2008/9 Fiesta long term update

[Fi.ES.TA]

Greenfoam what letter code is the new updated software tune, because im still running on the rAE software.

[Foobar]

Originally Posted by dannyhilton

Mine shows the green 'cog' only when the stereo is on. It turns off when the car is off? Does it stay on when the car is locked? Not even sure what it is...

After messing around with this for a short while, as best I can work out, all those icons (lets call them icons) on the left correspond to the availability and currently active 'mode' that the unit is in.

In Danny's picture, the middle icon is red indicating that he is in ipod/aux connectivity mode which can also be clearly seen on the large screen. All the other icons are green meaning (in order, I think) that the CD player, radio, phone and menu are all available but not currently active. Switching to those should make the respective icons go red.

5 buttons (cd player, radio, aux, phone, menu) and 5 corresponding icons.

The only time the green 'cog' icon (bottom one) is the only one showing in my WT is when I have the keys in, aux on but radio turned off. Looking closely, the MENU button is also backlit at the same time. So, what I think all this means is that at this point, I can hit the menu button as it has functionality, nothing else does as which is also indicated by no other buttons being backlit.

I've probably not nailed it but go have a play and come back with your own findings. I didn't spend an eternity on this, just a couple of mins. It started to make some sense once it was obvious those icons represented the 5 buttons.

If however your vehicle is still showing this green cog icon after the keys are out and everything is very much off, then I'd expect this is a minor issue of some sort or perhaps a bug in the firmware you have. They are upgradable apparently and it can probably be fixed but I doubt it's worth the hours of frustration of being told there's no problem and nothing they can do.

If anyone finds anything different to what I've said, please feel free to correct me or add your findings etc.

[GoesLikeAZetec]

That sounds right to me. Thats how ours works as well.

[JClarke]

That makes sense now, foobar....thanks!

[dannyhilton]

Originally Posted by greenfoam

Danny you really need to get a updated tune in that thing, it's worth a good 50ks a tank, no problem

Tell me about it. Have mentioned it to Ford countless times, but never bothered looking. My fault, I should know better.

[greenfoam]

Originally Posted by Fi.ES.TA

Greenfoam what letter code is the new updated software tune, because im still running on the rAE software.

It's currently running r80, it's been updated pretty much every time it's had an oil change, I don't even ask for it. Which I guess is the way it's supposed to happen. I'm not sure they will be able to manage it anymore because the friend of mine that was a bit skilled with home made tuning and into that kind of thing has moved to another dealership and I think he's the only one that was game to use the software updates

[JMW85]

My December 2010 build Zetec shows:
-RCA0
-Err146

I've had a quick scan through google and can't find anything else related to the firmware for the car.

How do I find the firmware for the stereo?

[greenfoam]

P.S one new 16 inch Zetec rim is $800 :P (about 3 times what the oem wheels cost in the UK) I've had bad experiences with spares from Ford before with extraordinary prices but this is maybe the all time record lol.

I was also wondering how many headlight bulbs you guys have blown? I'm up to number 6 @ 93,000ks. I'm going to buy some Philips bulbs now and see if that helps

[greenfoam]

I've got the Zetec wheel buying sorted. Just in case anyone else needs a wheel at some point. You can get them from www.fordpartsuk.com for about 350 AUD (as of today) inc Airmail shipping to your door which is a lot better than the 800-1000 they are through Ford .AU. Part number is 1515147

[dannyhilton]

Originally Posted by greenfoam

I was also wondering how many headlight bulbs you guys have blown? I'm up to number 6 @ 93,000ks. I'm going to buy some Philips bulbs now and see if that helps

One set of the bulbs that came with the car, and now a set of BlueVisions later, I'm onto my third set. It only seems to blow the projector beam light bulb though? Didn't think that was normal, mum and dads Prado has over 130,000 km on the clock, not one bulb has blown?

[greenfoam]

Originally Posted by dannyhilton

One set of the bulbs that came with the car, and now a set of BlueVisions later, I'm onto my third set. It only seems to blow the projector beam light bulb though? Didn't think that was normal, mum and dads Prado has over 130,000 km on the clock, not one bulb has blown?

Yep that's all I've blown but 6 of them!. I've never had a bulb blow on my Commodores ever in my life or the Jeep we had or any car I've ever had before. So to have blown 6 in a couple of years is so weird. I've just been getting Ford to replace them with whatever they use but I'm hoping a better brand will be the end of it?. Are you saying you broke the Bluevisions also? or are they still running. One time I blew one side and was like gaaaah again oh well I'll take it in in a couple of days, the next day the other side blew and I had to drive home on the fog lights lol, it was a very 1971 HQ amount of light power:P

[dannyhilton]

Originally Posted by greenfoam

Yep that's all I've blown but 6 of them!. I've never had a bulb blow on my Commodores ever in my life or the Jeep we had or any car I've ever had before. So to have blown 6 in a couple of years is so weird. I've just been getting Ford to replace them with whatever they use but I'm hoping a better brand will be the end of it?. Are you saying you broke the Bluevisions also? or are they still running. One time I blew one side and was like gaaaah again oh well I'll take it in in a couple of days, the next day the other side blew and I had to drive home on the fog lights lol, it was a very 1971 HQ amount of light power:P

Yup, I managed to kill the BlueVisions. One died and I was annoyed, then a week or so later the other blew. Still on my third set now, just got cheapies as the car blew my BlueVisions, and they were $100!

