WS Fiesta - Alternative Long Term Review

Fiesta_Man69 · 04-12-2011, 10:37 AM

I purchased my 2010 WS 3 Door Manual Fiesta in March 2010: this is my experience with the car and Ford Australia over this period.

Positives:

1. It's a looker. The 3 door (ala WRC) is still the best looking light car you can buy.

2. Handling. Mine was fitted with 17inch wheels, now running Yokohama 205/40s A Drives. Superb handling, a delight to drive, especially through the Bell's Line of Road or the Wiseman's Ferry run, which are both nice and close. You would only lower the car for looks, there's no need to lower it for handling. Indeed, the ride quality with the 17s is stiff, lowering it would reduce its everyday appeal.

3. Fuel use - I get between 5.5 - 6L regularly, running on 98.

4. Noise - After fitting a simple cat back system and K&N filter the engine has a real nice sound to it without it being too 'hoon' like.

5. Stereo - even the 2 speaker that cam in my car is real good, haven't wanted to upgrade it.

Faults:

1. Within 3 months it required over $10,000 in replacements parts due to rust. However, this was not handled in a straight forward manner by Ford Aus. Upon initial inspection I was assured by the dealership that the rusted components were a "characteristic" of new cars: this was a little more than insulting to my intelligence.

Therefore I had no option but to call in Fair Trading NSW: and coincidentally after they became involved the rust went from a 'characteristic' to a major problem that would be fixed asap.

It took over 6 months to get the parts in from o/s: Ford Aus informed me that it was up to the dealer principal as to whether to use parts from a WS demo/new car they had in stock; this was declined at the dealership's discretion. When it came to 'fixing' the car, they had the vehicle for over 3 weeks. When I picked the car up, the hose clamps on the pipe from the airbox weren't done up: I ended up taking it back to my trusted local mechanic who spent over an hour tightening most things under the car.

Interestingly, the rust was first discovered by my mechanic when I took the Fiesta to him because the brakes were so bad (they had air in the fluid and hadn't been bled pre-delivery). He discovered the rust all underneath the car. When I took the car back to the dealership I was accused of driving the car through water - on a beach - and even surrounded by 6 mechanics and the service manager in an attempt to intimidate me. From there the process of getting the car fixed just got longer and longer. I have no doubt the car never received its pre-delivery check: from other threads on this forum and the confessions coming from Ford mechanics on here to tick a box because of 'time constraints' there can be no doubt: so what do Ford charge pre-delivery for.

2. As soon as I drove the car out of the dealership upon taking ownership the engine 'pinged'. Pinging is where the engine is running lean - there is the wrong/incorrect mixture of air to fuel. It is very damaging. It fries the pistons and damages the head of the engine, besides other damage. I immediately took the car back to the dealership where the foreman took the car for a drive, heard the pinging, and told me 'they all do that, just fill it up on 98RON petrol.' Ever since I took delivery of the car at 18kms it has been run on 98RON. According to Herrod Performance workshop, the biggest Ford performance workshop in Australia, the car should be running with no issue on 98 RON, since 95 is the recommended fuel. Several other performance workshops have diagnosed the problem: however, when I have informed 13 FORD of their findings, I have simply been told their results are invalid because they don't have Ford's diagnostic equipment! (You can hear the pinging with your ears, forget hooking it up to a computer!) The rub in this, of course, is only genuine Ford dealerships can find a fault with Ford.... Does anyone see a problem with this? The only time I have used other fuel was after another dealership tested the car and suggested I try E10: when I did the car pinged so badly I had to get it towed home. The car pings 80% of the time: it doesn't do it in colder weather, but at any temperature over 25 degrees it usually does. It also does it at high rpm (4000rpm plus) which is extremely damaging. I have had the ECU reflashed which improved the pinging slightly: when I replaced the air filter with a K&N filter it improved again, but is still there. What is most disturbing is my calls to Ford CRC. I spoke to Troy (a team leader, supposedly) on June 8 this year at 4pm, where he told me that "pinging was a characteristic of the Fiesta." I explained to him what pinging was and gave him a chance to change his stance but he did not. Troy insisted that my pinging was an isolated incident and no other complaints had been made to Ford CRC about pinging in Fiestas. Since joining this forum, I know this to be a lie.

