The Blue Toad

[BlueToad]

A few weeks ago bought this Fiesta ST with 147k on it. Picked it up to tow behind the 2019 Forester motorhome the mrs wanted to get with some $ from her dad passing away last Summer. Got this one about 2hrs from home because it checked all my present boxes: between $5-10k, about 1k lbs lighter than my Volvo V70 R-design wagon, still solid for the miles and appears cared for like it was not raced or beat, 6-speed (for my 3rd childhood), sounds beefy with some aftermarket pipe I haven't ID'd yet, has Sync and Navi, sunroof, no tears in seats. Anything else in this weight range (2,500-2,800) all seemed to be pedestrian, utility boxes, so since I had to give up my v70 at least I got something else fun and easy on the eye. I did have to have some work done immediately: the parking brake didn't hold on the minor slope of my driveway. If it was an automatic I wouldn't care, but with a manual I need it. My trusty mechanic found a pretty red caliper was corroded, which wrecked other things so both rear calipers and brakes got replaced. I got the silver OEM calipers and painted them myself. He also noted that the mileage was right at timing belt replacement, so I closed my eyes and paid the ransom to get that done, too. So far, loving it. Only quirks is that it does run the battery down super-quick if I leave the doors open while detailing it, though the battery checked out great, which I'm curious if others have experienced. And when I turn it off or sometimes up on getting in there are ticks or thumps behind the dash--we figured out it only seems to be when the AC button is active. Weird. It came with almost new Nittos on it that will get interesting in the Northern IL slush and snow....may have to spring for snow shoes.

 

[D1JL]

Dave

 

[M-Sport fan]

WELCOME and CONGRATS!

Those Nitto Neo Gens on your car are actually an all season tire (even though they do not look like they are, and despite their 280 tread wear rating) and not all too horrid when NEW in a half inch, or less, of snow/slush.

(I have the 205/50-16 size version of those tires on my car as daily driver wheels, but I DO have a dedicated set of FULLY winter wheels/tires if needed here.)

Will they get you through an Illini winter of daily driving, absolutely NOT.

The clicking/clacking you hear behind the dash is the various HVAC system's blend door actuators gone bad (they lose teeth off of the PLASTIC gears, and the resultant jump/skip is the noise you hear).
Sadly, there are THREE of them, and all can possibly go bad (and have, like currently on my car even after having one already replaced under warranty).

The parts themselves are not very costly at all, but they are a royal pain to get to if doing it yourself, and the labor becomes co$tly if done at a dealer/competent shop.
If you can live with the noise on every startup (like I do currently), they really do not harm or effect the functioning of the HVAC system at all.

 

[SteveS]

Well, one of the blend door actuators is easy to replace. The one behind the glovebox.

 

[BlueToad]

WELCOME and CONGRATS!

Those Nitto Neo Gens on your car are actually an all season tire (even though they do not look like they are, and despite their 280 tread wear rating) and not all too horrid when NEW in a half inch, or less, of snow/slush.

(I have the 205/50-16 size version of those tires on my car as daily driver wheels, but I DO have a dedicated set of FULLY winter wheels/tires if needed here.)

Will they get you through an Illini winter of daily driving, absolutely NOT.

The clicking/clacking you hear behind the dash is the various HVAC system's blend door actuators gone bad (they lose teeth off of the PLASTIC gears, and the resultant jump/skip is the noise you hear).
Sadly, there are THREE of them, and all can possibly go bad (and have, like currently on my car even after having one already replaced under warranty).

The parts themselves are not very costly at all, but they are a royal pain to get to if doing it yourself, and the labor becomes co$tly if done at a dealer/competent shop.
If you can live with the noise on every startup (like I do currently), they really do not harm or effect the functioning of the HVAC system at all.

WELCOME and CONGRATS!

Those Nitto Neo Gens on your car are actually an all season tire (even though they do not look like they are, and despite their 280 tread wear rating) and not all too horrid when NEW in a half inch, or less, of snow/slush.

(I have the 205/50-16 size version of those tires on my car as daily driver wheels, but I DO have a dedicated set of FULLY winter wheels/tires if needed here.)

Will they get you through an Illini winter of daily driving, absolutely NOT.

The clicking/clacking you hear behind the dash is the various HVAC system's blend door actuators gone bad (they lose teeth off of the PLASTIC gears, and the resultant jump/skip is the noise you hear).
Sadly, there are THREE of them, and all can possibly go bad (and have, like currently on my car even after having one already replaced under warranty).

The parts themselves are not very costly at all, but they are a royal pain to get to if doing it yourself, and the labor becomes co$tly if done at a dealer/competent shop.
If you can live with the noise on every startup (like I do currently), they really do not harm or effect the functioning of the HVAC system at all.

