Ford Focus Questions

[indiej]

standard stereo plug both ends. pareho sa stereo plug ng headphones/speakers na sinasaksak sa likod ng computer.

[macychic]

sir niky, how does the tdci's turbocharger work/function nga pala?

also just an observation:
medyo mahina ba talaga ang kagat ng brakes sa sudden stops? or is it just me? i think this might be because i used to drive a M/T car, nasanay ako na mas madali magdownshift to stop? though di ko pa ren natry yun PS manual mode. tanong ko na lang din muna dito kasi im not sure, pero baka meron ibang reason like what ive read somewhere before about the everest na tires ang may prob na medyo madulas when braking? i was only doing ~50kph tapos sudden stop (dahil sa isang jeepney na walang pakundangan huminto pabigla bigla) tapos yun nga napansin ko medyo madulas. ayoko kasi sana masanay ng hard braking hindi good sa health ng auto, or so i read. thanks!

[niky]

The Powershift goes into "neutral" at a certain speed... the loss of engine-braking can feel like a loss of brakes, because the engine-braking is so pronounced.

With the speed and weight of the TDCi, yeah, it can feel like sometimes the brakes aren't strong enough for the car, but it stops all right. You just have to get used to pushing harder and earlier. Remember, the TDCi weighs about as much as a Mazda6, and is heavier than many older mid-sized cars.

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A turbocharger uses pressure from the engine exhaust to increase pressure at the engine intake. In other words, the high speed air that would normally just be going out of the muffler is used to spin up a propeller that is attached to another propeller that pushes air into the engine's intake. More air = more power.

This is not a function of how fast the turbo pushes air, mind you, but how hard it pushes it. That's why those electric turbochargers they used to sell don't work. Doesn't matter how fast the fan spins, if it can't push the air hard enough (working against pressure), it isn't worth beans.

The TDCi turbocharger is a variable geometry design. At low speeds, it acts like a smaller turbo, giving you quick response (boost at under 2000 rpm)... once the engine revs up, the vanes open up and the turbo acts like a bigger unit, giving you more power up top. As opposed to gasoline turbo units, which give you pressures of about 8-16 pounds per square inch, the TDCi turbocharger is somewhere in the 20-30 psi range. Gotta love them diesels.

It also features an overboost function, where the boost and power are raised for around ten seconds or so to allow you to accelerate faster. When you're not accelerating, this function turns off, to allow you to conserve fuel and to preserve your engine's longevity.

[pup2]

Took my TDCi to Baguio for the holidays and so far this is my 2nd fav car to take on long drives. It gives up nearly a hundred horses to the FXT on the flats but it's not only better on the twisties (well, the FXT IS a cuv) the dual-clutch also makes really good use of the torque on the uphill.

It doesn't load quite as much as the Foz (hey, it's a hatch) but I can fill up on NLEX, go up to Baguio, run around and leave the engine on all day, and STILL get back to NLEX before I need a fill-up! Meaning on a long drive, i'd probably beat the FXT if I didn't have to go to the bathroom a lot anyway.

If it weren't for the low ride height and the FXT's incredible suspension, it might've been a close call. But still, for the price/value/car class combo, I'd say it's a steal. And they still have that zero interest thingy going on too!

[niky]

Took my TDCi to Baguio for the holidays and so far this is my 2nd fav car to take on long drives. It gives up nearly a hundred horses to the FXT on the flats but it's not only better on the twisties (well, the FXT IS a cuv) the dual-clutch also makes really good use of the torque on the uphill.

It doesn't load quite as much as the Foz (hey, it's a hatch) but I can fill up on NLEX, go up to Baguio, run around and leave the engine on all day, and STILL get back to NLEX before I need a fill-up! Meaning on a long drive, i'd probably beat the FXT if I didn't have to go to the bathroom a lot anyway.

If it weren't for the low ride height and the FXT's incredible suspension, it might've been a close call. But still, for the price/value/car class combo, I'd say it's a steal. And they still have that zero interest thingy going on too!

Hmmm... with a few bolt-ons... you can lower that 100 horse deficit to just 30 or so...

Actually, on the dyno, a TDCi already makes 125 whp, suggesting around 150 bhp. A few bolt-ons takes that to nearly 200.

Only issue is the fiddly ECU. Too much power and you get a check-engine light. But some guys drive around with it with no issue.

[pup2]

Hmmm... with a few bolt-ons... you can lower that 100 horse deficit to just 30 or so...

Actually, on the dyno, a TDCi already makes 125 whp, suggesting around 150 bhp. A few bolt-ons takes that to nearly 200.

Only issue is the fiddly ECU. Too much power and you get a check-engine light. But some guys drive around with it with no issue.

Oh stop temtping me you devil you. Hehehe. Nah. Won't touch it. Not only because it goes to my 65-year old dad when my car gets fully restored, but Im not really a modder. Mas gusto ko stock-to-stock.

Kainis lang they don't have nice colors like yellow (on the Escape) ano? I think they only had 4 colors and only 2 were immediately available!

[pup2]

Hmmm... with a few bolt-ons... you can lower that 100 horse deficit to just 30 or so...

Actually, on the dyno, a TDCi already makes 125 whp, suggesting around 150 bhp. A few bolt-ons takes that to nearly 200.

Only issue is the fiddly ECU. Too much power and you get a check-engine light. But some guys drive around with it with no issue.

Oh stop temtping me you devil you. Hehehe. Nah. Won't touch it. Not only because it goes to my 65-year old dad when my car gets fully restored, but Im not really a modder. Mas gusto ko stock-to-stock.

Kainis lang they don't have nice colors like yellow (on the Escape) ano? I think they only had 4 colors and only 2 were immediately available!

[blythe07]

hi, planning to buy a brand new car and ford focus is on my list. tanong ko lang, lahat ba ng ford focus (1.8 M/T, 1.8 A/T, 2.0, etc..) e fuel efficient? how about the PMS? mga how much kaya magagastos ko for that? and yung spare parts po, mahal din ba?

those are the things i consider kasi when buying a brand new car. hope someone answers my questions.

[niky]

The gasoline 2.0AT, obviously, sucks in the city... but it's just as good as the other 2 liter cars on the market. The 1.8 MT sedan is better, but don't expect 1.6-level economy. It's still a heavy car with a relatively powerful engine.

Spare parts. Dealership parts are obviously expensive (just like all dealers are), but there are aftermarket and replacement parts now available outside. The one thing I'm not sure about is replacement shocks... Haven't updated myself in a while, but you can visit the Ford club ( http://forum.fordclubph.com ) and ask if anyone has a lead on them.

[pup2]

Yung TDCi ko though is bang for the buck as far as fuel/performance is concerned. Before break-in, I got 12 kms/liter with lots of idle. After break-in, I'm now at 14+ kms/liter mixed city/hiway.

Nami miss ko na ang gas station, chewing gum, mags, etc. For a car with that performance ... sulit na sulit lalo't nakuha ko siya ng zero interest pa.

Di ko alam ang parts dahil 1st 1K PMS pa lang ako (libre lahat). Mukhang mas maganda ang HINDI nasa eastern side na dealers though -- they're extremely Ondoy busy.