3. The a/c can't be used as it causes the car to surge in 5th gear - like bunnyhopping down the road, but at 100km/h. This didn't happen until the a/c system was replaced when the engine and all componentry under the bonnet was removed. It is pretty much useless on days above 25 degrees anyways, so that's no big issue.

4. I recently had to replace the brake pads and brake discs. The issue is with the Brake Discs. Brake discs should last for at least 100,000kms (I replaced brake discs on my 1997 Mitsubishi Mirage at 150,000kms - a car in the same class as the Fiesta but an older design). Again, I brought this up with Ford CRC - again, this was a 'characteristic' of the car since it was European (and where does this leave the Thai WT)? To state that this is normal wear and tear is absolute garbage: it is a design fault. Again, to state that because the Fiesta is German and therefore a European vehicle and they use their discs faster than Japanese cars is rubbish. Why? I am a subscriber to the British car magazine EVO. They have coverage of European cars. Most require disc changes around the 60,000 MILE (or 100,000km) mark, and they use many, many cars as long termers for reviews. The Fiesta is way below par. I replaced the discs and pads at Penrith Brake and Clutch last month. Why didn't I go to Ford? Ford was charging triple the price for an inferior product (I got Bendix Brake pads on the car, which are noticeably superior to the Ford OEM pads).

5. The car has developed an annoying rattle in the dash that no one can trace and I've been told are, you guessed its a 'characteristic' of the car. As I've stated before, I owned a Mirage, back in the Fast & Furious days (that ended up doing 250,000kms) and I ripped out the interior, painted it white, drilled in neaons, fitted a huge stereo, ran cables up and down and through the car and even after all that the build quality of the interior was still superior to the Fiesta. Mine may be an isolated incident here, but again, disappointing.

However, the worst problem is the manner in which Ford handles after sales 'service.' I have been chasing Ford since the first day of ownership, 20 months ago. It is obvious that the entire system is set up to run out the warranty clock of 3 years. I have sent numerous emails to Ford CRC that get no response. It is impossible to contact anyone outside of the Ford call centre, staffed with people that, so far, simply don't care. I negotiated hard on my deal and got another $500 off the price of the car at the time of purchase. Considering I have had to leave my Fiesta and hire Ford cars at $60 a day to get to work, since my 'new' car is a lemon, Ford has made their money back - very clever!

Now, contrast this to VW: they recently recalled 400 Polos for pinging and fixed the problem - where Ford simply lies to customers and tries to convince us that it is part of the car - indeed, if you ever hear the word 'characteristic' used by a Ford salesperson, be very worried. It means 'there's a problem, but we don't know how to fix it.' Perhaps this is why Fiesta sales are half of what they were last year and Falcon sales are their worst ever: today people jump on forums or detail their ordeal on Facebook - Ford treats customer service like its still the 1980s and the net doesn't exist: i.e. at the very worst if you have a lemon Ford all you'll tell is Bill and Fred down at the local over a beer or two - and who cares, because Ford Falcons are selling thousands to fleets every month: this ain't the case anymore - Ford needs to realise its 2011: the Falcon (on private sales figures) is dead in the water and there's no ther cars to prop up sales.

Not for one minute am I suggesting that only Ford builds lemons, or is the only one to have issues with the cars they sell. Not at all. The huge issue is that manner in which Ford treats its customers once they hand over their cash. Compared to other car companies, Ford is well below par.

There is no after sales service. It should require Fair Trading NSW to get involved for warranty repairs.

There is no quality control.

Their actions show they hold their customers in contempt. Another example: I was at a local dealership (I live in Penrith, NSW) waiting for them to fit another wiper blade assembly as the other had broken, and I was in their flash waiting room. There was a young woman, quite attractive, having a heated arguement with one of the staff. I walked over so I could hear. Now, she owned a WS Fiesta, and was 'sick' of these two problems: 1. everytime she set off from standstill, water would run out the back of the washer nozzel for the rear window and 2. everytime she filled up the tank would overflow, on to her clothes/shoes. I stood there as the Service Manager came out and assured her that these were 'characteristics' of the car - every hatch/wagon dribbled water out the back because of 'gravity' and she just needed to fill the tank up to three quarters to stop the overflowing problem. I stood there, thinking wtf? and casually moved across, told the woman I owned the same car and (for once, yay) did not have either of those problems and what the Manager was telling her was absolute bull. After I collected the part, I was asked not to return to the dealership.

