Ford ST Owners, Gather Around

"Kate's Dirty Sister" (KDS)
01/14/2015 at 21:35 • Filed to: None

I'm the proud owner of a 2013 st3 Focus ST.

I like the car a lot, I don't like Ford service and I've been having my fair share of electrical issues.

Pros: seats are fantastics, power delivery is awesome, the manual tranny goes cluk cluk and the build quality is awesome for a Ford product.

Cons: Fuel consumption is terrible, electricals are dodgy and ergonomy is definitelty an afterthought.

Recently, the "sound symposer" or the thing that makes you believe you are driving a v8 car, has been acting dodgily.

It has gotten worse in the last weeks to some point where it is only working 10% of the time.

Anyone with a Ford ST with the same issues ?

DISCUSSION (28)

spanfucker retire bitch > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 21:37

Wow, sorry to hear that. A co-worker of mine has had his ST for almost 2 years now and the only issue he's had was some jackass who t-boned him.

Brian Silvestro > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 21:38

Everyone on here with an Ecoboost engine seems to be having the same issue with fuel economy, myself included.

I recall Ford recalling (heh) the Focus for a wiring harness issue, but that had something to do with the engine stalling at stops, different from your issues.

citizennick > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 21:41

you could get a sound symposer delete. Or if you plan on getting a tune it can be turned off that way, too.

Kate's Dirty Sister > Brian Silvestro
01/14/2015 at 21:41

i got the wiring harness done on dec 29th, I'm still at 19 mpg

Brian Silvestro > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 21:43

What's your driving like, mostly city or highway? That's atrocious. I'm getting 29.4mpg and I'm not satisfied. But if I were getting that with a FoST I'd be straight angry.

BrianNutter > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 21:44

My dealer said that Ford hasn't issued a recall, but has issued a service bulletin with a fix under file number brm.16. Let us know how it works.

citizennick > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 21:45

skip shifting in the city really helps your mileage. My current tune is shit so I'm not even bothering, getting 16mpg on average.

TheHondaBro > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 21:45

That's about what my Honda's V6 engine is getting.

Jonee > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 21:46

Whoa, that's kind of astonishing. Do you have a heavy foot? That car sure is fun to drive, so I imagine it's easy to lay on the gas. I bought a '14 non-ST (sadly) Fiesta and it was full of bugs from the clutch to electrics.

Kate's Dirty Sister > Brian Silvestro
01/14/2015 at 21:46

95% city, but when I'm doing highway, I don't get any better. Than 8l/100km

Should be 6.5 according to Ferd.

Brian Silvestro > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 21:47

;_;

I wonder when the class action is gonna start forming

Nothing > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 22:00

I'm averaging 24.5 in my 2014 FoST. I've had it for 10 months now, 3700 miles on it. Mine's an ST1. No electrical issues, in fact, I have yet to engage Ford service at all. If I eventually get a tune, I'll do the symposer delete. I do have the beeping issues that there's apparently a TSB for, but I haven't been that concerned.

I'd say I'm about 80/20 city/hwy.

Hope you're able to get your issues worked out. On a sidenote, I'm excited to hit the Octane Academy later this year.

Kate's Dirty Sister > Brian Silvestro
01/14/2015 at 22:02

we're getting 8.5L/100km with the wifes 328i xDrive with the ZF

Brian Silvestro > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 22:03

I would make a snarky comment, but I'm honestly too lazy to turn that into American numbers I can understand

Kate's Dirty Sister > Brian Silvestro
01/14/2015 at 22:06

8.5/100km is like 26mpg

Tohru > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 22:07

That is worse than I used to get with my 305-powered Caprice. Hell, it's worse than my truck (2.0L, carb, 5sp.) and my car (3.4L V6, auto).

Kate's Dirty Sister > Brian Silvestro
01/14/2015 at 22:07

tldr, the heavier and faster 328i xDrive is 20% better on gas

Brian Silvestro > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 22:11

lol wat is car

TheBaron2112 > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 22:14

I have no idea. I'm a FiST owner, so I can't say I have experienced any of these things.

But the sound symposer should literally be a tube from the engine bay to your cabin. My guess is that it's clogged with something.

Kailand09 > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 22:41

I have a still quite new '14.

I get around 23 when driving all city, when I'm 90% hwy I hit 27 or so in the really cold atm (due to idling for warming up etc), but when it was still warmer I was getting just above 32mpg, as low as 30 depending on my foot.

Sound symposer seems to be working fine, though honestly you could just route around the control valve and have it on 100%. Or delete it completely and have it 0%. Whatevs.

I haven't really noticed any other issues. I haven't had the harness replaced yet, not sure if my car is part of the recall or if it was already fixed... either way I have no issues so no point in getting it changed out yet.

Kailand09 > citizennick
01/14/2015 at 22:41

what gears are you usually skipping?

citizennick > Kailand09
01/14/2015 at 22:51

depends, like going for 1 to 3 to 5. Usually just skip one.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 23:23

Check the corrugated tube running off the intake that runs to the firewall. It's where the sound comes from.

jariten1781 > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/14/2015 at 23:51

I have a FiST, and I don't know if the setup is different, but I pulled the tube and put an expansion plug in the symposer when I did my intake/downpipe/exhaust. It was causing a weird resonance with the additional noise.

Fuel economy I get about 26 in my all city drive. My 04 Mazda V6 on the same commute got 16 so I'm good with that.

titsinmymitts > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/15/2015 at 00:14

What's your odometer read right now? My mileage was about the same until I crested 10,000 or so.

Ford service is shit. Honestly probably the worst dealerships out there. They will do all they can to avoid working on your car under warranty.

Hopefully they fix all the problems with this car in the '15. I wish I got into a WRX.

/resentful ST owner.

Edit: regarding the symposer—yes, after a while that will start to beep after you turn the car off. It will then completely fail. There is a TSB for it, but it doesn't really work. You're better off getting a symposer delete kit.

Just be glad you don't have the steering problems I have.

Kate's Dirty Sister > titsinmymitts
01/15/2015 at 08:28

23 000 KM

The only reason I don't have a WRX or a GTI is the ridiculous incentives I got on the ST.

It cost me the same as a semi-loaded impreza.

For the price, I can't complain, but the poor chaps paying full MSRP are not doing a smart move.

Kate's Dirty Sister > Battery Tender Unnecessary
01/15/2015 at 08:32

tks

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Kate's Dirty Sister
01/15/2015 at 12:09

I didn't star this for the troubles, I starred it for the car (and that you're a proud owner).