ash_hammond
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 10:29 AM |
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Run Away Focus's
Hi Y'all
In March 06 i took posestion of a new 06 focus sport company. 4 months later the focus ran down the hill outside my house and chipped the neighbours
bumper. Like a good person i paid for the bumper to be repainted job forgotten about.... It could of been me not applying the handbrake enough or
just the rear disc's cooling and shrank a little allowing the car to roll. About 3 months later i swapped my focus with a follow work mate for
the exact same car as i had ran up the milage on my car. Last week my newly aquired focus ran down the hill out side my house, luckly it only went a
few meters into the curb. This time i checked the hand brake and it was fully applied. 
This morning i parked in the office car park next to yet another 06 focus sport owned by another work mate to find it has a massive dent in the tail
gate. When i enquired what had hit him, he replied the car ran away down a hill last night........
3 identical cars with exactly the same happening.....
Does this seem like a problem or just coinsidence?
Ash
.: www.mac1motorsports.co.uk | www.m1moc.com :.
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DIY Si
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 10:37 AM |
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Any chance you could be over applying the hand brake and streching the cables? That's happened on my works van before, a connect which is based
on the focus. I always leave it in gear now, as I would advise anyone to do, regardless of the vehicle.
“Let your plans be dark and as impenetratable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
My new blog: http://spritecave.blogspot.co.uk/
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smart51
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 10:40 AM |
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When you say the hand brake was "fully applied" what do you mean? Some people think that three clicks on the ratchet is enough, rather
than pulling the lever tight.
I've heard it said that rear disc handbrakes can slacken as they cool so it might be that.
Citroen Xantia's were recalled over this. The fix was to grind off the first few notches on the ratchet.
If you are worried, leave it in gear with the wheels turned so that it will roll down hill into the curb.
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ash_hammond
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 10:41 AM |
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I would say that 2 different people both streching their cables is unlikly.
.: www.mac1motorsports.co.uk | www.m1moc.com :.
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clockwork
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 10:41 AM |
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Can't help with your focus, but it may help to know that Mondeos have been known to do this... hence why I always park mine in gear.
Do they have the same (ropey) mechanism?
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 10:45 AM |
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If they fitted a strong spring in-between the cable and the handbrake lever that would compensate for any cooling pads.
How long have cars had handbrakes? There's no excuse for this to happen to modern cars.
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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ash_hammond
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 10:47 AM |
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I presume they are the same crappy mechanisms. Yes i always apply the handbrake so the ratchet is at the top say 5/6 clicks.
I normally do leave it in gear now, sometimes a just forget in my rush to get into the garage to work on my proper car 
.: www.mac1motorsports.co.uk | www.m1moc.com :.
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Johnmor
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 10:56 AM |
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Brake problem
The same thing happened with the Citroen Xantia
They were recalled.
I take it the handbrake is applied to disc brakes!!
The self adjustment on the caliper system was faulty. Thsi automatically adjussts the clearence from pad t disc as wear takes place . As the disc
cooled the caliper allowed the pads to return to far and the brake released.
I would go back to Ford and complain like mad. state the other examples and seach the net fot the same example of failure.
It was only when Citroen got hundreds of complaints they did anything or accepted the problem.
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 11:03 AM |
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It takes about 0.2 seconds to put the car in gear, why take the risk?
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graememk
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 11:06 AM |
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my citroen c5 used to do this, i used to leave it in gear aswell
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 11:13 AM |
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I always leave my car in gear, my mum never does.
She once tried to borrowed one of mine only to immediately drive straight into the side of another car of mine so hard that that it was shunted 10ft
onto the lawn, leaving me with two wrecked cars 
She blamed me for being so stupid as to leave it in gear like it was booby trapped!
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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turbodisplay
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 11:14 AM |
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A friend of a friends elise rolled.
Re: gear, i used to, but got out of the habbit when i did a temp job at the council. Due to health and safety i had to leave in neutral.
One bloke started a van in gear, hit someones hand, panicked did it again and again.
His wrist was well and truly broken.
Women really hate when you leave it in gear, which shouldn`t be an issue as you should confirm a car is in neutral as a "pre flight
check". My mum + SWMBO used to go mental at me!
Back into the habit again after my vehicle rolled.