Now, argue all you like, but the facts are Ford's sales are plummetting: after owning a Ford for 20 months and experiencing their 'service' its obvious as to why.

However, I have no doubt that 90-95% of Fiestas are built fine and will have no issues throughout their life. My review should be taken with a grain of salt and used in balance with other 'glowing' reviews of the car. Just be aware if you have a problem with your Fiesta, the warranty means very little, or a long and arduous fight.

I do suggest, however, that people read the 'Focus Lemon Help!' thread in the Focus section of this forum: the customer 'service' this poor guy received was unbelievable.

No doubt people will see me as negative towards the Fiesta, considering many of my posts. Just be aware I joined those threads, not started them, when other Fiesta owners were having problems. Now, consider the ownership experience I have had - how would you feel towards a company that treated you - and others - in this way? Would you hand over your money to them in future?

**fordomatic** · 04-12-2011, 01:48 PM

Wow i feel for you mate, this is disgusting

JTFG · 04-12-2011, 02:01 PM

That's terrible!
Maybe for more responses it might be a good idea to post The Pub section

**fordomatic** · 04-12-2011, 03:12 PM

yeh i would get a MOD to move it to the pub

GoesLikeAZetec · 04-12-2011, 05:53 PM

Unfortunately you seem to have a lemon. They should have given you a new car.

Typical though of Ford Oz dealers in general, and they are lucky the fiesta is an awesome little car in general, because they wouldnt have sold 10 if it was left to the dealer selling/servicing them.

Also now you can post a link to your story here, rather than reposting the whole story in multiple threads.

Fiesta_Man69 · 07-12-2011, 12:07 AM

So, why haven't I sold it?

Easy. It's on a fully maintained salary sacrifice novated lease over 4 years. It's prohibitively expensive to buy out of the lease early - especially less than 3 years in to the contract. If I had bought the car privately - which I was originally considering before doing the sums - I would have sold it months ago, taken a few thousand loss and bought elsewhere. Perhaps because I'm stuck the issues with Ford seem all the more severe.

Again I stress, my review should be taken in to consideration with other reviews: just because I have had a bad experience with the Fiesta doesn't mean others will, as I have stated before. As long as you don't have a major warranty issue with the car you will enjoy it for years to come.

shevek · 07-12-2011, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoesLikeAZetec

Unfortunately you seem to have a lemon. They should have given you a new car.

Typical though of Ford Oz dealers in general, and they are lucky the fiesta is an awesome little car in general, because they wouldnt have sold 10 if it was left to the dealer selling/servicing them.

Also now you can post a link to your story here, rather than reposting the whole story in multiple threads.

I don't buy the lemon myth. I doubt that there are cars born with multiple organ failures. A car with a major issue gets some prodding, revealing other probs. Sometimes the operation brings other issues to the fore, or even causes them! These would usually manifest over the life of the car. Maybe the owner pushes hard and CSI are called in.

I can believe this car missed a rust dunk. I've heard it does happen. (True?) Pinging is weird because it seems so common. I've never had an issue. Perhaps it's just me; a mechanic's ear might say different. Variables include location, fuel, driving habits, ECU & build batch. Hard to nail down. I'm wondering about ECU, with constant "updates". If you drive off with the "wrong" settings then get a "correct" flash a few months later, the damage may already be done.

