Who owns a Mondeo ST220 / ST TDCI?

Imy · 3 Jun 2013 at 11:12

What's the biggest Bosch battery that'll fit?

I think some of my space is taken up by fuses for the headlamps so may need to look at relocating them.

Good job on finding the source of the rattle Howard but I'm still not sure how your bonnet was making it! Was it actually moving about?

Howard · 3 Jun 2013 at 11:29

You know how the bonnet hinges are metal brackets that fold / pivot as you open/close it? The joints there were just a bit 'dry' so it'd creak when you move the bonnet - i.e. grab the rear edge and move it a bit with your hand. I oiled them up nicely and then silence.

I discovered it when I had my dad driving the car with me walking alongside it to try and locate the noise. I opened the bonnet and the noise stopped. That was the eureka moment.

Re. the battery, I'm not actually sure what capacity mine is, but will check later! I had Ford replace it when I had my coolant pipe sorted, as it wasn't any dearer than a 'decent ' aftermarket one really.

Imy · 3 Jun 2013 at 11:38

The bit near the window or the bit where you put your key in?

I still haven't figured a way to solve my rear parcel shelf rattle. Maybe something unbalanced at the back of the car.

Howard · 3 Jun 2013 at 11:44

The hinges at the back of the bonnet by the window, next to where the gas struts are

Where is the rattle coming from exactly? The only slight noise I get from the boot sometimes is what I reckon is the nasty loose plastic trim in the boot by the lights etc. My parcel shelf wobbles a bit but it's silent.

Imy · 3 Jun 2013 at 12:23

Well you can see the bit of the parcel shelf furthest away from you vibrate in the rear view mirror. Whether that's coincidental when the noise happens I'm not 100% sure but the sound itself seems to be of something flapping about quickly.

Howard · 3 Jun 2013 at 12:27

Yeah I can see mine do that too. Doesn't make a noise though. Try putting something really heavy on it and seeing if it changes.

Or just detach the shelf and shove it in the boot or something

Imy · 3 Jun 2013 at 12:30

Good idea. I suppose I can also try removing it altogether.

R220 · 3 Jun 2013 at 22:13

thedazman67 said:
The next point whilst having a poke around the engine bay identifying all the relevant bits for my knowledge when it comes to servicing I did look underneath the car and see a covering of oil all over the sump, oil filter, a bit on the gearbox area and on the subframe

<snip>

If your oil filter has oil around it maybe that's leaking ?

Serviced mine today and the bottom of my sump, gearbox and pretty much everything else was covered in oil, wasn't like this a few months ago...I have also noticed my oil level had dropped to half way since I last changed oil (6 months ago), previous to this it never lost any oil between services.

I degreased everything then took it for a drive to find out where the leak was coming from

The oil filter is clean as a whistle, as is the rear of the sump (sump plug), the leak seems to run down and collect under the gearbox but seems to be coming from the sump I think? The sump kind of butts up against the gearbox so hard to know for sure.

The leak doesn't look that bad because that's only just after a clean then a quick drive, after the whole day it was almost dripping

Howard · 3 Jun 2013 at 22:45

The only slight leak I had from underneath was from the filter, which stopped when I tightened it more. It isn't in a particularly useful location for getting any hand held purchase!

thedazman67 · 3 Jun 2013 at 23:21

Well its going back to dealer tomorrow who have agreed to investigate the battery and the oil leak issue.

Yours looks spotless underneath R220. Hoping mine comes back like that. If not I've got some marine clean which should do the job.

The dealer claimed I left something on which caused the battery to go flat. He said a batteries don't just die spontaneously. Is this true? The whole week prior to the battery going it didn't exhibit any signs of impending battery death.

I told him this wasn't the case as well everything is automated near enough and I haven't changed any of the settings with regards to interior lights.

Hopefully it will all get sorted and I can get on with enjoying it, not the greatest ownership experience so far I have to say.

Daz

Rybo89 · 3 Jun 2013 at 23:39

Brake squeak as come back.... Extremely annoying.

Going to replace the front disks and pads, also find some chemicals that will strip the carriers back to the metal.

Squeak will be crushed!

R220 · 3 Jun 2013 at 23:46

thedazman67 said:
Yours looks spotless underneath R220. Hoping mine comes back like that. If not I've got some marine clean which should do the job.

Mine looked really bad, worse than your pics before I cleaned it (used Autoglym engine degreaser - good stuff, get the engine / gearbox etc.. warm then spray on, wait 5 mins then spray off with water)

Howard · 4 Jun 2013 at 08:24

thedazman67 said:
He said a batteries don't just die spontaneously. Is this true?

Nope.

thedazman67 said:
The whole week prior to the battery going it didn't exhibit any signs of impending battery death.

Neither did mine

Rybo89 said:
Brake squeak as come back.... Extremely annoying.

Going to replace the front disks and pads, also find some chemicals that will strip the carriers back to the metal.

Squeak will be crushed!

When does it do it? Is it quite quiet, or quite loud?

Are any of the brakes sticking a bit, perhaps?

You shouldn't need to go OTT with the carriers, just thoroughly wire-brush the bits that hold the pads, and give them a general de-grease. Make sure the pad faces and discs are thoroughly cleaned with brake cleaner, and the backs of the pads are cleaned and you apply some copper grease to them just before you put the calipers back on.

How worn are the discs?

DogsBody · 4 Jun 2013 at 10:05

Mine has started moosing a bit, it did this last year so I assume it is hotter weather that brings it on. Revving engine gets rid of it though.

Howard · 4 Jun 2013 at 10:21

It's the idle control valve that causes it, isn't it?

DogsBody · 4 Jun 2013 at 10:23

No IDea

I know it's a common ST220 thing and when/if it gets worse I'll look into it in more detail. For now it has happened probably less than 10 times in 18 months of ownership though

Kaka · 4 Jun 2013 at 10:34

Most likely the idle control valve. Mine did it a little while back so I fitted a replacement and it solved it. You could try cleaning it if it's intermittent.

Rybo89 · 4 Jun 2013 at 11:49

When does it do it? Is it quite quiet, or quite loud?

Are any of the brakes sticking a bit, perhaps?

You shouldn't need to go OTT with the carriers, just thoroughly wire-brush the bits that hold the pads, and give them a general de-grease. Make sure the pad and discs are thoroughly cleaned with brake cleaner, and the backs of the pads are cleaned and you apply some copper grease to them just before you put the calipers back on.

How worn are the discs?

Its just the carriers, chizzled them the best i could with a screw driver. Was a bit rushed as i had to get them back on and pick the mrs up from work.

Disks and pads still have another 15k in them i would reckon. Want to get some pagids on though as the pads on now are cheap n nasty. I have seen ships slow down quicker than the Mondeo.

Suppose i am comparing it to the massive overkill brakes on my old VXR though....

Howard · 4 Jun 2013 at 11:51

The Ford OEM pads I recently fitted work better than the Pagids I had before. ~£45 from eBay.

You shouldn't need to do any chiselling

Just clean up the indents where the pad lugs sit, maybe use a curved file a little bit.

Rybo89 · 4 Jun 2013 at 12:07

I dont actually mean hammer n chisel, smashing away at it. Ment just scraped the deposits off of the carrier. Was like cement though! Could tell they have never been tidied up.

Always keeping an eye out on Focus ST brakes. Was a pair on for £150 the last time i looked but they looked like they had been pulled from the bottom of the ocean.