Procedure:

2) Pull the wire harness off of the trunk release button behind the dash insert.

3) Disconnect the rubber top of the steering column cover from the dash insert. Put the dash insert in the back seat.

4) use a 7mm hex bolt driver to remove the 4 bolts on the top and bottom corners of the gauge unit

5) Using a small screwdriver, pry black lever open to release the cluster from the electrical connector.

6) Remove the cluster from the Dash

7) On the back of the cluster, there are several grey knobs, each of which holds a light bulb. If you know which one is burned out, open the knob behind that bulb. In the below photo, the instrument cluster is updside down and the odometer is the one that's all alone surrounded by white plastic near the upper and slightly right part of the photo:

8) Remove the bulb from this carrier, and put a new bulb in its place.

9) re-assemble in reverse order.]]> http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=88 On some Foci, the door latch starts to act flaky. The outer handle will either become reluctant to snap back into place or will completely fail to open the door. Also, the door may not latch properly without slamming it several times. These are both caused by the same problem, and it's easy to fix yourself!Time Required:
30-45 minutes

Tools Needed:

Procedure:

Procedure:

Procedure:

Initial troubleshooting

If you have access to a thermometer, run your A/C on high with recirculate, and leave the thermometer stuck in one of the vents. After driving around for a while, the air coming out should probably be between 40*F and 50*F unless it's very hot outside. If the air coming out is much warmer than this, your A/C is probably not functioning properly.

With the car running and A/C on Max, pop the hood and listen for or watch the A/C compressor pulley. It has a clutch, so the center of the pulley may spin intermittently. It should start and spin for 30 seconds or longer.

If after 90 seconds it never spins, make sure your A/C is turned on. If it spins for just a few seconds, stops, then starts again after a few seconds, it is short cycling. Either of these could be caused by low refrigerant levels. There may be a leak or something more serious at fault. You may try recharging the A/C system with a leak-indicator additive refrigerant. See advanced troubleshooting information at the end of this article for more information.

Pressure test and recharge

1) Get some tools and supplies together.
This kit, made by Interdynamics, contains 2 fairly large containers of R134a Refrigerant, one with UV dye, as well as a trigger-actuated refrigerant dispenser nozzle that has an integrated pressure gauge. To top it off, this kit also came with a UV-emitting LED pen-light, which makes the UV dye extremely visible to the naked eye without any need for special UV glasses. This kit is available at most auto-parts stores, and the dispenser nozzle and gauge are re-useable, and fit most R134a canisters. You'll also need the other tools mentioned above. If the A/C recharge kit requires assembly, follow the instructions that come with the kit.

2) With a Torx T30 driver, un-fasten the front part of the wheel well liner on the passenger side of the car.

3) With a Philips head screwdriver, un-fasten the 2 body snaps holding the wheel well liner. Then let the wheel well liner fall out of the way and rest on the tire.

4) Locate the Low-pressure A/C recharge port, which is on top of the reciever dryer (metal canister).

5) Attach the hose to the service port and examine the pressure. I've been told that while the car is off, a rule of thumb is that the pressure should be about the same as the ambient temperature in Fahrenheit. If it's 80 degrees outside, the pressure at this service port should be somewhere around 80 PSI.

6) Start the car and run the A/C on high with recirculation as shown below. This will make sure that the A/C pump is running as hard as possible. If the A/C compressor isn't running (you can usually hear it), the pressure may read high. If the A/C compressor never starts, or if it's short-cycling, the readings could be off.

7) If the system needs recharging, start adding refrigerant to the system per the instructions that came with the recharge kit. For this Interdynamics kit, you simply read the pressure, then momentarily hold the trigger down to add regrigerant. Release the trigger, and check the pressure again.

8) Once the pressure looks right, replace the plastic body snaps and torx screw that hold the wheel well liner in, and take the car for a drive with the A/C Cranked. If all went well, it should be nice and cool!

Advanced Troubleshooting

If there are any small leaks, you may try buying a canister of compressor-safe A/C leak sealer. This can usually be added to your system the same way you recharge it, so you shouldn't need to buy another hose if you bought a system like the one I used. If you encounter a large, hissing leak, or if your leak persists after adding stop-leak, you should see a professional mechanic.

There is a high-pressure service port under the hood (covered with a plastic cap, near the radiator). A high pressure gauge hooked up to this port, combined with the low pressure guage in the recharge kit, can point out a failure with the expansion valve or the compressor. These high-pressure gauges use a different size of connector, and are not usually sold with the "do-it-yourself" style A/C recharge kits. If you get one though, you should be able to watch the high pressure rise and the low pressure fall when the compressor kicks on. When the compressor is not running, the two gauges should start to equalize after a little while.