GoesLikeAZetec · 07-12-2011, 06:45 PM

I think its just easier to say lemon than a car with many and varied problems lol

Fiesta_Man69 · 15-12-2011, 09:07 AM

Thanks - I placed the thread in the Pub section but it was removed after a day with a lot of responses. Perhaps it was removed due to site sponsors? Either way, that's disappointing.

zestyfesty · 16-12-2011, 10:13 AM

Fiesta Man that is shocking stuff truly. I have the same car in 4 dr 2009 which has been faultless since day 1.
I can however sympathise with your service experience at the Ford dealership - we were treated like an irritation when we turned up first time. They still keep contacting us about booking in our previous car we sold 4 yrs ago!
I was appalled so I contacted the dealer principal by phone. I articulated our experience and we are now receiving a significant discount on parts and servicing. Some things can be rectified.
At least you didn't buy the vehicle yourself. They're dunderheads for the most part. Good luck

Fiesta_Man69 · 11-03-2012, 07:14 PM

It would be easy to gloat.

Friday's Daily Telegraph brought a wry smile to my face:

"Financiers have forclosed on Dale Ford after the company had problems paying its debts.... A former employee at the Bankstown dealership claimed last night that bills had not been paid for 'for some time.' Owners Rex Conway and John Stark had worked at Dale Ford during the 1970s and 1980s before taking over the dealership.... It grew into a flagship among a network of dealers throughout western Sydney."

It was, of course, here that I purchased my Fiesta.

It was at this dealership, underneath the car, staring at $10K worth of rust throughout the underbody, that John Stark, surrounded by his Service Manager and several other mechanics in an attempt to intimidate myself, tried to convince me that it was my fault (I was accused of driving the car along a beach) and then that the rust was 'normal' and a 'characteristic' of all modern cars.

After the Fair Trading dept got involved, he changed his tune.

And after 2 months waiting for the car to be fixed, I told him what I thought of his arrogance, attitude and the manner in which he ran his dealership - stating I would never do business with Ford again: to which he replied: "I don't need your business anymore."

Whoops.

Like I said - it would be easy to gloat. However I am aware that there are dozens of innocent staff who now may be unemployed due to the incompetence and arrogance of a dealer principal who couldn't run a chook raffle, let alone a dealership. Let's hope the innocent staff keep their jobs, while Stark gets his just desserts, down at his local Dole Office.

Fez WQ · 12-03-2012, 11:38 PM

Time to sell it and get over it. the truth is all car dealers are the same. Its all about making money, even VW. The pinging on my mates VW Jetter is so bad.... VW say it normal.
Toyota Holden Mits Honda they are all the same. About the best car you can buy for the BEST customer service is a Hyundai. Seriously go and buy one everyone else is.

Fiesta_Man69 · 13-03-2012, 09:28 AM

I would, but - suggest you read post #6. If it wasn't locked up in a lease I'd be driving a new Rio or Veloster right now.

Caydus · 13-03-2012, 03:32 PM

In the life of my fez, I've had 2 warranty issues. I've posted them up in another post on this forum, but it was a DCT internal oil leak issue and a CV joint grease leak.

The first necessitated oil seal replacements and a clutch replacement and the second needed a full CV shaft replacement.

Now these problems may be less severe than FM69's issues, but they're still several grand worth of repairs, considering they hired a car for me at their cost for over 2 weeks until they fix the fault.

They troubleshooted and tried to get the most cost effective resolution, but that's all part and parcel of running a profitable business. I troubleshoot technical problems for a living too and I can't see fault in it.

They never balked at an expensive repair if the fault warranted it and their customer service can't be faulted, owning the problem from start to finish and being very diligent at giving updates on my issue.

I'd just wish that they were a bit more careful about the final test before handing the car back to me to make sure all problems were fixed and no new ones were introduced.
After the DCT problem warranty repair, I got the car with the original problem fixed, but with a specific position on my seat being very, very creaky, power window software problem (reset fixed) and a slightly bent front disc brake back plate. All was easy fixes and probably caused by a little bit of carelessness while working on the car.

Overall, I'm happy with their overall warranty process, it was generally a pleasant experience. Their mechanics might need to take a bit more care and pride in their work, but my problem was still resolved in the end.

The car is a great drive, I'm sure most of my opinions on the car itself are covered and most of them positive, but the reliability of it leaves some to be desired.

I'm hoping that your experience, FM69, is specific to Dale Ford and if that's the case, good riddance to John Stark.