 

[BlueToad]

WELCOME and CONGRATS!

Those Nitto Neo Gens on your car are actually an all season tire (even though they do not look like they are, and despite their 280 tread wear rating) and not all too horrid when NEW in a half inch, or less, of snow/slush.

(I have the 205/50-16 size version of those tires on my car as daily driver wheels, but I DO have a dedicated set of FULLY winter wheels/tires if needed here.)

Will they get you through an Illini winter of daily driving, absolutely NOT.

The clicking/clacking you hear behind the dash is the various HVAC system's blend door actuators gone bad (they lose teeth off of the PLASTIC gears, and the resultant jump/skip is the noise you hear).
Sadly, there are THREE of them, and all can possibly go bad (and have, like currently on my car even after having one already replaced under warranty).

The parts themselves are not very costly at all, but they are a royal pain to get to if doing it yourself, and the labor becomes co$tly if done at a dealer/competent shop.
If you can live with the noise on every startup (like I do currently), they really do not harm or effect the functioning of the HVAC system at all.

Thanks! So they sell my tire as all-season (as long as your seasons don't snow. Nice!)
BDA: After I posted my intro last night I saw so many comments about blend door actuator that I looked it up and did connect the dots that it is my clicking. Odd that it seems like if I leave the AC button OFF I don't hear it. I have already noticed inconsistency in the Auto setting not always adjusting to the temperature setting, but thought it might just be a Ford AC quirk and it resolves if I manually readjust the temp and re-hit Auto. I can live with it for now. Follow-up question: I do NOT have dual zone (separate driver/pass temp settings) AC, so would that mean fewer blend door actuators?...or do I still have 3, anyway?

 

[Capri to ST]

Thanks! So they sell my tire as all-season (as long as your seasons don't snow. Nice!)
BDA: After I posted my intro last night I saw so many comments about blend door actuator that I looked it up and did connect the dots that it is my clicking. Odd that it seems like if I leave the AC button OFF I don't hear it. I have already noticed inconsistency in the Auto setting not always adjusting to the temperature setting, but thought it might just be a Ford AC quirk and it resolves if I manually readjust the temp and re-hit Auto. I can live with it for now. Follow-up question: I do NOT have dual zone (separate driver/pass temp settings) AC, so would that mean fewer blend door actuators?...or do I still have 3, anyway?

Welcome, you're going to really enjoy the car, it may be the most fun per dollar of any car ever built.Speaking of dollars, I'm curious how much it cost you to have the timing belt replaced if you don't mind sharing that?
Regarding actuators, none of the cars have dual zone air conditioning, and yes you do have three. One is called the mode door, and it controls where the air goes, IE to the windshield, to your face or to the floor. I have had that one replaced, and it's back above the steering column somewhere .One is called the blend door I believe, and it controls the temperature, IE the blend of hot and cold air. The third one is sometimes called the recirculation actuator, it controls whether you're getting fresh or recirculated air via the button on the dash that controls that.

 

[BlueToad]

Capri,
First, does 'Capri to ST' mean you had a Capri formerly? In my late teens I had a 1980 Capri Turbo RS the exactly like the internet picture attached (I'd have to dig thru my folks' stuff to find an actual pic of mine). Great car that was, too. Thanks for the details about the actuators. What a pain.
Yes, I do have the costs for my timing belt. I trust the mechanic I go to to give me good prices tho he is part of a chain of stores called Tire Tracks USA that was recently acquired by Great Water 360 Auto Care. (so, not 'a friend of mine'). I attached a pic from the invoice. The water pump has to be replaced apparently (or he did 'slam' me!) when you are doing the timing belt as it shows one kit with that name . He also said the Serpentine belt looked worn and is no extra labor to do while you are doing the timing belt, so I did it. Of note, when they got it back together, they found a bad coil and ended up replacing 2 coils when the problem hopped from 1 to another coil, but they only charged me for 1 coil as shown. Just a heads up, in case something like that happens.

 

[Capri to ST]

Capri,
First, does 'Capri to ST' mean you had a Capri formerly? In my late teens I had a 1980 Capri Turbo RS the exactly like the internet picture attached (I'd have to dig thru my folks' stuff to find an actual pic of mine). Great car that was, too. Thanks for the details about the actuators. What a pain.
Yes, I do have the costs for my timing belt. I trust the mechanic I go to to give me good prices tho he is part of a chain of stores called Tire Tracks USA that was recently acquired by Great Water 360 Auto Care. (so, not 'a friend of mine'). I attached a pic from the invoice. The water pump has to be replaced apparently (or he did 'slam' me!) when you are doing the timing belt as it shows one kit with that name View attachment 58827 View attachment 58828 . He also said the Serpentine belt looked worn and is no extra labor to do while you are doing the timing belt, so I did it. Of note, when they got it back together, they found a bad coil and ended up replacing 2 coils when the problem hopped from 1 to another coil, but they only charged me for 1 coil as shown. Just a heads up, in case something like that happens.

Hello, that was a good observation, I did have a '72 Capri. As a 17-year-old gearhead, I talked my dad into buying one for the family. I had been reading raves about it in Car and Driver, and it turned out to be a great purchase. He and I shared that car back and forth over about a 20-year period, and had a lot of good times together with it.When I got the Fiesta ST, I felt like in some ways I was coming full circle, because both cars were European Ford Performance designed or influenced small sporty cars. It looked like this one.

Your mechanic definitely did you right replacing the water pump, the last thing you want to do after paying for all that labor to get to it is to put an old water pump back on, and it also makes lots of sense to replace the serpentine belt at the same time.The timing belt /water pump combo is a good example of while you're in there type repairs, which I am a big believer in. The price seems reasonable, I'm having mine done based on time, 8 years next summer, since I'm doing low mileage, and I would be fine with a price in that range.
Finally, here is my favorite video to show new owners. It shows a car magazine tester driving the crap out of the car on a rally course, and the car holding up well to it. It also shows a professional rally Fiesta ST which is virtually stock. Our engines are or were also used virtually stock in the Formula Ford racing series. If it can stand up to the abuse that rallying and racing put it to, that speaks well for its durability on the street.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM1nkR8pkX4&list=FLur65YQuzud3gXqwZTZTrxQ&index=5&t=22s

 

[SteveS]

The reason the blend doors don't click if you turn the AC system off is that they don't have to reset for the desired temperature. The way the system works is that when the car is shut off it puts all the blend doors to whatever the "off" position is. Then when you start the car, the automatic system has to put them in whatever position is necessary to deliver the air it needs to deliver at the temperature necessary. That makes them click if the plastic gear is worn/broken. Once they finally get where they need to go the clicking stops.

 

[M-Sport fan]

The reason the blend doors don't click if you turn the AC system off is that they don't have to reset for the desired temperature. The way the system works is that when the car is shut off it puts all the blend doors to whatever the "off" position is. Then when you start the car, the automatic system has to put them in whatever position is necessary to deliver the air it needs to deliver at the temperature necessary. That makes them click if the plastic gear is worn/broken. Once they finally get where they need to go the clicking stops.

Yes, mine clack every time the car is started now, even with the system fully shut off altogether from the last engine shut down..

I believe that all of mine now have to be replaced.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Hello, that was a good observation, I did have a '72 Capri. As a 17-year-old gearhead, I talked my dad into buying one for the family. I had been reading raves about it in Car and Driver, and it turned out to be a great purchase. He and I shared that car back and forth over about a 20-year period, and had a lot of good times together with it.When I got the Fiesta ST, I felt like in some ways I was coming full circle, because both cars were European Ford Performance designed or influenced small sporty cars. It looked like this one.

Your mechanic definitely did you right replacing the water pump, the last thing you want to do after paying for all that labor to get to it is to put an old water pump back on, and it also makes lots of sense to replace the serpentine belt at the same time.The timing belt /water pump combo is a good example of while you're in there type repairs, which I am a big believer in. The price seems reasonable, I'm having mine done based on time, 8 years next summer, since I'm doing low mileage, and I would be fine with a price in that range.
Finally, here is my favorite video to show new owners. It shows a car magazine tester driving the crap out of the car on a rally course, and the car holding up well to it. It also shows a professional rally Fiesta ST which is virtually stock. Our engines are or were also used virtually stock in the Formula Ford racing series. If it can stand up to the abuse that rallying and racing put it to, that speaks well for its durability on the street.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM1nkR8pkX4&list=FLur65YQuzud3gXqwZTZTrxQ&index=5&t=22s

I also had a 1976 'Black Cat' edition Capri 2 (black and gold color scheme), manual V-6, bought from new and owned for 7 years until purchasing a new to this country, first gen, VDub GTI.


I believe that the engine in that ACP driven/campaigned rally FiST above was mostly stock save for a tune, but it did have a Sadev sequential gearbox, and of course, a full Reiger rally suspension on it.

 

[BlueToad]

Capri, sounds like good times with your Capris! Thanks for the video...making me feel even better about my purchase. I just needED a 'towed' that's not boring as my daily driver, since I don't want the hassles and costs of separate cars for that. But it's turning out to look more fun and durable the more I learn about it.
Steve S...thanks for the detail about why my clicks don't occur when AC is off.

Anybody's driver rear door window being non-functional while all the rest are fine? It is a flaw that was disclosed to me by the seller before the purchase, and to me not a deal-breaker, since I will only miss it if I'm driving around with all windows down, which would be rare.

 

[SteveS]

The window problem is not anything known. Probably just the typical--damaged/disconnected wire, bad motor, etc.

 

[BlueToad]

Hello again. Could use some advice on wheel paint to touch up chips and some road rash from the 145k. I thought I was pretty good at getting OEM-matching paint for some past cars of mine, but completely failed this time, purchasing from PaintScratch a '2014 Sparkle Silver Effect Wheel M6389-W' and it is super-different from my wheels. Very bright silvery with big flakes. When I put it on a few spots it EMPHASIZED the damaged areas it was so different. The body color touch-up paint for my son's gray metallic 2001 GTI is almost a match compared to this and I put that on in the meantime. That research/purchase was before I found THIS forum, but I had done an hour or so googling and seeing lots of strings about Ford changing the colors a lot before I bought that. Anybody have my same wheels and know exactly what to buy. Mine *are* the dark gray metallic. Thanks!

 

[Nitelife]

First, welcome.

A couple threads on trying to match the Rado wheel color here on the forum:

https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/has-anyone-tried-those-ebay-rado-gray-wheel-paints.20078/
https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/stock-wheel-repair.24279/#post-410538

This seems the most promising as they are aware of the color change that happened around 2016MY timeframe:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/132284905544

On the Blend door actuator front. I had my driver side replaced under warranty around 19k and it has since failed again around 55k mark. I was building up the nerve to replace it, but with the cold I have the heat engaged again. Once I selected the windshield and foot outputs the clicking has gone away, so I suspect it must have been in that configuration before it broke and now does not need to make adjustments, so no more rapid clicking. That has been my experience at least.

https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/blend-door-actuator-issue-thread.5161/page-31#post-437838

For laughs I found this a few years back on Reddit; seems to resonate with a lot of us here.

 

[gtx3076]

First, welcome.

A couple threads on trying to match the Rado wheel color here on the forum:

https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/has-anyone-tried-those-ebay-rado-gray-wheel-paints.20078/
https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/stock-wheel-repair.24279/#post-410538

This seems the most promising as they are aware of the color change that happened around 2016MY timeframe:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/132284905544

On the Blend door actuator front. I had my driver side replaced under warranty around 19k and it has since failed again around 55k mark. I was building up the nerve to replace it, but with the cold I have the heat engaged again. Once I selected the windshield and foot outputs the clicking has gone away, so I suspect it must have been in that configuration before it broke and now does not need to make adjustments, so no more rapid clicking. That has been my experience at least.

https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/blend-door-actuator-issue-thread.5161/page-31#post-437838

For laughs I found this a few years back on Reddit; seems to resonate with a lot of us here.
View attachment 58917

Forget that, ever change out the cabin air filter? I've done my fair share of car work including turbo changes and timing chain replacements and I have never been in such an uncomfortable position as when I changed out the cabin air filter. I'm not even sure it got installed correctly I was twisting and folding the new filter, and just cramming that SOB back into the slot.

 

[BlueToad]

First, welcome.

A couple threads on trying to match the Rado wheel color here on the forum:

https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/has-anyone-tried-those-ebay-rado-gray-wheel-paints.20078/
https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/stock-wheel-repair.24279/#post-410538

This seems the most promising as they are aware of the color change that happened around 2016MY timeframe:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/132284905544

On the Blend door actuator front. I had my driver side replaced under warranty around 19k and it has since failed again around 55k mark. I was building up the nerve to replace it, but with the cold I have the heat engaged again. Once I selected the windshield and foot outputs the clicking has gone away, so I suspect it must have been in that configuration before it broke and now does not need to make adjustments, so no more rapid clicking. That has been my experience at least.

https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/blend-door-actuator-issue-thread.5161/page-31#post-437838

For laughs I found this a few years back on Reddit; seems to resonate with a lot of us here.
View attachment 58917

Thanks! I'll give the Rado wheel color a try.
For the actuator, I'm going to wait until it gets annoying. At this time, and since I haven't known the ac operation before there was clicking/malfunction, only the clicking is all that keeps me aware I'll be having the issue with temps. And thanks for the meme--that really does help me with expectations how much hassle they are to change!

 

[M-Sport fan]

Forget that, ever change out the cabin air filter? I've done my fair share of car work including turbo changes and timing chain replacements and I have never been in such an uncomfortable position as when I changed out the cabin air filter. I'm not even sure it got installed correctly I was twisting and folding the new filter, and just cramming that SOB back into the slot.

I literally puked when I finished doing that job, from the nausea of being in an almost upside down position in that confined footwell area for so long!

I am most likely going to let the dealer do the next one, especially since I will not be driving any hellaciously dusty roads in the near future now that there are no more east coast/northeast ARA rallies anymore.