2004 SVT 2.3 Power Loss

[GaryT]

I purchased my Focus brand new and just turned over 147,000 trouble free miles. I've performed oil changes at 3,000 mile intervals, auto-transmission fluid changes at 50K, 100K and just had it done again along with fresh engine coolant, new fuel filter and its very first brake job. The car has always had what I consider to be very impressive acceleration with passing power to spare. It's been one of those cars that you get attached to because the performance has consistantly been there for 9 years until about 2 weeks ago. I've noticed from an average standing start that it has a very obvious flat spot where the engine is not responding to accelerator pedal travel. As it begins to respond and pick up speed it is sluggish and lethargic. The engine has basically lost no less than 30% of its power and actually feels closer to 40%. putting my foot in it at 60 MPH, the tranny kicks down and the RPM's go up but the usual passing acceleration is non existant and it's straining to gain speed. In a nut shell it doesn't even feel like the same car. I never got the first CEL however when I took the car back up to my mechanic, he hooked up a code reader and it had stored a code that although he didn't provide, indicated that maybe one of the intake butterfly valve or "tumblers" as I have also heard them called had stuck open or closed (possibly a code P2004?). I dropped the car back off yesterday for him to make the repairs and picked it up today. He was gone but the owners wife told me that he had found a cracked and broken vacuum hose underneath the throttle body and to drive the car and see how it performed and if there was any improvement. From what I can tell he replaced the two hoses that connect to the two sensors located at the top front of the intake manifold but regardless, there is no change at this point. Tests indicate that the Catalytic converters are O.K. so shouldn't be a problem there. The air filter still seems to be O.K. although it probably won't be long before I'll need to convert to a K&N. I'm concerned that it's going to be tough to diagnose unless it is one of those butterfly valves. The car has always had a little stumble in it in the morning when I first take it up to about 45 or 50 but it seems to stumble more now even after it's warmed up. Anyone have a similar experience with their 2.3?

[Sponsor]

[GreySkorpion]

Wow, a sage green SVT with a automatic and 2.3......Sorry sir, your car does not exist.

But to help you out, switch the 2 solenoids on top of the intake manifold, the big black plastic piece on the front of the engine. It solved my problems, apparently one does little to nothing. This test has been proven to be effective many times.

Also, can you post up some pics of your car????

[03SCSVT]

I'm not too familiar with the 2.3 but I do own an SVT and I only see one small problem with this... SVT's were 6 speed only. I think what you might have is a ZX3. Also, Sage green was not an SVT color, not to say you cant get an SVT repainted though. Anyways, Welcome and I hope you find a fix to your problem!

[swansong]

Originally Posted by GreyScorpion

Wow, a sage green SVT with a automatic and 2.3......Sorry sir, your car does not exist.

Rudel's car is pretty close, just CD silver instead of green.

[Budderybunz]

You've owned this car for 9 years an have thought the whole time it was an SVT?

[tukaniSVT]

The 2.3 engine is definitely a rare breed.

And to tell you the truth, dealerships that had them back in 04, actually told people that it was an SVT Focus replacement "Or upgrade".

Shame on them.

Anyways, this sounds like a tranny issue to me.

Ray

[GreySkorpion]

Originally Posted by swansong

Rudel's car is pretty close, just CD silver instead of green.

Haha, you can't compare this guys knowledge with Rudels and his knowledge and build. The OP has one post......

[GreySkorpion]

Originally Posted by tukaniSVT

The 2.3 engine is definitely a rare breed.

And to tell you the truth, dealerships that had them back in 04, actually told people that it was an SVT Focus replacement "Or upgrade".

Shame on them.

Anyways, this sounds like a tranny issue to me.

Ray

Well hot dam, I got an SVT!!!!!

[ZXthrizzle05]

I have an svt rear does that make me an svt!!!

[GaryT]

Oh geez...O.K. cut me some slack guys, I'm an old man! At least I got 1 of the 3 letters and the color right...LOL! It's a ZXT and I honestlyy didn't mean to misidentify the car but I always associate the "S" with "sedan" and that's how I get off track. Anyway, I climbed aboard this morning at 5:00AM, fired up the faithful focus and started for work. Operating temperature at normal start and steady acceleration, the flat spot, hesitation and surging are gone and the transmission shifts exactly like it always has so at a minimum, replacement of the broken vacuum hose took care of that problem. I leveled off at around 50 to 55 and immediately felt the bucking and slight roughness that the car has had since new at this speed then it doesn't do it again the rest of the day unless the engine cools completely off. If I don't back off the accelerator and continue to slowly increase speed then it doesn't protest but continues to smoothly accelerate. Right after I got the car I found out that all of the 2.3 PZEV Focuses experienced the one time shuttering and roughness at around 45 to 55 so I didn't worry about it however it does feel like it may be a little more pronounced within the last 2 weeks. Now, here's what feels different...pulling onto the interstate at about 20 or so with the transmission already in 2nd or 3rd gear and kicking it down to 1st, the RPM's are there but the engine feels like its holding back until it shifts into 2nd then it launches like a rocket, shifts to 3rd and hits 65 in a heartbeat. I don't know, maybe the RPM's are already too high when the dowshift to 1st occurs but it didn't seem to be that way until recently...maybe a good starting place would be to disconnect the battery and let the ECU reset and see if that makes a difference. Also, passing speed seems weak, like running at around 60 to 65 and putting my foot in it, it kicks down like it should but the increase in speed seems sluggish. I pulled the vacuum hoses off of the sensors located on the front of the intake manifold one at the time to see what the affect would be. These are also the ones that the mechanic replaced. The one furtherest to the right side of the car seems to affect something in the top of the engine or in the intake manifold that makes a tapping noise, it quietens down when disconnected. Disconnecting the one to the left and closest to the throttle body causes a drop in RPM's at an idle and also causes a tapping noise in the top end of the engine or in the intake manifold. do these vacuum controlled sensors operate the butterfly valves located in the intake manifold? Thanks in advance for the help and again, I apologize for misidentifying my car.