spare wheel well

[BrokenBiker]

ive known the focus lets water into the spare wheel well since i bought it...but its a ford, of course it lets water in...

so, after my insurance fiasco and having to miss work due to not being able to drive (was only overtime) i decided to have a look in the spare wheel well...

well, at first it appeared there was a lot of rust, but in actual fact it wasnt that bad, its just surface pitting really so i got the grinder out with a wire brush and cleaned it all back to bare steel to see what i was dealing with...

it was at that point i realised that both of the drainage plugs were missing...completely...

the holes were a bit rusty but no where near bad enough to cause the plugs to fall out so i assume they were removed to let the water out instead of finding the leak and fixing that...

i have nothing suitable to replace them with apart form some 1.5mm steel...so i used that

cws 160 set at 3.5 voltage and 3 WFS, 0.8mm wire and after getting 8 evenly spaced tacks i could quite easilly get a run between each tack.

after a tickle with the grinder

the worst of the rust (most of the marks are from a chipping hammer, its still plenty solid)

all welded up

A temporary coat of hammerite until i get some primer and the right colour

P.S. I fixed the leak first...

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Have you solved how the water is getting in?
If not how is the water what will now fill the well get out?

Or am I missing something?

 

[BrokenBiker]

You've made a mobile pond!

You do know it'll fill up, right?

nah it wont...because i took the time the other day to fix the leak...left hand light cluster was letting water in when it rained...bit of clear silcone sort that out

plus now i will be able to see if there is still water getting in

 

[BrokenBiker]

Have you solved how the water is getting in?
If not how is the water what will now fill the well get out?

Or am I missing something?

yes i sorted the leak a few days ago

 

[123hotchef]

He can drill a hole in it then

 

[BrokenBiker]

He can drill a hole in it then

i do plan on drilling a hole in one of the repair patches and putting a blank grommet in just to future proof it, but i cant find my holesaw just yet

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

[ i sorted the leak a few days ago[/QUOTE]
Just the one? WOW a focus with one leak?

 

[BrokenBiker]

[ i sorted the leak a few days ago

Just the one? WOW a focus with one leak?[/QUOTE]

well, i sorted the leak in the boot the other day...there is a slight leak in the drivers door, i think its getting past the window seal but ive put a hole in the lowest point on the door and seems to have stopped the water gathering

 

[Freddy0309]

[ i sorted the leak a few days ago

Just the one? WOW a focus with one leak?[/QUOTE]


In the boot....

 

[Parm]

Never owned a ford so have no experience of them letting in water, but years ago I had an 18 month stint at Ford based at HQ in Warley and spent my time going around all THIER locations in Europe. One such place was the R&D centre in Dunton, there they had an environmental chamber where I often witnessed a Focus being put through its paces in an environmental chamber where it was battered with high pressure rain, heat and cold in varying cycles. Suggests that they should leak or the test data might have been doctored ?

 

[rikrobson]

Never owned a ford so have no experience of them letting in water, but years ago I had an 18 month stint at Ford based at HQ in Warley and spent my time going around all THIER locations in Europe. One such place was the R&D centre in Dunton, there they had an environmental chamber where I often witnessed a Focus being put through its paces in an environmental chamber where it was battered with high pressure rain, heat and cold in varying cycles. Suggests that they should leak or the test data might have been doctored ?

That can do all the testing they want on a new car. It's not until a few years later that the problems occur. By that time they've sold millions of em

 

[Migmac]

That can do all the testing they want on a new car. It's not until a few years later that the problems occur. By that time they've sold millions of em

Oh so true, look,at the Vauxhall Zafira

 

[GW8IZR]

and the need to wear wellingtons in the front of a corsa... foam seal ,,, yeah that will last as long as the car mate!

 

[BrokenBiker]

Never owned a ford so have no experience of them letting in water, but years ago I had an 18 month stint at Ford based at HQ in Warley and spent my time going around all THIER locations in Europe. One such place was the R&D centre in Dunton, there they had an environmental chamber where I often witnessed a Focus being put through its paces in an environmental chamber where it was battered with high pressure rain, heat and cold in varying cycles. Suggests that they should leak or the test data might have been doctored ?

they only do that testing on new/prototype models though...not on a 14 year old car with 120k miles on it and a previous owner that thinks the best way to stop an oil leak is to only fill it half way...lol

 

[BrokenBiker]

Can I just get something straight please?

You had a trouble pit of a megane (latest in a line of things that had random bits fall off, like that alfa wheel) so you gave up on it (good plan) and replaced it with this focus, which you said was much better.

Now this focus - not all of the doors work, rusty holes in the boot, run for god knows how long on low oil because it leaks, other things I can't remember.

I take it that it was a gift right? (And not 'gift' in German )

but you miss the point...these problems aree mostly due to the previous owner...not the brand of car

i should have mentioned, it wasnt run too long on half oil...it was originally supposed to be going to his grandson and after being started up after sitting for about 6 months they found it was leaking...the owner though halfing the oil would be fine but his son, not wanting to pass on a dodgy car had it sorted at a local garage...i have the reciept somewhere for a new sump gasket, new oil filter and oil.

it doesnt leak now, in fact its the clenaest older engine ive seen in a long time, it holds its oil and water well.

the door is a minor issue that doesnt really affect much at this point, the rusty holes in the boot could have easilly been fixed with a bit of plate and some RTV but i decided to weld them (cos i got to play with the new welder).

all i really look for in a car like this is something that starts, stops, goes round corners and doesnt use too much fuel...the focus does all of this very well. low maintenance (the bits i have done to it didt really need doing, i was just bored and looking for something to do), easy to fix if it does ever take the same route as the megane (doubtful) and cheap to run.

ive worked on cars with my father since i was about 6 so if i had a car that didnt need at least a little fettle every now and then id get bored with it

 

[Parm]

The purpose of the testing was to see how the car fairs over time and what goes wrong or fails. I think these days they are not expecting cars to last more than 10 to 15 years, though most do

 

[Parm]

I think you need to reassess your timeframe

5 years is what most seem to work on, with 7-10 being absolute end of life (based on things like average mileages etc.)

Well I never

 

[GW8IZR]

Ok, one year's 'advancement' isn't going to convince many to swap yearly, but 3 year's worth of 'new and improved' is.

I bought a new car ( private ) two years ago and am just about to swap it for another new one, there have been enough improvements in just the two years to make it worth while for me to do that. Whether the next two or three years of changes will make it worth swapping so soon I don't know but I think the next tranche of electric / hybrids +might+ be a factor.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, What do 1, 2,or 3 years worth of 'improvements' actually amount to? Using brokenbikers criteria, do they start any easier, stop any more, go round more corners or use less fuel (published figures are rarely achievable in real life)? The manufacturers get away with it because we buy into it. Buck the trend.

Colin

 

[GW8IZR]

Hi, What do 1, 2,or 3 years worth of 'improvements' actually amount to? Using brokenbikers criteria, do they start any easier, stop any more, go round more corners or use less fuel (published figures are rarely achievable in real life)? The manufacturers get away with it because we buy into it. Buck the trend.

Colin

Nah .. not getting into that silly discussion.. its enough to make it worth it for me. end.