kishy's 2005 Focus

[kishy]

After evaluating the tire situation, my conclusions were:

• The winters are still healthy enough to be worth saving off-season for winter use, for one or two more winters
• The all-seasons (the two pairs of used tires purchased 2 years ago) had enough tread to remain useful, but were in abysmal condition otherwise, being quite hard, cracked, and offering fairly poor traction.

I decided to bite the bullet and just buy new tires to replace the all-seasons. Actual new ones, at retail in Canada, from a major chain so mom can easily get warranty service on them if necessary even outside of our home city. We aren't going to talk about how much this cost; retail tire cost in Canada especially when considering ancillary costs built into the purchase like mandatory disposal fees stings a lot. On the bright side, municipal waste transfer sites take as many tires as you want for free, so at least you get something for the government-mandated fees.

Car drives well on the new tires, road noise is very quiet, and aesthetically they fill out the wheel wells nicely. No complaints or regrets. General Evertrek GT (which is a Canadian Tire-specific variant of the Evertrek), with dates of 4523 and 4723, in 205/55R16. Stock is a 50 sidewall but that's a tricky size to come by, and 55 still leaves enough room before they run into the strut, so that's fine. 205/60 almost certainly would be too close for comfort, 215/55 may also work, but 205/55 works well and 205 width is stock.







2024-04-20 at 122,189km.

This also represents the change back from winters to all-seasons as the mounted tires.
The transmission output seal is now on-hand but I need to get the 91 MGM mobile again before I attack that. Most likely the car will go back to mom in between and I'll borrow it back to do the seal.

[Mainemantom]

The price of new tires has gone up here maybe 30%. during the past year. plus the installation. I have had very good results with General tires. It seems that the tire stores are trying to pawn off those no name garbage tires. Good Year tires have gone down in quality as Good Year has sold the name to foreign companies. So most of the Good Year tires are not the tires we were used to.

[kishy]

Mom decided, with my encouragement, to go on a trip to Victoria, BC over Christmas and the New Year celebrations. So the Focus is with me, and I had a few items on my mind to address while it's here:

• Routine fluid checks
• Oil spray undercoating
• Replace the leaking transmission output seal
• Swap to winter tires

After driving the car, I identified some additional items:

• The heat is extremely weak any time the car is in motion, but seems acceptable idling particularly in sheltered conditions. The temperature gauge is PCM-driven with inferred/calculated values and is therefore not very trustworthy, but the gauge drops significantly during spirited acceleration, which makes me think the thermostat is failing open/opening at too low a temperature/not closing quickly enough when exposed to cold coolant rushing in. This is seemingly a pretty common failure on these.
• There is excessive powertrain movement/rotation/rocking indicating a weak or failed lower engine mount, or torque strut. The part on the car has 13k km on it and seems to be completely trashed. It was a cheap but lifetime warranty part, so I'll swap it out and then look for a better option to upgrade to down the road. NVH is otherwise about right, so the hydraulic passenger-side mount has not failed again yet.

Fluid levels checked out as expected. This is definitely one area where a "newer old car" does so much better than an "older old car"...modern gasketing techniques, modern seal materials, modern engine tolerances. Odometer shows 126,231km, oil change due at 129k per my arbitrarily decided 8000km change interval. But it was last done one year ago pretty much exactly, so maybe I'll do it anyway while I have the car. I could guess that the remaining 3K on the change interval will come at an inconvenient time due to prepping a car for the annual road trip.

Oil spray done on Dec 21, their last day of business for the year. They did a good job, as I've come to expect there.



I prioritized the heat (it's winter) and the rear engine mount (to save the exhaust flex) as "must do" items before mom takes back the car. Ordered the mount, should be here at the start of next week. Picked up a thermostat (sold as a unit with the housing) along with a jug of Zerex G05 HOAT coolant - supposedly the factory fill - at local CarQuest.