Fez WQ · 14-03-2012, 12:17 AM

I have owned 3 Fiestas

A WP WQ and currently a WS

The wp was replaced by Ford due to warranty Issues.

WQ was a great Car

WS is the best little car I have owned. Have had a few normal small warranty issues. I love the car its great to drive and great on fuel.

My other car a Hyundai Santa fe 2011 2.2 TDI is also a great car has had a few warranty issues and that it.( had the oil sump leaking and the steering wheel peeling) Hyundai fixed it right first time just as Ford did with all my Ford car except for my WP Fiesta( this car they replaced for me under warranty .....)

Really Ford are as good as the other companies.... Some times I think ford just attract customers that are over senstive.

Fiesta_Man69 · 14-03-2012, 07:15 PM

I enjoyed your post FezWQ. Particularly the 'over sensitive' barb.

I have a few questions to put to you.

Considering I required $10K worth of rust cut out of the car when it was only 3 months old, was surrounded by the dealer principal, service manager and several other mechanics in an attempt to intimidate me - trying to convince me that the rust was 'a characteristic' of modern cars and that I didn't know what I was talking about (and it required the Fair Trading Dept to set them straight) - do you believe I was 'oversensitive' to that?

Considering you state that 'Ford are as good as other companies' then you must have experienced the same treatment when you had issues with your Hyundai? I bet not....

You state that your WS had 'a few normal small warranty issues.' I ask, what is a 'normal' warranty issue? Are cars designed by Ford to be faulty from the factory?

Many members have experienced 'pinging' with their Fiesta's engine - it is a widespread problem. I hope you don't have such a problem. However, when your engine is detonating itself to death I don't believe continually attempting to get the manufacturer to fix the problem is being 'over sensitive.' Am I wrong here - should I just 'let it go' and let the engine shat itself outside the warranty period and foot the $6-$10K replacement costs that Ford have quoted me?

Is it being 'over sensitive' to expect a car built in 2010 by Ford to have decent a/c?

Like I said: 95% of Fezs won't have a problem, but Ford's sales of the Fez (last month were half of the Mazda 2s and down on the same period last year) as well as their other models (though nothing can save the Falcon) rely on Ford treating customers properly: I have had 2 years of experiencing the absolute worst customer service - and the results speak for themselves: Dale Ford is gone; if I was 'oversensitive' then they would still be thriving today. They ain't.

Perhaps FezWQ (and the two who 'liked' your post) can answer these simple questions.

robjh80 · 14-03-2012, 09:13 PM

Luckily my WQ XR4 has been faultless over the 4 years I have owned it, never missed a beat.

I had one warranty claim at about the 3 year mark .. the drivers side window motor stripped the nylon gear and the window was stuck down and wouldn't wind up ... this happened just as I was going into the carpark at work .. I wound the window down to swipe my pass card and that was it .. the window wouldn't go up again .. could hear the little motor spinning round but the window was stuck down.

I took the car to the nearest Ford Dealer near work which happens to be one of the biggest dealers in Australia ... as soon as I arrived and spoke to the "Service Advisor" .... it was on!

He wanted my credit card details or eftpos details as the issue may not be covered under warranty ... he said it may be "environmental damage" .. WTF is that! ???

I swiftly advised him "don't even go there mate" .. "don't even try it on" .. and explained to him what action I would immediately take if this did not go my way.

Fortunately after "I explained" the situation .. he saw things my way!

The motor was replaced and I was on my merry way ... other than that I never ever went near any Ford Dealership in the whole time I owned the car .. I changed the oil and filter every 5,000km myself and for the service intervals got my Brother-in-Law, who owns his own Mechanics workshop to carry out the correct services and stamp the book, .. he's been a Mechanic for nearly 40 years and would have forgotton more than most of the muppets who work at the Stealerships even know!

I have just purchased a new car as a replacement for the XR4 .. I did look at the Focus Titanium, very nice car ... but with that 6 speed Powershift auto I was a bit worried to say the least at how I would be treated by Fords infamous "customer service" should something go wrong!

As such ... my new Honda Civic Sport will be ready for me to pick up next week ..

