Yet-to-be-named 2016 Fiesta SE

[Phil_F_NM]

I figure I'll start a build thread about my car, since I'll definitely be doing things to it, and this just seems like the place to post all that.
I'm not going to be building up anything much more sporty than it already is, but there are a few things I'd like to address, which I'll connect in my recent driving anecdotes.

Last weekend, we went to the John Heinz Wildlife Preserve, south of Philadelphia and I noticed that the car felt pretty willowy going up to and over the Schuylkill River bridge. This is a pretty high bridge and it was quite windy that day. Are these cars sensitive to wind? Tires are stock size Yokohama Avid Ascend which may have only 20 miles on them. I did notice that they were under-inflated by about 10PSI after I got home. Once I aired up the tires to about 36PSI, the little car feels like it's on rails again and turns incredibly well. I would love a chance to push the car hard through some turns just to get to know what it can do.

I've been using Sport mode to shift and I have to say it is delightful. I'm getting a hang of the sweet spot for shifting in the city. I feel like in Drive, the tranny shifts just a little too early. I'm not sure this is one of those things that the TCM can learn from my driving habits (to shift later) or if I'm stuck with a set shifting parameter as in a traditional slushbox. Either way, it gets around really well and will be great for the significant other who never got the hang of the 4 speed manual in my '72 diesel Benz.

I have a set of Rokblokz mud flaps in my Amazon wish list, which will probably be going on at payday.

I'm going to be doing a full tune-up soon (tranny fluid change, oil change, plugs, wires, air filter, cabin air filter) just because. We got the car from a local Toyota dealer but a combination of factors, including noticing things that the service department missed, as well as my inherent desire to have a known baseline of brand new parts, compels me to do the tune-up. The car has 88k miles and looking at the few service records I have, it doesn't look like the transmission fluid has ever been changed, unless the previous owner did it. Anyway, it's getting done and I'll post my thoughts on the results.

A few other things I'll be doing include: blacking out the chrome grille, putting in a working spare instead of the donut, getting a stubby antenna, hopefully installing fog lamps in the little fake air louvers (or maybe make them functional air louvers), painting the brake drums flat black, painting the calipers flat black. I want to do a cold-air intake but I'm not going to use a K&N filter (and I'm not going to be participating in any arguments about K&N ).

I'm thinking I want a little better handling in this car but I don't want to lower it much, if at all. I like the stock suspension height, I think I just want a little less roll.

For commuting and regular driving, we'll be keeping the stock wheels and some all-season tires, but we're thinking of joining an autocross club if we can find one locally, and in that case, I'd like to swap on a set of 16" or maybe 17" wheels and some better tires, we'll see. I'm here in the forum to absorb as much knowledge and experience from folks more in-the-know, so I want to thank you in advance.

(Photos of a bone-stock white Fiesta SE Mk.6 to be added soon.)

Phil Forrest

 

[LionsTooth]

Yeah, can't wait to see how yours turns out. I also use Sport when I need to be "in control" of the shifts (freeway ramps, stop light fun, decel on hills). Love it. I use Drive when just puttering around for gas mileage. I have a working-size spare and feel grateful for that (hope to never have to use it!). I am watching for the off lights you pick. I have these in a saved basket because I like that the switch appears to be like my multi-color interior light switch, and therefore would l fit in the empty spot.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I just replaced that (possibly original from the factory in Mexico) cabin air filter and I have to say, what a pain in the rear.
5 screws?! Really Ford? Just to hold on that filter cover. The filter itself could probably stay put without the cover, considering how tightly it fit.
It's not in the right location, per-se, but I have that empty switch spot next to the one in the center console that changes the light color in the footwells and the cup holder. There's already power there, maybe I should just jumper the circuit to remain on white and use the switch itself for fog lamps. I wish I had oil pressure and coolant temperature gauges. I'm used to a totally analog car and knowing everything about what is going on in there.

@LionsTooth your build thread reminded me that I need to get better lug nuts. I'm also going to have to look up Rally Armor mud flaps.

Phil Forrest

 

[LionsTooth]

Fucking factory lug nuts! And yes on the center console is where the switch would go.