Pulled the passenger headlight. Why? That's how you get your hands on the thermostat housing without removing the intake manifold. I want to remove the intake for other reasons but that's a different priority, for a different time.





Drained the coolant. Got the t-stat/housing out and hoses off. Used the garden hose to flush the heater core in both directions; found no apparent restrictions. Then flushed the head/block briefly, with the water exiting at the t-stat hole and through radiator drain via the other rad hose. No real nasties coming out of this one, it was nice and clean.

New housing includes a new rubber gasket which should work without requiring any sort of sealant. However, there was the finest hint of maybe corrosion on the mating surface, so I did apply a bit of RTV before torquing down the housing. The RTV was still good and wet at that stage so the rubber gasket should have squeezed it out of the way anywhere it was unnecessary, but will have left it present anywhere it was needed, ideally.

Hooked it all back up, filled half the coolant capacity with the G05, then added distilled water to get to full, obviously with the understanding there will have been some not-distilled water hiding in the heater core (lowest point of system) and lower parts of the block. Cooling system appears to be performing as intended, heat seems to be performing well, but all testing was done in my driveway. At the very least it's not worse than before.

Then, jacked up the front and took off the wheel, brakes, and the strut with knuckle. Gotta get that CV axle out to change the seal. All of this came apart very easily thanks to me having had it apart before and everything being new. Can't get the axle out though, and unlike last time, I can't seem to make a puller that will do the job. Specialty tool ordered, should have that on the weekend. I really don't understand why the axle has that retaining clip (inside the transmission) to begin with, but Ford says it belongs there so there must be a reason.

So current status is torn apart, awaiting tool.

[kishy]

Closing the loop here:
I did receive the specialty tool. It was clearly the right tool, but I was still unable to get the axle out.
At the peak of rage I was swinging a 12lbs sledge hammer with a chain hooked to the slide hammer, and it did not come out. All I managed to do was snap off a few chain links and at some point I chipped off a chunk of the webbing on the transmission.
Chasing a suggestion on the internet, I took apart the passenger side to knock the shaft out from the other side - but whoever made that suggestion has clearly never actually tried it, because the diff cross pin is in there and no tool in existence on this earth can accomplish that, as far as I can tell.
I gave up on changing the seal. Put it all back together. With car level, topped off the trans fluid, which is a lower level than with only the front raised, so it is possible it will leak less now simply by having not overfilled it this time.

I put the winter tires on and delivered the car back to mom on whatever day in December she returned from her trip.

I've now bought the full set of 3 discontinued OEM Ford engine/trans mounts for the next time the car eats one, since the cheap junk just doesn't last. Let this be a warning to anyone who stumbles upon this thread from Google: FVP motor, transmission, and torque strut mounts for the 2005, 2006, 2007 Focus are garbage.

[DerekTheGreat]

"Rage" and "kishy" aren't two things I'd have imagined going together.

..The axle is still fine after all that raging against the machine?

[kishy]

"Rage" and "kishy" aren't two things I'd have imagined going together.

..The axle is still fine after all that raging against the machine?

I'm pretty composed usually, as you've gathered, but when simple and easy things go unsimply and uneasily, that's when I kinda lose it.
See also, yanking the engine out of my '91 in 2 hours when I found that oil pan leak.
Productivity like that can only be fueled by blind rage (or perhaps cocaine, but I don't partake).

Axle seemed fine. Most likely the retaining clip on the stub that goes into the transmission had just worked itself into an impossible-to-remove position, then the force of attempting to remove it deformed it and made it permanently non-removable. It will be addressed when I have the trans out to do the clutch, which I'm sure I will eventually have to do but don't expect to be particularly soon, hopefully.

[DerekTheGreat]

Oh yeah, I'm familiar with that all too well. Cocaine..

[sly]

Clapton?

[DerekTheGreat]

"..she don't buy, she don't try, she don't lie, cocaine.."

[kishy]

Updates for the Focus:

Sometime in May:
Seasonal tire changeover. Winters still good for another winter. Safely stored indoors until they're next needed.