Darren
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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DaveFJ
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 11:30 AM |
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It's a known problem with Fiat Stilo's....
I had an interesting incident in mine last year. Mine has a Selespeed flappy paddle gearbox which if you switch off straight away when stopping will
leave itself in first. Great.....
BUT as soon as you re-open the drivers door to get back in the gearbox puts itself into manual . Park on a bit of a hill and the car starts to roll
away with you half in the door.....
Dave
"In Support of Help the Heroes" - Always
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smart51
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 11:34 AM |
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It also happens of a Smart forfour, it would seem
http://www.tottenhamjournal.co.uk/content/haringey/tottenhamjournal/news/story.aspx?brand=HCEJOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tC
ategory=newstwgj&itemid=WeED18%20Apr%202007%2014%3A09%3A32%3A960
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 11:43 AM |
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not as bad as the old deckers I use to drive. If you open the door to let passenger in it would put the bus in neutral as a 'safety
thing'. Meaning that it would either roll back into some car behind you or if you forgot and pressed the accelerator to move away and the door
hadn’t shut then when it did...BOOM OMG!! Engine mountings ripped off and the engine dragging on the ground that will be my extended lunch brake
then  …
[Edited on 19/4/07 by Mr Whippy]
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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angus.d
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 12:26 PM |
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Ive got a 52 plate Mondeo Estate. It was recalled for a'handbrake mechanism up-grade' After I got it back you had to pull the handbrake up
more to get to the 'first click' so it sounds like the Xantia fix.
My mate used to have a 53 plate Focus C-Max and it had a Megane Scenic style electric handbrake. Battery went flat at Cadwell park due to beer fridge
being left connected in boot overnight but when AA guy turned up and started sorting the battery somehow the electric activated handbrake disengaged
and the damn thing started to take off down a hill !
Angus
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 12:48 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by angus.d
Ive got a 52 plate Mondeo Estate. It was recalled for a'handbrake mechanism up-grade' After I got it back you had to pull the handbrake up
more to get to the 'first click' so it sounds like the Xantia fix.
My mate used to have a 53 plate Focus C-Max and it had a Megane Scenic style electric handbrake. Battery went flat at Cadwell park due to beer fridge
being left connected in boot overnight but when AA guy turned up and started sorting the battery somehow the electric activated handbrake disengaged
and the damn thing started to take off down a hill !
Angus
I wasn't drinking officer, it was the beer fridge...
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 03:18 PM |
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Didn't someone on this forum say that if you stop the car during the Australian driving test and fail to put it into gear, you'd fail?
Or am I dreaming that (again)?
When I had a Citroen BX I know that I always left it in gear - even now, I always floor the clutch before starting, out of habit, just in case the
car's in gear.
David
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JoelP
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 08:19 PM |
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i always leave in gear too, it amazes me the people who complain when you do it - its plain common sense. My wife nearly ran me over last week though,
then blamed me! I told her to get used to it, my wall has already been demolished by one runaway car, cant be arsed building it again!
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TPG
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 11:10 PM |
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It normally happens to cars when the handbrake works the same pads as the footbrake.Mercs and Bmws have another pair of shoes in for the
handbrake.Doesn't help but it puts ideas in...No,Just me then.
We had a Zafia run away in work last week,Rolled out off its place into another car.The space it left was promtly parked in.Class.
..Which was nice..
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Simon
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| posted on 19/4/07 at 11:18 PM |
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I never leave it in gear. Buy a car with proper handbrake, or tell dealer to fix it NOW.
My father never uses handbrake only the gearbox!
ATB
Simon
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iank
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| posted on 20/4/07 at 08:04 AM |
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I always leave in gear if I'm on a slope. Don't when it's on the flat.
Suppose that means I'm special
Don't some cars with rear discs have mini drumbrakes for the handbrake to avoid this problem?
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 20/4/07 at 05:40 PM |
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My Citoen XM has rolled a couple of times in the ten years I have had it . I now apply the foot operated parking brake really hard , haven't
had any problems since. As for pushing the clutch down when starting to remove pressure from starter motor it depends what car you have . Some cars
like the MGB you have no chance of starting with the clutch down . Putting the clutch down puts more pressure on the crankshaft thrust bearings
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