 

[econoboxrocks]

Welcome! There are lots of things you can do to sharpen the handling. A lot of people here seem to like the Bilsteins at the stock ride height. Another tip: The Fiesta ST forum is very active and people are selling nice wheels and tires all the time. I saw one guy give away a nice set of snows on 15s. And yeah, ditch the stock lugs ASAP. https://www.fiestastforum.com/

There's a lot of good info here, too. Browse a bit, and you'll find some fun little mods that will make it more enjoyable.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I got the plugs and plug wires changed out this afternoon, along with the engine air filter.
When I took out the plugs, each one was coated in oil at the threads. I checked the valve cover breather tube and it's not blocked. Next thing to diagnose will be the PCV valve and I may do a valve cover gasket while I'm at it. No codes are being thrown up right now and the engine is running really well. Old plugs were obviously really old and had been burning a bit of oil in the past. No fouling that I can tell, everything sounds great but that oil at the plug threads is bothering me. We have to drive up to NYC on Saturday and I want the car running really well.

Phil Forrest

 

[scotman]

There is a breather element under the air filter element that takes a direct and continuous stream of crankcase vapors. It's just a little grey square of foam stuck into a side pocket of the air box. They aren't expensive, yet, i rinse it in mineral spirits and then squeeze it dry in an old terry cloth towel. Then its good to go back in!

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I dug back into the car today. Pulled out the new spark plugs and gapped them all to 1.0mm. The old plugs were really eroded and sitting out past 1.5mm gap.

I opened up the air filter housing and cleaned that foam filter. The little well it sits in had about 1/4 inch of oil in there. Cleaned that out and buttoned it all back up. The car runs well now, as it has been.

Problems I've identified though:
The coolant level in the expansion tank keeps dropping down to an uncomfortably low level. I can't find any leaks, and coming from the ancient Mercedes diesel community, I'm hoping it's not in the heater core or one of the lines in there. It's not going into the crankcase, as the oil is clean. I'm set on finding where this coolant is weeping from soon. We'll be taking a long drive on Saturday and I'm going to have to pick up a bottle of coolant just for insurance.
Last night it rained quite heavily and I noticed that somewhere along the top of the hatchback glass the window seal has failed and it's leaking. Not much, but any water is enough to rust a car into Swiss cheese here. I already have a rusty car, I don't want another one. There's a perfectly good, highly rusted 1989 Volvo 240DL down the block that I could have for a few hundred bucks, but again, I'm wanting to be done collecting rusty cars, especially since the state of PA really doesn't like to allow them back on the road. Anyway, I'll be investigating that soon, but I'm probably just going to take it to the Toyota dealership where I got the car and have them handle it. All the other little things, I'm sure I can do. They've proven themselves lacking in any attention to detail and at this point, I don't trust them to fix anything.

Thanks all in advance, for any advice!

Phil Forrest

 

[LionsTooth]

Yeah losing coolant sucks and can be a bitch to track down. Obvious stuff like do you smell coolant in the cabin when the heater is on? Any leaks in the motor area? Is the tank leaking (a known issue)? Is it leaking at the head gasket, if so can you smell coolant out the tailpipe....put your palm close to the tailpipe and smell your palm; any moisture that smells of coolant?

 

[scotman]

At well under $40 bucks these Dorman #603-381 coolant reservoirs are some of the cheapest "peace of mind" that we can buy. But, once they reach the age of three years i am done with them. They are not trustworthy after 3 years.

 

[LionsTooth]

Dorman 603-381 Front Engine Coolant Reservoir

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Dorman 603-381 Front Engine Coolant Reservoir

Ordered.
I hope it arrives before our drive up to NYC. It's only 85 or so miles, but I want everything to go perfectly on Saturday. We're picking up a Sea Eagle inflatable catamaran in Jersey City. Very excited about this, since it is a full size boat that will deflate and roll down small enough to fit in the back of the Fiesta, even with the rear seats in the upright position. I've been wanting a canoe for years but haven't felt like buying a vehicle long enough to appropriately fit it on a roof rack.

Thanks for the advice on the expansion tank! I'll keep looking for the leak.