There are components of the A/C System (both electrical and mechanical) that don't leak when they stop working. There is also quite a bit of A/C plumbing and several components inside the car that can't be easily tested with dye. U/V dye can't troubleshoot all the problems! Here is a very small symptom chart with possible problems listed. Most of these problems require professional service, however.

Compressor never turns on:
* A/C Not running
-- Make sure fan is on HIGH, temperature selector is turned all the way to COLD, and that the A/C and recirculate light indicators are on (recirc doesn't work in defog mode)
* Electrical connector to compressor clutch is disconnected, or the circuit is bad (short/open/blown fuse)
-- Check connectors, fuses, and wiring for the compressor
* Refrigerant Pressure is too low
-- Check refrigerant pressure, add if needed
* A/C Pressure sensor, or the wiring to it is damaged or disconnected.
-- Visually inspect wiring going to the sensor (on my Focus, it's near the reciever/dryer, a "T" coming off the A/C hard line)
-- Check pressure sensor with a continuity tester or ohm meter, if circuit is open but system pressure is okay, the pressure switch may be faulty.
-- If switch tests okay, make sure its connector is plugged in firmly to the wiring harness.
-- May require a mechanic
* A/C Compressor clutch mechanism has failed
-- See a professional mechanic

Compressor short-cycles (on and off very quickly):
* Refrigerant Pressure is too low
-- Check refrigerant pressure, add if needed
* A/C Pressure sensor, or the wiring to it is damaged
-- Visually inspect wiring going to the sensor (it's near the reciever/dryer, a "T" coming off the A/C hard line)
* Expansion valve damaged
-- See a professional mechanic
* Compressor damaged
-- See a professional mechanic

Compressor is running but pressure stays very high
* Refrigerant pressure too high (overfilled)
-- See a professional mechanic. DO NOT VENT THE A/C LINES!
* Expansion valve damaged
-- See a professional mechanic
* Compressor damaged
-- See a professional mechanic

Compressor is running, pressure is good, but the system is not blowing cool air
* Temperature control malfunction
-- Check the HVAC temperature knob, the cables going to it, and the other end of the cable down in the center console in the driver's side foot well.
--These components should move when you change the temperature selector. If not, a cable may have become disconnected or may have broken. Re-attach or replace as needed
* Frozen or blocked evaporator
-- See a professional mechanic

Blower fan does not run or only runs on certain settings
* Blown fuse
-- Check the HVAC Fan fuse (see owner's manual)
* Damaged HVAC fan switch (common failure)
-- Test the switch with a multimeter, replace if needed
* Burned up HVAC fan resistor
-- Test the resistor going to the HVAC fan, replace if needed

As you can see, it's worth noting that mobile A/C service can be a very complex task, and quite often requires the use of expensive diagnostic equipment. HVAC technicians are usually licensed to handle refrigerants properly. They're also trained to troubleshoot and repair a whole variety of problems with air conditioner systems and they have all the right tools for the job. A lot of times a pair of cheap gauges, a blacklight and a kitchen thermometer simply don't cut it. Leaks inside the cabin usually require an expensive refrigerant detector (often called a "sniffer"). This is only one of many specialty tools that the pros use. Air conditioner systems are also very expensive, so if you're in doubt or worried about damaging something, take it to a pro. ]]> http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=85 You know the routine, go to the parts store, look for window cleaner that is safe on tinted windows, but what do you purchase? There are tons of brands out there, but which one works the best?

Truth: All of them.

Why spend $4 - $6 for some window cleaning solution when you can make your own from readily available supplies around the house? Dentless Dave (zetecgt on Focaljet) shows us how!Time Required:
5 Minutes

Tools Needed:

Procedure:

Formula:

All cleaning supplies are 90% water anyway, so really, when you pay 2.99 for window cleaner, you might as well be giving away free money.

The soap naturally does what soap does and lubricates the dirt off.

The alcohol help the cleaner to dry fast leaving a no streak finish and will help to break up any grease or oils that may be on the window.

