I have a focus st3 mk3 brand new in this colour and it's fantastic, my last car was a focus st3 mk2 running over 300bhp, and yes it was a proper machine the 5 pot engine really was something to go down in the history books for the grunt and pure sounds they made. this car is getting a bit of grief because ford has gone for a 2.0 eco boost engine and not the 2.5 5 pot, fors have does this for a reason it's called inavation, so this car makes more power the the 2.5 stock and does less harm to the environment and your wallet :)
Love your channel i will be over in the isle of wight next week for the scooter rally there be great to bump into you when im out and about exploring the island... will be staying in a hotel in sanddown and will be going into ryde most days...
Good review.. Videos are getting better all the time 👍 I think you wouldn't need to worry about Stop/Start. I'm sure Ford have spent millions on development of this system. Wouldn't be a concern for me. No surprise it's a great drive. Even my 1.0 litre ecoboost Fiesta is entertaining.. Keep the vids coming!
I own a focus st250 and I completely understand that stop start button problem you have! I have been hooning it around pulled up to my house took car out of gear and applied the handbrake to then suddenly realise the cars engines just gone off! I think it's a mistake by ford adding it or a way for them to claim better MPG but in the small menu on the dash you can select it off permanently so you don't have to keep hitting the button to turn it off which annoying glows orange!! great video I really want a decat and dreamscience cat back now! keep up the great work
I would imagine that the manufacturing process of a high performance modern turbo is considerably different to that of turbos produced 10 years ago so I cant see stop start being an issue regarding stress on the turbo from rapid cooling. The temperature drop on the turbo in a normal stop start situation like waiting at lights wouldn't be enough to cause any stress due to you only being stationary for a few minutes. You do have to be careful with some older turbos and let them run down to idle temperatures before shutting them off so I can see what you're saying. I always let my Abarth cool steadily before pulling the key mainly because it has a cold start program to save the turbo and because I'm a fan of ' mechanical sympathy '. Love the channel bro keep up the good work.
The Stop-Start feature is probably built in as a way of saving fuel around town when commuting, and as such is designed as to be switched off when "hooning". Probably why the on/off switch is in such a dominant position and not 5 menu's deep.
I have a mk 3 facelift Zetec S estate 1.5 diesel and like you was not happy about the stop/start function. But the fact you can turn it off is good so you can make a choice. I sometimes even turn it on just to see if it works, and it does, but the system decides ultimately.
Great review buddy! With regards to the turbo issue you can disable the stop start system manually to allow the turbo to cool. If you have the AC on the car sometimes doesn't turn off as the AC drains the battery. I also think the car stays on if the DPF is regenerating (only applicable to diesel cars). Maybe the car is smart enough not to turn off if the turbo get too hot?
That isn't the stop start button, that is for the headlights to come on automatically in tunnels and during the night. And I think the stop start thing is great!
Had that conversation about start stop with a few mechanics when I worked at a Mazda garage. General consensus is it's a bit of a cheat to improve emissions/economy at the expense of long term reliability. At the end of the day though, Ford are going to be more than happy to sell you a new turbo once it's out of the warranty. ;)
I have one of these in stealth grey. I'm pretty sure the start stop doesn't work after you've been hooning and the turbo is hot. You get a grey A with a cross displayed on the dash. I could be wrong though I'll have to test it
Can't comment on the Focus but I know the old man's Leon Cupra 290 has stop/start but won't cut out if the turbo is too hot to prevent damage. Obviously it can't stop you taking the key out(not that you would just after a hoon) but I think systems in general monitor the state of the battery and other parameters before actually cutiing out :)
My father is getting an ST3 with the appearance pack in just under a month. However, diesel version for better MPG but they have a lot of torque. Looking forward to see how they drive and can only hope he'll let me have a litter dabble and my Eco-boost Fiesta has less than half the power lol
and this engine it going to go a long way, my new focus mk3 has had a bluefin remap to 300hp only on a stage one and it is unbelievable the power is viscous and torque takes your breathe away, so it's just as fast as my focus st mk2 running on a stage 3 with all the upgrades exhaust, fmic, induction kit, 550 injectors and a full turbo back miltek exhaust, so that being said maybe you people who are slaging the eco boost engine should really open your eyes and appreciate what ford has done with this engine, or and my mk3 focus only has a stage one no other mods.
