*Engine Failure – possible cause*

[Kenny]

Send me the photos and videos Liam and I will upload them – kenny@mk3focusrs.club

[Ukjon]

Thanks Liam,

Mine is October build and 3,000 miles – not sure if you have cheered me up or not…………………..!

Regards

[9designs]

I was chatting with a chap at an event on Sunday, not sure if he posts here, but is a fellow RSOC member. the story he had heard, was that the blocks are cast in multiple suppliers locations, and a couple had tempeture uses for a while causing sub standard blocks. Also you can tell if you have a later block or a non affected block by looking at a couple of core plug bolts above the starter motor.

If they are socket Allen head bolts it’s later/okay, if hex head could be affected etc.

I have no idea how true any of this is, could be internet myth, we compared his 17 plate, Jan built car with my June/July 16 built and they were the same.  Thought share it in case it has any merit.

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Magnetic Grey with all the best bits

FPM375/COBB/MSD-  Quaife LSD,  DSC+Tractive  Suspension,  HJS200 cell sports cat and MT Cooler. Sync3 upgrade.

Was UK seller for DSC & Tractive  Active suspension !!!

    

[Mark Beaumont]

Hi all, my RS is in having a new head gasket after it kept losing coolant and lots of thick white smoke on start up. It’s exactly a year old now, went back to ford and told them they’ve sold me a car not fit for purpose and asked if they want to buy it back and supply with the new 17 plate version. Offered me £28k for mine and want £35,349 for the new one. My car as done 7k miles so now they want me to pay 7 grand for the exact same car. I think it’s a piss take. I’m thinking of threatening them with emailing fast ford magazine and top gear magazine reporting this issue that ford don’t seem to want to put there hands up to. Any thoughts on what other actions I should take are welcomed

cheeRS

[Neil]

Cause them as much shit as u can they should just give u a new car if they sold u a pile of shit

[71-bda]

@ Mark Beaumont, I’m guessing your car was about £32000 when new a year ago?  £4000 depreciation is superb on a 30 grand car in 12 months, if you had bought any other make you would have been taking at least an 8 grand kick, and on some marques even more !! Surely you do not expect your money back or zero depreciation after 12 months? and as for giving them as much $hit as you can, I don’t think you will find that works as well as going in and being civil and treating them with respect, that will get you treated a lot better than shouting your head off and getting involved in a slagging match !

Have you had the car mapped or modded? Do you give it a lot of throttle at low revs/ when in a high gear? ie like full throttle at 1500 revs in 2nd or wide open throttle in 6th while doing say 50mph? You may well find you end up with a brand new full engine, thats not to be sniffed at ! have you got any pics of your car?  Cheers, Mike

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No nothing.

No Mods. No rockers. Just a chunky knob, thats now been replaced by an RS knob innit.

No tackiness.

Std as Ford intended, but with a space saver wheel and jack and nuts and wheel brace. oh.. and flaps, a man has got to have flaps.

Innit?

 

[Kenny]

Have they gave you the option of a new engine Mark?

[Ukjon]

Afternoon All,

If I may stick my oar in, there is merit in both sides of the discussion. Whilst I am not here to take sides and if I was – then I would probably steer towards Mike’s ‘argument.’ However, in fairness to Mark, I think more needs to be done to highlight this issue and it is time Ford should come clean with RS owners – particularly as this could effect any of us at some time down the road.

I would steer clear of FastFord and TopGear and direct my enquiry to WhatCar or maybe Which magazine. Both have rock solid followers and circulation – and they seem to deal with ‘customer’ complaints or concerns in a professional manner and nearly always get a response from ‘the other side.’

Hope this helps Mark?

Regards

[71-bda]

I personally would not go blabbing about this issue to the national press/motoring press, it only takes a bit of bad news to go viral and then suddenly we have a lemon on our hands that suddenly becomes worthless, unsellable and drops like a stone in value because what? in  reality maybe 1% of MK3 focus RS’s have had an overheating/waterloss engine issue? maybe 15000 made so far? 150 with the issue? less? a few more? its no big deal, there is something known as warranty. don’t panic folks.

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No nothing.

No Mods. No rockers. Just a chunky knob, thats now been replaced by an RS knob innit.

No tackiness.

Std as Ford intended, but with a space saver wheel and jack and nuts and wheel brace. oh.. and flaps, a man has got to have flaps.

Innit?

 

[Mark Beaumont]

It cost me £34k last June, so that’s a £6k loss, I’ve only asked them to buy it back as I’ve no confidence in the car and asked for this years model which I believe as an updated engine to cut the risk of this happening again. I realise cars do depreciate but my point is I’m swooping like for like and only because of the trouble I’ve had with this car.  I’d expect a gesture of goodwill like meet me halfway or at least a big discount instead of trying to make an extra 7 grand out of me. As for it being no big deal let’s wait til it happens to you and see how you feel.

Kenny, they never gave me the option of a new engine, had they done that I would be looking to keep the original car. This is why I’m moaning because they offered me a new car at the inflated price.

[Kenny]

They should surely be changing the engine under warranty?

[Neil]

I think you are spot on mark  as for it being no big deal Id say that if  something minor was no good but not the engine. I’d expect ford to be a lot more proactive and sort this to your benefit

[Mark Beaumont]

Kenny, I’m going in to my local Ford dealership where my car as been for the last two weeks and again push for a new engine.

The salesman that tried to push the new car my way actually told me they have another RS undergoing the same work in their workshop but told me “you’ve not heard that from me”

 

[rsdom]

“we have now lol” , good luck with it buddy not right that you spend nearly 35k and have car laid up in dealers

I would push for a new engine, I have not heard of anyone else only having the head gasket done under warranty, always a new engine minus ancillaries, turbo etc as they use existing

[Mark Beaumont]

I walked in the workshop last week uninvited as I saw them working on my car. He was removing the spark plugs at the time and to my horror the plug in cylinder one was completely shattered ( the white ceramic part in bits) had he removed it, the debris would have gone down the plug hole and into the engine so he had to blow the fragments out with an air line and put double sided tape on the end of a screwdriver and pick the larger pieces out.

Any ideas why a plug would shatter in this way??

[Author]

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