ford focus 1.6 se zetec engine buying help needed and advise?


had a look at a focus this focus did seem to smoke a bit (more obvious when you put your foot down when driving) and there was a drip from the exhaust that looked abit oily on idle?
obviously the dealer puts it down to condensation and tells us its a good sign, so with another one to look at we walk away for now

any thoughts? nothing to worry about or warn engine? piston rings? the milage was 49k

anything else i should be aware of about these engines as will be sticking to that type as far as i kno,

oh and timing belts and water pumps? when are they due? and if a belt snaps will it bend valves or can you get away with it and just put another on?

 

They do smoke and drip from the exhaust. Totally normal.

 

how long would you expect it to smoke for? iv only seen one other on the road that looked the same?
what model are you getting 35mpg?

 

1.6 Zetec SE. Got a differnet car now though.

They're a solid engine, just feel torqueless low down. And if deprived of oil they will eat their bottom ends which have to be replaced and can't be repaired.

Mine used to smoke until the oil got hot. It also used to smoke in the rain which is generally common knowlege.

 

These are a good engine like most engines of they have been looked after.

 

thanks guys

 

Which bit of an engine smoking and dripping oil out of the exhaust is normal?

They do have a habit of wearing piston rings, an old Focus 1.6 I had years back was using a lot of oil so I changed the engine at about 90k, it's replacement also started using oil after about 50k. These are a very weak engine IMO, see if you can get a 1.8/2.0 as they are much better.

 

not 100% that is/was oil but it was dripping something defianalty, how long after cold should it do that?, the car is not for me or i'd probably be looking for a 1.8 td in this range.
my mates adament the ones were looking at will be the 1.6 zetecs
another in the morning so all info is welcome guys

 

It shouldn't drip any oil out the exhaust, ever. If it is condensation though (likely if the car has been stood on a forecourt for a while) then it should all be gone after a good test drive.

 

There was a design fault with the timing belt tensioners.They changed the design 4 times.My tensioner let go on the motorway at 80 mph.Scrap engine but got a 40,000 mile one for Ł350 and put the new tensioner on.Been trouble free since 2009
Looked like this

 

My missus has one of these, its on 193k miles now and it doesn't smoke or drip any oil out of the exhaust

I've read before they can suffer from broken oil control rings so maybe its that causing the smoke?

Smoke when putting your foot down sounds like rings to me??

 

I took a 2001 1.6 focus in px last week at 215k it was showing signs of wear but drove ok and sold for 500 quid first run through auction.

Good old cars! Get it bought.

 

As said dripping oil from the exhaust is NOT a common problem and not should happen, I have one of these it's never gone wrong once (I think it fair to say there are very few cars you could say the same about), nor does it burn any oil. Looked after they will do many miles.

As said that one is best avoided, as it sounds like the engine is knackered.

Martin

 

I didn't mean dripping oil. I mean water. Nearly every Sigma engine I've looked at has a little drip from the exhaust when it is cold.