Would appreciate if you can update this thread once you have managed to get the matter resolved on the cause of the problem. Also, it would be interesting to hear about your first time experience with Sime Darby's service. Hopefully you will get your vehicle back in no time.

Users can change the battery ourselves isn't it? Or we need to get the vehicle to be towed to the service centre in the event the battery died? If the battery died and the car needs to be towed to the SC, that would be pretty inconvenient wouldn't it?

Also, is the battery change FOC? What about brake pads and wipers?

Okay thanks. I will check with my service advisor next week on the battery issue. I find it peculiar to tow the vehicle to the service centre just to change the battery. If it's something that is faulty then it is comprehensible(like in the forummer's case earlier whereby the car failed to start when it's only 2 months old).

My SA has mentioned about the "special slot" near the steering wheel earlier. Should the keyless remote runs out of battery, the "special slot" can be used to start the engine of the vehicle by removing the plastic cover near the steering wheel and inserting the key inside the slot, as what you have suggested above. I guess the same applies when the car battery is dead, but only to change the gear to N instead of restarting the engine of the car.

Since the service centres are closed on Sundays, if the vehicle cannot start on Saturday evening, then have to wait until Monday morning only can get the car to the service centre, additional waiting period. If the car is stuck somewhere on the road, or worse still in another state outside Klang Valley, it could be inconvenient.


Yes, it can be a problem though I will check with the SA about this later. Not too sure whether the battery in the Focus is maintenance-free or the flooded type.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 13 2013, 08:57 AM

As for battery type and refilling/changing battery in the event of a breakdown or failure, I have yet to find out from my service advisor. Perhaps tomorrow i'll give him a call.

Just a short update. Acceleration is getting smoother with less jerk. Some minor rattling sound somewhere on the steering wheel when the vehicle is going over bad roads. The steering wheel has too many sticks and stuff on it.

Suspension transmits some of the noises into the cabin when going over irregularities on bad roads. The soundproofing mainly in road noise is not particularly impressive, only when compared to quieter vehicles such as the higher range Nissans or Mercedes Benz.

Though the bad news stop there. Handling in steering feel continues to impress, and special mention on the Sony stereo system. For the first time I had experienced such rich and wonderful sound from a stock car stereo system. 3-dimensional sound with full bass in comparison to the flat 2-dimensional sound with tinny weak bass on most vehicles in the similar class or price range. The sound quality of the stereo system in the Focus is stellar.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 16 2013, 09:37 PM

Thanks for the update. WOuld appreciate if you can share some pictures once you are done with it.

I don't really travel above 110km/h too much these days as most of the driving is in the city. When on the highways, I usually will stick to the highway code, so just a slight wind noise at 110km/h which is not an issue. It's just at higher speeds of say 130km/h and above then the wind speed will be quite loud. I will highlight this wind noise issue when my next appointment is due(still a very long time), though I agree that there may be nothing much that can be done. If the Sime Darby guys are helpful, at least they will look at the matter on hand before brushing it off.

I think both of us are equally fussy people when it comes to noise levels. Right now in the Focus it's only the wind noise and suspension/road noise that are spoiling the comfort in the ride a bit. Not that it's bad. For normal sane people it wouldn't be an issue. Perhaps our expectations are higher. I can still live with the noise levels(wind and road) in the Focus, though I can't help but feel that the Focus would be a much nicer vehicle to be in if the wind noise and road noise can be reduced further.

Although the suspension is excellent in soaking up the bumps and irregularities on bad roads producing a stable and solid ride, the noise it produces, the thud sound when going over unevenness in the roads or yellow strips etc. all these noises are more prominent with the Focus than in other quieter vehicles. I wonder if more silent tyres with softer rubber compound would help soak up the sound from bad roads or the suspension.

Having said that, if the radio is switched on and the music is playing in the cabin at moderate volume levels, we will not hear the wind and road noises so much anymore. I guess I am too free, or perhaps purposely looking for trouble having to switch off the stereo and strain my ears to detect all the sound in the cabin.

