Focus Gearstick problem

Conscript said:
Bigger hammer tbh :D
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Negative :p , it's just this that has proven to be a problem everything else was fine, and i can see that one of the spring arms has sheared off (well almost its hanging off) so i definetly know the springs broken
 
Tom|Nbk said:
Don't have a pair so im wondering what my options are lol :p
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Just use a pair of pliers then. I only used the Mole grips as I found them in the tool kit first. TBH I wouldn't have thought it would be that hard to remove whatever tool you use. I am sure you could just lever it off with a screwdriver if need be.
 
Quality stuff! :D

I actually spotted the spring had snapped a couple of months ago and told my mum to have a word with a mechanic about getting it fixed. He reckoned the whole gear stick assembly would need replacing. :rolleyes:
 
Just fitted the new spring all is good now and it works like it should :D



heres a pic of what had happened to my old spring it had basically snapped and was hanging on only very slightly.

Thanks for the guide without this I wouldnt have even attempted it, pretty satisfied, took around 30 mins :) .
 
Just to add, I didn't bother removing the entire centre console, just the seperate plastic clip on surround around the gear stick, saved me taking the entire console off, even if it was a little more fiddly.
 
Crazy, same thing has just happened on my 2001 Focus :o I will give this a go over the next couple of weeks (along with greasing the brake pedal to get rid of the annoying squeak)..
 
Just done it :) Took me about 45 minutes 'cos my dad lent a hand and as is typical when you get two men doing something, conflicts arise.

"No, it fits back in this way"
"But....i don't see how that works....then theres no pressure ont he spring?"
"Well it came out that way so it must fit back the same...."

Anyway, got it done in the end and the result is fantastic. No ore flappy gearstick and I can shift from 2nd to 3rd quickly and smoothly without landing the stick between the 1st/3rd gear alignment causing me to look like a pillock as Im driving along. Ash1982, have an eBeer on me friend :D
 
Conscript said:
Just done it :) Took me about 45 minutes 'cos my dad lent a hand and as is typical when you get two men doing something, conflicts arise.

"No, it fits back in this way"
"But....i don't see how that works....then theres no pressure ont he spring?"
"Well it came out that way so it must fit back the same...."

Anyway, got it done in the end and the result is fantastic. No ore flappy gearstick and I can shift from 2nd to 3rd quickly and smoothly without landing the stick between the 1st/3rd gear alignment causing me to look like a pillock as Im driving along. Ash1982, have an eBeer on me friend :D
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Cheers :D

And I know what you mean about Dads helping out :rolleyes: :p
 
Have to say my Gear change is a lot smoother since fitting the new spring, as Conscript says iv'e noticed my gear changes are more precise, specially when going from 2nd to 3rd, feels much more smooth, have an eBeer on me Ash :p .
 
wesley said:
no link for printable version? i wanna print out the guide in case i get same problem in my 2002 focus haha
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Seem's to be a common fault as stated with the IB5, the spring seems to be a design flaw, still Id rather it were a spring that cost's £4 than something much more expensive. Your spring will go at sometimes but it seems it takes years for the problem to manifest. As for a printable guide just copy and paste ASH's post?.
 
wesley said:
no link for printable version? i wanna print out the guide in case i get same problem in my 2002 focus haha
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Just print the first page.... like i said i took it from my post on the owners club but if you want to access that its £20 and all you will get is an few extra photos that I edited out for the OCUK site as they wrnt technically needed but there is no pic limit on a single post there
 
Thread Revival!

Sorry guys, I didn't want to make up a new thread. I have got a very simular problem with my Focus and I am 99% sure that it is the spring but the gear knob still does return to the centre from left to right but if I move it left to right it feels extremely sloppy, like in a way the spring feels worn as if there is hardly "spring action" left in it at all and to put it in simple words it feels like a very strong spring. I removed the black gear stick surround last week and had a look at the spring and upon inpection, it has not snapped in a way and doesnt look in bad condition but it doesn't look new either. Could this still be down to the spring and that it is just worn and old or could it be something else? I can still select all gears fine. My Focus is a 52 plate 1.6 Zetec, 113K miles.

Thanks all - Liam
 
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OMG!, Thankyou so much for this thread revival.

I always thought my dads focus gear changes were shocking, so sloppy. This is why!! It can certainly be a pain to get into 3rd because of this also, I will get this done for him!

Quick (silly) questions. The black cloth that goes around the gearstick to hide everything, how does that come out, do you just pull it quite hard?

Thanks all!
 
coxmattycox said:
OMG!, Thankyou so much for this thread revival.

I always thought my dads focus gear changes were shocking, so sloppy. This is why!! It can certainly be a pain to get into 3rd because of this also, I will get this done for him!

Quick (silly) questions. The black cloth that goes around the gearstick to hide everything, how does that come out, do you just pull it quite hard?

Thanks all!
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Is your dads Focus an MK1.5? (MK1 facelift 2001-2004)

If so, then you do not necessarily need to remove the gear stick gaiter as you can instead remove the plastic black surround (it sits right inbetween the gear stick & the handbrake, also if you have traction control the button will be positioned onto it) and to remove the plastic surround, grip fingers at either side of it and pull up - you will hear it clip out.

If you have traction control, just disconnect the cable and just rest the black surround onto the gear stick - there you will have access to what you need to do.

Liam
 
Guys

Im having a right nightmare with this, the part to get of in image 1, wont come of. Ive took the cover of and taken of the spring which was indeed broke. I'm now trying to get the cover in but I can't as the screw is in the way!! There is a little black bit on the cover which goes were the screw is. what am I doing wrong, this is driving me mad!
 
Well that has turn't into an absolute nightmare.

Thought with the help of my dad, I had it finally sorted. Started to check gears, wouldnt move and the black bit that the clip has now snapped! So after all that it's going to have to go to a garage anyway. What's more worrying is that the gearbox light has now come on, I hope it's just due to the part snapping and not that I have now somehow managed to wreck the gearbox aswell

Argh!!
 
coxmattycox said:
Well that has turn't into an absolute nightmare.

Thought with the help of my dad, I had it finally sorted. Started to check gears, wouldnt move and the black bit that the clip has now snapped! So after all that it's going to have to go to a garage anyway. What's more worrying is that the gearbox light has now come on, I hope it's just due to the part snapping and not that I have now somehow managed to wreck the gearbox aswell

Argh!!
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Gearbox light?? Do you mean the Engine Light? (Orange light which does actually look like a strange box, first to the left on the instrument cluster)

If so then that light could have gone on for various reasons, as you said it's best to get the garage to hook it up to a computer for them to see what the new problem is.

With the gear spring, sounds like you may of not put the spring on the right way round or the black plastic plate has not been put back on correctly - did you definately make sure that you re-conneted up the gear selector at the end too?

You wouldn't of damaged your gearbox don't worry.

Liam
 
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