Odd Focus Issue...

[Toms306]

Morning,

So, this issue has always been present and I'd assumed it was just a 'quirk' or I was a shit driver, but it seems to have got worse since moving, though it may be beause I have to do a lot more stop/start on a cold engine now.

Anyway, the issue is, first few pull-aways after a cold start are juddery/sticky from the OS front wheel.  It feels like someone is holding the driveshaft hard and it 'jumps' a bit before moving off.  Takes a lot of clutch to pull away as well and the wheel slips/spins a bit when it does go.

After the first few times it's perfectly smooth though, which has really confused me!!  If it was anything mechanical (driveshaft for example) it would be constant.

There is also a 'dip' just after pull away when the EGR opens but I don't think these issues are linked.  Thought I was just forgetting how to drive on a cold engine but giving it more revs doesn't seem to help either.

So has anyone got any ideas?  Really can't understand it myself.

Cheers
Tom

 

[Connor]

Sounds like the brakes are binding a little, give them a clean up and grease

[Toms306]

Ah ok, could be an easy fix then. Have been meaning to do that for the last 9 months anyway due to annoying squeal under any sort of braking lol. Hadn't linked the 2 as I didn't think they'd 'unbind' when warm.

[Ben_w]

You'll need the following tools:

Sockets and a ratchet. Can't remember if you need hex bits on a Ford on the slider bolts. I think you might. Sure I did the brakes on one of these models recently...
Wire brush
Copper grease
Tea
Jaffa cakes
Swear words (amount dependant on when the brakes were last apart...)

Get it all apart, have a cup of tea and a Jaffa cake. Or 7. Wire brush everything to death. Grease the slider bolts. Refit. Have another cup of tea and inhale the rest of the Jaffa cakes.

Easy peasy. Ish. (Insert same disclaimer as per swear words...)

[Connor]

Only tools you need is a 7mm Allen key/socket and a lever bar/screw driver. Won't be the sliders, it'll actually be the pads where they sit on the carrier but won't do any harm cleaning everything

[Toms306]

I don't like Jaffa cakes or drink tea... I can do the swear words if necessary.

It's the bloody springs I hate fitting on these calipers which is why I kept putting it off. The pads were fairly new when I got the car but pretty sure they were just cheap crap as they're awful, inefficient at any temp, squealy and there's a wobble under braking. Will have a proper look at them and may chuck another set on but we'll see.

[Connor]

Tom the springs are easy, I'll try get a video next time I do some

[Toms306]

Well, I've done them...springs just popped on... Not sure how I had so much trouble with them on my Ford work experience!

Anyway it turns out that the brakes weren't as new as I'd thought from a quick frontal glance. The back of the discs were f*cked and the pads, although they were only half worn, were glazed, partially unstuck from the backing and there was some heat cracking in the friction material. So made the decision to just replace pads and discs rather than try and rescue them, £90 from ECP for Pagid pads, discs and Cera-Tec so hopefully there won't be any squeaking this time lol. Also gave the calipers a quick coat of black hammerite to tidy them up as well. The slide pins were completely dry and covered in rubber/crap so I cleaned those and put a small amount of Cera-tec on them as well, hopefully that's alright, if not only takes minutes to whip them out and clean them off.

Not tried them yet lol, but hopefully that's sorted the braking issues I was having.

[Toms306]

So this problem is still very much there - its really confused me tbh, and makes me look like a knob at the first couple of junctions. I just can't understand whats causing it, can't even work out if its physical or electrical/management related. Any more ideas?

Brakes are significantly better now though, so changing them wasn't wasted.

[Toms306]

Finally solved this issue! It's been really bad the last few mornings which have been very damp so done some more digging...

Apparently it's moisture on the DMF that causes it and not actually a problem as such. Annoying but nice to know why it happens!