ive just brought a 2004 st170. well pleased with it. with the comfort pack

couple of questions id like to ask.

1. traction control button. does anyone actually use it, i never know wether to switch it on or off????

2. im gna keep everything standard near enough. i still own a rs turbo s2 so dont wana mess about with loads of engine work etc etc.

it has an induction kit. but i want to get a nice exhaust, which is best for the st170. just a powerflow or???????

any other little tweeks people do with there st170????

 

Off topic mate sorry i know,but how does it compare to the s2 performance wise?

 

The TC is on normally, the button turns it off. It doesnt make a huge difference, but I found I got sighty better 1/4 mile times with it off.

The Scorpion system is nice for the 170.

 

i used to have a janspeed, a nice subtle burble and smoother throttle response when coupled with the pipercross viper

 

I never bothered turning the t/c off on mine, only when booting it off the line when it was wet as the t/c used to cut in massively and cut off all the power rather than being progressive.

Induction kits do not work very well on the focus as they suffer with massive heat soak. The best power gains are to be had with a standard air box and a k&n panel filter, remove the resonator if you want some noise

 

whats a resonator.

 

iv also heard you can also change the cold air feed for a better flow. cant remember what too tho

 

the pipercross viper works superbly because its aenclose in carbon fiber and has a coild air feed

 

Leave the TC on.

Benni.

 

I turn the TC off in mine when ever the floor is damp or I am cornering hard as when it cuts in it unsettles the car mid corner which isn't nice and I also find it ruins quick pull offs.

Exhaust wise - I dont know why anyone would bother putting one on, its hardly going to make the car any faster really.... if its noise you want fit a back box????

Personally compared to my RST or my Clio 172 I find it a bit pedestrian feeling - having said that its a lovely solid car.

 

I turn the TC off when im going for a blast as it cuts in way too late and aggresivly when the wheels do spin. I have found though that the TC us quite sensitive to shit tyres, so even when you are driving very slowly the tc will cut in a bit.

 

So whats the difference between that and a standard set up + panel filter apart from a few hundred quid?

 

black plastic box about half the size of the air box that pushes into the right hand side of the air box as you look at it. Pull it off and it gives it a nice sound like an induction kit, all for free

 

ST170 has a stainless as standard so just get a backbox u like the sound of

Nice underrated cars, not quick but good handling and pokier than a shopping model

 

smoother throttle response and wuicker pick up.

but the standard paper filter with resonator removed is pretty good to but the viper has a deeper burble. its all down to perswonal preference but after experiencing both on different st170s i would choose the viper BUT only if coupled with better exhaust and a remap,

viper = more in exhaust = more air out its the oldest most basic first steps to tuning.

the standard paper filter actually flows better than a K&N panel

 

like I said, I bought a standard model fitted a janspeed exhaust (larger diameter) with 3 inch slash cut tail pipe so it looked like original but a little larger, pipercross viper, Remap, eibach shockes and springs, ebc brakes alll round, eibach anti roll bars, goodyear eagle f1s and did that lot all in 24 hours, the car definatly picked up alot better, 2000 rpm flat spot had gone, souned awesome, handled 10x better, pulled through the gears alot better and 0-60 was definatly improved. and above all it sounded great but did not sound silly loud like some of the chavvy cars you see and hear about.

it was just right and the only thing i would have done next was throttle body conversion but my ex talked me into selling to buy a family car, bitch lol......this is why i bought another but this one is being sold to fund something turbo'd soon

 

what does it do in the first place? any bother removing it?

 

iirc its there to resonate sound but could be wrong, sounds throaty without it though and as the whole is below filter level there is no risk of sucking in crap

 

Its there to muffle the sound from the air filter box. 2 minute job to remove, grab filter box and pull upwards out of rubber mounting (might be stiff but will come out), then the resonator pulls out from the side. You might need a screwdriver to free off the clips that hold it in but I just pulled mine out with no bother.

 

Sweet whats it do then.

 

i dont know modern cars old ones never had shit like this on before lol.

 

does any one else find the traction control kicks in under hard cornering? i always turn mine off if im driving for fun as the last time i left it on it decided to kick in mid roundabout and caused the back end to wiggle a bit

 

nice one, get that straight in the bin then

 

Are we going round in circles here?

 

well maybe i wrote it slightly wrong.

the reason why i want an exhaust is just for the nice noise. im not stupid enough to think an exhaust will gain loads of power lol.

so really im asking is that i want just a back box. which is best and sounds nicest. dont want it to be animal loud.

 

completly different mate.

my s2 is animal when the turbo kicks in etc etc so performance wise the rs is much better,

my st170 doesnt get turbo lag on other hand. and is still very nippy and constant power if that makes sense. and regarding driving, the st170 beats it as in so much more luxury with the leather heated seats etxc etc etc.... much smoother. i love it

 

and it has a SIMOTA RACING induction kit on it

 

??

 

May want to look at some of the Focus sites (Focusfanatics, Focus Sport, etc.) here in the states as our SVT Focus is essentially the same car. I did a Steeda short throw shifter upgrade and the guy I sold it to also did a software upgrade which really transformed the car, midrange and top end felt so much better.

Good luck, I had a lot of fun with mine and it was pretty much standard.

 

you spin me right round baby right round, like a record baby right round. Lol.

 

this is the janspeed system on my old st170, sounded awesome imo, it had a lovely burble and let out a few pops and splutters when backing off the throttle, took this vid for someone of ffoc last year. hope it helps

 

oh and a good quality exhaust system DOES improve performance slightly but is much better with a decat or 100 cell spotrs cat

 

When i had my ST170 i had a magnex exhaust with de-cat, panel filter and superchip and it drove well. The button doesnt fully turn the traction control off IIRC anyway. Only way to do that is remove the fuse but that also turns the ABS off When i had it on the rolling road it didnt get full power anytime the fuse was in also. Wondered what the feck was wrong the first time i tried to rr it and it was 135BHP. Took the fuse out and it was fine.

 

mine used to get sluggish when hot and the traction when off was still working i could never turn it fully off

 

my old silver one had 159 bhp before the mods 181 bhp with al the mods listed above, my new one is standard and makes 173 bhp, fst170s are either hit or miss and you gt all or nothing

 

Cheers lads.

I'm goin to go on a focus owners club and see what people say aswell.

Tbh I might just end up going to longlife and get a custom stainless steel backbox fitted