Dead Focus

hwcurtice · Oct 8, 2010

So, the kid's Focus died.

He thought it just ran out of gas. So we went and got gas for it. Put about 2 gallons in it. And then we tried to start it. Oh that was an interesting sound....

It turns over about 1.5 seconds, and stops. It does this over again. We tried it a few times and gave up and towed it home.

All fluids are good. Battery is fully charged. Even tried to jump it off a jump box.

1.5 seconds of a turn, and it stops.

Specifics: 2000 Ford Focus. 2.0L with an automatic transmission.

Zukkev knows more about this car than I do. He worked on it last...

PHILLBILLY1 · Oct 8, 2010

Wild guess.......

Timing belt.:corn:

Glenn · Oct 8, 2010

Can you turn the engine over by hand?

zukkev · Oct 8, 2010

My guess would be timing belt as well....your engine is an interference engine which, when the T-belt breaks, the valves hit the pistons. Was he driving down the road, and it just shut off, like someone turned it off? One thing you can check--pull the oil cap, and you should be able to see the valvetrain---if so, have your son try and crank it over while you look into the oil fill hole, if the crank turns, but the valvetrain/cam doesn't==broken/stripped belt it is!:;

WA-Wheeler · Oct 8, 2010

how many miles? but i would guess Timing Belt....

zukkev · Oct 8, 2010

Link to what likely happened....

Did a little research, and if yours is a Zetec motor (I don't remember---should say right on the valve cover)....well, here ya go!
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://...sg=AFQjCNFgtmufdrk0NQm1KTDtqU32odJ2gQ&cad=rja

scroll down the page for pics! seeings yours locks up, I'd guess you have a similar situation going on.:booo: You could pull the plugs easily enough---might tip you to the cause as well...
(For those curious, no I didn't do a timing belt on the car!

)

JOOP · Oct 9, 2010

Now when you say "turn over for 1.5 secs" do you mean "runs for 1.5 secs" then dies? I'd say fuel pump.

Or turns over then the engine locks up? No start? I'd say timing belt.

Binder · Oct 9, 2010

The hazzard of an interferance engine.:booo:

zukkev · Oct 9, 2010

JOOP said:
Now when you say "turn over for 1.5 secs" do you mean "runs for 1.5 secs" then dies? I'd say fuel pump.

Or turns over then the engine locks up? No start? I'd say timing belt.

It's not the pump...:;

hwcurtice · Oct 9, 2010

Turns for 1.5 seconds. Not firing.

And yeah, I should have said that. Kevin didn't touch the timing belt.

Best guess for replacement cost?

Oh, and it has about 137k on it.

Funny story is, Son had the car sold, but he decided to wait until Spring when a particular model car comes out. He would have felt really bad if this happened to the person he sold the car to. Yeah, he's that kind of guy.

Now if he had traded it in.... Sorry Mr. Dealer Guy. Sucks to be you! I just have great timing!

boardbysled · Oct 9, 2010

This thread reminds me, I better change my timing belt!:awesomework:

WA-Wheeler · Oct 9, 2010

137k is pushin it quite a bit. As far as cost its all guess at this point, the only way to really know is to rip it apart and see what it looks like. From experience I did a timing belt on a 94 honda accord after it snapped and even with my price in parts and machining of the head plus two valves and the "good buddy" labor discount he was out the door for still over $1000....

JOOP · Oct 9, 2010

Timing belt is the biggest thing people ignore, then this happens. Now you need a new head and hope the bottom end isn't damaged. Probably better to find a good used motor and change the timing belt on it when you get it.

zukkev · Oct 9, 2010

JOOP said:
Timing belt is the biggest thing people ignore, then this happens. Now you need a new head and hope the bottom end isn't damaged. Probably better to find a good used motor and change the timing belt on it when you get it.

I agree, one of THE most overlooked/neglected parts of today's vehicles...
However, sounds like they're not that difficult of an engine to dismantle, and sounds like loaded heads are reasonable...again, as long as no piston damage occurred...
We're all still jumping to conclusions....Harold, do what I posted earlier to see if the t-belt broke, pull the plugs and see if there's any damage to them, maybe look down the holes for any damage as well!:awesomework:

JOOP · Oct 9, 2010

I'd pull the plugs first. Easy enough to know something in a matter of minutes.

hwcurtice · Oct 10, 2010

Gonna pull plugs today.

Um, will it be really obvious? How hard will it be to see down the hole? Would a mini camera help or be just a little too much?

skinny_pedal · Oct 10, 2010

After you pull the plugs and if they are all intact. Just go buy a timing belt and see if it runs. Friday I had two vehicles towed in as no starts that died. A PT Cruiser and an Escort. Both interference engines. Both drove away. Buy a $30 timing belt and give it a go.

hwcurtice · Oct 10, 2010

If the plugs are intact? I'm more worried about the pistons/valves....

And changing the timing belt is way above my head.

xjoffroad · Oct 10, 2010

hwcurtice said:
If the plugs are intact? I'm more worried about the pistons/valves....

And changing the timing belt is way above my head.

get a book. step by step instructions on replacing the belt

hwcurtice · Oct 10, 2010

I'm at the age , and this is a time, where I have other people do things for me. And in this case, for my kid, who makes more money than I do and needs the car fixed faster than I can do it. I don't have the time nor the space to work on it, at the moment.

Therefore, the question remains: Will we be able to see piston damage from just looking down the spark plug hole, or should we get a camera, Harbor Freight has one for under $100 right now, to better see the inside. To determine if the engine is workable?