[Stephs2.0Focus]

My car stalled TWICE today........[bigcry].
But both were at a stop, thank god. I pushed down the gas pedal about 40% down and she moved about 5 feet and died. The A/C was still on and all other electrics. But she just gave out. I pulled over and checked under the hood. Everything was fine, so I started her up. She turned on like nothing happend. The second time she stalled was pretty much the same thing. I know in the past couple of day on steep hills/overpasses her idle will rise. I noticed earlier this morning she didnt feel the same (power wise). I have to push the gas pedal down about 40-50% to get her to "go", and thats with an aftermarket TB. I am ATX but still, I can usually push down the gas pedal 10-20% and she will want to go! So, I am without a clue. I checked most of the hoses I could see from up top, and all were on tight. I have had sooo many problems the past year; 3 flat tires, "bad" ball bearing, cracked drum, chewed spindle, fuel pump (recall), busted rear window (someone broke into my car), ignition cylinder lock-up (should be a recall), and a dead battery.I must have put in over 3k in my car due to all the bad stuff that has gone wrong. All of that in about 11 months!!! I have a feeling that the fuel filter may be clogged. Thats all I can think of that would cause any of that. If I go to Ford, they want me to pay $80 to have them look at it. I think that is too damn much money. Please!!! Can someone help me out here. I sooo feel helpless. Any advice or anything will do. Thank you in advance, Stephanie[V].

 

[revamp]

there is a recall out for your fuel filter. Contact the dealer and have them run your VIN, or go to www.myford.fordvehicles.com and register to view recalls on your car.

*EDIT* I meant fuel pump

 

[blight0x]

Go to AutoZone or Advanced Auto and have them run a diagnostic on your car.. To see if you have a do it yourself fixable problem.. and its Free. And if its not something your comfortable doing.. you can go to ford and say "Hey, fix this so and so.." Instead of them solving the problem and charging you $80 for it.

 

[Blurvfocus]

This could be a lot of things. I tend to shy away from the fuel filter idea but it's cheap and easy to change, so start there. Other than that, check your codes; see if there are any clues there.

 

[blight0x]

When was the last time your Fuel Filter was changed?? I believe its recommended that its replaced every 30,000 miles.

 

[Stephs2.0Focus]

*Update*
Revamp: I had my fuel pump replaced already. The reason I thought it may be the fuel filter is because in all of the recall's I have read, they say that the damaged fuel pump can "clog" the fuel filter. I was hoping it could be the fuel filter because it is not that expensive.

blightOx: I was considering going to Autozone, but I wasnt sure that they would do it for free. That, and I was worried that their equipment isnt that accurate. I guess I will try that and see how that goes. Also, my car has 3.5K on her right now. And I know you have to change the fuel filter every 30k. Another reason I was hoping that could be the problem.

Blurvfocus: From what I can see, she isnt throwing any codes or lights. She isnt even overheating.

I really am in deperate need of help/assistence. I dont have the money to take her to Ford right now (my b-day is this weekend). If anyone can help out with advice or anything, please post. I am open to any ideas right now. Thanks to everyone who has posted. Keep the posts coming.......
Stephanie

 

[revamp]

if you are out of warranty and not having recall work done, then there is never any reason to take your car to Ford to be serviced. You will only get half-assed work that takes three times as long for double the price of anywhere else.

 

[Stephs2.0Focus]

*Update*
I just called Autozone and they said where I live (Bakersfield,Ca.), they dont do free diagnostics anymore due to some new county law. I didnt even bother asking why, its probably some stupid reason. They said I could rent on for a $180 deposit fee. Which again, I dont have that type of money right now. Even if I do get it back when I am done, I just cant afford it right now.

Revamp: Yeah, thats exactly how I feel. I am over my warranty in years, but not miles. When I bought her last year she had 18k on her. I wouldnt take my car to Ford for maintenece work anyway. Also, no other dealer where I live charges money just to look at your car. My boyfriends brother just bought an 03 or 04 Chevy Silverado SS and he dosent have to pay for just someone to look at his car. My parent bought a new VW Bettle and a Chevy Trailblazer and they dont have to pay either. I dont know about Ford anymore. Anyway, thanks for the help Revamp. I really appreciate it.

Keep the posts coming everyone........

 

[blight0x]

Wow.. i bet Autozone is pretty PO'd about that.. I'm sure that is how they get alot of business. Because i've taken buddies of mine to Autozone to have them run the diagnostic on they're vehicals and found that it was somthing that we could handle fixing, and we bought the parts from Autozone.

But i would consider replacing the fuel filter anyway if you say you have 35,000 miles on your 2000. I have no idea what is inside that filter or how it would decay in filtering but it is probably very due for a change if it hasnt been.

