My 04 gt is doing minor stuff, it never did in the last 2 years and 4 months I've had it.

I work as an IT consultant with a 40 mile one way commute. Until about 2 months ago, I was paid 55 cents a mile for my commute. Now due to budget cuts at the client, i no longer am but given the option to work from home. To save money, I rested my 8 and been using the focus almost all the time. Yesterday I took the 8 out after a long time, took my dogs to a dog park 12 miles away from home, country roads with very few stop lights.

1. It sucked about 3 gallons of gas (gas mileage was never this bad). I am running full 5w-30 for the first time, don't know if that caused mileage to drop so bad.

2. The radiator fan came on when i turned the car off (it was 88 degrees outside) both times at the park and after i got back home. Again, i've driven in temps above 90 before and the fan never came on.

3. The trunk would not unlock with the remote. Tried with the spare keys, same result. I can manually unlock with the key though.

I am not sure if letting the car sit for several weeks is causing this. Hopefully its just the 5w-30 oil. The oil is less than 100 miles old. Over the weekend i am going to drain it and switch to 5w-20 and see if it changes anything. I am not worried, but wondering if this is a sign of bigger things to come.

Should i throw some money at the car, replacing the coils, plugs, de-carb etc or just unload it when its still running? With a pregnant GF, a new home purchase pending closing, an uncertain job market, i have decided style doesn't matter anymore. I have no one to impress but my girl who couldn't care less about how "sexy" my car is. The focus serves its purpose and then some. 37 MPG highway beats leather, navigation, cornering, 18" wheels, and a loud exhaust.

 

I dont think sitting a few weeks and a different oil would cause a dramatic change in mpg, probably just need some cleaning, decarbon, coils, etc.

 

Sounds like this is not the car for you anymore.

Especially if you are carrying your dogs in the car

Sell/Trade it while is still running. Let someone else who will do the car justice take over.

Good luck on the GF/baby/house

 

not to scare you, but my car did identically this just before the water pump **** the bed last week

 

Kick it's ***. An 8 acting up means it's not listening to orders.

 

How can you tell it used 3 gallons off gas? Don't say " because the gauge told me" - Air temps can mess with the gauge and it sitting could do the same.

OIL....... Not the problem

Fan ------------------------- NORMAL

DOGS??????????????????????????? no no no no no

 

I think you've already answered your own question in the last couple of sentences of your post..