Fixin up the Focus

[glennzo]

So last April was inspection sticker time for my '02 Ford Focus. I knew it was going to fail so I waited until the end of the month and got the expected reject sticker. I was OK with that because in Massachusetts when a car fails for emissions, like mine did, you have 60 days to fix it and get it inspected again without paying again. This "bought me time". I drove the car as usual for a couple weeks afterwards, then one day the belt tensioner pulley let go. I was a couple miles from home so I limped back to the driveway and parked her. With no tools at home I couldn't do much. I wasn't willing to pay for a tow to work where my tools and available lifts were, I wasn't willing to pay someone else to fix it and I honestly lacked general motivation to fix the thing to begin with. I resorted to bumming a ride from one of the guys that I work with.

Yesterday, for several reasons, that all changed. I had brought the tool box back home a few weeks ago and decided that this weekend was the time to tear into the machine and get her back up and running. So, yesterday afternoon I dragged out the floor jack, jack stands and wheel chocks. I opened the hood and dug in. Moving a few things out of the way so I could gain access to the belt tensioner and belt took me all of 30 minutes. Once I removed the tensioner pulley it was clear that this was indeed the culprit, what with it missing approximately half of the balls from the bearing. The idler pulley was a bit shaky too so I removed that also, planning to replace it as well since it was right there. One of the other issues with the car was motor mounts. I had to remove the upper right mount to get at the belt and pulleys so that was added to the list of parts to be replaced.

A few calls to local parts houses and this is what I get, roughly:
Belt: $ 27.00
Pulley: $20.00
Pulley: $20.00
Mount: $45.00

Total: $112.00. OK, I can live with that. Off to the parts store this morning to get my replacement parts, back home to install them. Now the fun begins. Both pulleys are wrong. Shocking. Back to the parts store with the old pulleys in tow. This isn't my first dance but for some reason I didn't take them with me the first time. Get the correct parts and go back to the house. I install the pulleys and grab the serpentine belt. Guess what? It's way too big. Must be for a Mack truck. Back to the parts store, after looking up the part number myself on Dayco's web site. I get the correct belt and head back home. I install the belt and begin thinking about how the battery is dead and will need a jump. Tnat's OK. We've got 2 cars, but I've left my jumper cables out on the porch since before last winter. The clamps are rusted so badly that I don't want to even bother with these things. (Wife mentioned back then that I should being those things inside or they'll get rusty. Heh! Women!. What do they know?) Back to the parts store to buy some nice new jumper cables. Another $40. Total now is about $152.00. Back to the house. Hook up the cables and wait a few minutes. I crank the Focus over and after a few tries she reluctlantly starts. Not 20 seconds into the first run since April and the smoke starts pouring out from under the hood. I shut her down and investigate. The new belt is so hot I can't keep my finger on it? What? What's wrong? I rechecked everything . Everything is back in its proper place. There's nothing interfering anywhere. No misplaced hoses, no extra bolts or parts laying around. What the heck could possibly be the problem? I'll tell you what.

The alternator! The alternator pulley is frozen up, so now the pulley won't turn. This is my source of friction and smoke. Back on the phone. Hey! How much is an alternator for this puppy? $180.00 you say? Crikey! OK, I'll be right there. So we were at $152.00. Now the alternator brings the total to $$332.00. There goes the new laptop. Oh well.

I put the tools away for the day and will tackle the alternator next weekend most likely. I'm freakin' tired. I don't roll around under cars like I used to. Takes a lot out of an older guy. Anyhow, there's more to the story, the "holy crap!" part. I've attached an image of the alternator that actually goes to my Focus. See the ribs that are pretty much at 1 through 12 o'clock behind the pulley? Several of them are broken on my original alternator. Those support the front bearing and in turn, the armature. And that little bolt on the outside at three o'clock? The aluminum around that bolt is broken too. That's not all the damage. There are various cracks elsewhere on the alternator case halves. Something happened to this alternator. Something extremely violent. These don't usually break like that.. This is why the pulley won't move and why there is a somke screen when I start the car. I think it siezed because it sat for 4 months and when I cranked it over it snapped. What do you say?

Oh yeah. That new belt? It's junk now. Add another $26.00 to the bill

[Dan]

Uhm ... I'd say you've probably been keeping too close of company with Ol' Bob. He's like the North American epicenter of bad Car-Karma.

Has that vehicle ever been in a front-end crash? Or ... if the alternator isn't stock, was it a wrecking-yard special, or a return core?