I have loved my time with the XR4, just as I did the WQ Zetec before it, they have been great cars ... but the Ford Dealer network and their so called aftersales care are unfortunately making many potential buyers look elsewhere, you only need look at the monthly sales figures to see where Ford in this country are heading! ... and in my opinion they only have themselves to blame .. this has been coming for many years now.

brydie76 · 14-03-2012, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fiesta_Man69

I enjoyed your post FezWQ. Particularly the 'over sensitive' barb.

I have a few questions to put to you.

Considering I required $10K worth of rust cut out of the car when it was only 3 months old, was surrounded by the dealer principal, service manager and several other mechanics in an attempt to intimidate me - trying to convince me that the rust was 'a characteristic' of modern cars and that I didn't know what I was talking about (and it required the Fair Trading Dept to set them straight) - do you believe I was 'oversensitive' to that?

Considering you state that 'Ford are as good as other companies' then you must have experienced the same treatment when you had issues with your Hyundai? I bet not....

You state that your WS had 'a few normal small warranty issues.' I ask, what is a 'normal' warranty issue? Are cars designed by Ford to be faulty from the factory?

Many members have experienced 'pinging' with their Fiesta's engine - it is a widespread problem. I hope you don't have such a problem. However, when your engine is detonating itself to death I don't believe continually attempting to get the manufacturer to fix the problem is being 'over sensitive.' Am I wrong here - should I just 'let it go' and let the engine shat itself outside the warranty period and foot the $6-$10K replacement costs that Ford have quoted me?

Is it being 'over sensitive' to expect a car built in 2010 by Ford to have decent a/c?

Like I said: 95% of Fezs won't have a problem, but Ford's sales of the Fez (last month were half of the Mazda 2s and down on the same period last year) as well as their other models (though nothing can save the Falcon) rely on Ford treating customers properly: I have had 2 years of experiencing the absolute worst customer service - and the results speak for themselves: Dale Ford is gone; if I was 'oversensitive' then they would still be thriving today. They ain't.

Perhaps FezWQ (and the two who 'liked' your post) can answer these simple questions.

I've replied to you on this time and time again as to my opinion on Ford customer service and warranty issues- I haven't made that many posts, so anybody who wants to read can go search, I don't have the time to reiterate my points again. As I've said in previous posts as well, I don't feel like having an argument for the sake of an argument. Nor will I choose to hit my head against the symbolic brick wall here.

greenfoam · 15-03-2012, 02:34 AM

We buckled the crap out of another Ford plasticine 16 inch rim today on a very mild limestone road while travelling at a fairly low speed (about 60km/h). The road was actually in better condition than most country sealed roads but because it was white it was harder than normal to spot the occasional holes. Might have actually bent more than one of them on the same hole but I only had time to swap the spare onto the one that was most obviously buckled to the eye and causing the car to wobble around.

Looking for a set of steel wheels at the moment but not finding any yet. I need some pretty soon as there's only one or two straightish ones on the car at the moment lol. Other than the constant wheel bending we still haven't had any trouble with the car, it's at 140,000 km's now. Zero rust etc and it's never been garaged. In summary, the car is good, wheels are sh_t. My opinion of Ford Australia like most peoples is that they have no clue of keeping customers or keeping them happy and deserve to go bankrupt which they most certainly will be doing in the near future, but I hope Ford Europe continue to make great cars for a long time yet

Fez WQ · 15-03-2012, 02:40 AM

Ok Soo

I HAD a WP Fiesta that was replaced under warranty due to a issue with it- I involved consumer protection and every other car related company. I got what I wanted. They replaced it with a WQ,

I had to fight Ford for 18 months I called them every day I emailed them weekly I never paid for a service car. As before I walked out of the dealership I called customer service and told them to pay up now. If you want an copy of the final email I sent them I can email it to you...

BUT in hind sight. I should have just sold it..... Slept at night and not used up my life caring about a car. That was a total dud

As for your problem sometimes we all need to take a breath and get over it. I wish I had....