Having expressed some of my thoughts on the weaknesses of the Focus(not really negatives but more to higher expectations or perhaps fussiness), I still think the Ford Focus Titanium is to me, one of the best choices if one is looking at a sedan vehicle up to RM130k. It has a good balanced mix of comfort, ride and handling and the elegant looks to boot, though subjective.

If looking for more comfort and space at the rear seat, then we would be looking at the Accord or Teana range, different category. In the same category, the Civic, Sylphy and Altis has lost the edge, and although new Altis and Sylphy are interesting and should be more comfortable than the Focus, it is likely that driving dynamics and features will not match up to the Focus. The Koreans, the Cerato and Elantra, no confidence. The French, similarly doubts on reliability on the mechanical aspects of the vehicle and after sales-service of Nasim which I suspect are worse than Ford/Sime Darby.

In the end, it is still Focus that ticks most of the boxes(for me). Reliability and after-sales service are yet to be seen. Will see if there is a reason to stick with Ford in the long-run. Other manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes, Volvo and Audi seem to be a stretch though they do not particularly interest me, but the Lexus is looking real good, my dream car. Oh, the brown leather interior is just so classy. Next time - in my dreams.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 17 2013, 05:16 PM

Yes, similarly I prefer to drive without the stereo on too. Even if the stereo is on, the volume will be on the low side. Most of the time the stereo is switched off as I have a knack of looking for other sound(looking for trouble for myself :-))

Yes, a knocking sound from the suspension when going over unnevennes in the road, a sharp knock or thud. In other vehicles the sound is more subdued, more of a soft muffled thud rather than a louder knock or sharp thud sound. Personally I am guessing it is normal in the Focus, but similarly I will check with the service centre and see if it's something that is faulty, or anything that can be done to the suspension to make it quieter. If there is nothing that can be done and it's normal, then I can live with it. Just wanted to be sure it's not a defect.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 17 2013, 05:18 PM

Just spoke with my service advisor and apparently the battery is maintenance-free. If the vehicle cannot be started, either battery low or battery kaput, the best idea is to call Ford and they will send their guys to jump-start the vehicle. Then we may choose to drive to the service centre from there. If the vehicle cannot be started with jump-start then arrangement will be made to tow the vehicle to the service centre.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 17 2013, 05:28 PM

Good job. I wonder where you found the bulletin. Guess the suspension of the Focus can be quieter. A good thing.

Hope you will enjoy it. The handling and light precise steering just makes the Focus a fun car to drive. If you have gone with the Sport model, the handling will be a notch higher(than the Titanium sedan).

Funny you still can drive the car although the message indicator was showing "Transmission Overheating". In the Owner's Manual page 92, the message is supposed to be "Transmission overheating stop safely". Are you getting this same message, or you are getting "Transmission overheating and stop for 6 minutes" ?

In the Manual, when you received the "Transmission overheating stop safely" message, it was mentioned as follows:-

The transmission is too hot. In these extreme conditions the tranmission will disengage drive in order to prevent damage due to overheating. You will not be able to drive until the transmission has cooled. Select N(NEUTRAL) or P(PARK) and apply the foot brake and parking brake until the transmission has cooled and the message disappears from the display.

In this sense I am surprised you can still drive the vehicle even though you received the message on your display.

Anyway I appreciate your experience. Pretty scary to have the vehicle getting stuck in a traffic jam. Anybody encountered this before with the Focus when stuck in traffic jams?

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 20 2013, 11:31 AM

Hopefully it is sound advice, and that the message prompt is just an electronic glitch or something and won't bring any adverse effects to the transmission. It appears that what that was written in the Owner's Manual isn't all that accurate after all.

