2000 Focus dillemma !!!!

[bobl53]

I need to pick some brains here. My 2000 focus started idling rough and stalling while sitting at stop lights. I found a crack in the coil so I replaced it along with new plugs and wires. It ran great for a couple of days. Then it started stalling again and also idling up around 2 to 3 grand in park. Then replaced a vacuum tube to the intake manifold with no change. I then changed the idle control valve. This made no difference. Right here is where the ignition switch jammed up on me. I got a new one from the dealer for $135.00 and installed that. I then replaced the throttle position sensor. The car started bogging down shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear.
I then took it to a mechanic friend of mine. He put in a used PCM and an R&R Body Control Module. Now he has to have it towed to the ford dealership and they reprogram the PCM.
I pick it up and drive it about 45 minutes and it almost stalled at a stop light. It ran fine on the way home, but when I went to put it in park, it revved up over 2,500 rpm's.
All of this aggravation and cash and the only thing that is fixed is the shifting problem.
Does anyone have a clue what the problem could be???? I know I have to replace the timing belt. Do you think the timing belt will fix the problem????
Please, any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated !!!

[GapBoyPCS]

First off: What is your Focus? What engine is in your Focus? How many miles are on the odometer?

[locdowg7]

Sounds to me like a fuel pump. But IDK without diag in person why did your friend replace the PCM. From my experience the only Ford PCM problem is a blown PCM (vehicle wont start).

[bobl53]

It has the Zetec dual overhead cam engine wwith 180,000 miles. He replaced the PCM because he got a reading on the computer that the TP sensor was not putting out enough volts or ohms. After looking for a short in the wiring for 2 days and having no luck and the high mileage, it may be a bad PCM.

[nilo]

Originally Posted by bobl53

He replaced the PCM because he got a reading on the computer that the TP sensor was not putting out enough volts or ohms.

Run away from your mechanic friend!

[bobl53]

What would you suggest then? Other than running away?

[stocksilverfocus]

I had/have an issue with my 2000 Focus/Zetec that sound similar to yours. Mine will have trouble starting unless I depress the accelerator when cranking (like a car with a carb).

Turned out the wiring harness up to the MAF had been chafing on the engine (near the coil). I installed some material to keep it from chafing, and it's been running fine.

I ran into the issue again, and I simply played with the wiring harness, and it's fine now.

The wiring harness is one big unit on the Focus; Steve quoted me around $300 for a new once, hence me going ghetto and not fixing it

You might want to check your wiring harness from your MAF to where it joins the main one for the engine (near the coilpack).

[GapBoyPCS]

I'd say you need to take your car into a good shop (either good dealership or good mechanic) and have them do a proper diagnosis on your car (i.e. they plug your car into a diagnostic computer, and they go for a test drive with your car and datalog the computer).

Yes, it may cost an hour or two of their time (usual diagnostic labour rates...$100 to $200). Thing is, you want to know exactly what you're dealing with because the worst thing to do is throw more money in parts at your car and possibly not fixing the problem. What makes it worse is that it sounds ike you aren't entirely on top of your maintenance items, and whatever a shop says may be wrong with your car could be the actual driveability problem and/or just part of the problem.

[bobl53]

Originally Posted by GapBoyPCS

I'd say you need to take your car into a good shop (either good dealership or good mechanic) and have them do a proper diagnosis on your car (i.e. they plug your car into a diagnostic computer, and they go for a test drive with your car and datalog the computer).

Yes, it may cost an hour or two of their time (usual diagnostic labour rates...$100 to $200). Thing is, you want to know exactly what you're dealing with because the worst thing to do is throw more money in parts at your car and possibly not fixing the problem. What makes it worse is that it sounds ike you aren't entirely on top of your maintenance items, and whatever a shop says may be wrong with your car could be the actual driveability problem and/or just part of the problem.

The dealer did all that when they programmed the new computer !!! They were told to diagnosis it. Nothing showed up on their diagnostic either. I don't know how mechanics are where you guys live, but I trust mine explicitely. I've known him for 30 years and has never steered me wrong.
He is stumped on this problem and he paid for the tow to the dealership and didn't charge me a penny for any of his work except the cost of a used PCM. He spent the better part of 3 days trying narrow the problem down. The Ford dealership handed me a $400.00 dollar bill for reprogramming the anti theft and PCM and to run a diagnostic with the newly installed PCM,(and test drive it) only to be told they don't know how to fix

[bobl53]

No, I am not "entirely on top of your maintenance items." I failed to mention that I just bought the car a month ago. It ran great for about 2 weeks.
Oh, well. I'm having the timing belt replaced tomorrow and we'll see how all goes from there.
$400.00 for the dealership to tell me my timing belt is worn.

[Zoomer69]

Make sure whoever replaces your timing belt also replaces the water pump. All the work that has to be done to replace the timing belt is required to replace the water pump, and they're both built to last only 120,000 miles.

Don't be surprised if the timing belt replacement solves nothing. A worn timing belt would not cause it to run great one minute, then like utter crap the next. It would consistently run like crap.

On the other hand, if the previous owner never had the timing belt and water pump replaced, you had to do this anyway.

I would not be surprised if you have an issue with the wiring harness. The fact that throwing parts at the problem hasn't solved it is a big clue. The fact that your problems are intermittent is an even bigger clue.

But from now on, start insisting that the mechanics FIND the specific problem with the part, and SHOW you what's wrong with it before they replace it. You can't afford to have them keep GUESSING what the problem is on your dime.

[bobl53]

Thanks, Fortunately the water pump was replaced the day I bought it by the used csr dealer. For the life of me,I don't understand why he didn't replace the timing belt while he was at it. I guess he was too cheap to fork out 50 bucks for the belt.

[Lancer211]

Did the timing belt change anything? (Doubtful, but it can't hurt)

[FORDSVTPARTS]

[QUOTE=Zoomer69;7138657]Make sure whoever replaces your timing belt also replaces the water pump. All the work that has to be done to replace the timing belt is required to replace the water pump,
QUOTE]


Not true, on the Zetec the water pump is right out in the open so all that's really required to change it is to remove the serpentine belt.

[bobl53]

"Not true, on the Zetec the water pump is right out in the open so all that's really required to change it is to remove the serpentine belt."

I found that out today. I'm not sure, but I think that is just with the dual overhead cam. The single overhead does have the water pump in with the timing belt, but don't quote me.

[bobl53]

The mystery has been solved !!! The timing belt, (not the butler), did it !!!!