How many Focus ST owners on here

Tom|Nbk · 3 Oct 2018 at 14:05

Vita said:
Mods so far? Have a look on the group's or eBay as you can pick them up reasonably priced with a few lives left on the unit.

None so far car is standard. Had the middle box taken out for more bark but its the original unit and looking a bit sorry for itself now so maybe an exhaust in the future

Safe to say I think the car is pretty bloody quick at standard but would love a decent map on it

Vita · 3 Oct 2018 at 14:35

Tom|Nbk said:
None so far car is standard. Had the middle box taken out for more bark but its the original unit and looking a bit sorry for itself now so maybe an exhaust in the future

Safe to say I think the car is pretty bloody quick at standard but would love a decent map on it

Should you go the ds route. The performance/race plus maps are good for standard cars.

woozor · 19 Jul 2019 at 16:23

I’m currently looking for a real nice example of a st3 mk2. Any for sale here or if any of you guys see a good one feel free to share I’m based in Kent. Doesn’t need to be standard but if modded I’d want the rs clutch and block mod done same with cam belt/waterpump

Tute · 23 Jul 2019 at 16:08

I've never had 30mpg out of mine. I'm sure the remap saw to that!

I have found over the last couple of years it's developed a rather annoying case of wheel wobble at various speeds that no garage can fix without me handing them a blank cheque to start guessing with, and also that the UK roads absolutely obliterate the tyres, I can't remember the last time I even got 5,000 miles out of a single tyre before a pothole killed it.

Apart from that, still a happy owner!

matt100 · 23 Jul 2019 at 17:20

Tute said:
I've never had 30mpg out of mine. I'm sure the remap saw to that!

I have found over the last couple of years it's developed a rather annoying case of wheel wobble at various speeds that no garage can fix without me handing them a blank cheque to start guessing with, and also that the UK roads absolutely obliterate the tyres, I can't remember the last time I even got 5,000 miles out of a single tyre before a pothole killed it.

Apart from that, still a happy owner!

Make sure your wheels aren't bent. I spent a stupid amount of time and money on having mine tracked and balanced constantly then it turned out the wobble was a mishaped wheel.. the alloys certainly on the earlier ones (mine were '56 plates) were made of butter.

Vita · 23 Jul 2019 at 18:36

I was never impressed by mine. Sounded great and it was practical, but it just never felt fast. Even though I had thrown loads of new parts etc on it.

Funky-Melon · 24 Jul 2019 at 09:50

Vita said:
I was never impressed by mine. Sounded great and it was practical, but it just never felt fast. Even though I had thrown loads of new parts etc on it.

100% agree, it's fast, it just doesn't FEEL fast.

The T5 engine is a bit flat in standard form. A remap brings them alive a bit more.

It's the downside of having a low pressure turbo rather than a high, it drives more like a big diesel with power throughout most the range but you never get a proper shove in your seat like a HPT provides when it kicks in.

Vita · 24 Jul 2019 at 10:32

Funky-Melon said:
100% agree, it's fast, it just doesn't FEEL fast.

The T5 engine is a bit flat in standard form. A remap brings them alive a bit more.

It's the downside of having a low pressure turbo rather than a high, it drives more like a big diesel with power throughout most the range but you never get a proper shove in your seat like a HPT provides when it kicks in.

Well from stock I went to stage 3. So rs injectors/anembo plenum/rs clutch+flywheel/new maf/map sensors/boost solenoids/forge recirc and forge actuator/large intercooler/airtec airfilter/blockmod/3dp, sports cat and exhaust.

I bought every thing new and actually planned to keep the car for as long as I could. It was relatively low mileage around 78k and bodywork was in very good condition.

I'm not sure what happened as when I first had it remapped it boosted very very hard. Then as I added mods and changed it just seemed to smoothen out the power. Had it dynoed on the rr day through here and it made 241whp...290ish at crank where circa it should have been between 320-330 but 374ftlb so the engine was making the torque. It's strange as the odd spurt against cars such as golf r/S3 stock the car always had the legnth, and kept the distance.

Had it back to the tuner and they couldn't find anything wrong with it turbo etc all checked out fine. So that was a relief.

So I just listed up for sale as I just didn't feel happy with it and didn't want to bother hybrid turboing the thing, the previous owner bought it back off me. He loves it as I basically did everything he wanted to do but he had low funds at the time.

Borg Warner rate the turbo to 270bhp.

Anyway, they're a good blast if you want to own one for a short time (had mine short of a year) but I don't think they're as fast as the fanboys make out. Still, the sound they make can never be beaten in my opinion for the money they're at now. But the RS will always sound better.

Funky-Melon · 24 Jul 2019 at 10:42

Vita said:
Well from stock I went to stage 3. So rs injectors/anembo plenum/rs clutch+flywheel/new maf/map sensors/forge recirc and forge actuator/large intercooler/airtec airfilter/blockmod/3dp, sports cat and exhaust.

Weird.

A friend of mine with a Volvo C30 is running a K16 setup on stage 3 and that's making around the 370bhp mark from memory.

That one certainly is fast!