I did a bit of survey and found out that the Focus recorded a very respectable maximum horsepower in comparison to other vehicles in the similar or higher engine capacity, or vehicles which come with turbocharged engines. I am a bit surprised that the horsepower of the Focus isn't too far off from the Honda Accord 2.4 and is higher than most 2.0-litre vehicles despite some comments on the aging though proven Duratec engine.

From what I gather more horsepower may translate to better performance at highway speeds whilst torque is more to pulling power, especially acceleration at the low end. Torque at 202Nm is higher that most common 2.0-litre non-Turbocharged engines.

Highest horsepower in chronological order.

Make____________________________Maximum Power(Ps/rpm)___________Maximum Torque(Nm/rpm)
Peugeot 508 GT 2.2 Turbodiesel______________204@3500__________________________450@2000
Honda Accord 2.4 Earthdreams_______________175@6200__________________________250@4200
Ford Focus 2.0________________________170@6500______________________202@4450
Peugeot 408 1.6 Turbocharged_______________163@6000__________________________240@1400
Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI__________________160@6200__________________________250@4200
Volkswagen Jetta 1.4 TSI____________________160@5800_________________________240@4500
Peugeot 508 Turbo S 1.6____________________156@6000_________________________240@1400
Honda Civic 2.0___________________________155@6500__________________________190@4300
Honda Accord 2.0__________________________155@6500_________________________190@4300
Toyota Altis 2.0____________________________146@6200_________________________187@3600
Peugeot 408 2.0___________________________145@6000_________________________200@4000
Mazda 3 2.0______________________________145@6500__________________________182@4500
Nissan Sylphy 2.0__________________________133@5200__________________________191@4400

Although I haven't really tested the car too much, I have equally noticed on the effortless acceleration at highway cruising speed. The vehicle feels light when you want to accelerate from say 110km/h to higher speeds. The needle on the speedometer climbs up rapidly and the Duratec engine doesn't seem to be struggling much. With the Nissan Syphy or Preve Turbo, the vehicle feels heavier during mid-end acceleration. I guess the Focus' powerful mid-end acceleration is mainly made possible by the higher available horsepower on tap.

No wonder the acceleration of the Focus at the mid-end is so effortless. I didn't focus on the power and only looked at the torque before this. Apparently the Focus has a very respectable horsepower in that 2.0-litre Duratec engine.

Yes, that is a pertinent point. The dual-clutch transmission. Instantaneous power delivery with efficient power transfer to the wheels. The Nissan Sylphy is on CVT transmission. Silky smooth acceleration across the band but the dreaded lag and loss of power somewhere in between with the CVT.

And yes, since you have mentioned about the engine sound. It's just a wonderful growl from the Ford's Duratec engine. Refined and robust sounding growl giving the impression of a powerful engine beneath the hood. With the Nissan, the growl feels lazy, stretched and loud but the surge forward isn't that great - all sound and with little performance, and with the Preve Turbo, the engine is screaming for help as if it's asking the driver not to step on the pedal. The growl is loud, unrefined and all over the place. Just a yucky sound from that Turbo engine although acceleration is decently powerful.

Yes, the responsiveness of the dual-clutch transmission coupled by the growl of the Duratec engine during low to mid-speed acceleration is quite "enjoyable". I am beginning to get used to the slight jerk in low speed acceleration, and moreover it's getting lesser now after hitting 1,000km. I certainly can live with it. If just NVH is improved it would be perfect. Nevertheless, couldn't ask so much from a mid-entry level car that is already very good value if compared to other models in the similar or higher price range out there.

Thanks for the information. Good to know someone who owns both Ford Focus and Peugeot 508 Turbo S. I am not surprised that you find the vehicle to be more responsive with sudden acceleration from stationary or at any speeds. The Peugeot 508's torque at 240Nm is much higher than the Focus 202Nm due to the Turbocharged engine. In this respect I would believe the acceleration of the Focus will not match that the 508 Turbo. As to the higher horsepower in the Focus, I suspect the advantage is the engine has more capacity to achieve higher speeds when the vehicle is cruising at highway speeds in the excess of 110km/h, in other words less strain on the engine when trying to achieve top speed.

