My other half's youngest bought this car from a nice dealer in Norwich, with a full service apparently having just been carried out. (I was not present at the point of sale).
This is what I found after the young lady had clocked a further 20,000 miles.
Spark plugs.
These were the first things to come out as they give an indication as to how the engine is running. In this case, I would say poorly!
The plugs were well passed their sell-by date. The centre electrodes on the first and third of the old plugs, reveals just how worn they were. If these have done 20,000 miles, then I am a Dutchman!
The plugs were replaced with the correct grade Champion's.
Air Filter.
It was no great surprise after seeing the state of the spark plugs, that the air filter had not been changed for some time either.
It would be like the driver trying to run with their hand over their mouth.
When you compare it to a new one, courtesy of Wilco Motor Spares in Ipswich. You can see the true difference.
Coolant.
While still under the bonnet, it was time to drain off the coolant. Ford have thankfully fitted a drain plug to the bottom passenger's side of the radiator, which made the job far easier than on my Vectra.
As you can see below, it did not inspire confidence in its 'anti-freeze' or 'corrosion inhibitor' properties, so it was replaced. As the header tank was filthy inside, that was removed and de-scaled to remove some of the crud that had built up. Heaven help the aluminium cylinder head! As a further precaution, the cooling system was flushed through with Holts Radiator Flushing agent. Despite the nice weather, I did have the heater on full blast to ensure that got a look in as well.
For all those budding 'Health and Safety' types out there, the mains powered lamp under the front of the car (top left) had been dis-connected from the extension lead before letting any water even remotely near it.
After running the engine for 30 minutes on water and flushing agent, the top and bottom hoses where disconnected and the radiator 'back-flushed' to remove any debris. There was some, but not as much as I expected.
Oil and filter change.
Because the car had been delivered the night before, it was in a 'cold' state when work on it started. I would normally have drained off the oil first, but as it made sense to drain the coolant first, then while flushing the coolant through, it would warm the oil in the process.
Despite the popularity of the Ford Focus, a certain large nationwide retailer, who I refuse to advertise, did not stock an oil filter. Now if I had wanted a 'prat-nav' or a set of 'spinners', I am sure they could have obliged. Oh! To make matter worse when I popped in a week later to get brake fluid? They did not have that in stock that either!
Draining the oil should have been straightforward, except the oil drain nut needed a large extension bar on the wrench to get it undone.
I really do despair at the state some cars come back from a 'professional' service in.
With the oil filter hidden down below the alternator, in front of the drivers footwell, it is a bit of a struggle to get at. It is mounted horizontally, so when you 'crack' the seal, oil will leak out. To get at it, I jacked up the car and ensured it was secure on 'axle stands'. I then removed the driver's side front wheel, laid under the car with my legs out the driver's side and the disc brake threatening violence against my 'wallet and keys'. Your right arm can then reach up and undo it easily
When it comes to re-fitting the filter, you would normally 'pre-charge' it with fresh oil. But being horizontal, that will not work, so the best we can do is lubricate the seal with fresh oil, ensure the drain screw is back in place and re-fill the car with 4.25 litres of 15W-40 Semi-Synthetic.
Do not add all the oil at once, allow it to settle first. Which gives us time to check the brakes.
Brakes and Discs.
The Ford Focus has front and rear disc brakes, with the handbrake operating on the rear disc via a cable. Despite the apparent lack of service else-where, it appears that the brakes have survived to tell the tale. Both sides were checked as a matter of course, I heard from an ex Ford apprentice that they were taught to only check one side to save time and money. The left-hand side were closer to the limit than the right and all discs had a moderate degree of scoring but should pass the 'MOT' brake test OK. I only had the car for a short while, so I could not strip off the callipers, then clean and grease them. Maybe another day.
Likewise. the brake pipes, which only got a cursory look over. No leaks, no chaffing, dirty but not rusty.
Steering and Suspension.
A quick check of the front wheels revealed that the driver's side steering ball joint was badly worn. You would normally do this with the wheel on, to get extra leverage, but even pushing and pulling on the brake calliper, you could see the play in the ball joint.
Next time the car is here, I will check out the tyre clearance on the strut.