how many people on here have the zetec se 1.4 1.6 etc.whats the mileage on your car and is it still going strong?

 

hi, i had a focus with the 1.6 engine in it and it was fine and had coverd 130 000 miles its gone now for an st powerplant but it still runs and was fine when removed

 

and at 130thou did it pull well?in that time did you have any problems with the engine or did you have to replace anything

 

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My first 1.6 se in my old focus used to drink oil but ran fine until I replaced it after about 140,000 miles, I bunged in another 1.6 se that had covered 20,000 miles, I did about another 20,000 on that engine and sold the car about 3 years ago now, still see it in the local area though!

 

it used to drink oil i used to run my focus on 5w.30 but changed to 10w.40 as it was like piss and tend to burn away as the 10w.40 dosent

 

ive got the 1.6 se also.only on 50k but runs great! i do find however it does drink oil like theirs no tomorrow 5w30. so 10w40 is fine to use and wont effect the engine in anyway?

 

put 10w40 in and you'll maybe get sticking tappets

 

can risk sticking valves with thicker oil. thats why they use 5w 30
depends how they hav been treated. if ragged from cold and not serviced regular they they can drink oil from more excessive wear.

 

Christ, whatever you do don't use 10/40!! The zetec has tiny oilways which thicker oil will not be able to get through so quickly. Will clog the lifters up too.

 

anything else you can do then to stop it using so much oil?

 

ive used 10w.40 for nearly 3 yrs of owning the car and works great,gets regular changes as well.i did however use the millers 5w.30 and it didnt go down very well.we dont rag the car me and the missus use just to get around to work do the shopping and for the kids and ocasionly go out places.but 10w.40 has never give us problems.i think its how the car has been treated to be honest

 

Well there's no two ways about it, 10w/40 IS damaging your engine. The thicker oil can't escape through the rings or stem seals as easy so it wont burn as much oil, however, it also isn't lubricating the lifters or the crank as well as what 5w30 would.

I find that the zetecs do drink oil, I'm on my 8th zetec engined car, the only one that I have that doesn't drink oil is the car I have now.

When I researched it, the zetec-se are supposed to wear the 4th ring easily, unsure why, poor design/cheap manufacturing possibly?

 

i have owned a 1.6 se focus and that one at 60K chucked a rod out the block. cant remember what number it was now tho as it was a few years ago. That was driving down a by-pass at 70mph with no signs or noise it just let go.

Also have a 1.4 complete engine which also through a rod aswell, i stripped the 1.4 and it looks like the small end ( piston side) had seized up.

ive also heard of a few other se engines putting rods out the block !!!

Somthing to do with oil ways and also im sure its only the 2L zetecs that run oil spray onto the back of the pistons mainly for cooling but it would maybe help the se with the problems ive came across.

currently about to build another se for rally car project.

As for oil , yes i agree they say use 5-30 but at high temperatures and no oil cooler the oil must be breaking down so much that its like water. So maybe 10-40 or somthing that bit different after a heat cycle wont break down so much. With the se engines running solid lifters cam buckets dont need to fill up to keep tappet noise away tho sticking valves is also an issue.

interested in others thoughts

jamie

 

mine ticks over nicely no noises or nothing.i use magnatec in my engine and it purrs.pulls really well for a 1600.and have been up and down the country in it.starts perfect on a cold morning and i check my car over every week.i personaly think its down to how the engine has been treated.

 

get it fixed.
could be lots of things tho. bore wear, piston ring wear, valve stem seal wear ect ect.

 

its not an excessive amount .. but more than normal. saying that it is a 1.6 so it does get hammered quiet a lot but not when its cold. will any modifications cause it to use more oil? i have only done 20k since i got it and it only had 1 lady owner. . was in mint condition and full ford service history and mot so it sounds like its been looked after. hope its nothing serious

 

To be honest mate my first 1.6 engine in my old focus used to drink oil, it was the same for about 60,000 miles that I used it for, don't worry about it at all just keep an eye on the oil level!

 

I know the cambelt and tensioner need changing every 60000 miles.I found this out the hard way when i was doing 80 m.p.h on the motorway when the tensioner failed.
Mine had only done 64,000 miles.
Stripped it down and the engine was scrap.




Stripped it all out and got a 40,000 mile replacemet.



Engine cost Ł300 .Put a belt,tensioner,clutch and all fluids in as well.
All finished.

 

nice looking motor there mate.keep the pics coming

 

Ford say 100,000miles for cambelt.

 

I also had a v reg mondeo 1.8 zetec that had done 130,000 on the same belt.I suppose it,s the luck of the draw.

The tensioners are the weak point ,FORD have updated them 3 times on the zetec.The new one that i put in my new engine seems to be the best design.

 

think it depends on how the car gets treated all round really.i think your right about the belt dan.ive just looked in the manual but ford recomend 80thou but you can run longer.

 

Mines had two belts in 70,000 miles though! But it has been apart a few times!

Seen quite a few tensioners go though, what a mess they make.

 

i think it depends on how its been treated