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ZETEC Engine stumble - SOLVED

277K views 218 replies 125 participants last post by  breakit 
#1 ·
So, I've been having the delightful experience of stumbling at idle, as many many Focus owners are blighted with. It finally got to the point where I was annoyed enough to fix it. So i got into my grungies and started rooting around (deep) under the hood. First I took the upper intake off and cleaned the MAF sensor. The back hot wire was very dirty. That made the problem a little better but it didn't go away. So I pulled into the drive and let the car idle. I opened the hood and started blindley poking around the back of the intake manifold, to see if any hoses were loose. As I'm running my fingers over the PCV hose (just as it makes the 90 degree turn into the manifold), my index finger gets sucked into (into) the hose! I pulled it out cause it scared the crap outta me. But when I covered the hole back up the engine started sputtering. AH HA!! The vacuum leak was causing the hose to fold over itself and the engine wasn't getting enough air from either atmosphere or PCV. So, since it's getting late and I don't feel like going down to Ford to pick up a new part at that moment, what do I do? that's right, Duct tape. worked beautifully. My baby purrs like a kitten once again. I'll post pics of both the failure and the fix when I get the new part.

As an aside, any other Auto/Duct tape stories?
 
#137 ·
bwojdyla this thread should win some type of award. I think Ford should put you on there payroll for finding this problem. I think you are the first person in the history of this site to have found this issue, which I find quite funny considering how many of us have had this problem!
 
#142 ·
Sorry about the delay in responding, but thankyou for those pictures. I think I have a different engine... it certainly looks different:



Close up of drivers side of engine:



All the tubes I can reach seem to be fine. I am thinking I may have an engine mount problem, as a post much earlier in this thread mentioned. The engine is running fine, just an excessive amount of vibration -- at least what I think is much more vibration than when we bought it 3 years ago. I had a friend put a scanner on the car, and no codes came up. I will keep looking...

Thanks again!
 
#143 ·
Update... just talked with the service manager at my local dealer. We have to have the car "emissions tested" (GAH! don't get me started on these stupid emission tests...), so I told him to take a look at the engine due to the vibration. The car is still under warranty. He just gave a slight smile, and said he knew exactly what I was talking about. He said there are a bunch of TSBs (Technical Service Bulletin) about this problem with Focus cars. I'll be bringing the car in next week. I'll let you all know what happens, it may help someone else.

This is still kinda sorta related to the engine stumble problem that is the title of this thread, right?... lol!
 
#144 ·
Okay, one last update from me. Got the car back from the dealer... they "reprogrammed" or "reflashed" the car's computer due to the engine vibration (under warranty). It seemed to improve things, but it is hard to tell. Really the big change that I notice is the RPMs seem higher - kind of a cheap way to "fix" something. The service manager told me that I may not notice a big difference.

As I said before, I am going to look into the engine mounts when I get a chance.

I don't know... the car runs fine (no stall, no stumble, plenty of power), just has this vibration that I think is excessive. I may just have to chalk it up to an engine with 60,000 miles on it.

Thanks for everyone's responses here!
 
#189 ·
Yes, I am quoting myself! I just essentially solved my vibration issue with my engine. I finally got around to changing the Fuel Filter... at 89,000 miles (!! [paranoid] ). The car runs essentially 100% better. There is still some vibration, but I figure that is acceptable for approaching 100,000 miles.

So, for any others with the vibration issue, Check Your Fuel Filter!! Or, just change it. I think most of my vibration was the engine making up for a dirty filter. I don't know why I put off changing the filter so long...
 
#145 ·
I too had the vibration & replaced each motor mount & didn't get any improvement until the passenger side mount was changed. I found out by chance that pushing down firmly on the top of the passenger mount will greatly increase the noise if it's a bad mount & help you pinpoint the problem. I also had a bad idle problem which was compounding the vibration issue so I ended up cleaning my MAF sensor with alcohol, fixing the kinked PCV hose on the backside of the motor, replacing the PCV valve, & replacing the upstream O2 sensor per engine code it kicked out while I was doing the motor mounts - what perfect timing on the 02 code, huh?
 
#146 ·
hey my hose is collapsed but i can pintch it right off and it wont make a diffrence...? there isent any holes..can i just go to napa and get a short chunk of hose for like 2 bucks? or is it a certain type of hose?
 
#148 ·
Thanks for the info everyone, I just noticed today that mine was totally collapsed too, ill get that changed this week i hope this wont be too expensive at the local stealership. Is it really hard to change that hose? or is there a tutorial somewhere in the forum that could help me?
Also I got a maybe stupid question, if it is stupid please forgive my ignorance, but could that vacuum hose beign collapsed make a transmission seem to lag because of the lack of vacuum that it should have?
 
#150 ·
Wow. I haven't been around much since I gave my Focus to my little sister for her 16th birthday and bought myself an Audi A4, but coming back and seeing 36,000 pageviews on this post it seems like I might have done some good. I'm really glad I was able to help everybody out.

Now, about that A4, anyone have ideas why one brake channel might refuse to bleed?

(/stupid car problems)
 
#153 ·
Well...it's going on 4 years! I can't believe it went by so fast.