Phil Forrest

 

[LionsTooth]

See replacement at https://www.fordfiesta.org/threads/what-did-you-do-to-your-fiesta-today.562/page-15#post-21340

 

[Phil_F_NM]

@LionsTooth I followed the expansion tank replacement tips in that thread and it went well. Got the new one in and I may have found the leak. The little O-rings in the two smaller ports were not cracked but were squared off a bit and had evidence of fluid weeping beyond their seal. I replaced both rings with Viton rings of the same size and coaxed them back in to the tank fittings. Got the car heated up, ran the heater and also ran it warm with the heater off. No visible leaks in my replacement job. I also got my nose up near the exhaust pipe and there is no white smoke nor any smell of coolant in the exhaust. As a matter of fact, this is some of the cleanest exhaust I've smelled; of course, I'm used to driving the old Benz diesel (which still gets 36MPG after 50 years!)

I'm feeling a bit more confident about our drive up to NYC tomorrow and I'll keep an eye on the coolant when we stop for the obligatory bathroom breaks at rest stops on the NJ turnpike.

I may do that transmission fluid and oil change this afternoon. I just had a client no-show on me so I have a few hours free.

I have to take some photos of this car and post them.
Our 1972 Benz is named Trudy and we're thinking of naming the Fiesta "Frieda". My significant other (all-but-married and we don't prefer the term girlfriend and boyfriend) is an artist and she loves Frieda Khalo, who was from Mexico City. The Fiesta is from the Mexico City suburbs, so the name Frieda may stick. I prefer saying "Trudy" to folks who know me and my Benz, instead of saying "my 1972 Mercedes Benz 220D." So, we'll see if Frieda sticks with the new-to-us Ford, and we won't have to say "the 2016 Ford Fiesta SE hatchback." Anyone else name their cars?

Phil Forrest

 

[Handy Andy]

Might want to locate the MAP/MAF sensor located in the intake manifold "gap" in-between Cylinder #2 and Cylinder #3 - pinch the clip tab and pull the connector - takes a simple TORX #20 or #25 to remove the hold-down screw and remove the sensor to take it off the manifold.

The other is with the - PCV valve - might want to investigate the hose from it to the manifold by that too.

​

The POSSIBLE reason for that oil, is from the PCV valve vent hose is plugged or dirty, oil from the crankcase may have reentered the cylinders via the intake manifolds access to the PCV valve as manifold vacuum pulls out oil vapors but may also include several tablespoons of oil after several hard stop/start trips.

Overflow can affect this - thru the PCV itself, another would be if the oil was recently changed - don't go over 4.2 quarts - or 4 bottles or even a little less.
Why? When you take the time in research later, you'll see the PCV valve on this vehicles engine block is "right above" the main oil level - it uses a set of baffles to reduce the spray and slosh of oil from getting into the valve, it wants fumes - but it's not a foolproof system.

In other vehicles the PCV valve is in the upper valve covers and pulls vapors from the engine thru the ports used to drain oil from the valve train down - so the oil flows down, while the vapors rise up and the PCV valve meters it thru itself back into the manifold.

So, if the overfill ever occurred, the PCV valve is the first to show signs of this. The purge hose back to the air cleaner element also will shows signs of oil capture - so to me this engine has seen some hard use.

The easiest way to see that is to pull that MAF/MAP sensor and check the elements.

​

 

[Phil_F_NM]

@Handy Andy thanks for the tips. The location of the PCV was a bit confusing to me since I was expecting it to be located on the top end of the engine somewhere. Through a little looking up, I found that it was below the manifold and it looks like a minor pain to change. Your post noting that the valve is right above the oil level is a new bit of information to me and very helpful. As I did the oil change yesterday, I added the 4.5Qts according to the manual. Just a few minutes ago, I went and drained just under half a quart, taking your advice to not overfill.
I won't have time to check the MAF/MAP sensor before my drive this morning, but I'll get on that when I get back in the afternoon (if it's not raining hard.)
Thanks again!

Phil Forrest

 

[Phil_F_NM]

The Fiesta made the 170ish mile drive perfectly. I got to Jersey City and back safely and as quickly as traffic would allow, and there's an inflatable catamaran with a sail kit in my basement, so mission accomplished.

I checked the oil twice on the drive and it looks like I still have to drain a little bit more in order to have the oil level sitting in-between the notches on the dipstick. I measured with the engine off after a few minutes of sitting. The dipstick shows the oil level is right at the top notch now, so tomorrow I'll drain a few more ounces to get the level in the mid-range.

