My future car... 2001 Ford Focus 1.8 diesel

[Steve Levin]

Glad to see you are enjoying the car (if only under some circumstances).

As others have said, I think that your issues with turbo lag are only going to be solved by downshifting. I don't know the gearing in your car, but 80kph in 5th sounds like you wouldn't be turning a lot of rpm -- so there's just not enough exhaust flow to spin the turbo. Good for economy, bad for performance

Steve

[vikiradTG2007]

^ Around 2000rpm. Redline isn't shown on the tach, but it only goes to 5k, since it's an oil-burner.

[killpanda]

Oh dear lord, I've just seen that they made the Focus with the 75hp engine as well: 0-100kph in 15s

[vikiradTG2007]

Update from my dad today: Mandatory technical inspection performed today. Tires are a bit tired, and apparently they only hold up properly to 190kph, but on Romanian roads we can only dream about that kind of speed in total safety. Exhaust filters had to be cleared up and exhaust gas checked, they did that by revving the nuts off the engine in about 4 or 5 blips, and Dad is saying that the engine behaved much better on the road home, pulling much more smoothly and cleanly.

Thankfully, even though I've hit a few potholes and manhole covers, the steering alignment is still correct. And if we're careful as to what kind of fuel we use, we change the fuel and air filters regularly and drive well, we should keep this car under emission standards for a long time from now on. Plus we're only at about 150k km on the clock, and the guy there said that he saw Fords running like clockwork, in the mechanical department, even after some 400k km. So that's good.

[maxtortheone]

Originally Posted by vikiradTG2007

And if we're careful as to what kind of fuel we use

From my experience diesel from any of the large petrol station chains is good. Just stay clear from the small franchised ones with only a pump or two

[vikiradTG2007]

Originally Posted by maxtortheone

From my experience diesel from any of the large petrol station chains is good. Just stay clear from the small franchised ones with only a pump or two

Yeah, that's obvious. But still, there's a choice of fuels there as well, and that can be cocked up as well at times.

[NooDle]

Originally Posted by vikiradTG2007

Thankfully, even though I've hit a few potholes and manhole covers, the steering alignment is still correct.

Don't beat yourself up about this too much, unless you're slamming through BIG holes at 60+ kph on a daily basis, you won't hurt the alignment.
You'll wear down the springs and shock absorbers, but then again that's what they were made to do

Only thing I managed to do was bend/warp the steering column on my old Corsa, because of *ahem* vigourous cornering.
Dude at the garage was like "did you enter a rally with this car"?

Even so, steering alignment was fine