Focus Mk1 Power issue

Lima

Lima

Lima

Associate
Joined
1 Sep 2010
Posts
1,438
Location
Herts
Hi all,


For the last few months now I've noticed that my focus (2002 1.6 zetec) seems to be lacking a lot of power. I know they're not exactly turbo hot hatch speed, but I seem to remember it running a lot nippier than it does now. On top of this I think I have noticed the car misfire a couple of times in 4th gear. As I accelerated and change into 4th theres a sensation almost as if I touched the break pedal, then it kicked in as normal. :confused:

I did come across this thread -

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=22750977

But I'm not sure If I've got the exact same problem so thought it was best to ask in a new thread.

Facts to help diagnose -

Car has always needed high revs and heavy clutch control pulling off or it stalls easily.

It struggles in low revs in any gear whilst driving.

At 70mph on the motorway/ duel carriageway, unless the revs are medium high, if I put my foot down it takes an eternity for the speedo to start climbing.

Its just not as fast as it should be. Struggled to keep up with my friends tiny 1.2 VW fox and It used to feel similar speed to my girlfriends 1.6 206 XSI but now it feels like it gets spanked by it.

As mentioned before - I've noticed a couple of possible misfires recently.


Any help would be appreciated, thanks. :)
 
I know next to nothing about cars under the bonnet. :/ All I know is that It's had a full service and MOT in the last 4 months and nothing to do with plugs/ leads was flagged up, yet the problem was still happening then.
 
Plugs aren't changed every year so its worth having a look at them. I would suggesting having a mate look at them if you can.
 
Long Shot but have you checked that your front brakes aren't sticking. I have just had a sticking caliper changed, for the most part symptoms same as yours - sluggish etc. You will know if they are sticking easily enough, the heat from the wheels will be very noticeable if you go near them
 
When did this start happening, was it coincident with a service or repair? Have you ever had the timing belt changed?

It might be a coil pack, as they are a weak point but it's unusual to pass an MOT emissions test with a duff coil pack, and if it's that sluggish on the road the misfire should be pretty obvious; likewise spark plugs, though obviously worth checking if they have never been done.

Other possibilities are bad sensor (e.g. Mass Air Flow), incorrect cam timing (e.g. belt slipped a tooth) or blocked exhaust/cat.
 
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