Your long term review is based totally on a bad taste

ps . Brake pads already mine has just clicked over 50,000km and they are still half there. You must drive it harder than me

Also my car has slight pinging but not a concern at all ... turn up the music enjoy those nice speakers

Also I forgot to mention I sold my 2006 Honda Odyssey luxury. Honda could not fix a major problem with that car either. They spent just over $10,000 well so they said on fixing the loud clunk, that it had in the front right suspension/brake. Hope the new owners likes it. I loved that car from the day I drove it new out of the show room.

Fiesta_Man69 · 15-03-2012, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brydie76

I don't have the time to reiterate my points again. As I've said in previous posts as well, I don't feel like having an argument for the sake of an argument. Nor will I choose to hit my head against the symbolic brick wall here.

I.e. no supporting statement to back up your view point.

You've actually never made any salient points, but we'll let that slide. I'm all for difference of opinion - it's what makes the world go round - but if you make a point or agree with someone else's point then you should be able to back it up.

Perhaps you should look at the 'Dale Ford....gone' thread in the Pub section and read the dozens of posts from other people who have experienced terrible service from them as well. I suppose they're all being 'oversensitive' too?

Fiesta_Man69 · 15-03-2012, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fez WQ

Brake pads already mine has just clicked over 50,000km and they are still half there. You must drive it harder than me.

When I asked Ford about the life of the rotors (pads are fine to change at 40K, no arguement there) they said because it is a 'European car' it is normal for rotors to only last 40-50K. Of course this is bs, as a subscriber to the EVO magazine, I'm aware that rotors on most modern European cars last up to 100,000 MILES (as per their extensive long term test cars). The replacement rda and bendix combo should last at least that. Again, Ford Aus short changes its customers...

Fiesta_Man69 · 15-03-2012, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fez WQ

Also my car has slight pinging but not a concern at all ... turn up the music enjoy those nice speakers.

Are you kidding? If you're aware of what pinging is and what it does to your engine then you wouldn't have such an attitude. Maybe spending half the cost of a new car on a replacement engine doesn't concern you.

greenfoam · 15-03-2012, 02:24 PM

We are still on the original pads and rotors (140,000 km/s). Although I must admit to being down shifting rather than braking to conserve them + doing a lot of highway km's. If Ford AU do a decent price on the new ST and bring it over here in a 4 door without XR4erising it that might replace this one

brydie76 · 15-03-2012, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fiesta_Man69

I.e. no supporting statement to back up your view point.

You've actually never made any salient points, but we'll let that slide. I'm all for difference of opinion - it's what makes the world go round - but if you make a point or agree with someone else's point then you should be able to back it up.

Perhaps you should look at the 'Dale Ford....gone' thread in the Pub section and read the dozens of posts from other people who have experienced terrible service from them as well. I suppose they're all being 'oversensitive' too?

And when did you ever back your posts up with anything except your own experiences (from your own mouth) and opinions? I'm an auditor, I don't claim to have an argument unless I can back it up with verifiable, audit-quality evidence. Hence why my posts are never to argue with you on facts, merely that you present your opinion as the only correct one and use passive aggressive terminology to act as if your opinion and experiences are more relevant/correct to others who present theirs on here.

And I was never the one that said "over sensitive", so you won't get any raise from me on that one. My thanks for that post was over somebody trying to present an alternative viewpoint.

Fez WQ · 15-03-2012, 11:07 PM

As I have said. Get over it or sell it. Your issues are not what others need or want to hear. Your long term review is a complaint or issue that will remain unsolved until you sell it. The pinging in my car is not a issue nor will it reduce the life of my cars engine. There are may types of pinging and you have confused yourself with that

Knocking (also called knock, detonation, spark knock, pinging or pinking) in spark-ignition internal combustion engines occurs when combustion of the air/fuel mixture in the cylinder starts off correctly in response to ignition by the spark plug, but one or more pockets of air/fuel mixture explode outside the envelope of the normal combustion front.
The fuel-air charge is meant to be ignited by the spark plug only, and at a precise time in the piston's stroke cycle. Knock occurs when the peak of the combustion process no longer occurs at the optimum moment for the four-stroke cycle. The shock wave creates the characteristic metallic "pinging" sound, and cylinder pressure increases dramatically. Effects of engine knocking range from inconsequential to completely destructive.

Effects of engine knocking range from inconsequential to completely destructive.