I've just swapped my mk2 focus st with the mk3 st, overall I think the mk3 is way better the only thing I'll miss is the 5pot engine noise Nd the crazy popping with the mongoose cat back and decat!
if you connect a battery charger to both battery terminals that deactivates start-stop for 50 ignition cycles (at least on VAG cars it does, get to try on my ford)
Boss car, looking around next year for an earlier five cylinder job. In my budget. Can still see Roland rat in the newer car, :-) look directly at the steering wheel and clocks and there he is, sticking his tongue out at you. Search Roland rat Ford focus pics. Still love this car, fast Ford classic for the future without doubt. :-)
With the stop-start, im sure the designers wouldve thought of it. With VWs anyway, the stop start wont work if engine is too hot, too cold, air con is on, shit loads of things. Its also probably got an additional electric coolant pump, so its not the end of the world. Yet I still hate start stop.
What are these like to tune ? I've just sold my 340bhp fiesta st and bought a mk3 st3 but heard the 2.0 in the focus isn't as solid as the 1.6 in the fiesta st. Obviously as standard the focus is nowhere near as quick as the fiesta I sold to buy the focus but it is a much nicer place to be on longer journeys, a lot more creature features in the focus st3.
I've worked for a ford dealership for 10 yrs now and the intro of the start/stop is for emissions reasons only ........... HOWEVER it's a DICK of an idea ... and the button should be there to switch it on if you want not to turn it off because everybody I know turns it of 👍🏻
+Jamie_FYD another very enjoyable review! I'm sure someone else has said it but if you could get your hands on one a comparison to this with a standard new RS would be great! Would love to see your reaction on that and maybe the drift button would be more preferable ;)
It doesn't fully switch off. On some cars there is on the rev counter it says off and stop start. So with new cars the injectors keep going and the seals and the crank keep going it's the fuel that gets cut off pretty much, then it also stops the fuel injection. So the engine doesn't stop fully it just Re-gens. However everything is off but the alternator keeps it on re-gen. So in some respect what i'm getting at is yes the turbo will give out sooner but no by that much maybe 6 month - 1 Year. However by the time you count up saving from the fuel it's pretty much better off.
Bunka i agree. However i wish they were the way they was in 70's - early 90's. By going fuck weight. " We'll have a couple seats. Carpets. Radio, a/c. " That'll do. "Now down to power we'll put in whatever we can get in." "Now down to drivetrain we'll go RWD why not? Should work " 2 weeks later the boy bad it round a tree or in a ditch.
Unless you thrash the ass off the car right till the moment you stop at lights. No the turbo will not suffer. But suppose you're one of those who sits there waiting for their turbo to warm up before you move off..............
yo jamajam... another superb vid matey, however i still prefere my mkll st3 5pot monster much more this sounds like a vauxhall nova haha what have ford done, its lost all of the ford xr lines and 4 doors only wtf...... in my opinion they wrecked the st/xr and turned it into a mustard granny boat......ill stick with my leccy orange mkll but may recommend this to my nan pmsl..... tc matey keep um cummin.
I know it's off topic and a question for everyone, but I'm guessing you know the optional 'black pack' you can get for the Focus ST? (red brake calipers- front and rear, rear privacy glass and the black 19 inch wheels)... Would you get the car in Stealth or Shadow Black?
+Richard Hinks yeah man. ma limit was 5g but trying to get a car the finance company was happy with was impossible. i had a choice of a 3.2 v6 audi but it was too far. i have the hawkeye wagon 2.5 wrx with the ecutek map.
There was a few colours , * Capri Blue - Solid Colour * Deep Navy - Solid Colour * Imperial Blue - Metallic * Magnum Grey - Metallic * Panther Black - Metallic * Stardust Silver - Metallic
stop/start is far more intelligent than you think. For instance if there is too much drain electrically the car won't cut the engine, if the engine cooling systems are needed it is the same. The ECU knows what its doing, plus without this tech bringing down the CO2 emissions in the tests cars like this might not exist or at least be more expensive to tax.
