Hello chaps First post on here i usually frequent Fiatforum.com but need a bit of specific advice any help will be much appreciated

had a breif search but didn't find anything on here about the problem i'm/we're having unless someone can point me in the right direction..



Right Dads Ford Focus Estate Ghia 1.8 petrol Zetec engine 51 plate,

Run fine from new never had a problem with it (bar a flat battery yonks ago)

Anyhow mum decides to fill it up at a certain well known supermarket beginning with a T in Scunthorpe (Don't worry she is now knows she is in bad books )

she has done about 20 miles since and it was running like a bag of S#*t from about 5 miles after fill up it juddered when accelerating at any speed with the odd flash of the Engine management warning light whilst accelerating but it never came on permanently.

So tonight managed to drop the fuel out of the tank (took the filler pipe flex hose off the tank and siphoned it to be disposed of properly (do i get my green peace badge now? )

Took it with the amber light on brimmed it with Shell v-power and had it on a 40 mile blast on the Motorway got better after the first 10 miles or so

it now runs far better and doesn't seem to judder once up to speed but still judders from a standing start as if it has Hiccups, but once up to speed runs smoothly and no more warning light since new fuel..

fetched it home and run it on the drive at about 4.5K revs (it was still hot from the 40 mile run) till the manifold was glowing red

then left it on tick over to cool cant take it out now had a beer to remove the taste of petrol (joke) good old jiggle siphon


Anyhow if it isn't sorted when taken for a spin in the morning what could it be?

Im thinking Lambarda/ Hego sensor has a build up of contamination after reading back up on their problematic fuel last year suppose it could be a blocked injector but the good fuel improved the problem which is leaning me over to suspect the HEGO sensor

is their any way to clean the HEGO sensor IE blowlamp or solvent i don't want to kill it?


Thanks for any tips and advice