Effects of engine knocking range from inconsequential to completely destructive.

Also for further proof

Engine Basics: Detonation and Pre-Ignition by Allen W. Cline Accessed June 2007
Charles Fayette Taylor, Internal Combustion Engine in Theory and Practice: Vol. 2, Revised Edition, MIT Press, 1985, Chapter 2 on "Detonation and Preignition", pp 34–85. ISBN 0-262-20052-X
Predictive combustion simulations for “downsized” direct injection spark-ignition engines: solutions for pre-ignition (“mega-knock”), misfire, extinction, flame propagation and conventional “knock” by cmcl innovations Accessed June 2010
Evaluation of the Effect of EGR on Engine Knock, SAE Technical Paper n. 982479, http://dx.doi.org/10.4271/982479, ISSN 0148-7191, Oct., 1998.
Experimental Investigation on the Use of Ion Current on SI Engines for Knock Detection, SAE Technical Paper n. 2009-01-2745, http://dx.doi.org/10.4271/2009-01-2745, ISSN 0148-7191, Nov., 2009.
Modeling Pressure Oscillations Under Knocking Conditions: A Partial Differential Wave Equation Approach, SAE Technical Paper n. 2010-01-2185, http://dx.doi.org/10.4271/2010-01-2185, ISSN 0148-7191, Oct., 2010.
Experimental Evaluation of Reduced Kinetic Models for the Simulation of Knock in SI Engines, SAE Technical Paper n. 2011-24-0033, http://dx.doi.org/10.4271/2011-24-0033, ISSN 0148-7191, Sep., 2011.

Fiesta_Man69 · 16-03-2012, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fez WQ

As I have said. Get over it or sell it. Your issues are not what others need or want to hear. Your long term review is a complaint or issue that will remain unsolved until you sell it. The pinging in my car is not a issue nor will it reduce the life of my cars engine. There are may types of pinging and you have confused yourself with that

A few points:

1. 'Sell it' - unable to due to lease - pls read previous posts so such irrelevant comments aren't made.

2. It wouldn't remain 'unsolved' if Ford had mechanics that knew what they were talking about. I never claimed to be an expert, nor a mechanic.

If you read the original post, I clearly state:

"According to Herrod Performance workshop, the biggest Ford performance workshop in Australia, the car should be running with no issue on 98 RON, since 95 is the recommended fuel. Several other performance workshops have diagnosed the problem: however, when I have informed 13 FORD of their findings, I have simply been told their results are invalid because they don't have Ford's diagnostic equipment!"

I didn't sit online and just complain about the problem, I went out, at some expense, to several performance workshops - ones that have built drag engines, amongst other things - where they diagnosed the problem. One couldn't believe that Ford didn't rectify it before delivery, but I digress.

If several - three in fact - workshops diagnose there's a problem that should be immediately fixed by Ford then their expertise is good enough for me.

If online jockeys such as yourself (and others) wish to disagree with such workshops then that's your perogative. It doesn't change experts' findings.

The pinging in my engine has been diagnosed as severe by people who know what they're talking about: not keyboard warriors who wikipedia their arguements....

I suggest FezWQ you take your car to a workshop other than Ford - if they say it's nothing to worry about then good for you. Otherwise have a handy $6-$10K lying around to fix/replace your engine.

And, I can categorically state, any pinging at all is undesirable: in a new car on 98 it is unacceptable.

Furthermore, in a country of free speech, there is nothing that compels you to read, let alone post, on this thread: so why complain? Just ignore it. Or are you actually concerned about your pinging engine?

Fiesta_Man69 · 16-03-2012, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brydie76

And when did you ever back your posts up with anything except your own experiences (from your own mouth) and opinions?

Again, if you read my original post, it clearly states that I went out to several workshops where they diagnosed the problem. I'd call these experts reasonable backup.

Caydus · 16-03-2012, 04:03 PM

Guys, it's not worth it, if you don't like it, you can add him to your ignore list.

Click on his name, then click "add to ignore list" on the top right side.

Now lets get back to talking cars instead of slagging each other out.

Fez WQ · 16-03-2012, 11:57 PM

Too True