6/01 at 128,202km:
Oil and filter change. 5W30 synthetic with a Motorcraft filter. Actual 7128km/17 month change interval vs 8000/12 intended.
Determinations at that time: Trans oil level checked and is ok. Topped up washer fluid. Checked on a brake concern but found all is good. Starter possibly beginning to fail (solenoid didn't extend bendix once). Shocks and struts need replacement. Engine mounts are, yet again, going to need to be replaced. Exhaust flex is broken now too.

6/20 at 128,418km:
All three engine/trans mounts replaced with Ford OEM parts.
Exhaust flex replaced (old is a Walker, new is an AP, and they're of different enough designs to make me think the AP might be better).
Bumper cover (et al) removed to gain access to the lifetime non-serviceable air cleaner. Removed that, split it open, found it full of stuff.
Installed the aftermarket serviceable unit with replaceable filter.
Servicing the replaceable filter will involve removal of the inner fender liner but I don't expect to need to mess with it often.
The car remains in my possession and I have a handful of additional tasks to do while I've got it. Mom's out of town for a little bit.













I've booked a service appointment for this coming Tuesday to get the TSB from 2006 done (PCM reflash to address an intermittent long crank symptom). It'll be one hour of their shop rate (145ish bucks as I recall), and they clarified in response to my questions that there will be no charge if they are unable to proceed with the reflash for whatever reason (examples I specifically probed about being if the PCM already has the update on it, or if the update file is no longer available to be downloaded).

The starter doing the "spin but not engage bendix" thing has happened a few more times, so I was considering pulling the starter out to take it apart and see if I could improve this, but the removal looks so invasive that it would be sort of irresponsible to not just put a whole new one in there while I'm there.

Somewhat relevant as well, I've been trying to make sure I have a competent bidirectional OBD II scan tool on-hand, obviously mainly for this car but also to help friends and coworkers with the occasional check engine light.

• First, I tried to gear up an OTC Genisys (also sold as a Matco Determinator and a Mac Mentor), which entailed:
  • buying the unit itself on Marketplace locally while being unable to see it powered on as the seller didn't have a power cord
  • replacing its battery and sourcing an adequate AC adapter to charge it
  • finding it only had up to 2004 diagnostics (of course has global generic OBD II regardless of year but no manufacturer-unique stuff after 2004)
  • trying to find the software upgrade, and spending too much on it
  • finding that the software upgrade requires activation, and when Bosch bought OTC, they took down the old SPX-operated web services to perform activation and stopped providing phone activations, so the upgrade cannot be completed without someone breaking the activation algorithm.
  • nonetheless, the unit does do generic OBD II just fine including live data, as well as OBD I stuff, but I like my other older OTC OBD I unit more. If you happen to want a Genisys, let me know, because I'm sort of disenchanted with the thing at this point.
• Next up, actually in parallel (after getting the Genisys but before making it functional), I picked up an OTC 3111.
  • Paid too much for this, too. Tried to install the PC software to download a software update for it, but guess what, turns out Bosch also shut down the update server for this one as well. I stand by vintage OTC tools being among the best but I'm not such a big fan of Bosch, now.
  • But, fortunately, the unit does have up to 2008 support (plus generic OBD II) so it's good enough for the Focus.
• I really don't know why I went ahead with a third one, but I did. Innova 5610 V2, which is a current production tool, but I bought a used one to save some money.
  • This unit still has updates released for it, and I have updated it to the latest.
  • This is definitely the fastest, easiest to use, and most "polished" user experience of the three. For example there's a tiny flashlight LED build into the OBD II connector to help you see where you're plugging it in. Brilliant.

All three have been tested with the Focus and play nicely with it. All three can view live datastream from the car which is a handy ability to have. While playing with them I actually learned that the Evap system monitor status is "not ready" so despite not having a CEL active, this car would be failing an emissions test if it had to have one. It's not satisfied that a proper drive cycle has been done. I'm just going to leave that alone since it seems to work fine overall.

