# Ford Focus sputtering problems



## focus freak (Aug 1, 2007)

I have a 2001 Ford Focus that when it gets above 75 F or so, it keeps sputtering and shut's down. If I turn the key off for 30 seconds...it fires right back up and away I go again for about two or three minutes. I took it to a mechanic and he said it had to be the coil. I changed that and it's still the same. Someone suggested the fuel pump but this guy said no way, it was an electrical problem. What else should I look at? He said it may be the module.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

It could be the fuel filter, and the car is starving for fuel. I don't know how this guy could have overlooked something that obvious, but you never know. 


Assuming it's not the fuel filter... If this happens if the engine is cold or warm, I'd be looking at electronics or wiring issues like loose connections.


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

Had a Ford Telstar (actally a rebadged Mazda 626) quite a few years back with a similar problem, when the under bonnet temperature rose, it misfired. Coil was eliminated, as was the fuel, leaving only the ignition module (which was damned expensive). Sold the car...


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

As I recall, those modules are over $1,000, right?


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## focus freak (Aug 1, 2007)

It only happens when it is warm! It ran great all winter long! I wonder...igniton module? Heats up? Why would shutting off the key and turning the car back on make it run smooth for a couple more minutes? I'm going to change the fuel filter anyways. thanks for the advice!


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Does this happen when you start the car cold, or only after it warms up? Is it on humid days, dry days, or no difference?

I had a Fiat 124 Spyder in the 70's that had a problem where on certain high temperature high humidity days (low air density), the gas would boil in the carb and cause it to shutdown like you turned the switch. Turned out it was flooding out when it bubbled over and killing it. I could do the same thing, wait 30 seconds, start it up and drive away.


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

If you can locate the ignition module, hit it with a blast of "freeze it" (canned refrigerant) available from electrocis shops. That would eliminate it.

In my case replacing the entire car with a new BMW seemed to fix it, though the cost was a bit over the top.


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## telecom69 (Oct 12, 2001)

We have several Focuses in our family,and they are usually very reliable,however they do seem to suffer with engine management system problems at times, with this you would get a light on the dashboard flashing...the best and quickest way round your problem is to take it to a garage and have a computer plugged into it for the fault codes to be read,there is not really a lot you can do yourself with modern cars,you could replace everything and still not find the problem, so many sensors etc ....


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

You can read the engine fault codes of many cars with a shorting plug. OTOH, some make it more difficult.


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