Ford’s popular ‘Ka’ – what you need to know about Steering & Suspension problems.
When the Ford Ka was introduced in 1995, it was something of a design revelation. From slow initial sales, the model was quickly taken to the hearts of the British motoring public. Through the years, it sold pretty constantly at around 60,000 registrations annually, so there are lots of these popular little runabouts on our roads and hence a good opportunity for those in the repair business.
Early models of the Ford Ka (up to 1999) featured a concentric slave cylinder (CSC) that incorporated a screw fit hose connection, whereas after 1999 the design was modified to feature a quick fit push-on hose.
Many of these early vehicles will now have had the original designed CSC replaced with the latter, but if an early design is discovered, Borg & Beck offer a replacement CSC hose (part number HKD0001), which will convert it to the new push-on design.
The wishbones fitted to the StreetKa version are different to those fitted to the other models in the Ka range, so care must be taken when ordering these parts.
Sven Nielsen, Technical Director from MEYLE, says the following difficulties may arise with the Ford Ka:
Loud metallic rolling noises are indicators of defective wheel bearings. Increased wheel bearing tolerances can also be diagnosed by tilting the wheel while the car is not under any strain. In order to prevent more serious damage or the complete loss of the wheel bearing, the driver should seek the assistance of a repair garage as soon as possible.
Top struts perform several important roles, some of which are related to dampening noise and vibration control. As the aftermarket arm of one of the world' leading OE manufacturer of vibration control products, Corteco has a number of answers to problems concerning component replacement on ageing Ford Ka models.
A key role of each top strut is to secure the suspension struts, or shock absrobers to the body shell. In doing so, they act as a conduit for the vibrations generated as the wheels travel over the bumpy and uneven road surface. Because the top strut design incorporates a vibration control dampening medium, this acts as a shield from these vibrations, so the driver experiences a much more comfortable ride.
The fitting bolts which are used to attach the wishbone to the sub-frame and the knuckle joint on the Ford Ka have a tendency to break during removal of the worn part. As a precautionary measure it is always recommended to replace these bolts when fitting new wishbones. Therefore if the bolts are not easy to hand, the repair of the new components can become more difficult and time consuming than usual.
Ford Ka 1996 -2009
Excessive vibration at high speed when applying the foot brake, soft wishbone bushes - not necessarily distorted brake discs.
Engine burning excess oil and air filter full of oil – oil return hole to engine rocker cover from crankcase vent return restricted.
Central locking continually cycling lock/unlock – water in control module from rain ingress around the O/S/F inner “A” post.
Battery goes flat if vehicle is not used for two or more days, battery draw of 0.5 amp - radio/CD memory excess current draw.
MOT fail high carbon monoxide percentage but runs okay high resistance on front exhaust HO2 sensor wiring multi plug.
48/2011
Control element illumination for air-conditioning system defective.
Bulb defective.
Replace light bulb.
13-2011
Engine warning light is on Power loss Error code P1220
Cable harness faulty
Check accelerator pedal. Replace wiring harness to engine. (If required) Replace pedal-travel sensor. (If required)
Ford engineers played many tunes with the rear suspension on the first generation Ka, moving from dampers featuring a lower yoke mounting to ones having an eye mounting from October 1998 and specifying single pigtail rear springs for all models from April 2000. The pigtail spring is particularly prone to breaking at its lower end and should be inspected for corrosion whenever the vehicle is in the workshop. Note that the SportKa and StreetKa models were only ever fitted with the pigtail spring.
Ford Ka petrol engines can suffer with excessive oil burning, high emissions and running faults caused by sticking piston rings due to contamination build up in the oil system.
To cure the fault it is recommended to carry out Forté's Clean & Protect service, with a good 45 minute Advanced Formula Motor Flush adding Oil System Protector to the new oil and adding Forté Advanced Formula Gas Treatment into the fuel tank.
It is also recommended to clean the oil and fuel system regularly at service to help maintain efficient combustion and prevent the fault reoccurring.
• A complaint is that the interior ventilation system will only blow cold/cool air or vice versa, hot air. The fault usually lies with the motorised heater valve on the bulkhead failing, which doesn’t allow hot coolant water to flow through to the interior heater matrix.
• Technicians need to be careful when fitting a pollen filter during service, particularly making sure not to over tighten the fixing screws, as his can cause the windscreen to crack.