I put the car in second gear. Again, after a block or two, everything snaps back and I put it in drive.
I have taken the car to a mechanic more than once. The mechanic said the engine light indicated that the speedometer sensor needed changing, but I was not convinced that would fix the problem, and didn't get the sensor changed. I have asked the mechanic to check the electrical wires, but I don't think they did. I have also had a new battery installed. In May (when it got warm again), the engine light went off and the problem ceased and the car ran normally.But in the past couple of days, the car has started crawling again. What's going on? Would changing the speedometer sensor solve the problem, or is it something else? The mechanic can't seem to find anything else wrong with the car.
When I put my 2002 TrailBlazer into 4WD, it seems normal as long as I have my foot on the gas, but when I am "coasting" or just slowing down, the car feels like something is dragging on the engine is dragging--sort of like when one tries to drive with the parking brake engaged, or like when you shift to a lower gear in a car with a manual transmission and it slows the engine down. I don't recall this being a "feature" I've had before.
View 5 RepliesI recently installed a cold sensor to my 2002 ford focus due to it trying to stall out in cold weather. It is still trying to stall out even with the cold sensor what else could be the problem?
View 2 RepliesMy 2002 Ford Focus ZX5 has had a low idle (not unsteady) for about a year. Just thought I needed a tune-up. Recently, it started surging and bucking between 40 and 50 MPH. Seems to run fine under acceleration, but then when backing off the accelerator, it starts the surging/bucking. The check engine light is on constantly. A diagnostic pointed to the EGR valve, which I replaced, but it didn't solve anything.
View 4 RepliesI have a 2002 Ford Focus coming up on 150k... still drives fine, but when I went to change the plugs today, I found all four of them submerged in oil. What's going on?
View 3 RepliesYesterday my 2002 Ford Focus SE Zetec wagon (140k) died at a stoplight. Before that, the radio would turn off and on like it was possessed. The last five miles before it conked out, the fuel gauge and speedometer dropped to zero (ie same as with key-out). Waited two hours and was able to drive it two blocks home but the same symptoms w/instruments occurred. Battery measured 12.0v @ home. The alternator is the first suspect but what else should get replaced? Any guesses as for cost? DIY or take it to a shop?
View 17 RepliesI've owned a manual 2002 Ford Focus ZX5 for 5 years. I bought it with 77,000 miles and it now has 112,400. I've been pretty good at having the oil changes and tune-ups at the right mileage. This last time I took it to a new service place, they suggested I looked into changing the Manual Transmission Fluid. I have never had it done, and I'm not really sure about the previous owner. What's your take on this? I've done some research and opinions seem to differ quite a bit about at what mileage the transmission fluid should be changed.
View 10 RepliesCar wont start and antitheft light flashes 3 minutes later light goes off car starts.
View 1 RepliesAfter having jump started my 2002 Ford Focus, the radio/stereo stopped working and would not turn on. I can't eject cds, or even turn it on.
View 2 RepliesLast week, I brought my 2002 Ford Focus (automatic transmission) to the mechanic to have an oil change and to have the motor mounts and cabin air filter replaced. Before I brought the car in, it was fairly loud at idle--which had been going on for a couple of years and which I attributed to the worn motor mounts--but had otherwise been running fine.
When I went to pick it up after the repairs, the car would not start. The mechanic ran some tests and told me that the alternator was overcharging the battery. The battery could no longer hold a charge, so both the alternator and the battery needed to be replaced, which the mechanic did.
I thought at first that everything was OK after the battery and alternator replacement. Because I almost always turn my car off immediately after putting it in park, I didn't realize what was happening and that it was a problem... but in retrospect, I realize that ever since I got the car back from this second set of repairs, the battery light has flashed on during the split second between when I shift to park and when I turn the ignition off.
Yesterday, I took my car back to the mechanic because it stalled when I was in the parking lot at work. (I realize now that it must have happened just after I shifted gears, probably into park.) Since that was the first time it had actually properly stalled--rather than just a quick battery light flash just before I turned the car off--I had not yet made the connection between the stalling and the shifting to park, so all I told the mechanic is that it stalled on me when I was slowing to a stop. I'm pretty sure the first time it stalled was the first time I let it idle for more than a half-second in park before turning off the ignition.
He kept my car for a full day and ran a lot of tests on it. He was unable to make the car stall during multiple test drives (though, to be fair, I hadn't told him that the trigger for making it stall was shifting to park because I didn't realize it myself yet). There were no engine codes, the check engine light was never on, the fuel pressure is OK, and the throttle body position sensor, the idle air control valve, the ignition system, and the fuel system were giving no abnormal readings. When I asked, he told me that they did perform an idle-relearn procedure after replacing the battery and alternator. He returned the car to me and told me to come back if it stalled again.
