1993 Ford Fiesta LX from UK and Ireland - Comments

The rear brake pads have worn out quickly, and I believe the front disks are doing the same. Perhaps I am too hard on them, but I never had this problem in my Renault 5.

The handbrake cable recently perished to one wheel, still holding the other, MUST get this sorted soon! Didn't notice until I had the car up on the jack looking at the brakes and I tried to put the handbrake on when it was already on!

I consider it a problem that the fiesta uses a lot of oil. I have to put a couple of liters in every month or so, I'm sure its not burning oil, and I can find no leaks - where's it all going?

Idle problem. I've read about this on some other reviews. It only started quite recently, the revs will sometimes rise to 2-3000 rpm, and then fluctuate all over the place! This is quite embarrassing whilst sitting alongside traffic. It will accelerate itself, which I consider dangerous. However, some days it will be fine, and some days the opposite will be true, I will have to rev the engine to keep it going! The weather doesn't seem to affect it.

Despite the fairly lengthy complaints above, the fiesta isn't bad. Its quiet (inside!), comfortable and generally reliable. However, I am still young (19), and to me, this car has no character, it goes and stops (most of the time), but it completely dull to drive. It's also very, very slow. I know it's only a 1.1 but I have driven other cars with similar outputs and they seem much quicker. My old Renault 5 1.2 definitely had more pull, and at the time I thought that was bad! When you eventually get up to speed, you have to hang on round corners, the steering is vague, and the ride harsh. I hate having to rev the engine as it sounds like its in pain at anything above 2500rpm. Typical push-rod rattles I suppose. It just likes to go in a straight line. Slowly. I really have to accelerate hard when joining a fast road, for fear of the lorries behind crushing me! And overtaking is almost impossible. Saying that, it goes quite fast downhill, and I have reached 104mph, which must be some kind of record, surely!

I am getting an average 46MPG from a mixture of town, motorway driving. It doesn't change much though, on a recent steady run into Scotland it only rose to 49MPG, which I think is poor, considering I was being very gentle with it for once. Again, the Renault was better in this respect.

I have mentioned its drinking problem - it has a huge thirst for oil! This could just be a trait of the engine, I'm not sure.

The idle control problem is annoying. Does anyone have any ideas for a quick fix? Also, does anyone know how much it might be to fix it?

Overall, this car is OK. I bought it quite cheaply from a friend, and it is is good condition for the age. However, it's just too slow and ordinary for me. I really need a car that goes and looks better than this. I like the look of 106 Quicksilvers! For looks, performance, and costs (insurance/fuel), they seem to have a lot going for them.

I'll have this car for a few months yet, and I'll update these comments if anything important happens!

Hello to all slow Fiesta owners out there!

Matt.

Hi Matt, my 92 1.1 also used a lot of oil (though it doesn't sound like it was using as much as yours) but without burning or leaking, I think it must just be an engine characteristic.

My car was the base model, but it didn't seem to be as much of a drag to drive as yours, cornering, steering etc. This may have been because it only had 32,000 on the clock (genuine) a full service history and had been very well maintained. (The previous owner was a little old lady who must've ADORED the car!) It was a bit choked up when I first had it, but a few blasts down dual carriage way soon cleared it out. Overtaking was fine despite only a 4 speed gearbox... I just had to think ahead a little bit more and keep the revs up. The pick up from 60-80 was relatively nippy :)

One "problem" was a creamy white emulsion in the filler cap, under the rocker cover and on the surface of the oil, my old Cavalier had this when the head gasket went so I thought the worst. It turned out that this was actually caused by condensation due to running cold on short journeys (little old lady!) and it was recommended that I clean out the rocker cover, oil filler cap, breather pipes, check air filter etc about every 4 months or so.

I share your sentiments when you say that it's not a car for young people, I only kept mine for 6 months for this reason alone and replaced it with a 99 LX Zetec which is great fun to drive and can be tarted up easily (and without feeling like a fraud)! I get slightly poorer mileage from this car than the 1.1 but even on the newer Fiestas you seem to get about the same return from town or motorway driving. Lou.

Hi, its Matt, original writer. I must say, I take it all back about the Fiesta being slow and boring to drive! Why? Well the other day at work I took a Lexus IS200 Sport out for a spin, and did, quite literally, go for a spin - 180 degrees back wards into a hedge! I promise I wasn't going that fast, it was a bit wet, I was accelerating and the rear broke traction big time around a bend and oh dear, there it went. I am now in big trouble at work. In the meantime, I have fixed the brakes and the handbrake on the fiesta and you know what? It ain't half bad! Until I get used to rear drive properly I will never say a bad word about the fiesta again!

You think you're fairly invincible until an accident happens, then you think again. I was very lucky, no pedestrians, no other cars in the vicinity. It could have been a real disaster. Drive carefully, please.

Matt.

I've noticed the 'mayonaisse' effect as well.

Try using the choke out for longer, that does help.

