How many Focus ST owners on here

Associate
Joined
24 Apr 2010
Posts
915
The guys at ds are very decent chaps and made me feel welcomed. The downside was the wait but it was to be expected. Also mpg is up which is a bonus. I really think in standard form my car was very very flat.

How long was the wait? Need to get mine booked in and ds seems the best bet.
 
Soldato
Joined
26 Mar 2006
Posts
11,581
Location
United Kingdom
How long was the wait? Need

Well arrived there just before 9. They didn't start working on it till around 9:45 as they needed the car to cool. Add to that Intercooler/map/exhaust work it wasn't too bad.

Car was done for around 4:30 but I didn't get out till around 5 as they took it for a test drive etc.

Got my windscreen booked in for next week a bit of an unneeded expenditure but that's life.
 
Soldato
Joined
26 Mar 2006
Posts
11,581
Location
United Kingdom
Just to ask does anyone's front windscreen say solar tint in the bottom left hand corner as you're facing the car? Got mine replaced by autoglass today. It's a fuyao or something like that. Not pilkington or ford but seems of very good quality.

Did say the original had been replaced at some point but the fitting was very poor, he was surprised it had held on. The tech has done a fantastic job of fitting the new one.

On another note I'm hoping Ds still have my blockmod pictures they took as the usb drive they gave me has corrupted. Tried my best to get the pics to work but windows won't recognise them at all. One of the lads had to re copy them back onto the usb as some weren't opening. So I guess he just pulled it out like that.
 
Soldato
Joined
26 Mar 2006
Posts
11,581
Location
United Kingdom
Solar windscreens were an option.

Yeah I gathered by the Google's I've been doing. I'll have to see it in sunlight as the blue/purple hue you get with them doesn't seem to be apparent on this one at the moment. It would be a nice little treat if the replacement is a solar one.
 
Soldato
Soldato
Joined
26 Oct 2013
Posts
9,751
Location
Leicester
Hello guys
What sort of MPG would I expect from a 30 mile round trip commute around 80% of it on motorway? I am guessing 26/27? I'm guessing there's no such thing as an economy map :D
Looking at one for my "first" car (second one I will be driving) as I will do relatively low miles and insurance isn't coming out too ridiculous. Will ~£5.5-6k pick up an OK one or a dog? Ideally one with climate so maybe post facelift but looks like most are pre
 
Associate
Joined
7 Apr 2004
Posts
1,180
Location
Belfast
I got 40 no problem. Mpg questions are almost impossible to answer for everyone. Will you be driving like a granny or a lunatic? uphill,downhill or flat roads? Most people can average close to 30 in the st250.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Nov 2004
Posts
3,792
Most people can average close to 30 in the st250.

That's the first question though, is he talking about ST250 or ST225? For the money he is talking about I am assuming ST225, either a lower end FL or a higher end PFL.

EDIT: Do you want an unmolested car or light mods or heavy mods. All these options... :D
 
Soldato
Soldato
Joined
26 Oct 2013
Posts
9,751
Location
Leicester
Probably unmolested, rather keep standard then maybe once I do a placement mod it as I will have some more money to repair broken crap from mods :p

ST225 (mk2) of course
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Nov 2004
Posts
3,792
Good luck finding one is all I will say. FL are commanding around £6k-9k currently, depending on the usual factors. PFL are going for anyting from £2.5k up to £6k. As with anything, you get what you pay for. Join all the groups on Facebook and you will have so many to choose from it will make your head spin.
 
Soldato
Joined
26 Mar 2006
Posts
11,581
Location
United Kingdom
Hello guys
What sort of MPG would I expect from a 30 mile round trip commute around 80% of it on motorway? I am guessing 26/27? I'm guessing there's no such thing as an economy map :D
Looking at one for my "first" car (second one I will be driving) as I will do relatively low miles and insurance isn't coming out too ridiculous. Will ~£5.5-6k pick up an OK one or a dog? Ideally one with climate so maybe post facelift but looks like most are pre

You're probably going to look at anything between 25-30mpg on a long commute depending entirely on the engine/how you drive. Mine was awful on fuel until I got it mapped. It has made a hell of a difference. I feel the car in standard form felt very flat.

So when it comes to purchasing it is pretty much a mine field. Expect to spend £7k or more for a decent FL. Pfl I'd say £5-6k should bag you a decent low mileage st3.

People say to avoid the '07 ones as they have weaker clutches. Mine so far is ok but if you're looking to modify later on then budget £800ish for an rs clutch and flywheel.

Cracked liners are a common cause for worry they can happen to standard car or modified cars. Just a lottery. You can do a block mod to sort of help prevent the issue. Budget £500-700 for this. Good to do of the car needs a cambelt change (100k miles or 10 years whatever comes first) although if the car has been looked after and is standard I wouldn't worry to much. Mayo under oil cap, lots of smoke from exhaust, low coolant is a tell tale sign. Sometimes mayo can be due to short journeys but a lot of it - walk away. Even smell the exhaust for coolant smell. If the heaters don't blow air or any hot air when cars warm - walk away.

Oil filter diagphram can go. It's apparent when the car is idling as a very high pitched whistle. Once you remove the oil cap or dipstick it stops. Sometimes it it hasn't been sorted quickly it can cause the cam seals to go which isn't good.

Make sure the car boosts right. If standard it should boost to quarter in first 4 gears until 4k revs then it should go to half and hold. 5th and 6th full foot down it should boost to 3/4 for a very short time then hold at half.
Anything which goes into red is mapped.
If for whatever reason it seems off then it can be the boost solenoid as a first port of call, budget £50ish for this. Easy to fit.

Turbo oil temp should be between 50 and middle line. Pressure of oil should be at 5 bar when cold then lessen though it should rise as the revs rise.

Driveshafts clicking - walk away as very expensive to fix unless seller is willing to knock a couple of 100 off the price.

Steering rack can also have issues where when turning it's tight at the start then frees up. I had this with mine in the colder weather. I got lucky and a steering fluid changed fixed it. If the steering fluid is black this can be a tell tale sign. However, loose alloy wheel nuts can also cause this.

Gearbox notchy in cold weather is some what a common problem. A fluid change can help but make sure all gears go in fine when warm.

Make sure all electrics work such as heated windscreen, heated seats, traction control etc. Windscreen should be ford oem, if it's anything other then ford written then it's been replaced. Make sure the scuttle panel is flush against it.

Rust can appear where rear bumper meets rear quarter on the corners. Opening the boot the middle at the top can rust due to friction when shutting. Make sure rear parking sensors work which should beep. A continuous beep or interval beeps when nothing behind, its possible module is at fault.

Then do all the usual checks you would do.

Purchased mine for £4.1k ,07 with 79k. Very decent condition for age. Spent a bit on it but not because I had to.

Brilliant cars. Very family friendly and they bloody sound good.
 
Back
Top Bottom