[bob]

What you need is what I've got: an honest mechanic!

Oh sure, I could do the work myself, but then I'd have nobody to pat me on the back and sympathize when this crap happens. Tim's always ready to take on my problems and never blames me for the "possible user error". It's a bit more expensive, but kindly human understanding's worth something, right?

Besides, he sends me a nice postcard from the French Riviera where he vacations every year....

[PabloTwo]

Originally Posted by glennzo

I think it siezed because it sat for 4 months and when I cranked it over it snapped. What do you say?

I'd bet my money on that's exactly what happened.

[glennzo]

Update: Hadn't bothered with the car until yesterday. During the week I purchased a reman alternator. Finally got around to installing it. Here's the old one. As you can clearly see it came out in 2 pieces.

I really think that locating something like an alternator at the bottom of the engine is a bad idea. It leaves it more exposed to the elements than it would be if it were closer to the top of the engine, or higher up if you will. Combine that with the fact that part of the undercar splash shield has been missing for a long time and this is what you eventually get.

At any rate, all I need to do today is install the belt and fire her up. Should be good to go. Then I need to go get me another reject sticker because there is a code for emissions that needs to be addressed. In Mass, with a reject sticker for emissions, you get 60 days to repair. Thay buys me time.

[John the train]

The defunct alternator certainly looks badly corroded, I don't think I've seen anything like that unless it had been lying in the open over winter!

[glennzo]

Originally Posted by John the train

The defunct alternator certainly looks badly corroded, I don't think I've seen anything like that unless it had been lying in the open over winter!

There is no splash shield under the front of the car so that alternator is subject to 10x more water than it should be. This is New England so as well as rain in the spring/summer/fall it is subject to snow and slush in the winter. In short, it takes a beating.

In my quest to get an inspection sticker for this car, I've spent another $2-300 on parts and I'm still not there. I changed the DPFE sensor Sunday, cleared the codes here at work yesterday and hoped that I could get a sticker today. Alas, the check-engine light came back on this morning on the way to work. The same code, P0401, emission/EGR, is there. I cleared it today. Two of the techs here are ex-Ford guys. One of them looked at the EGR valve today and said that it was bad, it's not holding vacuum. I just ordered one at $75 and will hopefully be able to install it tomorrow. No sticker tomorrow though. Need to complete some "drive cycles" before the car will be ready for inspection.

It never ends.

[BBQdave]

Originally Posted by glennzo

In my quest to get an inspection sticker for this car, I've spent another $2-300 on parts and I'm still not there... It never ends.

Ah, brings back memories of my 1980 Ford Fairmont (4 cyl - stick shift), pure automotive joy. I kept it going for 10 years - then traded it in. My recent trade in, was a 2002 Ford Windstar. Again, I was able to make 10 years, but then everything just started going.

I think there is a magical 10 year limit on Fords, once you hit the decade mark, your done. For me, I take on the new car payment (and warranties) and go for another decade - less headaches than Fix Or Repair Daily

[rclark]

What's with this 'inspector sticker' thingy... Never heard of such nonsense.

[R3v0lut10nary]

Get a truck.

[DBelton]

I'm just glad I don't have to go through inspection with my vehicles. My old 73 Ford F-250 with over 900,000 miles on it would never pass. And yes, it's all original, had the motor rebuilt once back in 89. Got a 93 Ranger that has over 300,000 miles on it as well, went over 200,000 on the original spark plugs. About all I have done to it is replaced the clutch.

Sometimes they seem to run forever, and sometimes you get one that won't even go 100 miles. Nowadays, it's not a particular company that has problems or is better, either. They all are that way.

[tashirosgt]

The only healthy outlook for maintaining material objects is that "Life's a stage".

For maintenance, the play is always a comedy. There are automotive comedies, plumbing comedies, home repair comedies. You must try to play your part well.

When it comes to creation and design, some of those plays are trajedies, so a comedy is the best possible outcome.

[kona0197]

There is no splash shield under the front of the car so that alternator is subject to 10x more water than it should be. This is New England so as well as rain in the spring/summer/fall it is subject to snow and slush in the winter. In short, it takes a beating.

Do you guys up there get as much rain as we do up here in Oregon?

[glennzo]

Originally Posted by kona0197

Do you guys up there get as much rain as we do up here in Oregon?

Not even close.

[kona0197]

Ah yes, I love my rain.