I'm getting a new TB and TPS from a fellow on this forum and let's see if that solves some of the issues I'm currently having. I've got a CEL light on now permanently...was intermittent...but I think it's the TPS and always may have been...who knows with this car.
 
#154 ·
FIX for ENGINE STUMBLE

As previously reported in this thread, the engine stumble can be caused by the PCV hose from the rear of the intake manifold. This is a Motorcraft hose that is apparently only available from your local dealer with convenient hours. However for those of us who can't seem to be off in the middle of the M-F 8-4 timeframe here is a fix that seems to work and costs about $20.

First remove the offending hose (Motorcraft P/N C013A 988F-6N664-BA) and hold onto it. The hose clamp can be released by slipping a set of needle nose pliers into the two raised areas on the clamp and prying back until the clamp pops loose and you drop the needle nose into the engine compartment. The hose can then be removed by pulling and twisting.

Remove the opposite end of the hose with the aid of a long screw driver prying gently against the end of the hose.

Now take the hose to your local auto parts store and ask them for a replacement. They won't have it. So follow this up by asking if you can see all their hoses and match it up to one that is close in shape and size. They will invite you back to a wall of hoses and after looking for 10 minutes, you won't find it.

Now go to the wall of HELP! parts. These are parts that DORMAN has packaged to help you fix things that no one has parts for. Pick out P/N 46017 a PCV END Assembly. This part is 5/8" id on one end and elbows down to 3/8" id on the other. PERFECT. However it is about 1 1/2" long, so go over to the fuel line hose and cut 2 feet of 3/8" id hose. You only need one foot, but it's always good to have too much.


Now find the obscure area in the store where they sell VACU-TITE hose connectors and buy PN 47348 3/8" by 3/8" barbed straight hose connector. For the non US crowd that is 9,52 mm x 9,52 mm.


On the way out, buy a couple of hose clamps with a 5/16" to 7/8" range. You will buy a pack of 4 even though you only need one, then when you get home you'll find 3 of them that you still have from the last time you bought a 4 pack.

Now it's time to assemble. Insert the hose connector into the 3/8" side of the PCV END ASSEMBLY and then insert the other end of the connector into the 2 Ft. length of 3/8" fuel line. You may want to use some black electrical tape to wrap the connection.

A little white lithium grease on all the hose nipples makes everything slippery so it is easy to attach the hoses.

Trial fit the assembly and then cut the 3/8" fuel line hose down to the length that provides a large radius and keeps the hose from contacting any engine parts. For me this was about 13" long (12" would also work, but what the hell, I had a whole other foot to play with).

Now slip the 5/8" ID end of the PCV END ASSEMBLY over the hose nipple on the manifold, remembering to put a hose clamp over the end. Slide hose clamp in place and tighten. Not too tight, not too loose. Just right.

Now slip the other end (3/8" ID in case you get confused) onto the other hose nipple. Apparently this end doesn't require a clamp.

Only one thing left to do. Pull all the power fuses to reset the ECM. Fuses number 1 and 7 in the engine compartment fuse box on the 2000 SE seemed to work.

Now start the car and sit inside and revel in the glow of success and smooth idling.
 
#156 ·
Hey guys I need some of your help. I just went to the dealer for the second time and got a different parts person. Still got the same response. They can't find the hose in their system. I asked to look at the parts drawings on the screen and couldn't find anything that looked like the PCV hose. I printed out the picture of the old and new hoses side by side from this thread and they couldn't find out what is was. They are telling me that the car has been modified and it is not an OEM part. What dopes!! I live in a small town not wanting to travel 60mi to another dealer, I need someone to tell me where I can get the hose mailed to me.

I don't know how such a large American company can have such badly drawn documentation in their dealerships.

Thanks,

Jay
 
#157 ·
Har01d,

Thanks for your info on the PCV hose mod. I can't get the OEM part and just put together the parts that you specified. Pep Boys has the parts and I assembled them with no problems. The new fabricated assembly is much better than the OEM hose and I don't think I will have to replace it every five years like the poorly designed Ford part. This new assembly is more heavy duty than the thin wall hose Ford supplied. I don't know what is in some of the automotive engineers minds using such a flimsy part as such an integral part of the motor operation. You have to wonder if there are any design reviews involved before designs are released. I like the car but have had too many problems with it in just 80k miles.


Alternator at 60k, coil pack,valve cover gasket and plastic thermostat housing (another design from a genius) at 63k, rear wheel bearings at 65k, ign cycl at 66k (that was fun being stranded), power steering pump leak at 70k and now PCV hose at 80k. I have a '96 Explorer V8 with no where near this many problems.
 
#158 ·
Zetec PVC hose with part number still attached

 
#160 ·
it varies, some cars have idle problems, some stumble when they accelerate some run fine.....
 
#162 ·
Good afternoon Gang...

Has anyone substituted the YS4z-6N664-BA with the XS4Z or Vice Versa? I work for Dorman Products and we have released the YS4Z into the aftermarket. Should be able to get it from major retailers if your OE dealer does not have it in stock or its backordered.

They are similar parts, except the XS4Z has insolation from the heat and the one end is shaped differently. Almost as if the 2000 Zetec has something to interefere with the XS4Z from working. See images:



 
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