Vita · 24 Jul 2019 at 13:50

Funky-Melon said:
Weird.

A friend of mine with a Volvo C30 is running a K16 setup on stage 3 and that's making around the 370bhp mark from memory.

That one certainly is fast!

Think that would be stage 4. If I had gone hybrid turbo then it would have been around that mark. I know from when they checked it they set the preload right on the actuator.

Whatever the case it was a fun car for a short while lol.

Funky-Melon · 24 Jul 2019 at 13:59

I do envy you Focus ST owners though. So many people can tune/do work on them.

Despite having the same engine, chassis, suspension setup etc, the Volvo S40/V50/C30 T5 has almost nobody that will touch them as they don't have the tools to talk to the ECU.

A chap I know from the forums has just done a K16 build on his S40 T5, spent a lot of money and his mapper has let him down. He's now stuck on the stock map and is really struggling to find anyone else in the country that will tune it for him

Vita · 24 Jul 2019 at 14:36

Funky-Melon said:
I do envy you Focus ST owners though. So many people can tune/do work on them.

Despite having the same engine, chassis, suspension setup etc, the Volvo S40/V50/C30 T5 has almost nobody that will touch them as they don't have the tools to talk to the ECU.

A chap I know from the forums has just done a K16 build on his S40 T5, spent a lot of money and his mapper has let him down. He's now stuck on the stock map and is really struggling to find anyone else in the country that will tune it for him

He could try, Ben Wardle who used to run shark performance. But I think he works for that VAG tuner racingline or something along those lines now.

Funky-Melon · 24 Jul 2019 at 15:11

Vita said:
He could try, Ben Wardle who used to run shark performance. But I think he works for that VAG tuner racingline or something along those lines now.

He's tried them with no success.

ubern00b · 24 Jul 2019 at 15:17

Funky-Melon said:
He's tried them with no success.

BD Performance, Wrexham? Darren will at least know where to point you.

Funky-Melon · 24 Jul 2019 at 15:24

ubern00b said:
BD Performance, Wrexham? Darren will at least know where to point you.

BD performance are the chaps that did the work

They flashed an old Shark stage 3 map for the prefacelift S40 T5 though, which didn't work and bricked his ECU.

He's had to buy a new ECU which is now just running the base map along with stock injectors while he hunts around for someone to map it properly for him.

ubern00b · 24 Jul 2019 at 15:27

Funky-Melon said:
BD performance are the chaps that did the work

They flashed an old Shark stage 3 map for the prefacelift S40 T5 though, which didn't work and bricked his ECU.

He's had to buy a new ECU which is now just running the base map along with stock injectors while he hunts around for someone to map it properly for him.

HE had to buy or they replaced it? I would not be pleased if they bricked my ECU and then made me pay for the pleasure lol. Saying that, they did brilliant work on my car but 2+ years later I am still waiting for a receipt for work done. Not from lack of trying.

Funky-Melon · 24 Jul 2019 at 15:39

ubern00b said:
HE had to buy or they replaced it? I would not be pleased if they bricked my ECU and then made me pay for the pleasure lol. Saying that, they did brilliant work on my car but 2+ years later I am still waiting for a receipt for work done. Not from lack of trying.

I think he paid for it but to be fair they just did what he asked. He just arrived with the car and a load of parts in the boot and said fit this, flash that etc

WorTortle · 26 Jul 2019 at 09:48

Considering a pfl MK3 ST as after something father than my fiesta St-line but need 5 doors as the Mrs has vetoed a 3 door (which she'll never use).

What's the running costs for one of these like?

Funky-Melon · 26 Jul 2019 at 10:01

WorTortle said:
Considering a pfl MK3 ST......

What's the running costs for one of these like?

Don't own a Focus ST but have the Volvo S40 T5, so pretty much the same thing.

MPG sits around 24-27 around town if you're not too enthusiastic. I often hit very close to 40mpg on long runs on cruise. Not sure how the standard fuelling maps differ between the Volvo and the Ford though...

Tax = £315

Common issues.
- Breather box/PCV system design isn't great and can/will go at some point.
- Gets through suspension bushes
- Wheel bearings
- Alternators can fail in a spectacular way
- Driveshafts can be damaged fairly easily
- Big one on the Volvo is the CEM connectors causing electrical issues, dunno if this is the same on the Ford though

iaind · 26 Jul 2019 at 10:15

Funky-Melon said:
Don't own a Focus ST but have the Volvo S40 T5, so pretty much the same thing.

MPG sits around 24-27 around town if you're not too enthusiastic. I often hit very close to 40mpg on long runs on cruise. Not sure how the standard fuelling maps differ between the Volvo and the Ford though...

Tax = £315

Common issues.
- Breather box/PCV system design isn't great and can/will go at some point.
- Gets through suspension bushes
- Wheel bearings
- Alternators can fail in a spectacular way
- Driveshafts can be damaged fairly easily
- Big one on the Volvo is the CEM connectors causing electrical issues, dunno if this is the same on the Ford though

Mk3 doesnt have the T5 engine, it has a 2.0 ecoboost and is £225 to tax. Guessing most of the common issues above dont apply either