The Missymobile: Ford Focus - Zoflora to the rescue

[Missy Charm]

Today I have replaced both headlight bulbs, dipped beams, and the rear wiper blade.  Dedicated readers will know that the old wiper blade had split, as well as there being an intermittent fault with the nearside dipped headlight.  I have been told that the light problems could relate to the bulb, so I have replaced it and the other one to see what happens; start simple and work up, as usual.  

The car has also been checked over and cleaned inside and and out.  Not a bad day, although the remote key battery might be on the way out.  

[Missy Charm]

A quick missive about the motor, which is still motoring on:

Recent MOT pass!  Hooray!  Not fully clean, but what's a rusty spring between friends?  

Recent rust and flaking paint!  Boo!  Only some very minor stuff inside rear arches that came off with a wire brush and glasspaper.  I have repainted it with silver Hammerite as a temporary measure.  Seems to have halted the corrosion, at least.  One of the sills is now bubbling a bit, too.  I see welding in the future.  

Air conditioning: still broken.  Don't care.  

Side repeaters have been replaced with some very cheap pattern items from a local factor.  One of the original repeaters fell to bits recently (the Ford ones are rubbish to begin with) and I was left with something of a problem.  A trip to the local place produced a pair of 'crystal' finish items that look like they came from a Christmas cracker but actually fit quite nicely.  They work, which is all that's needed.  

Now clean inside and out, again.  

Water in boot!  Boo!  The boot isn't actually leaking, but ended up with water in thanks to the Focus's well documented Niagara Falls act whenever the tailgate is opened.  Rainwater pools along the top of the hatch then cascades down the sides when it is lifted and, usually, ends up pouring into the boot through the tailgate aperture.  There is nothing to divert the runoff, meaning that significant quantities of water can enter the car.  I found that out to my cost when lifting the boot carpet and discovering that the backing felt was sopping wet and slightly mouldy.  A quick clean and disinfect has solved all that and the carpet is back in.  It'll inevitably get wet the next time I open the boot, but you can't have everything.  

Think that's all for now.  

[grogee]

17 hours ago, Missy Charm said:

A quick missive about the motor, which is still motoring on:

Recent MOT pass!  Hooray!  Not fully clean, but what's a rusty spring between friends?  

Recent rust and flaking paint!  Boo!  Only some very minor stuff inside rear arches that came off with a wire brush and glasspaper.  I have repainted it with silver Hammerite as a temporary measure.  Seems to have halted the corrosion, at least.  One of the sills is now bubbling a bit, too.  I see welding in the future.  

Air conditioning: still broken.  Don't care.  

Side repeaters have been replaced with some very cheap pattern items from a local factor.  One of the original repeaters fell to bits recently (the Ford ones are rubbish to begin with) and I was left with something of a problem.  A trip to the local place produced a pair of 'crystal' finish items that look like they came from a Christmas cracker but actually fit quite nicely.  They work, which is all that's needed.  

Now clean inside and out, again.  

Water in boot!  Boo!  The boot isn't actually leaking, but ended up with water in thanks to the Focus's well documented Niagara Falls act whenever the tailgate is opened.  Rainwater pools along the top of the hatch then cascades down the sides when it is lifted and, usually, ends up pouring into the boot through the tailgate aperture.  There is nothing to divert the runoff, meaning that significant quantities of water can enter the car.  I found that out to my cost when lifting the boot carpet and discovering that the backing felt was sopping wet and slightly mouldy.  A quick clean and disinfect has solved all that and the carpet is back in.  It'll inevitably get wet the next time I open the boot, but you can't have everything.  

Think that's all for now.  

If it's raining the water pisses into the boot of my Puma with the tailgate open. 

Previously, with weak gas struts, it was possible to open it about 3/4. In that position the rain stayed out of the boot. 

Being a smart-Alec, I fitted stronger struts to mine so that when you remotely operate the boot it pops to 'fully open' position. 

Of course if it's raining, all the water runs off the glass and straight into your shopping. 

Luckily* the boot lock motor is sticky and the remote boot release button on the key isn't very responsive (TADTS) so I usually get a second chance to prevent Deluge In Boot. 

Good old Ford. 

[Dan29]

2 minutes ago, grogee said:

If it's raining the water pisses into the boot of my Puma with the tailgate open. 

Previously, with weak gas struts, it was possible to open it about 3/4. In that position the rain stayed out of the boot. 

Being a smart-Alec, I fitted stronger struts to mine so that when you remotely operate the boot it pops to 'fully open' position. 

Of course if it's raining, all the water runs off the glass and straight into your shopping. 