I'd like to take the valve cover off and replace that gasket. I'd also like get access so I can clean the oil out of the valley where the spark plugs sit, to have a baseline to start from investigating this oil on the plugs issue.

As for the new coolant expansion tank, it worked great. I didn't lose any coolant, as far as I can tell, so I'm crossing my fingers that the old seals on the tank, as well as possible hairline cracks in the center seam, were the culprit of my coolant loss. Throughout the whole drive, it doesn't look like I lost a drop.

Transmission shifted great after yesterday's fluid change. I'm always listening and feeling for any hint of tranny malfunction, simply because of all the things I've read about the 6spd dual clutch unit. Regardless, the car has a lot of power always available and I'm continually impressed.

I need to get a flat tupperware dish to carry a set of necessary tools under one of the seats.

Phil Forrest

 

[Handy Andy]

IN reviewing the PCV valve mess I will have to deal with, a YT vid showed an earlier Ztec engine having a similar PCV valve change.

The effort you have to use in manual labor would make this a job for a person whom is serious about their vehicle and is not for those not inclined to work on vehicles over a weekend. And it may require you to have a spare vehicle to use if you needed to head to the shop and get more parts.

Becasue - as you tear down the motor - you will find spots, places, that need attention and even find parts or hoses you didn't expect to need replacement along the way.

• Intake Manifold
• Throttle Body
• Wiring Harness to Knock Sensors MAF/MAP sensor - EVAP purge line (to name a few)

The PCV valve - AE8Z-6A785-D

​

It has the baffle splashguard, a gasket and the external housing that hold a "vacuum side" PCV valve that takes in the vapors and oil spray that gets trapped in the housing. It's this section where a volume of oil that gets trapped, can get pulled into the intake manifold - where it can make the engine run erratic and mis-fire due to oil contamination. Even foul out the plugs.

This makes the issue of overfilling the oil level a little too dangerous.

But I'm not going to bore you with that...

Wanted to ask how you felt about the car, I see you found some extra buttons on the shifter - so good to know your getting experience with that and I hope this makes the ride more enjoyable, if not - at least leaving you with the feeling of being more in control of the car and the driving experience it can give you.

It is my hope that you can find other enthusiasts around in your area that are willing to give some guidance as to how to take care of the issues you have - for it's not difficult, just time consuming and if you have a family - it may prove more practical to send it to the shop for service - or if your kids are mechanically inclined - let them learn from this too.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

No kids here to help me make a mess; I'm very capable of that myself
The car is great. It's got great power, for what I want to do; my days of muscle cars and rally cars, and off roading, and baja bugs are behind me. I've never done serious autocross though, and I'd like to. I did a few laps of an autocross track somewhere up in Washington state back when I was in the Navy. That's when I had THREE Mazda RX-7s. I loved those cars and I hated those cars at the same time.

Once I got my '72 Benz, I was happy with moving slower than many other cars on the road. That car will do 70, as long as it's not fully loaded with everything we own (did that in 2015, across the country twice.) It's a great car, it's just nearly in Flintstone mode and I need to weld in new floor pans. That's a restoration project for the next 18 months, and a different forum.

I'll be treading lightly with the Fiesta mechanicals. It's got a warranty from the dealership we bought it from, but I don't really trust them to do some of the small things (like the tune-up maintenance that I just did, and which should have been completed prior to selling the car to us.) For big issues, I'll take it to the dealership, but for some of the small things, I'll just do them myself.

Phil Forrest

 

[Handy Andy]

I'll just do them myself.

In most cases? Any person competent enough to jump start their car or change their own oil - they are much better off making their own judgement calls on service - whether it would be to get the right sneakers for it so you can enjoy the better ride onto making changes to the types of spark plugs to use onto the air cleaner conversions - they are also subjective mods, as to how the owner wants the car to perform.

It's tough enough these days just making the commute to and from work without getting smashed by other ignorant drivers - so leaving your car in the hands of someone that takes a lackadaisical attitude towards tune ups and customer requests for purchase - makes the dealership less favorable to continue doing business with them - I've had my share of those days too.