Yet-to-be-named 2016 Fiesta SE

[Phil_F_NM]

Ok folks, any tips on getting that service wrench indicator to reset? The little wrench and the oil change message will simply not go away. I've followed instructions to turn the car ON (no start), hold brake and accelerator pedals down fully for 25 seconds, turn car off, wait two minutes, start car to check if it's reset. I've done this like 5 times now and the thing won't reset. Any tips are helpful!

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Belay my last. I got it to reset. I just wasn't waiting long enough before restarting the car.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Ok, it's time to do the shocks/struts, tighten everything up, maybe new springs, and then tackle the timing belt. I'm just under 100,000 miles, and the belt hasn't been done yet.
I have read in the forum that the Bilstein B6 all around are awesome. I want some better suspension like Bilstein because the Philly streets are killing the stock components.
Apologies if I've forgotten/missed a post about a suspension "kit", but is there such an animal for the Fiesta? I just want good handling, no rattling, better longevity, so I'm just about dead set on the Bilsteins (they always worked fantastically under my 1972 Benz.)
After the suspension, the timing belt will need to get done. I know how to do it in a 70s diesel but this little hamster wheel is completely new to me.
Thanks all for any recommendations.
Phil

 

[scotman]

I can confirm that the B6 Bilstien is a genuine heavy duty damper. From everything that I have read, which is everything that I could find, these dampers are also compatible with mild lowering springs.
You might want to replace the upper strut mount thrust bearings on the front struts. They get tired by 100k.
The other bushings that get worn out by 100k is the front anti sway bar frame bushings that bolt on top of the subframe. They are sponge rubber soft when they are new.
You might as well replace the water pump when you do the timing set. It’s behind the timing belt and not expensive to do, saves you a potential headache later.

 

[SyntheticAtmosphere]

If you want struts that will last, get monotube units...end of story. They have more fluid, run cooler and will last longer. This usually means a bit of searching to get the info. Twin tube are basically a smaller strut inside an outer tube and I have found they dont last more than 3-4 years on rough (Canadian Shield) roads. Scotman is spot on, your suspension is only as good as the weakest link. Bad components cause more wear on other components. The system is engineered to work together as a single unit.

 

[Handy Andy]

You might as well replace the water pump when you do the timing set. It’s behind the timing belt and not expensive to do, saves you a potential headache later.

+1 - from a guy who got left stranded due to a failed Water pump...

​

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Anyone ever block off that gap under the rear of the car which allows air to be caught by that black plastic "scoop"? Alternately, did anyone ever vent it somehow (black mesh)? If so did you see an increase in fuel mileage?

 

[LionsTooth]

I considered this, but haven't gotten to it yet. https://www.fordfiesta.org/threads/2015-se-hb-build.7797/post-19691

 

[MarcellSVT]

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?

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Odometer is at 1009nn and counting. Still need to do all the maintenance items I posted about above: shocks, struts, and now the timing belt, so I'm playing with fire. I wrote the longer maintenance post above on July 2, 2023. Since then, I've been laid off and struggling to find work in my field which isn't more than an hour drive away. Just rambling here.
Phil

 

[Handy Andy]

We are rooting for you!

Its rough everywhere...

Thank you for stopping by to let us know you're ok!

 

[Phil_F_NM]

So how difficult is the timing belt replacement for a home mechanic?
Regarding my mechanical aptitude, I once repaired a Leica M4 35mm rangefinder camera out in Fallujah, Iraq with a pair of channel locks and my Swiss Army knife (seriously, I still have the camera.) I kept my old 73 Mercedes Benz alive and well for 10 years; rust and the PA inspection forced me to get rid of her.
I'm not afraid of the car, the necessary maintenance, the weather, or the expense of parts (and tools I may get to buy.)
I AM afraid of the wife who does not like us without a car for more than about a weekend.
Thanks all,
Phil

 

[LionsTooth]

It's a few hours job. Some knuckle scrapping for sure as it's a bit tight. You can find the process on YouTube.

 

[Handy Andy]

There are some "unique" tools that will help you do the job.

Mostly - they are "clamps", flats and spanners designed to hold the advance the cams are going to do even when there's no oil pressure - nor vacuum - to keep them in the retard or off position. These tools keep the cams aligned and help install the water pump which they recommend be done at the same time - cheap insurance.

The Oil pump is there on the bottom side of the motor at the crank pulley - so if you see leaks in that area, you'll need a more involved repair that can get tedious. During the tear-down, If inspections show oil leaks - then best to have a shop do the work.

