Hey all,

I recently bought an 06 plate fiesta ST and am loving it. However, it seems to have problems starting sometimes. This happens quite often, pretty much once a day, but at no particular time. If i apply a slight touch on the accelerator when it struggles to start then it starts, but if not i have to try again. Any ideas what it could be?

Thanks

Hello to you. I am in CM16, so not far from you!

It sounds very likely that your car has not had the ECU update that is required for ST's built around that time. Had the same problem with mine when I first got it (Jan 06 build) and took it to Ford and the ECU update sorted it out.
Let us know how you get on!

Hey, thanks for your help. Is there anyway to check that this is the problem before getting it done and roughly how much does it cost? Thanks again :-)

If it has a full service history, then Ford should be able to tell you whether the ECU update has been done. If not, I am guessing it could be fairly expensive, I know its about £50 or so just to connect to their computer thingy.
If you purchased from a dealer, then you could try getting them to do it/pay for it?

Hmmm...ok. Yes it has a full service history so will get that checked out first. Bought it from a private seller so that's not an option. Will it do any harm to leave it for a while (my last penny was spent on buying the car! lol) or should i try and get it done asap (assuming the ECU is the problem)?

Thanks

It won't damage the car, assuming that it is the ECU, it just means it will take a few goes to get it going.
Does it do it when starting from cold or is it when you have already gone for a drive already?

I just spoke to Ford and it costs £91 for an ECU update and they said if that is the problem and i leave it, it will gradually get worse until it wont start, is this true? Sometimes it doesn't start first thing when it is cold, other times it starts fine from cold, and the same when it's already been driven the same day :-(. Can only a ford main dealer do the update?

I can't imagine it getting worse, as far as I know it is a programming fault in the ECU that doesn't calculate the correct air to fuel mixture. It won't get better it won't get worse!
Which Ford dealer did you speak to?
It could also possibly be a dirty throttle body but as far as I know that also causes irratic idling ....... how is the idle?

Oh believe me. It can get a LOT worse wuth faulty programming.

Ok, well spose i'll have to get it done at some point so best to get it done asap. I spoke to the Harlow, Essex dealer. The idle is fine so looking likely to be the ECU. Is it only ford dealers that can do the update?

ok, well thanks alot for all your help, much appreciated :-)

There is always Dream Science or Bluefin.

mine dont start always first time! if u read the manual u need to put the clucth in and turn the key if it dont do it first time, do it again the second time if it dont the second time then blip the thorttle to 1/4 revs to get it started!

After all this, im fairly sure my cars problem of not starting 1st time may well have been caused by dodgy fuel as ever since i re-filled my car it has been fine and started perfectly every single time! So glad i didnt pay £91 to Ford!