Tonight, when I got the car home, it started to die immediately when I put it into park (the headlights dimmed and the battery light came on). I was able to reproduce this a second time as well. Fortunately, it does start back up just fine.
I plan to take the car in for repairs again, but I'm wondering if I should go back to the same mechanic. My questions are:
1) What is likely to be causing the problem?
2) Is it something that is likely to have been caused by incompetence when installing the new battery and alternator or doing other repairs, or could it be a coincidence (I was willing to believe the first coincidence of the battery and alternator dying while the car was at the repair shop, but I'm having difficulty believing a second coincidence)?
3) Whether or not the problem is likely to be the mechanic's fault, is it something that a thorough check on their part should have discovered?
Let me start by saying the car is the 2002 ford focus and has a remote starter keyless entry and alarm that has been in stalled years ago so the one day I'm trying to go inside my car and the unlock button on the key fob doesn't work so I put the key in the door and open it all the doors unlock.
I ignored it when I'm leaving the car I lock it with the key fob it chrips then my son rushes outside and opens the door. That's when I noticed the door didn't lock then I try the door switch to lock and unlock the doors but nothing happens I tried the passenger switch nothing
Symptoms : Both driver and passenger door lock switches are not working If I hit the unlock button twice on the key fob all the doors unlock...
I've got a misfire problem with my Focus. It started about a month ago and did not trip a code until last week. It stumbles on acceleration between 2,000 and 4,000 rpms. It is only a slight stumble and although noticeable, it does not impede driveability much. Last week I was able to get it to finally trip an OBD code. P302 - Cylinder 2 misfire. I changed the plugs and wires with no effect. I thought I had it narrowed down to the coil or injector until my wife noticed a new wrinkle.
Under normal driving conditions the misfire is annoying, but my wife found that if she turns on the A/C, it is undriveable and will not accelerate past 30 mph without some patience and a neck brace for the bucking. My first thought was the A/C compressor was freezing up. I turned off the A/C and left the blower on and it would not stop missing. I turn off the blower and it smooths right out to the annoyance I described first.
Right now I drive the car without A/C and blower whenever I accelerate. If I'm going a steady speed, all is well and I can run the blower and A/C.
Started the car got out of the parking lot and drove a few feet till it stalled and rolled to a stop. It cranks but would not turn over all the way to drive. Called mechanic to let them know that it would be towed. They asked if it had gas. It has a 1/4 tank. Tow driver asked the same question. I'm wondering if the fuel pump could be the culprit or timing belt. If timing belt than I wonder if the engine could be the bad kind (interference). And of course cost. It has just over 90k miles and it has received regular oil changes but not the recommended services. I'm biking to the mechanic to drop the key off and thought that I would try it again and look under the hood, but I need to know what to look for.
View 1 RepliesTried to start my 2002 7.3 Ex today and it tries to start but than sounds like something is grinding, on a 2nd or 3rd try it starts. The sound is similar to if you try to start an already running vehicle.
View 3 RepliesAfter about 1 minute after starting the truck it sounds like the fan belt is squealing..(below 30 deg outside) Only its not the fan belt as I replaced it. Does not do it when it is engine is operating temperature. Have checked all of the Pulleys which seem to be all right. The frequency of the squealing sound is about 1/3 the engine RPM and will go away above 2k when it does do it. Stopping at a stop light after about 45 seconds it really starts to get loud. Can a Fan Clutch do this.. I beleive that this engine has a timing chain right?
View 8 Replies2002 Ford Focus SE with 130k miles on it. For the past 4 months the battery light flashes randomly while driving. The flashing and frequency of flashing doesn't seem related to anything I can tell including temperature, length of time the car is running, speed or any variable. Seems like it should be an alternator, but that was replaced less than an year ago and it also has a new battery. The alternator always checks out fine at the mechanic and it will never flash for the mechanic. It went 1 month with no flashing and suddenly it will now flash maybe 20 times in a 5 mile drive. Yesterday it just died at a stoplight with no warning, but then after shutting everything off it started just fine and the battery light didn't turn on for the 2 miles to home.
View 5 Repliesmy 2000 focus se, 2.0L SPI, with 82k began to recently run rough at idle then progressed to stalling at longer lengths of idle. The condition starts once the engine warms after 2-5 minutes. I 1st tried gas treatment. I replaced the ignition coil as suggested in the other threads, but it has not improved the problem. I had the fuel pump recall-replaced 2 years ago. I would guess that a bad fuel pump would exhibit loss of power at all engine speeds? Before I proceed to replace plug wires and plugs.
View 14 Replies