FocusCanada Forums

So leaving for work today, I take off from a stopsign and once through the intersection the car revs higher, starts shaking like crazy and bogging, so i got into 4th gear doing this and pulled over. I got out, thinking a broken axle or something because it was wheel hopping also, but thats all good. Go to start the car and it revs to 6000rpm without me touching the gas, then falls and boggs and stalls out. Now when I try starting, it doesnt go past 1000rpm, just boggs/shakes and then stalls. Any ideas? I just got home from getting the car towed, waiting in the rain for CAA sucked.

fatphocus,Nov 2 2009, 07:32 PM Wrote:So leaving for work today, I take off from a stopsign and once through the intersection the car revs higher, starts shaking like crazy and bogging, so i got into 4th gear doing this and pulled over. I got out, thinking a broken axle or something because it was wheel hopping also, but thats all good. Go to start the car and it revs to 6000rpm without me touching the gas, then falls and boggs and stalls out. Now when I try starting, it doesnt go past 1000rpm, just boggs/shakes and then stalls. Any ideas? I just got home from getting the car towed, waiting in the rain for CAA sucked.
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you and your problem focus

shoulda bought mine :)

Any dash lights when all this was happening?
My guess would be messed up TPS, do you have a XCAL to datalog your TPS to see if it is reading correctly?

hardk0re,Nov 2 2009, 09:27 PM Wrote:shoulda bought mine :)

Any dash lights when all this was happening?
My guess would be messed up TPS, do you have a XCAL to datalog your TPS to see if it is reading correctly?
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I have an xcal2, gunna go check it out. No dash lights, but how would I know if theres a bulb behind anything in the dash like the check engine light since the last owner had the dash all apart and stuff...

I was prepared to buy your car but the guy set to pick my car up backed out and never called me again, and never answered when I called him so I couldnt get the money in time :(

Xcal2 says only 1 DTC, p1000 which says:


A: P1000 is not actually a trouble code. It just means that the Readiness code has not been set yet or in other words, the engine computer hasn't completed testing certain emission control components. If there is no other problems with the car emission system, the code P1000 will disappear after driving for some time (the drive circle must include idling, stop and go traffic, acceleration and steady cruising).

sounds like what my fox body 4 cyl. did when i put a bbk intake on it. would rev up high on start up, bog down and die, wouldnt go past like 2000 rpm. ended up fixing it, i had a leak in my intake piping so i would check there, it sounds like you mite have a combination of problems tho. possible mass air flow sensor? get some isopropyl alcohol and clean ur sensor with a q tip. check you wiring to it and make sure u dont have any leaks in the intake system between MAF and TB

fuel pump.

ANTHONYD,Nov 3 2009, 09:57 AM Wrote:fuel pump.
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X2, my old focus did this before the recall was issued, luckly in my case it was sent back to the dealership as when the fuel pump went out my lease was just ending.

you might want to get your car checked out to see if it has any out standing recalls, there are about 6 of them for 2000 - 2004 focus if I remember correctly.

check wires going to MAF

Yeah basically its nothing serious but its a pain in the butt diagnosing these crappy issues.

Good news is you got a xcal, plug in the datalogging software and a laptop and check your sensors, fuel pressure.

The computer cannot store codes with any aftermarket chip installed, Ive tried it with 3 different style chips and purposely faulted the car by disconnecting the DPFE sensor... each time the chips were installed it wouldn't throw a check engine, I removed the chip's and they threw codes immediately..

I also diagnosed a fellow FC.net members car and he was chipped which didn't throw a code and error'd out my reader(at first I thought his OBDII was dead and I asked if he modified the ECU or had a chip and he said oh yeah it has a diablo chip), less then a day later after pulling the chip the car threw the code I was looking for..

my car isnt chipped though, just stock ECU and everything. I just got in from putting gas in the car, the fuel pump primes I can hear it but the car doesnt want to start. A couple random times it started and revved to 5000 then stalled out basically...