The interesting bit of the Peugeot 508 Turbo S is the 240Nm torque can be achieved at a low rpm of 1400 which is definitely impressive. Usually the maximum torque comes in at higher rpm but it's a different story with the 508 Turbo S. The published 0-100km/h acceleration of the 508 at 9.2s may be conservative for that kind of available torque though that can be attributed to the heavier weight of the car itself.

I'm just digging out this old thread as there is some useful information in the Edmunds link above that I am interested in. The kerb weight of the vehicle and the 0-100km/h acceleration time.

By looking at the specification of the Titanium sedan models on Edmunds, the dimensions of the vehicle are exactly similar with the figures that are listed on Ford Malaysia. However, there is a slight variation in the engine horsepower and torque figures.

Statistics______________________Edmunds________________________Ford Malaysia
Length__________________________178.5 inches_________________4358mm(178.5 inches) - similar after convertion
Width___________________________71.8 inches_________________1824mm(71.8 inches) - similar after convertion
Height___________________________57.7 inches_________________1466mm(57.7 inches) - similar after convertion
Kerb Weight________________________2935 lbs_____________________1331 kg(after convertion)

The kerb weight of the Focus Titanium at 1331kg is quite normal in its class.

Now, comparing the engine performance.

Statistics________________________Edmunds________________________Ford Malaysia
Maximum Horsepower_______________160hp@6500rpm___________________170hp@6500rpm - Malaysian model higher
Maximum Torque____________146ft-lbs.@4450rpm(198Nm@4450rpm)________202Nm@4450rpm - Malaysian model higher

I don't know why there is a difference in the horsepower and torque figures between Edmunds and Ford Malaysia although the Focus model is supposed to be global. Anyway, will take it that the engine in our Malaysian model is slightly more powerful than the one that is fitted on Edmunds test model.

Now, an excerpt from the review which illustrates on the 0-100km/h performance of the Focus on Edmunds:-

In Edmunds performance testing, a Focus Titanium with the automatic went from zero to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds -- on par with similarly powered cars in the class. With the manual, that drops to 8.3 seconds.

0-60mph in 8.7 seconds for the Auto transmission. That would translate to about 9.0-9.3s for 0-100km/h since 60mph is equivalent to 96.56km/h which is slightly short of 100km/h. Pretty decent I would say.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 23 2013, 11:09 PM

Really? 0-100km/in in 8.2s is certainly impressive. I didn't realise the Focus can be that quick. When I owned the Nissan Sylphy 2.0 with a claimed 10.0s in a 0-100km/h dash in published reviews or articles, a forummer only managed about 10.5s. In my book, any acceleration below 9.0s or in the sub-8.0s in a 0-100km/h dash is already considered to be powerful.

No wonder the Focus feels "light" during normal acceleration. I can't imagine what it will be like during hard acceleration. Will need to trash the car sometime. Soon.

I just stumbled upon this year 2010 review of the Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi Turbodiesel by Paul Tan. The engine in this vehicle is a 2.0 Duratorq which produces 134 horsepower and a class-leading 320Nm of torque. It was mentioned that the 2.0 TDCi’s 320Nm can also be boosted 20Nm up to a total of 340Nm for a short period of 8 seconds, although the ECU manages this feature automatically.

In the article the Focus TDCi is mentioned to only manage 9.8 seconds in a 0-100km/h acceleration. Any ideas or thoughts why the acceleration with that massive 320Nm of torque is a "slow" 9.8s, since the current Focus is capable of sub-8.0 seconds in 0-100km/h with just 202Nm of torque? The TDCi also uses the Powershift dual-clutch transmission, and although it may be slightly different from the transmission that is in the current Focus model, the significantly higher amount of available torque could have offset the difference.

The link http://paultan.org/2010/03/15/ford-focus-2...comment-1665605

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 26 2013, 12:56 PM