100,000 mile diesel Focus won't crank (sometimes).

[Diver Fred]

Just an updated, we changed the starter last weekend, and it all works fine now. Thanks to everyone who chipped-in with suggestions! He's bought another car anyway, so he's going to clean it up and stick it on Autotrader.

Hope he watches Wednesday 01/02/23 Beeb One Show first. Matt Alright had an item on 'On-line' car trading - beware.

 

[Avocet]

Hope he watches Wednesday 01/02/23 Beeb One Show first. Matt Alright had an item on 'On-line' car trading - beware.

Thanks. Hopefully, (living in the wild wastes of Cumbria, and with it not being a particularly valuable car), he will avoid the worst of the scammers!

 

[securespark]

For anyone who comes here afterwards, AFAIR, there are three main issues:

Starter motor as mentioned.

Part of the ignition switch assembly (forget what it is called) that is made of plastic and when it fails, starting is hit and miss.

The third issue with some Focuses (Foci???) is a really bizarre one: the connections on the back of the instrument binnacle can go dicky and cause starting issues.

 

[ericmark]

My Jag and Kia both have a system so you can't start it and it shoot off, the Jag automatic needs one to press the brake peddle, and the Kia manual depress the clutch.

We had a problem with the Jag where you could press the brake hard enough to switch off the warning light which says press brake to start, but not hard enough to start it. We actually fitted a new battery before the RAC man worked out the problem, if we had sat in the car waiting, it was easy to touch the brake so using up all the vacuum, so it needed pressing a little harder to start it, so RAC man pushing brake peddle with hand not enough effort, he had to actually push with foot to get enough force.

Same with Kia and the clutch, it has to go all the way to start, if not it will not start.

 

[Mottie]

We had a problem with the Jag where you could press the brake hard enough to switch off the warning light which says press brake to start, but not hard enough to start it.

I once took a new motorbike back under warranty for a similar problem. Pull the brake lever, heard a 'click', brake light came on but it wouldn’t turn over. I left it with them. Turned out you had to squeeze it just a little bit harder to get a second 'click'. Embarrassing!

 

[Diver Fred]

My Jag and Kia both have a system so you can't start it and it shoot off, the Jag automatic needs one to press the brake peddle, and the Kia manual depress the clutch.

We had a problem with the Jag where you could press the brake hard enough to switch off the warning light which says press brake to start, but not hard enough to start it. We actually fitted a new battery before the RAC man worked out the problem, if we had sat in the car waiting, it was easy to touch the brake so using up all the vacuum, so it needed pressing a little harder to start it, so RAC man pushing brake peddle with hand not enough effort, he had to actually push with foot to get enough force.

Same with Kia and the clutch, it has to go all the way to start, if not it will not start.

It was drummed into me when I learnt to drive to always fully depress the clutch and footbrake pedal. Told that was to reduce the load on the starter motor when starting. I was also taught to leave a car in gear when stopped. Mind you my first instructor was an ex-military driver.

Both the cars we have now won't start without footbrake applied. The 2010 Golf I had would not start without clutch operated.

 

[Wayners]

Fit a Bluetooth battery monitor. Connects to phone app. They are £25 ish.
That will tell you if starter motor is pulling too much power. Also check battery and charge rate .

Turns out my crack voltage was too high killing battery

 

[ericmark]

Depressing clutch when not required can wear out the carbon thrust pad, so I was taught not to depress clutch, OK now they have roller races so diffrent.

As to leaving in gear, hand brake off so the cable will not freeze, that ended up with Landrover in ditch when a fault in harness caused it to start cranking during the night.

However had to press clutch on digger to start it, which stopped kids starting it when the broke into council depot. The had played bumping cars with other vehicles.

Today unlikely car will start even if cranked, but in times gone by the stop cable auto returned to start position.

But there are some odd things, lazy starter is where bearing worn so on a cold morning the armature bends slightly and touches pole shoes, so it acts as a brake and increases load, so it bends even more, so warm days starts no problem, but cold days hardly turns over the engine.

But you can hear it straining so you know what's wrong.