HELP!! Focus will not stay running NOBODY can figure it out. - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

theonlykb · 02-09-2012, 10:49

I have a focus 2002 ZTS 2.0 ZTEC

Nobody I have talked to seem to know what is going on with my car. So here we go. Thursday night the car would not stay started. I would start it and it would die right away. Other times it would just spin over and not start. So for the first time in 10 years I had to have to towed. Got it to the house and believe it or not it started and I let it sit there and idle for about 5 min. Turned it off and it had the same issues again.

Saturday morning I cleaned the mass air flow sensor and the idle air control valve. The car started and I let it idle for a while, no issues. Let it sit for a bit and it started again but this time during the idle it wanted to die out a couple of times.

Sunday I went to drop it off at the shop about 3 miles from the house. Started ok but soon down the street it wanted to die but did not. The I was going about 45 and the car felt like I put it in 1st gear and let off the clutch. It bogged down big time. I had my foot in the pedal and it would not go over 5mph then out of nowhere it took off like a rocket. It did this the whole time to the shop. Each time it did this the light with the exclamation point would come on.

Fuel pressure is good even when it acts up. The only code is for the EGR but I have had that for 2 yrs now. Not sure about the IAC because it was doing it as I was driving and not sitting still.
As far as the warning light goes its a 5sp and it has overheated before and that light never came on and I doubt the car over heated in the first 8th of a mile (the temp gauge was normal)

The coolant temp sensor is working properly, fuel filter is new, new battery.

**Bert** · 02-09-2012, 12:08

Sounds like it could be a connection problem. Power or ground. What does the shop say about it?

**R.S.LOGAN** · 02-09-2012, 13:25

Possibly the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) ?

**djzx3** · 02-09-2012, 15:12

I think R.S LOGAN is right about the ground cable, and if I remember right the TPS works off a ground wire?

DRU842 · 02-10-2012, 17:40

My bet is on plugs & wires.

**djzx3** · 02-10-2012, 19:52

If a mechanic shop couldn't tell you spark plugs and wire's that would be pretty astounding if it was that.

I would just jack the whole front end up, and start inspecting your wire's and mainly grounds. It will give you a good over all perspective on how your car is wired up too.

I know it looks to be a lot of wiring to figure out, but it's really simple if you understand the basics of sensors, grounds, and how Ford generally wire's a focus.