[Fi.ES.TA]

Im on my fourth set,2nd and 3rd set where super pooh calibre's first set lasted about 3 month second set a bit longer so didnt bother with them again im now trying narva artic whites there light output is awsome dont even have to use my high beams out here in the sticks just low beam all the time had them in 3 week so hopefully these will go a a fair bit longer being a better brand.I would go ford bulbs again but there just not bright enough.

[GoesLikeAZetec]

At 30,000kms we are still on the original set of bulbs... Could it be your QLD weather Danny-boy

[dannyhilton]

I dunno but I seldom drive at night hey, a few trips back from Brisbane every so often, and a few late night trips to pick up drunken fools is about as much night driving as I get? Will mention it to the dealer, then again I should save my breath...

[GoesLikeAZetec]

I was thinking of the humidity more than actual night driving amounts.

Its never really humid here in SA so was just curious about it.

[dannyhilton]

Originally Posted by GoesLikeAZetec

I was thinking of the humidity more than actual night driving amounts.

I'm in Toowoomba though and it's just cold here most the time! Dunno matey.

[Fiesta God]

On my second set of headlight bulbs and second set of tailight bulbs.

Replaced both about 25,000kms with Narva bulbs. Just went for the standard brightness (not a fan of the blue globes!!)

Have now added 15,000 more kms without the bulbs failing. So fingers crossed the Narva bulbs are better than the standard ...

I think the reason for the failures is the fact that the Fiesta's headlamps and tail lamps illuminate each time you unlock the car.
The constant "turning on" and "turning off" of the globes must shorten their lifespan.

Just a theory.

[Franco Cozzo]

I blew a headlight at about 23,000km on my WS, replaced them with those phillips plus 80s

So far so good, but thats a bit worrying with these stories.

[greenfoam]

Blew another one yesterday, that makes 7 blown in total by my count . According the the dealer they only stock Navra bulbs. It seems pointless asking for a cure since it seems some inbuilt charm built into the Fiesta. I can tell this because they have a definite and quite predictable life span. If I replace the left side 3 weeks before the right side, they will eventually blow in that order, that time apart.

Although it does make the routine maintenance more expensive, nothing like replacing a wheel each time you go on a bumpy road though :P.

Not sure what brand I'll try but maybe since I'm doing so many Ks I'll keep switching brands until I find some that will do more than 15,000-20,000ks.

Fiesta God, interestingly I haven't blown a tail light bulb at all

[dannyhilton]

No tail light issues here either. I've only blow the projector beam lights twice, everything else is well in check.

[south21]

Hi all

I thought I would fill you in on my fiesta and it's problems. I have 126 thousand ks on the clock, it's a cl model

1 The radio controls stopped working, fixed under warranty

2 The car almost stalls about once a week, you can be driving along then it just dies, it doesn't completley cut out, complained to ford a number of times but nothing they could do as when they test drove it did not happen.

3 3rd gear has alway been hard to engage, sometimes a small crunch complained about but they said we have topped the oil up in the gearbox and have adjusted the linkages, stil does it and yet sometimes it changes gear perfect.

4 A big worry here, is that my engine is very noisy when cold I took it to ford and they said the tappets need adjusting, now I know a bit about cars and I know that modern cars have hydraulic lifters so you do not need to adjust tappets, when I explained this to ford they said this model engine has shims under the camshaft post which need to be adjusted by adding more shims to and because it is regarded as an adjustment it is not covered by warranty, I fought long and hard with head office on this one but lost, by the way the cost to get your shims adjusted is around $1000,00.

5 The gearbox is stating to get a bit whinny in all gears

6 My ignition started playing up last week it would turn on ok but would not turn all the way to start the car, took to ford, they had a look and said their is a part inside the steering column that is worn and the steering column needs to be replaced as it is all one unit cost $ 1900.00 dollars, I could not afford this so they sent me around to an auto electrician who for $35 dollars wired me up a press button starter so now I turn ignition to on then press button to start, by the way I am going to send to the uk for the original start button that they use in their cars so at least it will look a bit original.


Anyway thats my experience with my ford Fiesta cl model, I made one big error when I bought it and that was I never actually test drove the car that I was actually purchasing, they did not have the colour that I wanted so It was ordered in and when it was ready to be picked up I just came in and drove it away, the dealer I bought mine at was sinclair ford penrith they have now moved to kingswood terrible service dept , they were alaways trying to fob me off, I ended up taking my car to cumberland Ford blacktown they were great but it was all too late.

Any way thats my story for my little fiesta, even though I have had a lot of problems I think it's a great little car.

kind regards to all

keith

[greenfoam]

Thanks for the interesting story Keith! something to remember for future reference. I actually went for a drive the other day not long after getting a new bulb, then blew the other side just before I left....... No shops were open so I thought well.. I have one new bulb, that will be ok for today.

I got to my destination did what I had to do, got back in the car to drive home (was dark by now) and had NO lights lol basssssssstard of a thing, not what you want 500km's from home. That bulb only lasted like 2 weeks. So I drove without lights for a few ks and found a Petrol station that luckily had globes. I put these dodgy Chinese globes they had in myself and was sure not to touch them, unlike the local Ford guys and so far haven't blown one, not that I expect them to last more than 20,000ks but if I get 20,000 it'll be better than 2 weeks