[kishy]

I am pleased to report, after driving about 255km in this car yesterday and today, that the Ford powertrain mounts have done wonders for the overall feel of the car. You can't even tell it's running at idle now, aside from hearing it.

The flex pipe was installed with ultra copper RTV which was allowed to cure loosely mated for 1 hour, then tightly mated but not cranked down yet for a few more hours, then cranked down tight and not ran up to temp overnight. The exhaust is quiet as desired.

The air filter has been a significant change. First, the old one was definitely restricted as the car is definitely up on power. Secondly, there is a fair bit of previously hushed induction noise and it sounds good. This is most evident to the driver as the air intake is actually at the top of the left side fender.

A few years ago I tried to a throw a can of R134A (I believe with stop leak) in this, and the AC worked for a short time before quitting again. I had assumed it was a large leak at fault and wrote it off as requiring extensive efforts to fix. With the super hot season for our area being in full swing now, I wanted to revisit this. I did visually inspect the AC components and did not find any evidence of a large leak - e.g. it may just be the usual offender of something like a compressor shaft seal. I did find severe corrosion at one quick-connect on the low side but it didn't seem to actually be leaking. I found I had a significant amount of pressure on the low side port just sitting idle, so I decided to throw a couple small cans at it, and whataya know, it's been making ice cold air for 2 days now.

It does seem to be freezing the evaporator coil after running for an extended time (e.g. at about the 30 minute mark of continuous runtime), which can be cured by turning off the AC and recirc but leaving the fan on. The airflow picks back up after a few minutes (and remains very cold in doing so), so I do believe I'm correct that the coil is freezing. In home HVAC this usually signifies low charge so I'll take a look at it a little further. OTOH my mom never drives more than 10 mins or so, so it may be entirely fine as it is currently.

Over 96km of multiple short city trips plus some highway with the AC on for all of it (minus two "coil thaw cycles" as above) the car returned 7.65L/100KM or 30.81 US MPG which is entirely OK to me. It's probably capable of better but I don't see that as any sort of red flag for being too low, at least.

[87gtVIC]

Non serviceable air filter. Brilliant. Really trying to limit the years of usage from a vehicle. Cool something existed to make it more serviceable.

[kishy]

I had to reschedule the TSB service at the dealer - will be tomorrow now.

I sorted out one of the suspension clunks. A rear sway bar link had broken. These are a simple bolt+bushings+spacer design similar to the box Panther front ones, just smaller. The bolt rusted down pretty thin and then snapped, and half was just missing entirely.





New ones from CarQuest because they were competitively priced. Did both sides. They're sort of weird and I'm not really happy with their weird little design but they should do the job just fine.





2025-06-24 @ 128,677km

Non serviceable air filter. Brilliant. Really trying to limit the years of usage from a vehicle. Cool something existed to make it more serviceable.

It's weird. I'm not exactly sure why they went that direction with it, but it's worth noting that the air cleaner was not accessible without removing the bumper cover (best access) or at minimum the inner fender and therefore also the wheel. Maybe the reasoning was, since the packaging of everything put the air cleaner down there, that meant the air cleaner would be less likely to see regular servicing, so it would be better for the car and the owner for a longer period of time to just engineer a long life component.

Still odd that the filter element wasn't accessible rather than replacing the whole air cleaner box. It doesn't really scream "throwaway car" to me since the car made it through multiple owners and reasonable mileage before it became an issue, but I don't even know if the OEM units are available anymore so DIY fixes or trusting the aftermarket to have a solution are the only ways to go. Or, since it is known to work, swapping in the air cleaner from an 08-11 which supposedly fits the same but has a replaceable filter. In hindsight, I wish I'd done that instead, because the filter this aftermarket thing takes is really hard to get. Discussed in reply 94 of this thread.

[kishy]

About that whole TSB business..

