Help!!! Everytime I stop at a traffic light, my Focus surges and it feels like it wants to stall....even when I am in park with the car running! My engine light came on and when I took it to the mechanic, he said that it is a problem with the gas cap not being tightened enough. I asked if that would make the car surge and he said that my car is fine. It now has worsened and the light came back on in 2 days. If anyone has any info on this problem...please share!!!
Amber
"sseabreeze" wrote
If your mechanic did not run it for codes, go to someone who will. This requires a diagnostic machine. Most likely your problem is a sensor, and will be fairly cheap and easy to fix, but it requires a competent diagnosis.
Another possibility is a defective ignition coil. (This is a very common problem).
I agree with Dave.
If the engine warning light has come on there should be a fault code logged, which a Ford dealer or other competent mechanic with Ford diagnostic equipment wil be able to read. From that they should be able to identify the problem.
Or maybe an air filter or fouled spark plug.
I have a 2001 Focus as well and had a similar problem. It ended up being a vaccum leak at the EGR Valve, but I also ended up replacing the PDFE sensor, which is a common failure for the focus. Me recommendation is to check for a vaccum leak. Other potential troublespots could be the PDFE sensor, EGR Valve, Mass Air flow sensor. Do you have the engine light code?
No...I dont have an engine light code. How do I go about getting one??
I think he meant does your computer contain a problem code. You need a service technician with the right diagnostic equipment and decode information to access it. All this is a trivial operation for a shop with the right equipment.
If it's the DPFE sensor, you might not get a fault stored. You'll need to have the mechanic test it specifically. Been there, did that about 20K miles aqo.
Bob
I get a bit of surging after I have filled up, but it goes away within a few minutes. I guess it just another one of those things one has to put up when you own a Focus.
If it's the DPFE sensor, you might not get a fault stored. You'll need to have the mechanic test it specifically. Been there, did that about 20K miles aqo.
Bob
I think you can get to it from the dashboard.
There's a description of entering test mode on the instrument cluster at
I don't think the dashboard diag mode will give you all the OBD-II codes, just stuff involving the dashboard instruments diagnostics.
But I could be wrong.
There's an easy way to tell, disconnect and plug the vacuum line to the EGR valve and drive around until the check engine light comes on, put the LCD into diag mode, and see if there's a code. I can't remember for sure now, but I believe I tried this exact experiment, and there were no codes, despite the MIL being lit.
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