You can buy 2.99 window cleaner that may last 3 months depending on how much you wash your windows... or, you can spend .99 on a bottle of alcohol, .99 for a bottle of soap, and mix it yourself and have enough to last you for a few years...]]> http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=84 As our Zetec engines get up there in miles and age, the valve cover gasket loses its elasicity and turns into a harder, brittle plastic type compound. Particularly when used with thinner oils and syntetics, a worn valve cover gasket can cause pretty alarming oil leaks. Fortunately, it's an easy fix that we can show you here!Time Required:
30 Minutes

Tools Needed:

Procedure:

Procedure:

1) Grasp MAFS Connector, depress upward-facing button with thumb and pull connector off (towards front of the car)

2) Using the Secure Torx T20 screwdriver (It's a Torx T20 with a hole in the center), unscrew the 2 screws holding the MAFS to the intake.

3) Pull the MAFS upward, out of the intake

4) Using Electronic Parts cleaner over a surface that won't get damaged (such as sidewalk or pavement), carefully spray out the inside of the Mass Air Flow Sensor, until the liquid that flows out of the sensor is clear and clean. Make sure to hit all the surfaces and spray liberally through all MAFS openings.

5) Allow the MAFS to dry completely. With CRC QD cleaner, it shouldn't take very long. It evaporates rapidly at room temperature, and almost instantly in the summer heat.

6) Place MAFS back onto intake, making sure that it's orientation is correct. Assembling it incorrectly may cause your car to operate poorly.

7) Replace the 2 Secure Torx screws.

8) Replace the MAFS wiring connector, snap it firmly into place. ]]> http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=82 The emergency brake, e-brake, hand brake, or whatever you wish to call it, sometimes gets to feeling loose, where it will no longer hold the car steady in your driveway or provide any semblance of "emergency" stopping power. It's easy to tighten, though. Here's how.Time Required:
10 minutes

Tools Needed:

Procedure:

First, remove the front cupholder inserts (if equipped), exposing two philips-head screws

Next, firmly grasp the rear cupholder and coin-holder as shown below, and pull upwards. If you have a center console arm-rest, the procedure may be vastly different.

Then, with the ratchet, 10mm socket and extension, remove the 3 nuts holding the rear of the center console down

Remove the philips screws in the front cupholders

Next, make sure the shifter boot is disconnected. You can try to do it the way it's shown in the photo below, or you can simply remove the knob by twisting it counter-clockwise, and the boot will stay on the console but slide off of the shifter.

Pull the handbrake lever up as far as you can, which is probably really far if you're reading this article

The center console should lift up and out with a little maneuvering. pull the handbrake boot up over the handle while removing the console.

Once the console is removed, you'll see a nut attached to a threaded spindle on the driver's side of the handbrake. Get on it with the 10mm deep socket and start tightening. Righty-tighty, lefty loosey! Put your finger under the handbrake cable that's exposed behind the lever to feel how loose it is. When it starts putting pressure on your finger, you've probably got it tight enough, or close. Over-tightening it will result in damage to your braking system and you might actually lock your rear wheels up, making it impossible to drive. Use common sense.

Here's a picture of my spindle after I tightened mine. My handbrake was almost completely ineffective before I tightened it, your mileage may vary

You might want to test the brake before putting everything back together. When adjusted properly, somewhere between 5-8 clicks will provide a good hold on the brakes. If it's hard to pull after just one or 2 clicks, you're way too tight. Re-assemble everything in reverse order once you're satisfied.

Closing note: If you tighten the handbrake, you may have to take it apart again to loosen it before you can replace the rear brake pads or drums.]]> http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=81 DPFE sensor failure is a fairly common problem on the Focus, and as more and more older foci get more and more miles, the failures are becoming a lot more common. The symptoms are a "stumble" and what feels like an erratic loss of power when cruising around at partial throttle. This article addresses DPFE and EGR concerns, and is a compilation of information that has been posted on the Focaljet.com forums on the subject.

Definitions:

Description of the EGR and DPFE system:

When gas flows through the EGR tube, the two tubes leading to the DPFE Sensor get pressurized. There's a differential in the pressure, one tube has more pressure than the other one. The DPFE registers the amount of pressure difference and can tell how much exhaust gas is flowing through the EGR system. It tells the PCM how much is flowing, and The PCM uses this reading to control the actuator.

DPFE Sensor Failure

If you're experencing stumble or hesitation while cruising, and think that it might be related to DPFE sensor failure, try one of the workarounds listed toward the end of this article. If the stumble goes away, then your DPFE sensor is more than likely failing. Of course, replacement of the bad DPFE sensor is the official recommended fix for this problem. However, workaround #2 listed in this article takes a while longer to perform but makes for a nice semi-permanent solution that won't cause any damage or check engine light warnings if the DPFE Sensor hasn't completely died. Workaround #1 only takes a few seconds but is good for making a quick diagnosis to see if the EGR system is leaning out and causing problems.

