What are the symptoms of a bad fuel filter in an 05 Focus?
Asked by Cindy Jul 17, 2020 at 12:55 AM about the 2005 Ford Focus ZX4 SE
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Mine is losing power going down the road. It'll be running fine then lose
power, sputtering, then dying when I come to a stop on the shoulder. It
sputters and won't catch or dies when I try to start it back up. Then, after a
few it'll start and run fine for anywhere from a mile down the road to the rest
of the day. It reminds me of other cars when the fuel filter was clogging and
unclogging. Could it be that simple? What else should I look at? Oh, and the
check engine light is on, solid yellow.
I'm trying to narrow the possibilities. Thanks in advance!
4 Answers
correct, narrow it down. If you were changing your filters on a regular basis, you wouldn't have the gas filter in mind, most likely. I had a relay that did this same thing on my Mercedes. I was running just fine and then it would just die BUT not with a sputter of a struggle, etc. Quick n easy fix, I would check my gas relay for this issue. The car is old and relay don't last forever. Second idea if oil is getting to the plug well, it will interfere with spark and have a horrible sputter issue and could easily die on a stop. That is a more complex issue to deal with than a relay. Oil seeks path of least resistance and pressure forces through old gasket and in the plug well ( i just had this on my VW Jetta. Because I didn't replace my gaskets upon purchase in which I should have and drove into the ground. Car runs just fine now that I contained my oil pressure) good luck
TRexMetalGuru answered 4 years ago
The car is trying to tell you something with the CEL. Find out the code behind it. If you don’t have a cheap ODB II scanner, an Autozone or car parts store can run it for you. Look up the error code online and see what needs correcting.
Ok I had a friend help me pull up the codes. There were two - P0171 and P0191. What it's doing is I'll be driving and it loses power. Pumping the accelerator doesn't do much and as soon as I pull over the dash lights come on, showing it's died. When I turn the key, it spits and sputters and catches and dies. Finally it'll catch and run for maybe a mile or maybe all the way to my destination without a problem. In between incidents it runs fine and it just started all of a sudden. That's why I immediately thought fuel filter because it's like debris clogs it and then moves away for a bit before clogging it again. I've had the car for two years and haven't changed the filter so it's been at least that long. I don't know what all it could be. I have a little money set aside and even if its the fuel pump it won't be that bad. Any ideas? All advice appreciated!
Ok since no one offered any more advice, for anyone with the same issues looking for answers, someone at Focus Fanatics said it's most likely the fuel pump and to replace the fuel filter when you replace the pump. I hope this helps someone else. :)