Just it's not recommended to remove the crankshaft bolt holding the cog gear to the crank you can lose timing aspect and the ability to hold the cog fast to that shaft.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

So here I am in one of those precarious pickles...
Got laid off in June, finally got some per-diem work a full hour drive away, so I use the car and put it through its paces every day. Went from just barely scraping by, to I can breathe, as of last paycheck.
This morning, I get in the car to go to work and notice the brakes feel a little funky. I'm thinking the last week of driving in nasty conditions has deposited some unwanted junk on the rotors. I make the left turn out of the alley/driveway onto our street, and almost sail through the 4 way stop.

Here's where the expertise and knowledge of y'all comes in.
When stopping, the car doesn't want to brake nicely, but will definitely stop.
While braking, it is making a resounding low, loud noise, think if your head was inside a cello and a bow was being pulled across a string. This is associated by a slight shudder or chatter.

I can't tell if it's limited to the driver side or both brakes. Backstory: I know that I have a slightly warped rotor on the driver's side, but we're talking nothing that is even noticeable while driving. Also, I've had a bit of what I thought was a sticky caliper on the same side for the last few weeks, making a tiny bit of resonance just as I let the pedal off at a stop. Doesn't happen every time, but it's noticeable.

Back to this morning, my first theory is that I have either a vacuum leak or a bad booster. I did the old-school test of spraying in some cleaner around the vacuum lines to see if I get a change in RPM, but nothing. That still doesn't rule out a bad booster. My other theory is that I may have water or even ice in one or more of my brake lines, maybe just a piston. No warning lights are being triggered, so the dash gauges look like business as usual.

So, on top of needing to change the timing belt; which, by the way, I'm thinking is telling me that it needs to be done yesterday by the dull cowbell noise of maybe a failing water pump; anyway, on top of the belt, and the shocks/struts, I now need to figure out the brake situation before I do anything more than drive down the block. At least my handbrake is still good, and I can relearn how to use it (former VW Bug driver) reliably. All that said, I'm not doing an hour commute without taking care of this stuff, that's just dangerous. Meanwhile, I'm losing money as I write this because I'm not at work.
Not at work > can't earn money for car repair, you get the gist.
Tomorrow I'll be taking the train and riding my bike, but coming home in the dark is going to really suck.

Any help on diagnosing this girl?
Thanks in advance to all.
Phil

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Keep your fingers crossed for me, regarding my previous post.
I took a walk in the rain down to autozone and picked up a bottle of brake fluid, a couple cans of cleaner, and a little tube of silicone grease.
Got home, loosened the front driver's side lug nuts, jacked the car up, took the wheel off and beheld a scene of winter crud buildup that needed a wire brush. It wasn't too bad, actually, but I pulled the caliper, pads, metal guide plates, and cleaned it all with a wire brush, a few shots of brake cleaner, let it dry, stuck on some of the aforementioned grease then slapped it back together.
I used an old maraschino cherry jar, a couple 6 inches of vacuum hose, two gobs of shoe goo, and my mityvac to make a vacuum aspirator since I searched for my old one and couldn't find it. Filled the reservoir with new brake juice, pulled a vacuum on the pump, then cracked the bleeder. Gorgeous green brake fluid dripped out for a bit and when it got to the clear/tan stuff I put in, I closed it up.
Got the car on the ground, wheel securely attached, then drove around the block. It made one groan, then seemed to stop nicely. I think the groan was due to the pads bedding themselves again, my theory.
So I got back to the driveway and repeated the process for the passenger side front.
Just got back from a couple miles' drive and I think my cleaning and bleeding worked. Instead of the hundreds of dollars I was worried about, it cost me a day of work, about $40 in stuff, and a few hours' labor.
Why is it that these things always happen on days when the fingers are already normally cold? Add cold metal and the rapid evaporation of brake cleaner, plus the obligatory mashing of one knuckle, which is required in this weather, and my hands are done for the evening. My desk job as a counselor has made me soft
I think it's all good though. Now I'm back to being concerned about that water pump and the timing belt.
Phil