It isn't a record. I've had 106mph in a 1991 H reg 1.1 5 speed, yes slight downhill gradient. It's strange sometimes the car feels like it can't be bothered, but sometimes I have to brake to stop it running off over a hundred when I'm not looking.

Your oil problem is probably the diaphragm gone in the fuel pump, get the pump replaced. The oil will be splattered all over your steering rack underneath if you look. Whilst you're there check the gear oil seal hasn't gone, and the universal joint on the steering rack is well greased and covered with a gaiter (if its not, buy one, as it'll dry up after 65,000)

Unless you've got a different 1993 LX than me the emulsified oil won't be due to the fuel pump because it's an electric one and it's in the fuel tank. More likely condensation or a water leak.

My sister had exactly the same oil problem with her fiesta, then one day the engine just blew up. Its now mine (with a new engine) but I've got the revs problem now, I've heard it could be to do with a pipe with a slight hole in it, trying to find out more and a fix!

Hi

It's Matt, the original reviewer.

Thanks for all your suggestions etc. I now don't have so much of a problem with the oil as I did. I found that the rocker cover gasket had perished, and the oil was simply escaping from there, and running down the back where I couldn't see it very easily. Since adding a new one, the oil consumption has been much less. I still find I need to top up very slightly, but much less often than I did before.

The revs problem seems *touch wood* to have gone! I didn't change anything, so I think it's gone of its own accord, which is nice!

I changed the spark plugs as I thought it was about time they got replaced, and this has made overall running a bit smoother.

I had to have a new wishbone fitted for the MOT, this stopped the creaking and knocking I was occasionally experiencing from the front beforehand.

I've moved jobs since, and my journey has more stop-start traffic. I've noticed the MPG is now around 43, as opposed to 46 on my other route. I'm happy enough with this.

In fact, the only thing I'm not happy about now is the fact that I need the wheels balanced (hopefully that's all it is!), as I'm getting vibrations at higher speeds.

Still slow. Still boring. Still, does the job!

I too have a fiesta, a 1995 LX. It's a great little car, but also have problems with the revs and actually going anywhere. Unfortunately this problem doesn't seem to have gone away with me, I've had the car since October last year, had the universal joint replaced, new arms on the front and had to have the ignition replaced too, as it just decided to not work, fortunately it happened to be at the mechanics having the arms done at the time, so he could fix it for me, otherwise it would've been a lot of hassle. Has anyone else had this problem, he said hes only had to do this in 1 fiesta before, in 50 years of work!

Do you mean the problem with the revs is that when you put your foot down it doesn't move very fast until after a few seconds? I think it may be the fuel pump on mine. Its done 65000 miles, just for the record, and I've had over 100mph out of it (going down hill!!!). And it too is good on the fuel, i'll be keeping my trusty (touch wood) fiesta for a while longer yet, hopefully!! hel 18.

Since buying my Fiesta LX '93 I've had the cat replaced and lots of other things, but it failed the MoT on emissions. Had the Lamba sensor replaced and since then has had the Revs problem described, one minute 2000 rpm next stalling everytime the acc pedal is released. Looked at the spark plugs and they are white which I deduce is the result of a weak mixture. Have you found a reason for the revs dying? All I could think is the lamba sensor is overcompensating for the strong emissions from an old engine (90,000miles), is there a way of increasing the mixture manually?

Paul.

My Fiesta (1.3i) is doing the same. Stalling and jerking forward in low gears.

I've been told it's probably the Lamba sensor too. I've just not got my arse into gear to sort it out yet.

But I think that's the problem anyway.

Hi my gf's car has the surging idle problem also. it's a '93 1.1 with 61000 miles. the car doesn't splutter and die - it surges up to 3000rpm when idling and down again - any resolution to this would be great as I've checked the plugs/leads etc and they are fine.

Also above 70mph the car vibrates, did having the wheels balanced fix it at all?

Hi I've had my 93 1.1 fiesta lx now for two months and I love it, considering that my last car was a 1984 Daihatsu Domino with a 615cc engine (but it was great on fuel!)

From the first week of driving the fiesta around I did notice the rev thing and how it doesn't quite pick up speed straight away, the simplest solution which I found to that was, put your foot down a lot harder, trust me it works!

Apart from that my car is in very good condition and overall I am impressed with the car.

Hi Matt.

I would say your fiesta is just like the rest of them including mine and the problems you have mentioned are all to familiar. For the last week I too have had very embarrassing moments waiting in traffic and for pedestrians to finish crossing the road due to the engine other revving at 2000, which I couldn't work out what it was due to being an intermittent problem. So fed up yesterday I took a can of WD40 and a rag and cleaned up the oil which seems to like taking a trip from the rocker to the air filter (god knows why) then I sprayed all the way around the base of the injector body where the throttle and loads of other stuff (this can easily be done with air filter in place). Eureka... the problem has disappeared just like it arrived (i still don't know why) the car is a K 1993 LX just like yours I think so if your engine is still on speed give it a good blast of WD40 and maybe just maybe you will be lucky.

Yours.

Tom Howcroft (tbrh2001@yahoo.co.uk)