Hi all,
I have a 2006 (Mk2) Ford Focus (1.6 LX petrol with 87k mileage) that has the transmission light appearing (lighting up) on the dashboard intermittently.

When you turn the ignition on all the dashboards lights appear for a second and then disappear, this is usual practice I know, however I don't recall the Transmission light (gear/cog icon with an exclamation mark) appearing and then disappearing along with the other lights before two months back. Maybe it is my paranoia to what I'm about to describe.

Two months ago I had a mechanic attempt to replace a broken clutch pedal spring. In doing so they removed all the plastics around the foot-well (maybe other stuff - I don't know). They couldn't fix it so they put the plastics back. It is from this point I noticed the Transmission light appearing/disappearing on the ignition turn (along with the other lights). I took my car elsewhere to get the clutch pedal spring repaired.

Since that event (two months ago) the Transmission light has appeared and stayed alight on four different occasions (I used the car daily). I'll now list the times the Transmission light has appeared and stayed alight.

1) Drove the car 100 miles and the switched it off for an hour. At no time during the journey did the Transmission light show. It was when I started the car, after the journey, that the light appeared and stayed on. Thinking better than to drive with it on, I switched it off and then on again, hoping it would disappear, and it was still showing. I switch it off/on again and the light was still on. Doing the same for the third time the car wouldn't start and the light was on. Doing it for the fourth time the same result as the third time happened. I had to leave it 15 minutes to try again and it started without the Transmission light staying on.

2) I was driving the car for about 20 minutes with no light showing. I stalled the car but in starting the engine immediately the engine started but the Transmission light appeared and stayed on for the remaining 20 minutes of the journey. Didn't appear when the I used the car hours later.

3) Pretty much identical to 1) but it happened about six weeks after when 1) happened. Remember I driver this car daily so it is intermittent.

4) I was driving the car for 25 minutes fine, pulled over and switch the car off to nip to the shop, upon returning and starting it again the light appeared. I turn it off and on again twice after and although both times the car started fine the Transmission light stayed on. I drove it home for 10 minutes with the light on.

During the times I've driven the car with the Transmission light on I have never felt any loss of power, it has driven normally.
The temperature has been mild too so not cold (about 10-12 Celsius).

I should also mention the following to things that have started around the same time (two months back):
1) When I start the ignition on the rev counter, speedometer, petrol gauge, and temperature gauge all take a second or two to move to their positions. You can see the needles trying to move to their positions but its like something is holding them back. The needles wobbles ever so slightly before the needles go to the positions to indicate the readings.
2) During the past month it seems the radio/clock light occasionally doesn't come on when I switch the headlights on. I have to turn the radio/clock on to get the radio/clock light to come on. This isn't normal and has only happened about 3 times in the last couple of months but may that's because I always have the radio on - if I didn't it may happen more often. Also the time seems to get stuck until you switch the radio/clock on. For example, I switch on the car and the time is 10:20 (the correct time) I drive for 20 minutes so the time should be 10:40 but its still stuck on 10:20. I turn the radio/clock on and the time moves to 10:40 immediately.

Do you guys have any suggestions to what the problem could be based on my details above?

Thanks in advance.

Edited by dac1 on 20/11/2018 at 11:41