Identification of EGR system components

Photo of the more common style DPFE Sensor:

On some '01 foci, the DPFE sensor is a more squarish black box with a 3-wire plug in the top and 2 hoses coming off the bottom, it sits almost on top of the EGR pipe, and is located somewhat under the air intake tube. It also connects to the EGR pipe via rubber hoses, but the hoses just stand straight up and they're short. There are actually 2 different DPFE sensors for this location, but they are both located in the same place, and look similar. Yours may not look exactly like the one in this photo, though.

Photo of the '01 replacement DPFE Sensor (thanks to Jaspo from the FocalJet forums):

Basically, follow the EGR pipe until you see 2 metal tubes next to each other split off from it, then follow those to the rubber hoses and those hoses to the DPFE sensor.

The EGR Actuator is an electric device that allows small amounts of vacuum pressure to pass on to the EGR Valve.
Photo of EGR Actuator (DPFE Sensor wiring and a hose removed for clarity):

The EGR Valve is a vacuum-operated gate that opens up to allow exhaust gases to travel from the exhaust manifold to the intake manifold for recycling.
Photo of EGR Valve with vacuum hose attached to the top:

Replacement of DPFE Sensor

You replace the DPFE sensor by un-bolting it from the firewall with a 10mm socket (unless you have the less common '01 DPFE Sensor), pulling the old one off the rubber hoses, disconnecting the wire harness from it, putting the new one back onto the rubber hoses (the same way it came off), re-attaching the wire harness and bolting it back to the firewall.

If you hook the rubber hoses up wrong, you'll get a CEL. Nothing harmful, but you'll need to swap them. :)

DPFE Sensor Failure Workarounds

Work around #1 (Temporary) : http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=66 All this does is stops your EGR Valve from being able to open. If your car is running like crap, try this first. If this fixes the problem, then you know it's likely your DPFE sensor, or less likely, some other EGR Malfunction. All EGR malfuctions I've ever seen on the Focus (a LOT of them) were DPFE related. This method will eventually cause a check engine light (CEL) due to "insufficient EGR flow"

Photo of EGR Block-off. Shown: a vacuum line splitter with caps on it. A plastic golf tee, screwdriver bit or anything that fits snugly inside the tube to block off air will work as well:

Work around #2: Take the hose off the EGR Valve like shown above, except then pull both hoses off the DPFE Sensor, and re-attach the hose that used to go to the EGR Valve, to the "Ref" hose port on the DPFE Sensor. This only works if your DPFE sensor is starting to fail but hasn't gone completely kaput yet. What this does is instead of opening the EGR valve when the PCM says to, it will now apply vacuum to the "Reference" sensor for the DPFE, and thus, the "Hi" sensor will see more pressure than the reference sensor sees, so the PCM is tricked into thinking that the EGR valve is working properly. If the DPFE sensor is completely shot, you'll get an "Insufficient EGR flow" CEL either way, hooked up this way or the original way, so it doesn't really hurt anything. The bonus here is that hot exhaust gases aren't destroying the DPFE sensor when it's hooked up this way, so the DPFE sensor will likely last longer. Remember to plug the 2 metal tubes that come off the larger metal EGR pipe. Failure to do so will result in hot exhaust fumes being released under the hood. This is not only noisy, but could possibly result in carbon monoxide getting inside your car while driving.

Photo of DPFE workaround, using the older style DPFE sensor. Notice that the vacuum line that used to go into the top of the silver EGR Valve is now hooked up to the "REF" port, the port on the passenger side, of the DPFE sensor, and the other DPFE hose has been removed.

Work-around #3: FocusSport/SCT chip with EGR system disabled. Ovbiously an expensive route, but if you were looking at a chip anyways, you can leave everything hooked up like stock, even if your DPFE sensor is totally done for, and just order your FS/SCT program(s) with the EGR disabled. Basically, you can save the hassle of buying a DPFE sensor AND a performance chip, by just getting the chip and having the EGR system disabled.