If that doesnt make any sense im sorry =P

 

[blight0x]

And its fairly cheap to replace the filter. If i remember right.

 

[Stephs2.0Focus]

Yeah, I am probably going to change the filter REAL soon. I called around on my day off yesterday to find out how much it would be, and the cheapest I found was $58 and some change. I printed out the fuel filter replacement HOW-TO for my boyfriend to look at. Maybe him and his friends could help me change it, and all I'll have to do is buy the fuel filter. I just dont want it to be something else besides the filter. Thats why I came on here asking if that's what the problem is. Or, if there are other things it could be. And what to check for, etc. Thank you very much for the help. Keep those posts coming........

 

[Scott_SVT]

if you are stalling at stoplights, I doubt the fuel filter will be the problem, although its a good idea to replace it anyway..

It might be a faulty Idle air control motor, or even a throttle position sensor.

Also, although rare, I have seen torque converter problems with symptoms like yours.

 

[penguin]

"Even if I do get it back when I am done, I just cant afford it right now. "

Unless you are maxed out on your credit cards, they often take a credit card charge for a deposit and credit it back when you return the code reader, i.e., no cash out of pocket as long as you return it on time.

 

[Stephs2.0Focus]

Scott_SVT:I didnt stall at a stop, I stalled accelerating from a stop. I thought it might be the fuel filter because I know having a recalled fuel pump can damage the fuel filter. I had my fuel pump replaced in January. I was thinking that the fuel filter may be clogged. Which might explain the stalls I had. As for your comments on my TPS sensor, I have a FC 65mm TB. I havent had any problems with the TB. I installed it just as FC explained, about 7 months ago. I think if it was going to give me a problem, it would've happened a while back. I will check the TB and look for anything unusual. What do you mean by torque converter? I dont know much about tranny work. Thanks for your post.

penguin: What I meant by that is, I dont have $118 dollars right now. I dont own any credit cards due to bad credit. All I own is a bank Visa check card, which I owe money on right now due to car stuff. Which is also why my credit isnt so great. If I had the money, trust me I would get it. Thank you for your post aswell.

I need some help everyone. Keep your posts coming...........

 

[Stephs2.0Focus]

bump

 

[Poney]

Mine did that one time, and it turned off and wouldnt come back on. I poped the hood and saw that my intake came disconnect formt he TB. You may want to check the clamps on your stocke air box, or if you have a CIA. just a suggestion

 

[Stephs2.0Focus]

Poney: My intake is fine. I checked about everything that is visible from the top of the hood when she stalled a couple of days ago. Everything is where it should be and tightened down. Thanks for your post. Keep the posts coming........

 

[RecoilRob]

When an engine stops running , it is most often because it lacks fuel or spark. Fuel related stalling shouldn't be happening to you due to pump or filter as the amount of fuel required for low RPM operation is SO low that even a wounded pump and clogged filter can normally suppy enough to make it run. Pump/filter problems normally show themselves at high load/RPM.

I see that you have aftermarket sparkplugs in her. For how long? Were they the stock heat range or colder? If the computer starts to see the emmissions going up, it will increase the idle speed to try to compensate. You did say that this has been happenening lately?

Before going too much farther into 'what ifs', you might try putting a set of stock plugs in for diagnostic purposes. You don't need to put platinums....just a regular plug of the right heat range. They won't last as long as a platinum, but we are just trying to figure out what is wrong here so cheaper is better.

One thing to remember about the ignition systems on modern cars......they are able to make a high-voltage spark but it comes at the expense of current flow. The plugs will foul a LOT easier on todays cars than the old ones.....especially if you are running a colder than stock plug.

Hope you get your problem worked out cheaply.

 

[Stephs2.0Focus]

*Update*

I went to Kragen and bought a fuel filter. My boyfriend and his friends changed the fuel filter on Saturday(my birthday). All I have to say is........WOW! She is running sooooo much better. The fuel filter was so clogged up, it was 2-3 times heavier than the new one I bought. Not only that, he made me try to blow threw the old fuel filter. You could just barely blow threw it! I guess the problem the filter was so filthy, it was giving me dangerously low fuel pressure. Thats why she would take a while to get to speed, that and all the other problems I was having with her. So she is back to her old gutsy self. Who would have known a simple part like that would cause the problems I was having. I would like to thank Focus Fanatics for having the HOW-TO on changing your fuel filer(which I used and works well). Here is a message to all you Focus Fanatics, get your fuel filters changed if you are overdue(5 years or 30-40k)! Its cheap, easy, and will help you in the long run.

 

[blight0x]

w00t w00t!!! Glad to here shes up and running strong again! That makes me happy. Blowing thru a used fuel filter.. no thanks! You have guts girl!