The 10 year old Focus was overdue for a service - we were strapped for cash when it was due so put it off. Was going to just have an interim, then noticed in the service book that the last 3 services - all the services since I bought it - were interims.
So treated it to a full. Now obviously at 10 years old I was a bit worried about what they might find, even having only covered 65k miles, but was relieved when they rang up at lunch time to say just the rear pads needed replacing. Great!
Just picked it up now, and it's not quite so great. On the invoice: "Advise - both inner CV joints leaking grease. Rear discs corroding. Various oil leaks, rear heat shield broken [that would explain the noise when starting up]. Rear exhaust corroding, rear handbrake cable corroding." :(
I talked to the very helpful service engineer, and he said the only thing at the moment that it might be worth bringing it back in for was to stop the grease leaking from the CV joints and prevent them seizing up. He's bodged the heat shield, and reckons the discs will go through another set of pads before needing changing.
So despite his best efforts it's all a bit depressing. Car drives really well, especially now that it's got some new spark plugs and fresh oil, but I feel like it's only a mater of time before it falls apart...
BTW garage is MoT City in Winnersh/Reading - recommended before, and happy to do so again.
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Don't be depressed. It's 10 years old..
Corroded disks? Had that warning on a 106 10 years ago.. Disks still were ok 9 years later...
Rear exhaust corroding? Wire brush and heatproof aluminium paint. £5.
Handbrake cable corroding? Waxoil...or Dinitrol
Nothing costing more than £10 in total and will last another 5 years at least..
And as it's a Focus, lots of cheap spare parts..
When weather is warmer, treat to a proper clean underneath and waxoil...or Dinitrol on any rusty bits...
Electrics and mechanics are tough so 15 years life is quite possible, 20 even with TLC..
Last edited by: madf on Thu 3 Feb 11 at 16:01
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Garage advice seems spot on. If the CV joints loose more grease (or admit grit) you'll be looking at a big bill. Depending on the degree of dismantling needed on a Focus it shouldn't be too expensive.
As long as you watch the level and don't mind the drips on your drive the oil leaks cna me monitored as can the discs and h/b cable.
My Xantia's had 'minor corrosion of h/b cables' as an MoT advisory for years!!
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It has ten years of of the weather and salt so all that is to be expected. If money is a bit tight you could get things done in stages. We just removed the rear heat sheild on the Fiesta completly.
It is well worth having the CV boots done although sometimes it is not a lot more expensive to have the entire CV joints replaced.
We have made the mistake of having the CV boots replaced only for the joints to fail a few months later.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Thu 3 Feb 11 at 16:01
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Thanks guys - I'm feeling better already :)
Last edited by: Focus on Thu 3 Feb 11 at 16:02
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That list doesn't sound too bad at all, I'd be fairly pleased with that on a ten year old car. Like other shave said the CVs is the only thing that's probably worth fixing in the short term.
Exhaust heat shields often go on my bangernomics Vauxhalls, irritating but not worth fixing IMHO>
Last edited by: spamcan61 on Thu 3 Feb 11 at 16:09
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heat shields do come off on foci------its the law----------10 minute fix
how can handbrake cables corrode they either work or they dont on the focus and cables are easy to fit and cost £25 a pair,i would want to know if the calipers were sticking necessitating new pads by the way
cv boots get down and have a look they might be fine with just a little coming out of the ends rather than actual splits
rear exhaust corroding ,well they all do that too and i bet its the original system
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Your worring over nothing :-)
The heat shields always corrode usually at the fixings to the floor look at astra rear silencer the heat sheilds are dropping off same age.
On the rear silencer heat shield if you ragged it off i very much doubt it would get hot enough to melt the underseal it's there as a precaution.
The inner cv's now these as said do require attention and to be fair new boots have them both done ay same time would be cheaper than just one this month etc.
65k on a focus is nothing it will do more than double that.
As for the brakes save some cash and have new discs and pads all way round if original discs at 10 years thats if your keeping it?
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CV "boots" might just be loose. Check for foreign matter in joint, possibly clean and regrease, do the clips up again.
Oil leaks. Where, how bad. If not a problem so far, may not be a problem. Will stop things going rusty, perhaps.
Heat shield - "They all do that, sir!". It's fixed now anyway.
Exhaust corroding - let it. When it goes "Whurrrr" replace it. Cheap. No worry.
Rear discs. THey're not dear, maybe easy DIY too.
Handbrake cable? Oh well, never mind. Aee above.
If it's going rusty underneath (sills, inside wheel arches) *then* worry.
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..Rear exhaust corroding,
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>>Exhaust corroding - let it. When it goes "Whurrrr" replace it. Cheap. No worry.
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My sons Focus had its rear box corroding several years ago.
The whole outer thin skin gradually disintigrated. No problem. It is still going strong (1999 version)
I suspect you are aware the the exhaust is a one piece job.
A well known chain after sucking of teeth gave me a quote. IIRC it was about £175 some years ago.
Haynes defines exactly where to saw through the pipe and then just the rear box is replaced.
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>>Haynes defines exactly where to saw through the pipe and then just the rear box is replaced.
Just like the MK3 Cortina I had forty years ago.
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>> was relieved when they rang up at lunch time to say just the rear pads needed replacing
>> "Advise -
>> I talked to the very helpful service engineer
That garage seems like a keeper, seems like they've advised honestly.
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>>Haynes defines exactly where to saw through the pipe and then just the rear box is replaced.>>
On our Clio the original pipe was marked where to saw.
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Major service - good news, and bad - madf