A thread on Focaljet with a lot of members comments on the DPFE problem ]]> http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=80 Did you know that almost all of the visible swirl marks on a car’s painted surface are from improperly washing and drying your vehicle? That is indeed the truth; the main culprit of those unsightly swirl marks and light scratches is routine washings. The best way to stop developing new swirls (or avoid them altogether) is to adopt a safer washing regime. This guide, put together by Pzev (from the focaljet.com forums) will describe washing your vehicle using the two-bucket method. This method has been proven to reduce the amount of swirls left on your vehicles finish after each wash.Time Required:
A few hours

Tools Needed:

Procedure:

Now that you have the buckets filled put them aside. It’s now time to rinse the car. You should use the highest amount of pressure possible (less than 1750 PSI if using a pressure washer) to clean as much of the dirt as possible from the surface to avoid marring the surface when washing. Take your time; this is a very important step. You should also be careful to avoid hitting the car with the hose nozzle, or the hose itself as this can scratch the surface.

Now that the car is rinsed thoroughly its time to move onto the actual washing process and this is where you should pay extra special attention. You need to take the buckets you filled earlier and position them around the car. If you are using four buckets, position one on each corner of the car. If you are using two, position them at the corners on the side of the car that faces the hose. This is done to make sure the hose does not get caught under the wheels when moving to the other side of the vehicle. Once positioned its time to begin washing. Take one of the mitts and saturate it with soapy water, DO NOT RING IT OUT. Once saturated, proceed to wash from the highest point of the vehicle one panel at a time working your way down. If possible use forward and back motions, not circles. After you wash a panel, place the mitt in the rinse bucket and swish it around and ring it out. Start the process all over again until you wash two or three panels; you will then want to rinse the car again to keep the soap and water from drying on the surface. You will continue to do this until you are almost to the bottom of the car. Once you are almost at the bottom, go back and re-wash any spots that you missed or that need a second pass. When you are satisfied that the upper portion of the car is clean, proceed to wash the bottom most parts of the vehicle. The reason you want to wait to wash the lowest portions until the very end is because these areas are usually the dirtiest and the mitt will pose a higher risk of scratching if you wash other areas afterwards.

If you are using four buckets the process is no different except that once you are finished with one side of the vehicle, you will move on to the next side and continue using the other set of buckets and wash mitts. The only advantage is not having to lug around two buckets when moving to the other side of the vehicle.

If for some reason you feel the wash mitt is no longer clean, toss it aside and switch to a fresh mitt. Also, if for any reason you drop the mitt on the ground, switch to a fresh mitt. The objective here is to limit the amount of surface scratching and swirling caused by dirt impregnated in the wash mitt. This is why it is handy to have several mitts on hand when washing.

FINAL RINSING:
Once the vehicle has been thoroughly washed, its time to rinse. The final rinse process is important, as it determines the final amount of water that will be left to dry. After all of the soap residue is removed with high pressure water, remove any hose attachments and let the water flow out of the hose with low pressure. With the low pressure water, start at the highest point of the vehicle and proceed to let the water flow over the surface. Follow the natural curves of the vehicle, and chase the water downward with the hose. The low-pressure water flow will cause it to sheet off of the cars surface leaving very little water to dry. If done properly, you can remove up to 90% of the standing water from the surface of the car before you even touch a towel!

DRYING:
Most people are worn out after washing their vehicle, so they spend little time drying. Drying a car is often the most disliked chore of car detailing because it can take as long as actually washing the car. Unfortunately, if the surface is improperly dried it is possible to induce severe swirl marks or worse yet leave residual water that can dry and leave paint etching water spots.

It is very important to properly dry your car each and EVERY time you wash…no exceptions.

While time consuming, the drying process is actually very simple. The first step is to remove as much water as possible from the surface before using towels. This can be accomplished with forced air from a compressor/ leaf blower, or by using a California Water Blade. It is important to remember when using a CWB that it is vital that the surface be clean, otherwise you WILL scratch the surface when contaminants get caught between the blade and the paint.

When you are ready to move on to towels, there is only one thing to remember….NO MOTION. Scratching is caused when a contaminant is scraped across the surface. If there is no sliding motion, there is no scratching. When using drying towels, lay them across the surface and apply pressure. Try not to move the towels. When that area is dry move onto the next, continuing until all the water has been absorbed into the towel. It is more than likely that you will need to use more than one drying towel, so be prepared with another one on hand.

After the exterior surface is dried it’s important to make sure the doorjambs are cleaned and dried. Using the all purpose micro fiber towels proceed to wipe the excess water from the door jambs, hatch opening, trunk seems, or any other area residual water rests. Don’t forget the wheels.

I hope this guide explained the benefits of using the two-bucket method for auto washing. If you use care when washing and drying your vehicle you will enjoy a like new finish for many years to come.]]> http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=79