# 2009 Ford Focus dies immediately after start

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-ford-focus-dies-immediately-after-start/165967>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** focus, ford\
**Created:** [June 18, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-ford-focus-dies-immediately-after-start/165967 "2020-06-18T17:40:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![retired04](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@retired04](https://community.cartalk.com/u/retired04)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-ford-focus-dies-immediately-after-start/165967/1 "2020-06-18T17:40:07Z")

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Turns over starts but dies right away

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-ford-focus-dies-immediately-after-start/165967/2 "2020-06-19T14:27:08Z")

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Please add more info about your can, the problem and if you check engine light is or was on.

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-ford-focus-dies-immediately-after-start/165967/3 "2020-06-19T15:04:59Z")

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Have somebody try cleaning the electronic throttle body.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/a/c/ac07e8c4e9772a5e0a8c28879cddeee938925070.jpeg)

Tester

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**Author:** ![retired04](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@retired04](https://community.cartalk.com/u/retired04)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 2:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-ford-focus-dies-immediately-after-start/165967/4 "2020-06-26T14:18:00Z")

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Thanks for responding. No engine light hooked up a engine test computer. The car has just over 200,000 miles one owner. The night before when I was pulling into the garage the car started running rudely like a spark plug or cylinder was not firing correctly. The next morning it will not continue to run it starts up but won’t keep running.

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**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 2:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-ford-focus-dies-immediately-after-start/165967/5 "2020-06-26T14:21:48Z")

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When it’s starting but then quitting: can you determine then if it has no spark, or no fuel? Testing for no fuel is easy: spray some starter fluid in the air intake while someone is turning the key to Start. If it briefly fires up then quits, you are dealing with a no-fuel problem. Could fuel pump, fuel pump relay, etc.

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**Author:** ![kurtwm1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/13edae/32.png) [@kurtwm1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kurtwm1)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2020, 4:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-ford-focus-dies-immediately-after-start/165967/6 "2020-06-28T16:58:08Z")

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Clean or replace the Idle Air Control valve. 30 minute to clean or $40 new.

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**Author:** ![retired04](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@retired04](https://community.cartalk.com/u/retired04)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-ford-focus-dies-immediately-after-start/165967/7 "2020-07-09T18:32:49Z")

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Thank you this was the problem. It took my husband time to find the part under the hood. He watched numerous you tubes. It took two cans of carb cleaner gas mileage went up 7 gallons to 37 mph. Thank you so much.