HELP!!!! My car keeps dying

Asked by Ashley Jan 25, 2018 at 08:14 AM about the 2003 Ford Focus LX

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

So i didn't have a problem with my focus until this week. It has died on me 5
separate times. You can drive it for 30 mins and then it feels like the
transmission starts to slip and then it stalls out. The first three times this
happened my battery was completely dead after. I have a new battery and a
new alternator so now after it cuts off it will come back on. However i was told
I had a bad ground wire and so they replaced my terminal cables. The light
new to the hazard light will pop on and off. Pep boys told me it was my anti
theft kicking on and the car was saying it couldn't read my key. So i got a new
key. So here i am up to 400.00 in the last week in to this car. An the car still
won't stay running. They are trying to tell me I need a PCM because the
ground wire being bad for so long basically made mine die. Does this sound
right to anyone I mean a new PCM is like 600.00  this car also has 161,000
miles on it and i do not have another car or away to just go buy another car.

3 Answers

64,520

If vehicle is an automatic have them check the Torque Converter Clutch Solenoid.

1 people found this helpful.
475

U can get one on eBay for way way less https://m.ebay.com/sch/i.html? _from=R40&_trksid=p2056088.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC0.A0.H0.X2003+ford+fo cus+l.TRS0&_nkw=2003+ford+focus+lx+pcm Oh yea if you change your pcm I think you have to get a new programmed key (double check)

2 people found this helpful.
80

I had the same problem so I changed the fuel filter $15, fuel pump $60, fuel pump modulator $100, checked the ground wire for that cost free with a piece of sand paper to sand where wire connected to get a good ground connection, pcv valve $ 2, and hoses $20, throttle body $20 (from junkyard off a 2001 focus that had rear end damage), mass air flow sensor $60, both o2 sensors $70 a piece, cadallaic converter $390, and checked all vacuum hoses for leaks free, EGR valve $20, and somewhere in there I fixed the problem, I think and hope ?? Keeping my fingers crossed the check engine light don't come back on, and now the other day my passenger side CV axle broke loose cost me $90 for new one, now my car will run then die out and battery acting like it's dead, jump starts then dies from just sitting turned off, needs to be jump started again to start, new battery in it, now I'm leaning towards a new alternator $160 rebuilt 1 yr warranty .... FML !!!! Grrrr !!!! Time for the junkyard I'm thinking !!!

1 people found this helpful.

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