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Ford Focus 1.8 TDDi 75hp Ambiente common faults.

2001–2005, hatchback, diesel, 75 HP.

The fault list covers: BHDA, BHDB engine, IB5 transmission.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

2 fault write-ups. Both are important. No recall on the list.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

2 important faults

IB5 manual: worn synchros and differential bearings in the larger models

expensive

In the smaller models, the Fiesta, the Fusion and the B-Max, the IB5 holds up well, but in the larger Focus and especially the Mondeo it does less well: there the engine torque and the weight of the car put a heavier load on the same gearbox.

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The synchros and the gears can wear before 100,000 km, and around 150,000 km the differential bearings need replacing. On cars with the 1.8-litre engine the differential pinion pin often breaks when the wheels spin.

between 100,000 and 150,000 km

What to check

  • While rolling, change down into second and third: worn synchros grate here
  • At a steady speed, listen for noise: a worn differential bearing gives a droning sound
  • In a slow corner, listen for knocking from the gearbox
2 more steps in the write-up

Turbo oil starvation: the gauze blocks with soot from the EGR

expensive

A fine gauze filter sits in the oil feed line of the turbo, and soot and carbon particles coming from the EGR system block it. With less oil the bearing of the turbo overheats and fails. The fault appears above 150 000 kilometres, and comes sooner if the oil is poor or a long time passes between oil changes.

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The symptom is a loss of power under load, blue or black smoke, a metallic turbo noise and limp mode.

One check decides what the next step is: if the shaft of the turbo can be moved along its axis, cleaning no longer helps and the turbo has to be replaced. If there is no play, the gauze filter has to be cleaned or replaced, and the flow through the oil feed line has to be checked at every service.

Replacing the turbo on its own is not enough: the lubrication system has to be cleaned out as well, otherwise the new part goes the same way.

above 150,000 km

What to check

  • Accelerate under load and listen to the turbo: a metallic noise shows a bearing fault
  • Watch the exhaust: blue or black smoke and limp mode belong here
  • Ask for a check: axial play in the shaft of the turbo means a replacement is needed
3 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Ford Focus 1.8 TDDi 75hp Ambiente

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

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Engine and transmission

2 engines · 1 transmissions

BHDA · 1.8 D FLH

55 kW (75 HP) · diesel

IB5 · 5-speed manual

manual · 5 speed

Torque limit185 Nm
MakerFord/Getrag

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it. More than one engine code is possible. The fault list shows the faults of each.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
Ambiente
Body
hatchback
Fuel
diesel
Transmission
manual
Engine size
1753 cc
Power
55 kW (75 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2001–2005

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Fuel filter, diesel

    • 60,000 km or 2 years
All Mk1.5 versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms