Copy of Article Text Below
15. ADJUST DRIVE BELT !
It's an over-and-under job to adjust the alternator to tension the belt. From above, the clamp bolt is loosened, then underneath the front bumper you need two 13mm spanners to loosen the hinge bolts. There should be a total free play of 13mm between alternator and water pump pulleys.
16. CHECK DISC PADS *
Ford dealers use a special depth gauge which checks pad thickness with the wheels on the car. If you don't have one of these, jack up the Fiesta on one side, and remove the front wheel. Pad thickness can be checked through the small window in the ATE caliper.
17. CHECK STEERING JOINTS *
You can do this at the same time as you check the disc pads. The joints should be free from leaks - any sign of grease suggests the sealed-for-life joint is losing its lubricant and will soon wear - renew it as soon as possible.
18. CHECK DRIVE SHAFT COUPLINGS !
The joints in the drive shafts are sealed by rubber covers which should be checked for breakage and renewed at the first sign of leakage. The short nearside drive shaft is easiest to check - the longer shaft on the offside really needs the car on ramps to look at the inboard coupling.
19. CHECK REAR LININGS *
There is this small peephole in the backplate. Remove a rubber plug to unblock it, then look at the thickness of the lining. If it is below 1 1/2 mm, the linings should be renewed - scrape any dirt off the edge of the shoe with a screwdriver if necessary.
20. HANDBRAKE ADJUSTMENT *
The handbrake doesn't trigger the self-adjusting mechanism of the rear brakes, so its adjustment isn't so critical as some. If necessary use two 13 mm spanners to adjust the cable so you just take the slack out of it with the handbrake off.
21. CHECK BRAKE LINES *
Flexible hoses front and rear are easy enough to see with the car on its wheels, but to check the steel brake pipes, you need to reverse the car up on ramps because the pipes weave their way along the tunnel to the master cylinder. Look for leaks and corrosion.
22. CLUTCH ADJUSTMENT *
Look - a cable clutch with no adjusting screw or lockouts. In fact you don't adjust it - the Fiesta has its own automatic ratchet adjusting system on the clutch pedal - as the cable stretches, this maintains the correct clearance.
PM's VERDICT *
Well - they've done it. Only Ford could produce what looks like a complicated car and yet make it so easy to service. We are particularly impressed with the ease of valve adjustment, the elimination of clutch cable adjustment and the easy-check rear linings. It's not perfect, mind you - ignition timing marks would be easier to see on the flywheel, and that distributor is still a bit awkwardly placed for points checking and changing. But we'd be splitting hairs if we let these small problems spoil a car that's got so many servicing plus-points. We give it a star.
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