56 plate 1.6 Ford Focus

Biguns · 3 Jan 2011

Started miss firing this morning and engine light flashing. Got it home and whipped out plug leads. Plug compartment soaked with rusty water. I dried it all out and started car and drove for a couple of miles, then same thing happened.
Took off rocker cover and cleaned out lots of dried rust. There are 2 core plugs in there, but I can't see anything untoward.
Would much appreciate any ideas for testing core plugs and/or for crack in cyl head in situ and if possible re sealing

Thanks in advance Bill

Burnerman · 3 Jan 2011

Very common on the Focus of this age, which unfortunately can result in the spark plugs rusting in

Its due to water from the screen washers running back into the plug recesses, and Ford have a mod for it.

Before going any further, see if the coolant level drops. Hopefully it wont, and there can be quite a bit of residual water in there.
Be lucky!
John

kilovolt · 3 Jan 2011

Rainwater could be leaking in from washer jet on bonnet. modified jets available from ford dealer

Biguns · 3 Jan 2011

Hi burnerman and kilovolt

Definately not washers, tried that. Water contamination all rusty as if from inside engine block. cylinder head alluminium Hoping its a core plug. dont know which one

View media item 29655 View media item 29656
Thought about giving coolant system a couple of metres of head to increase pressure to try and show leak. I guess i can't run the engine with the rocker cover off ( oil shower)

Biguns · 3 Jan 2011

Oh by the way the plugs are free enough
Bill

Burnerman · 3 Jan 2011

Thats exactly where the water lies mate, and your car has done this from new....I blast an air line in there every time and I'm amazed at the rust dust that comes out.
If you want to shift the plugs, give them a good soaking in WD40 before trying to take them out. Ford usually ask for a disclaimer before shifting them - a real vote of confidence!
John

Biguns · 3 Jan 2011

All the plugs are free to turn no problem.
The car started miss firing this afternoon. I brought it home and found the plug cavity's contained half an inch of water. I dried this up and test drove the car. The first couple of miles were ok then the miss fire started again with engine warning light. I'd never touched the washers.Got it home and found plugs damp/ wet again Therefore, rightly or wrongly I am assuming one of the core plugs. I just don't know which one and none of them look to be dissplaced.
However in the morn I'll try again with the plugs dried down.

If it is a core plug will a rad seal work do you think?

kilovolt · 3 Jan 2011

If not washer jets you need to determine if its coolant or rain/wash water. First check the coolant has correct antifreeze level then drive car until enough water by spark plugs, check this water,is it coolant or plain water(Use antifreeze tester)If its coolant its probably core plug/s

Burnerman · 3 Jan 2011

As above, really - the car is a bit young to have problems like this though unless its been without antifreeze for a good while and I would expect the header tank to have visible rust stains too.
Be lucky!
John

Biguns · 4 Jan 2011

Well I never. Spent last night planning to remove and fit 2 core plugs. However what you guys were telling me kept niggling. So this morning scraped 3mm of brown gunk from bottom of both plug cavities, fitted a10mm polypenco tube to vacuum and sucked all dried gunk out. Removed plugs and cleaned them. Cleaned HT leads including inside plug recess.
As a precaution I put a bead of Locktite threadlock around the edges of each core plug?. Re fitted rocker/plug cover and fired up. Drove 5 miles, removed HT leads from plugs. Guess what? It was perfectly dry in there. Brilliant!

I still cant get my mind round where the water came from and why was it brown and what was the 3mm of brown residue in the cavities. I have checked screen washers again, no leaks there.
The only thing I can think of is, the sill from bottom of screen terminates directly above the plugs. Maybe snow/ice melt has dripped over and into plug cavities and it is brown due to road salt??

However it seems to have done the job. Thanks guys
Oh! the engine warning light has remained on, any thoughts/suggestions

Bill

Biguns · 4 Jan 2011

Sorted! I found this site and its access to fault codes procedure and used it.

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1127

Mine said "none found" I continued pressing and various other gobble de gook appeared. Switched off. Switched on again. The warning light went out when engine started. Good day all round!

Bill

Burnerman · 4 Jan 2011

Nice one Bill - so chuffed for that

The first time I witnessed all of the rust in there, I blew it out with compressed air and got a real facefull.
What concerned me was the fact that its all alloy in there, so the rust could only be coming from the plugs themselves

Anyway - Ford do replacement nozzles if you want to go ahead with those but its a bit extreme when the water drip is in exactly the right place to go down the plug holes - even with the tight fitting caps....never really did understand that one.
Regards
John

Biguns · 6 Jan 2011

Confirmed. You live and learn.

Gave the car a good wash and hose down this morning. When I finished I lifted the bonnet to find a sizeable glob of water sloshing around the top of the plastic cam shaft/spark plug cover and the bottom of the off side washer jet dripping directly down onto it.

How can such a renown, well established manufacturer be guilty of such a simple and fundamental design fault. It beggars belief.

However, so much for me originally jumping to conclusions. Core plugs indeed!!

Thanks guy's

Bill

Burnerman · 6 Jan 2011

You'd think they would at least fix you up with new nozzles - but no chance. Thanks for nowt, Arnold Clark.
I found this out when I found the plugs in a 56 plate Focus auto rusted in big time. I was sure one was going to snap but a couple of days with WD40 helped a bit.
John

SusiePat · 6 Jan 2011

snugib said:
Confirmed. You live and learn.

Gave the car a good wash and hose down this morning. When I finished I lifted the bonnet to find a sizeable glob of water sloshing around the top of the plastic cam shaft/spark plug cover and the bottom of the off side washer jet dripping directly down onto it.

How can such a renown, well established manufacturer be guilty of such a simple and fundamental design fault. It beggars belief.

However, so much for me originally jumping to conclusions. Core plugs indeed!!

Thanks guy's

Bill

56 plate 1.6 Ford Focus

Similar threads