strange issues with coworkers car

[gaboonviper85]

okay people may I pick your brain?

Ok so its a 2000 ford focus...friend was driveing down the turnpike and all the sudden all the needles oh guage cluster droped and radio stoped working as if car shut off but yet motor was still running and he was driveing as if nothing wrong...he got to the toll booth and car was still running but when he started moving again it started slamming into gears (auto)...shifting was very very ruff! He made it right to the front of the shop and then the car just shut down...so he coasted into our work parking lot and tried to start the car...guage lights came back on but only got a click sound so he just left it for about two hours...he just went out and tried again and it started right up and trans shifted just fine....

What in the world would cause this???? He always comes to me with car help and for the first time I have no idea where to start looking...

Ps he drove the car about 3miles before it cut out on him

 

[Dunckel]

Ford.
/ thread

Sorry, couldn't help myself. I have no idea why it would do that. Good luck.

 

[gaboonviper85]

that's what I told him... But it still didn't solve the issue LOL

 

[ilikebigbutts]

The first thing that comes to mind when the gauges and the radio stoped working is that it went into power save mode, ie: alternator isnt charging so the car shuts stuff off to keep the car running as long as possible.I'm not sure why the car started back up though, unless the alternator kept enough juice for another start.Battery sense could be reading off to, making the car think it has low voltage without actually being low.

This is all just a speculation though, things that i've come to at work.i have no idea about fords.

First thing i would do is pull codes.

P.S. : Clicking starter can mean low battery

 

[gaboonviper85]

yeah I thought the alternator also but if the died then I'd imagine the battery went dead then how would it start right up again...I'd like to check codes but I'm at work and dont have any info on this car...how do I check codes on this car...now that the car started again would the codes be cleared or are they saved?

I'll go see if the car has a voltage guage in the care and see how much juice is there..if the battery is fine then the alternator should be fine also I think.

 

[ilikebigbutts]

96 and up cars the only way you can pull codes is with a scan tool or one of them cheap code readers they sell at autozone...there can be a low battery voltage code pr what ever other code that would cause that kind of problem.

If i had this car at work i'd load test the battery and check for alternator out put, it only takes a munite but you need a special machine you most likely dont have...

 

[gaboonviper85]

would a main ground wire cause this?

 

[ilikebigbutts]

I was just about to edit and type that ground issue could cause this also, I actually had a similar problem today with a bad tail lamp circuit board not having adequate ground, them lights would do soem weird shit.

check to see if the ground cable is tight and clean from the battery terminal to the chassis ground.

 

[gaboonviper85]

Yeah this is a machine shop not an auto shop...

I just got more info from him and he did mention that a few days ago his battery light came on...but it doest explain why the car still runs...if a battery goes dead then its dead it won't just charge its self right? LOL.

I dont know...I'm leaning towards wireing...but still have no clue

 

[gaboonviper85]

yeah I'll have him bring the car in the shop...damn fords cover everything in plastic so I hope I can find the ground.

 

[GotBoost?]

I vote for alternator going bad, or a ground wire somewhere is loose. That's what I'd check for first.

 

[ilikebigbutts]

If there is a lot of load on the battery (car running,alty not charging) it gets hot which makes it weaker, its weird but i HAVE seen cars quit running due to bad alternators and start back up when the battery cools down.The alternator could be coming faulty intermetendly, when it also gets hot.

You NEED to:

pull codes
if applicable:
load test battery
alternator out put

I think autozone tests that stuff for you, i dont know how reliable they are...

 

[OneJoeZee]

fix or repair daily

 

[supraman7mgte]

A L I E N S

 

[gaboonviper85]

well I opened pandoras box on this... His power steering is leaking all over the place... It has rotted his surperntien belt and there us powdered rubber and oil all over especially around the alternator! This is beyond me... I can't find the leak cause...well...everything is wet with oil...so in sure this is the cause and he needs a new belt.

 

[suprarx7nut]

My friend's family had a 2002 focus. It was simply the WORST car I have ever heard of.

After only 2.5 years and 35k miles the dealership had tried to service the engine/transmission 5 times and couldn't fix its issues. Auto tranny wouldn't go into reverse, then wouldn't go out of first, then wouldn't leave park... etc. They sold the car because it was in need of repair far too often. It was his entire family STILL swears by American vehicles (Ford or GMC only).

As for your friends problem, sounds like a bad alternator/weak contacts/bad ground/intermittent battery or a combination of the above. I'm sorry your friend owns a Ford.

 

[gaboonviper85]

yeah I'm not a fan of these cars... I told him a long time ago he should fix this leak but he is the type to wait till something breaks before fixing... Hell I just told him I'd drive him home but he insists on driveing it and says he is fine cause he has AAA... Thanks for the ideas guys but this is more then just a simple fix and we dont have the time to tear the car appart cause I'm on the clock with only a 1 hour cycle time on the CNC lathe.

 

[flight doc89]

get a different car. I'll swear up and down by my ford trucks, but their cars are shit (from my relatively limited experience). (although my mom's mercury wasnt too bad.....still too bad a history with ford cars among friends)

I will say this: I've seen a mustang hit a tree hard enough to knock it down (police estimated 90mph impact), and the chick driving was outta the hospital only a few days later (iirc she broke her wrist and they were keeping and eye on her knee, otherwise just scratched and bruised) (then again, while she came out fine, if there had been a passenger, that passenger would have, shall we say....suffered an Acute Compromise of Living Space....)


anyways, the belt is nothing, you just gonna keep rotting belts until you find the leak. back to the original subject, go to autozone (etc) and let them check your battery/alternator (should be free, they should pull codes for free too). Those machines arent foolproof, but they do all right. Sounds like something is getting too hot for whatever reason.

 

[gaboonviper85]

right now there is so much oil and rubber packed around the alternator that I dont doubt that its shorting or slipping...but right now its like trying to find a needle in a stack of needles...one problem at a time...the car is going to a mechanic tomorrow.

I checked as many grounds as I could but as usual ford had to be lame and put most of them around the back of the motor which is so cramped and tight not even a fart could get threw it! And no corosion on the battery which is usually a tell tail sign it has great positive and negative connections.

 

[ilikebigbutts]

clean oil replace belt see where leak is coming from...I once had a rotted belt on my honda that would slip on the alternator causing it not to charge enough...