Luckily* the boot lock motor is sticky and the remote boot release button on the key isn't very responsive (TADTS) so I usually get a second chance to prevent Deluge In Boot. 

Good old Ford. 

Yeah when I had my Puma I used to open the bootlid a few inches to let the water run into the channels either side, before attempting to access my goods and chattels within.

The struts were very weak on mine though so I didn't have the problem of sudden erection leading to a fully widened aperture.

[grogee]

14 minutes ago, Dan29 said:

sudden erection leading to a fully widened aperture

<tents fingers> Excellent.

[Missy Charm]

On 14/02/2024 at 14:22, grogee said:

If it's raining the water pisses into the boot of my Puma with the tailgate open. 

Previously, with weak gas struts, it was possible to open it about 3/4. In that position the rain stayed out of the boot. 

Being a smart-Alec, I fitted stronger struts to mine so that when you remotely operate the boot it pops to 'fully open' position. 

Of course if it's raining, all the water runs off the glass and straight into your shopping. 

Luckily* the boot lock motor is sticky and the remote boot release button on the key isn't very responsive (TADTS) so I usually get a second chance to prevent Deluge In Boot. 

Good old Ford. 

I take it that's a proper Puma?  Used to have a 1.7 Puma myself, with green paintwork and a grey interior.  Fab car which drove as well as promised.  Don't remember anything about the boot leaking, though!  

[grogee]

24 minutes ago, Missy Charm said:

I take it that's a proper Puma?  Used to have a 1.7 Puma myself, with green paintwork and a grey interior.  Fab car which drove as well as promised.  Don't remember anything about the boot leaking, though!  

Yeah. The boot doesn't leak as such, it's the shape of the tailgate that encourages rainwater to fall into the boot when the boot is open. 

[RoverFolkUs]

On 13/02/2024 at 20:29, Missy Charm said:

A quick missive about the motor, which is still motoring on:

Recent MOT pass!  Hooray!  Not fully clean, but what's a rusty spring between friends?  

Recent rust and flaking paint!  Boo!  Only some very minor stuff inside rear arches that came off with a wire brush and glasspaper.  I have repainted it with silver Hammerite as a temporary measure.  Seems to have halted the corrosion, at least.  One of the sills is now bubbling a bit, too.  I see welding in the future.  

Air conditioning: still broken.  Don't care.  

Side repeaters have been replaced with some very cheap pattern items from a local factor.  One of the original repeaters fell to bits recently (the Ford ones are rubbish to begin with) and I was left with something of a problem.  A trip to the local place produced a pair of 'crystal' finish items that look like they came from a Christmas cracker but actually fit quite nicely.  They work, which is all that's needed.  

Now clean inside and out, again.  

Water in boot!  Boo!  The boot isn't actually leaking, but ended up with water in thanks to the Focus's well documented Niagara Falls act whenever the tailgate is opened.  Rainwater pools along the top of the hatch then cascades down the sides when it is lifted and, usually, ends up pouring into the boot through the tailgate aperture.  There is nothing to divert the runoff, meaning that significant quantities of water can enter the car.  I found that out to my cost when lifting the boot carpet and discovering that the backing felt was sopping wet and slightly mouldy.  A quick clean and disinfect has solved all that and the carpet is back in.  It'll inevitably get wet the next time I open the boot, but you can't have everything.  

Think that's all for now.  

Weirdly I've never had that problem with mine so I'm wondering what's different. Are you saying the water runs directly into the boot, or it's finding it's way in? 

If it's running off the boot, alongside the tail lights then I'd say reseal the tail light nuts(?) 

These things! I just splodged some heavy duty PU adhesive type stuff around them

I did that on mine and the spare wheel well has remained dry ever since. If that fails then check the vents behind the rear bumper

What I'm getting at is - despite whatever people say on the internet, it's not "normal" for the boot to fill with water. It's common, yes, but not normal!

[Missy Charm]

36 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Weirdly I've never had that problem with mine so I'm wondering what's different. Are you saying the water runs directly into the boot, or it's finding it's way in? 

If it's running off the boot, alongside the tail lights then I'd say reseal the tail light nuts(?) 

These things! I just splodged some heavy duty PU adhesive type stuff around them

I did that on mine and the spare wheel well has remained dry ever since. If that fails then check the vents behind the rear bumper

What I'm getting at is - despite whatever people say on the internet, it's not "normal" for the boot to fill with water. It's common, yes, but not normal!

No, it's a different sort of problem.  The issue I have is that rainwater collects somewhere on the exterior of the tailgate and then runs off, invariably into the boot, when the tailgate is opened.  It's not a leak per se, as no water is finding its way past the seals - it's purely runoff.  