That wouldn't be from the fuel pump if you can get it started and it revs straight away.. as for the fuel pump its got an extended warranty which yours is still covered till 2010

for the ecu chip reply unfortunately that wasn't a reply to your problem specific I was just throwing it out for a few other replys

as for that being under recall take it to ford and let them replace it if it fix's the problem your set if it doesn't well heres a few things to check

- Maf
- TPS
- IAC

all 3 of those control Idle speed.. problem being with that is the all three of those will toss out CEL lights and codes when they go problematic

if you wanna jump under the hood and check heres a short vid of what the proper voltage out is on the TPS if it jumps around or falls higher/lower voltage then its problematic and needs to be replaced
(Video attached below}


in a few days I will be receiving my OBDII interface to my laptop when I get it setup and running correctly I will see if I'm able to scoot your way and check out the car

sounds like the same symtoms I had before I blocked off my EGR valve, which was basically a huge vaccum leak.

that could be a possibility of a massive vaccum leak

any help is appreciated as the car will be going to Ford on Monday is its not fixed by then and they are charging me $100 to check it out, but will replace the fuel pump free of charge if that is the problem

so update is after a quick look today (busy day) i have a feeling its the fuel pump, but i also think i may have a broken motor mount because if i grab the intake (volant) and shake the tube the entire engine moves ALOT, its weird. Burnin is coming over tomorrow to take a closer look with me, I'll let you guys know what we find (if anything)

OK, so just got inside...me and Matt (Burnin) checked out my car today and believe we have figured the problem out! First off, my rear mount is fubar. Needs a new rear mount 100%. This is the reason the car is shaking even at higher rpms. 2nd, because of this problem, it tore a vaccuum line off the black box thing on the left side when you open the hood, at the top, causing it to not hold an idle. Ill be going tomorrow to replace the lines and stuff and the rear mount hopefully asap. We also changed the sparkplugs because they were blacker than night :blink:

Will update again when I fix it / find out more :)

Thanks for the help thus far guys!


edit: its this thing

fatphocus,Nov 8 2009, 04:59 PM Wrote:OK, so just got inside...me and Matt (Burnin) checked out my car today and believe we have figured the problem out! First off, my rear mount is fubar. Needs a new rear mount 100%. This is the reason the car is shaking even at higher rpms. 2nd, because of this problem, it tore a vaccuum line off the black box thing on the left side when you open the hood, at the top, causing it to not hold an idle. Ill be going tomorrow to replace the lines and stuff and the rear mount hopefully asap. We also changed the sparkplugs because they were blacker than night  :blink:

Will update again when I fix it / find out more  :)

Thanks for the help thus far guys!


edit: its this thing


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That black thing is part of the fuel Evap system and will you PLEASE reinstall it in the correct mounting studs XD

<.< >.> ill be back with more of a reply in a min my laptop battery is juiced XD BRB

Feral,Nov 8 2009, 09:43 PM Wrote:

fatphocus,Nov 8 2009, 04:59 PM Wrote:OK, so just got inside...me and Matt (Burnin) checked out my car today and believe we have figured the problem out! First off, my rear mount is fubar. Needs a new rear mount 100%. This is the reason the car is shaking even at higher rpms. 2nd, because of this problem, it tore a vaccuum line off the black box thing on the left side when you open the hood, at the top, causing it to not hold an idle. Ill be going tomorrow to replace the lines and stuff and the rear mount hopefully asap. We also changed the sparkplugs because they were blacker than night  :blink:

Will update again when I fix it / find out more  :)

Thanks for the help thus far guys!


edit: its this thing


[right][snapback]296999[/snapback][/right]

That black thing is part of the fuel Evap system and will you PLEASE reinstall it in the correct mounting studs XD

<.< >.> ill be back with more of a reply in a min my laptop battery is juiced XD BRB
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not my car in the pic, just found the pic and used it as a reference :lol: