i have a 2004 ford focus,4-cylinder,5-spd,standard(lemon) ahem,car… i need real advice. I do have a code, p2004, but my problem goes further than that. I can drive this car for alittle bit but once I start to press on thebrake pedal a process is then started inwhich the pedal becomes hard to press to even impossible,…then very soon after that I realize that i have only minutes to find a place to safely park(out of peoples way) and then I have to turn off the car and open the hood, then I have to disconnect the battery cables(blk then wht.)for 30 minutes to reset the computer. It used to reset in 15 minutes…and this is what I have to do just to get the car to run “okay” for about the next 5 or so miles if even that. This problem is getting worse by the day, but I am poor and need thus car for work. There are many more issues concerning this Ford car, but if I can find a way to fix this one issue among the many I will have some hope…please tell me who can I trust or speak to because many mechanics have already scammed me.
15 year old car… Lemon, No. Old worn car.
Is the P2004 code the only code you have? When the car is hard to stop, does it throw a check engine light? Or is the CEL on all the time? What codes are stored?
Seems like your brake booster is losing vacuum and leaving you with no power brakes. That is a bad deal, as you say. Could be booster, could be a side effect of the IMRC error (the P2004).
Are you looking for someone to fix this for you? Or are you wanting (or capable) of doing the work yourself? If you want to fix it, we will try and help.
You say you’ve been scammed by mechanics, sorry about that, but cheap work is no good and good work isn’t cheap. A good mechanic won’t scam you. They don’t need to, they have plenty of work. You also need to understand that diagnostic work isn’t free. Expect to pay for it. If you can’t afford it, sorry again. If you don’t get these brakes fixed, you should stop driving this car for your sake and everyone else’s as well.
Thanks for responding…yes, the only code I have had for the longest is p2004 and you may already know it refers to the intake manifold runner actuator[or actually the circular flaps being stuck and or the the sensor and or actuator as well] along with the brake pedal issue.
The pcv might be faulty too and the only way to replace it is to remove the intake manifold completely out. But I am trying to take care of the brake issue first and then maybe somehow fix the intake manifold issues after that. I do work so when possible I do have money from time to time. But after paying about $700.00 to the ‘yourmechanic.com’ mobile mechanic people at 2 different times for 2 different mechanics who did not fix the car in the least, I could spend money so fast after that. I just should not rushed in to buy this LEMON…which it is because of all the repairs and hundreds of dollars I’ve spent just to try and fix it.
I do have the tools I need to fix it and a Ford repair manual but the pictures are horrible concerning the removal of the intake manifold completely out… I have wanted to remove the circular flaps out of the intake manifold completely. And also to clean up the intake manifold. Then check the pcv to see if it makes the rattle noise to verify that it is still good or not.
I really do want to fix this, however I know that it will take some money to do so. I may try to remove the intake one more time. Last time I could not disconnect a certain sensor. I just wished someone would help guide me or help me to successfully do this…and yes you are right about good mechanics. And if Ford had not been hellbent on price gauging to fix something that has nothing to do with the circular flaps or it’s sensors or actuator, I probably would have went to them on sheppard drive at Tommy Vaughn.
Any car repair you want to attempt, see if there is a u-tube video for it.