2005 Focus, with 2.0 or 2.3, and either automatic or manual (different TSB for each transmission but same effective solution) were documented as sometimes exhibiting a long crank and/or hard start symptom, intermittently, and PCM calibration updates were released to address the problem. Community wisdom among the Focus people seems to be that, if you turn the key to run and then wait a few seconds before cranking, it is very unlikely to happen. I do occasionally get the long crank followed by a hesitating, coughing start with this car, especially if I turned the key directly from off to start, but nowhere near every time - it might be 1/10 in those conditions. Still, it's annoying, and since there was a TSB for it and a PCM update, I decided to bring it to the dealer.



The dealer took the car in, checked, and found no update available. The car is too old to be documented in the system that all Ford dealers can access to see if the TSB had actually been done previously, but it does stand to reason that if there are no updates available, it must have been updated previously. Either that or, and I think this is likely, Ford maybe doesn't have the old PCM files on their servers anymore.

I thought it was pretty decent of them that they still washed the car despite knowing by that point that they wouldn't be billing me. They also let me take advantage of their shuttle service to get back home after I dropped it off, although at that time they did not yet know they wouldn't be billing me.

The starter bendix problem seems to be worsening so a starter is on-order and should be in my hands Monday. It looks like a moderate bear of a job to do, but I'm hopeful it won't be terrible.

Tonight, I set about a couple goals:

Retrofit the cabin air filter:
Focuses up to 2004 had cabin filters. 2005 deleted it as a standard feature, but some dealers chose to equip cars with the cabin filter which involved using the hvac air inlet duct piece from an earlier year. The filter goes in the cowl, when equipped. When I had the 2004 parts car, I collected this part from it. Tonight, I tried to remove the 2005 part, but found it is glued down with what might be seam sealer and isn't going anywhere. I gave up and decided it's just not that big of a deal. While under the hood I vacuumed up many leaves in the cowl as well as some rat turds on the valve cover.

Check blower motor cavity for debris:
I took the blower motor out and inspected for leaves, branches, etc. Found none.
The blower motor has occasionally made a squeak so I inspected it, and particularly compared it against the one I took out of the parts car, and found that the parts car motor had about twice as much brush material remaining. Easy choice.
Cleaned the squirrel cage on the 2004 motor. Cleaned up the brush dust. Put a drop of light oil in each bearing. Reinstalled in the car. It's a lot quieter, not just missing the squeak but other general noise from the motor is gone.





Replace rear shocks:
This is turning into a more complicated procedure than it should be. I had purchased Gabriel Ultra shocks and struts for the car. The rears have a note in the application info saying to reuse the mounting hardware (some rubber bits and big metal washers); if not reusable condition, buy the kit. I had just assumed it'd be better to have the kit on-hand, so I bought two of Duralast 142992 (which appear to in fact be actual Gabriel parts) for about 5 bucks each when I was in Detroit recently. Tonight, I removed a shock (super easy) and took a look.

Turns out, all of the pieces that are part of 142992 are in perfect condition. Absolutely no reason to use new parts for these items. However, there is a part that isn't included with the shock or in that kit, sort of a bump stop ("jounce bumper") and it's disintegrating. I left the car disassembled and came inside to research it, finding that the bumpers are available (but only Ford NOS, or generic Chinese repop) but I won't have them in-hand soon enough to put them on in this round of mechanical work before I give the car back. I think I'm just going to assemble the shocks with all of the old hardware and pick up a couple of those bumpers to sit on the shelf for the future.



I have the car until Thursday evening, so realistically I have Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed to do any outstanding work on it. My outstanding hit list is as follows:

Fill a windshield chip - replace starter - grease front end parts where applicable - replace rear shocks - replace front struts (but if it sits too high on the included springs, take them apart and put the factory springs on the new struts)

Pretty realistic especially since Tuesday is Canada Day and I've taken Monday off to match, so it's a 4 day weekend.