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Popped open the hood after dropping the wife off for a saturday painting get together she does, and I beheld a small amount of spray of coolant under the hood coming from the area right around the serpentine belt. It was in a line on the underside of the hood, so I'm thinking the water pump bearing is weeping coolant by and the serpentine belt is flinging it around. Didn't see any pressurized spray, no hot coolant smell, no vapor visible.
I immediately began asking around for mechanic recommendations and my neighbors have a pretty local guy who has kept their early 2000s Nissan alive for most of its existence, so I did the trust fall and drove it over. I have taken a car to a mechanic exactly twice since 2002, the most recent time in 2013 was for an oil change and instruction on the same procedure with my old 73 Benz. Before that was to have a transmission rebuilt in my old 95 Ford T-Bird shortly after I bought it. Other than that, it's been me doing all the maintenance as well as some of the more challenging work on whatever cars I happened to own. This time I just don't have the time, space, or tools to get it done confidently, so I took the plunge. Wish me luck and hope I don't get taken to the cleaners.
The Fiesta will be getting a timing belt, water pump, and any other repair on the coolant system needed. I hope it's not too much $$$ because I don't have too much to spend. So I'm using public transport and the bike for my hour long commute this coming week. Gonna be fun times in that cold.
Phil

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Just got the estimate from the mechanic, which is what I figured for a shop inside the city limits of Philly; $973! I asked them about throwing on a new serpentine belt and was quoted almost $80 for the belt, so I held off on that. I'll find one myself. So, the parts are on order, work is going to start today, and I might get the car back by this weekend, depending on availability of the water pump and timing belt. Fingers crossed.
EDIT: By the way, I want to brag about my diagnosis; the mechanic said the water pump bearing had failed and it was leaking coolant when under pressure. That's just what I said!
Phil

 

[Phil_F_NM]

The car is back. I have about 7 miles on a supposedly new timing belt, water pump, and an unexpected timing belt tensioner. That last part is the crux of my issue with this particular mechanic.
I dropped it off 2 weeks ago on a Saturday. They gave me a quote (not estimate) on the full cost the following Tuesday, which was a few cents shy of $973. Like any sane person, I'm thinking they figured out what they needed to fix. They said the water pump needed to be replaced and I wanted them to do the timing belt replacement. Now, I'm not an idiot; I know that the timing belt tensioner will be removed during this procedure, so it's not like they didn't assess it prior to the service price quote.
Parts were ordered, and they took their time doing the work.
then I get a call days later saying the car is finished, with a price quote $300 more then the first quote. I asked what the discrepancy was and they said the tensioner. I complained then they dropped the price by $100 or offered to put my old tensioner back on. I went with the supposedly new part but due to the additional $200 cost, I needed to wait for payday (yesterday) so i could pick up the car this morning.
I rode my little folding bike over to the shop, instead of walking 2 miles, and again asked the guy at the counter why I wasn't called to authorize another $300 part. He said due to the interest of time, the mechanic just needed to get the work done. This is after they took 4 days between the time the parts arrived, service began and then I got a call it was complete. I'm not happy about this, but I'm happy I have my car back.

I checked under the hood, checked the oil, looked around the serpentine belt and there is evidence that parts were removed and cleaned at some point. The car hums very nicely and the trip odometer says I now have 550 miles to empty, whereas before the service, it was a much lower number. I'm not sure how it knows, but smarter people then me, created a car that processes information better than me, so I'll just take that on faith. I'll get it out on my least favorite freeway onramp to see how much pep it has before I make my final judgment.

Now I need to start saving up for shocks and struts. There is no reason to go with a Bilstein B8, right? I figure I can do a set of B6 shocks and struts in an afternoon, go take it to firestone and get it aligned, then be really good to go. Does Firestone still do the lifetime alignment? Are they even around? Two of our local Firestones closed a few years ago, and I always used them for alignment on my Mercedes...
Anyway, opinions on shocks and struts? I'm partial to Bilsteins, but I'm open minded. Not autocrossing or rally racing; just want good reliable suspension.
Phil

 

[Phil_F_NM]

In hindsight, I see that they took me to the cleaners. When they gave me the final total, I answered my phone during a 5 minute break at work. They said the tensioner was $280 extra. I didn't have the time to look up the price, but I can get one from my dealership for $47. Never again.
I work in a field where trust is central to my professional relationship with my clients. I trusted this shop to take care of me and they absolutely took that trust and ran with it.

Also, there's a persistent whining/squealing noise now coming from the engine bay. Same tone, doesn't change with RPM or speed, so I'm thinking vacuum leak somewhere. I should take the car back as I may get this issue taken care of as part of the high colonic I paid for, but I have so little trust that this shop will do anything that I'm willing to drive it, attempt to diagnose it myself, and maybe get the car to a trusted mechanic about an hour drive away.
This is why I have not taken a car to a mechanic in so many years, and have only done so a few times in the last 30 years.
Phil