Is yours one of the newer ones?  Looking at photos, it seems Ford may have solved the problem on the facelift models by redesigning the tailgate peak spoiler.  On the facelift ones it's full width and sits over the taillights, thus looking as if it acts as a sort of gutter to direct water away from the boot aperture.  On earlier cars it sits between the taillights, meaning it directs water into the gap between tailgate edge and rear wing.  

Incidentally, ST models have always had the full-width spoiler.  Perhaps it was noted that ST models didn't suffer the same way and the modification was carried over to the normal line.  

[Eyersey1234]

47 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Weirdly I've never had that problem with mine so I'm wondering what's different. Are you saying the water runs directly into the boot, or it's finding it's way in? 

If it's running off the boot, alongside the tail lights then I'd say reseal the tail light nuts(?) 

These things! I just splodged some heavy duty PU adhesive type stuff around them

I did that on mine and the spare wheel well has remained dry ever since. If that fails then check the vents behind the rear bumper

What I'm getting at is - despite whatever people say on the internet, it's not "normal" for the boot to fill with water. It's common, yes, but not normal!

I can't honestly say I ever noticed any boot leaks with Henry and Eccles doesn't have any either, or have I not tempted fate? 🤣🤣

[RoverFolkUs]

53 minutes ago, Missy Charm said:

No, it's a different sort of problem.  The issue I have is that rainwater collects somewhere on the exterior of the tailgate and then runs off, invariably into the boot, when the tailgate is opened.  It's not a leak per se, as no water is finding its way past the seals - it's purely runoff.  

Is yours one of the newer ones?  Looking at photos, it seems Ford may have solved the problem on the facelift models by redesigning the tailgate peak spoiler.  On the facelift ones it's full width and sits over the taillights, thus looking as if it acts as a sort of gutter to direct water away from the boot aperture.  On earlier cars it sits between the taillights, meaning it directs water into the gap between tailgate edge and rear wing.  

Incidentally, ST models have always had the full-width spoiler.  Perhaps it was noted that ST models didn't suffer the same way and the modification was carried over to the normal line.  

I see what you mean, no mine is also the pre-facelift MK2 (06 plate) so that's what intrigued me - I wondered what the difference was. 

I've heard reference to the issue before but never had it as bad as eventually soaking the boot carpet. 

Come to think of it, I suppose I have noticed a couple of droplets fall into the boot when it's wet but I think that flaw could easily be found in any car! 

Mine is a Ghia so I wondered if it had an extra bit of trim or something, but it would seem not? Strange! 

[RoverFolkUs]

53 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said:

I can't honestly say I ever noticed any boot leaks with Henry and Eccles doesn't have any either, or have I not tempted fate? 🤣🤣

The MK3.5 can be a bastard for water ingress so be careful what you wish for! Admittedly I think the MK3 was worse but they hadn't completely solved it on the MK3.5. 

The main culprit is the vents behind the rear bumper, which is disappointing because that was a flaw in the MK2 (and the MK1 if I remember rightly) so you'd hope they would have had enough time to solve it!! 

Have the door seals fallen off yours yet? I'd be interested to know if they've sorted it by changing the design of the seals on the MK3.5 to be more like the MK2. The design on the MK3 is absolutely terrible, the door seals are simply stuck on with double sided tape, what were they thinking!?

[grogee]

12 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

The MK3.5 can be a bastard for water ingress so be careful what you wish for! Admittedly I think the MK3 was worse but they hadn't completely solved it on the MK3.5. 

The main culprit is the vents behind the rear bumper, which is disappointing because that was a flaw in the MK2 (and the MK1 if I remember rightly) so you'd hope they would have had enough time to solve it!! 

Have the door seals fallen off yours yet? I'd be interested to know if they've sorted it by changing the design of the seals on the MK3.5 to be more like the MK2. The design on the MK3 is absolutely terrible, the door seals are simply stuck on with double sided tape, what were they thinking!?

They didn't. Still stuck on for Mk3.5. 

I met my stepdad for lunch a couple of weeks ago and he was glueing the front passenger door seal back on with Gorilla Glue in the pub car park. 

Technically it probably counts as an NVH seal rather than the primary door seal but almost every Mk3 and 3.5 has a seal flapping about on one of the doors. 

I imagine the Ford test was 'does it stay affixed for a week during a D&R wading test'. Long term the dirt gets in and un-bonds the adhesive. 

I remember seeing a service bulletin to 'repair' it using some special 3M adhesive but that would rely on surfaces being absolutely spotless which I bet dealers CBA to do.