Hard Start Focus

[jeffnick]

I've got an '05 Focus. I noticed in the Tech section (I can't post there) that a fellow had one that was hard starting; ours does that too.

Ours started showing the problem at about 15,000 miles. We now have 30,000. Normally it'll fire up in 1 or 2 seconds. If I let go of the key after 2 or 3 seconds thinking it'll start, it gets a little stubborn...needing 5 or 6 seconds of cranking on the second or 3rd try to finally light up.

It's never failed to start, so I haven't worried about it.

We get 25 - 30 in the city and 34 - 39 on the highway @ 55 mph.

It's a great little get around machine.

 

[john112deere]

Yep...that's actually my father's car, but he was kind enough to lend it to me for a cross-country trip earlier this year. Yours sounds like it's doing exactly the same thing as his; I agree it's not a big concern, but since the car is still under warranty, he'd prefer to have it fixed, or at least officially noted as a problem. One thing the service adviser and I were discussing today was to try blipping the throttle (as though it was carbed) when it acts up, if it starts right up that would point toward the idle air controller (IAC).

Aside from that one minor issue (his has never failed to start, either), it's been perfectly reliable, and I averaged 35.7 mpg over 8,000 miles of highway driving (which made the nearly $4/gallon gas a lot easier pay for...).