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2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start


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btdd
User

Oct 7, 2010, 6:48 AM

Post #1 of 18 (12776 views)
2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

2002 Ford Focus ZX5 w/ 2.0L DOHC Z-Tec engine. 152K miles. Have to crank the engine for extended period to get it to start. Misses when accelerating. Installed a new fuel pump and fuel filter in July. New spark plugs and wires installed within last 10K miles. Installed new coil per previous thread about two weeks ago due to similar acceleration problem. Ran good for two weeks, now difficult to start and missing again.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Oct 7, 2010, 7:16 AM

Post #2 of 18 (12761 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

Is the check engine light coming on at all?



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



btdd
User

Oct 7, 2010, 7:17 AM

Post #3 of 18 (12758 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

No engine light and no codes


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Oct 7, 2010, 7:26 AM

Post #4 of 18 (12752 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

That makes no sense at all. The PCM tracks misfires and mixture. The light may be broken but I would get the codes read anyway. The computer has to be seeing something.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



btdd
User

Oct 7, 2010, 7:56 PM

Post #5 of 18 (12744 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

I checked again and no codes.


Sidom
Veteran / Moderator
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Oct 7, 2010, 8:43 PM

Post #6 of 18 (12743 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

What brand spark plugs did you use? What is the fuel pressure? When was the last time the codes were cleared............


btdd
User

Oct 17, 2010, 2:14 PM

Post #7 of 18 (12714 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

Autolite platinum. Codes were cleared a few weeks ago. No codes, no incompletes, 8 readies. I haven't been able to get a good fuel pressure check. I don't find a test port. Disconnected the fuel line at the fuel rail and tried installing a tee, but can't get a good seal at the shrader connection.

On cold start it starts ok and runs good until the engine warms. Then it becomes difficult to start and misses on acceleration.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Oct 17, 2010, 2:27 PM

Post #8 of 18 (12711 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

The fuel rail has a test port right on it.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Kliney
New User

Oct 17, 2010, 9:00 PM

Post #9 of 18 (12703 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

On cold start it starts ok and runs good until the engine warms. Then it becomes difficult to start and misses on acceleration.


Ignition control module. Maybe tps


Hammer Time
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Oct 18, 2010, 2:42 AM

Post #10 of 18 (12701 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

Kliney

I don't know what this stuff your posting here or in other threads is but if you have a question, start a new thread and be a lot more thorough.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Kliney
New User

Oct 18, 2010, 2:09 PM

Post #11 of 18 (12692 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

Just offering up suggestions. Threads wasnt closed yet. Am i not allowed to do that?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Oct 18, 2010, 3:06 PM

Post #12 of 18 (12684 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

Your welcome to post but type enough for it to make sense. I didn't recognize your quote and had no idea what you were saying but I see where it was taken from now. If your going to post, just take the effort to type complete sentences.
There wasn't much basis for you suggestions though.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Oct 18, 2010, 3:07 PM)


btdd
User

Oct 20, 2010, 12:38 PM

Post #13 of 18 (12669 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

There is no test port on the fuel rail. There is a stem at the end of the rail, but it's sealed.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Oct 20, 2010, 1:03 PM

Post #14 of 18 (12666 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

Yes, there should be a test port. It looks like a bicycle valve.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Sidom
Veteran / Moderator
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Oct 20, 2010, 2:22 PM

Post #15 of 18 (12662 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

It should be on the very end of the rail near the frt. sometimes hard to see. There should be a cap over it....


(This post was edited by Sidom on Oct 20, 2010, 2:22 PM)


btdd
User

Oct 20, 2010, 4:11 PM

Post #16 of 18 (12654 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

Fuel connection is on the passenger end of the rail. On the opposite end is a plate fastened to the rail with two screws and has a 1/4" nipple, where my manual shows the port should be, but its sealed. No cap, no valve.

Regardless, I checked the new coil I put on 30 days ago and found it had gone bad. Did a warranty replacement and it took care of the problem.

At some point I would still like to determine how to check the fuel pressure.


Hammer Time
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Oct 20, 2010, 4:21 PM

Post #17 of 18 (12651 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

The 1/4" nipple should be the fuel pressure port. It could be possible not to have one but every one I saw did.

Here's some info on it.



The fuel system consists of a fuel tank with a reservoir, fuel pump module, fuel supply lines, fuel filter(s), schrader/pressure test point, fuel rail, fuel injectors, and fuel pressure regulator. Operation of the system is as follows (refer to Figure 61 for all others):
  1. The fuel delivery system uses the Crankshaft Position (CKP) sensor to signal the PCM that the engine is either cranking or running.
  2. The fuel pump logic is defined in the Fuel System control strategy and is executed in the PCM. The PCM will ground the fuel pump relay for one second during key on and engine off. During crank the fuel pump relay is grounded as long as the PCM receives a CKP signal.
  3. The fuel pump relay has a primary and a secondary circuit. The primary side is controlled by the PCM and the secondary side provides B+ to the fuel pump circuit when the relay is energized.
  4. The Inertia Fuel Shut-Off (IFS) switch is used to de-energize the fuel delivery secondary circuit in the event of a collision. The IFS Switch is a safety device that should only be reset after a thorough inspection of the vehicle (following a collision).
  5. The fuel injector is a solenoid-operated valve that meters fuel flow to each combustion cylinder. The fuel injector is opened and closed a constant number of times per crankshaft revolution. The amount of fuel is controlled by length of time the fuel injector is held open. The injector is normally closed and is operated by 12 volt Vehicle Power (VPWR) from the power relay. The ground signal is controlled by the PCM.
  6. A pressure test point valve (schrader valve) is located on the fuel rail. This is used to measure fuel injector supply pressure for service and diagnostic procedures. ON VEHICLES NOT EQUIPPED WITH A SCHRADER VALVE, USE ROTUNDA FUEL PRESSURE TEST KIT #134-R0087 OR EQUIVALENT.
  7. The fuel pressure regulator is attached to the fuel rail downstream of the fuel injectors. It regulates fuel pressure supplied to the fuel injectors. The fuel pressure regulator is a diaphragm-operated relief valve. One side of the diaphragm senses fuel pressure and the other side is connected to the intake manifold vacuum. Fuel pressure is established by a spring preload applied to the diaphragm. Balancing one side of the diaphragm with manifold vacuum maintains a constant fuel pressure drop across the fuel injectors. Fuel pressure is high when engine vacuum is low. Excess fuel is bypassed through the fuel pressure regulator and returned through the fuel return line to the fuel tank.
  8. There are four filtering or screening devices in the fuel delivery system. The fuel intake sock or screen is a fine, nylon mesh mounted on the intake side of the fuel pump. There is a fuel filter screen located at the fuel rail side of the fuel injector. A fuel filter/screen is located in the inlet side of the fuel pressure regulator. The fuel filter assembly is located between the fuel pump and the pressure test point/schrader valve.
  9. The fuel pump (FP) module is a device that contains both fuel pump and fuel sender assembly. The fuel pump is located inside the reservoir and supplies fuel through the fuel pump module manifold to the engine and the fuel pump module jet pump.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Oct 20, 2010, 4:46 PM)


btdd
User

Oct 21, 2010, 8:36 AM

Post #18 of 18 (12641 views)
Re: 2002 Ford Focus Hard to Start Sign In

Thanks for all your help.






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