I've posted this problem before but I'm now concerned that its got worse so here goes!
My 1999 Ford Focus 1.8 has been playing up on cold startup, the speedo and tacho have been zooming straight up to the maximum setting and back down as the car starts. This hasn't had any ill effects and it didn't happen all the time.
I've checked the earths (that I can find!) and put in a new battery which has made no difference.
Now today the car has done this twice whilst actually driving and all the warning lights come on momentarily as well (which had never happened before). There's no effect on driveability and the engine ran as normal when it happened.
This has got me a little worried now, where do I check next or am I looking at a massive bill from Henry to use his diagnostic computer!
Any suggestions gratefully received. I'm stumped with the electronics side of cars! I'm guessing its either the ECU or something to do with the instrument panel itself?
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Poo. As you know Snakey, I have this problem too so I'd be very interested in what anyone has to say.
Not too concerned at the moment as it happens on cold morning start-ups but I'd be very interested all the same.
Cheers,
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Adam
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So I'm not alone in this then!
I'm only concerned because its started doing this whilst driving. If it was only at startup I wouldnt be too bothered.
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Dont know the Focus.But wonder if alternator may be at fault.Just a thought?
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Steve
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I always thought the "self test" was low voltage or something. You've changed the battery so Steve may be right.
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Adam
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When I replaced the battery I also checked the alternator was charging correctly. I was getting around 12.6v on the battery with the engine not running and around 13.5-14v with the engine running, I'm not sure, but thats sounds about right?
I've heard that incorrect spark plugs can cause problems with the ECU - I wonder if thats related?
I'm grabbing at straws now really, with the car running ok apart from this its difficult to diagnose!
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How disturbing for you. Have you tried ringing Ford and asking the question, what is the usual cause of this fault? They can be helpful.
I have not done it for some time, and don't now have a number to hand, but when I had a problem with unbalanced back brakes, they told me what it was.
I had barely described the problem before they said, 'master cylinder'. I was a bit sceptical, and changed a few other things first. But, in the end, it turned out they were exactly right. I guess they had made a bad batch and new all about it.
I don't think it is anything to do with spark plugs. It is something to do with the speed pick-up signals or their processing.
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Mine just did it on the way home. Not even remotely cold.
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Adam
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Just found the 'Ford customer services' number I used a few years ago: 0906 553 3447 -- note it is a premium 09 number.
I don't know if it is still current.
Good luck.
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I had a Scorpio diesel that did this - it always zeroed the tripmeter at the same time. I speculated that it was linked to low(er) voltage available at start up - if the car had been used for short journeys, or moved 3 or 4 times without having chance to recover the lost charge, it was more likely to do it.
You might have an inadvertent battery failure early warning system!
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I hope it isn't a dodgy battery, its only 6 weeks old!
I think buzbee's right, its got to be worth giving Ford a ring, either their customer service or even try to speak to a mechanic directly at a local dealership.
I'll let you know if I get any info!
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Cheers Snakey. I hope it is your battery if you know what I mean. I'd rather replace that than fix something else.
The way I see it though, the car's a T plater on the original battery. I reckon it's had a good innings. Yours is 6 weeks.....well. Ahem. :-)
Good luck
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Adam
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Not certain of this..And may be wrong.Doesnt the focus have electronic speedo.Rev counter supplied by ECU..If the ECU is spiking from a sensor fault.That may cause it/either ecu fault or sensor.as I said I dont know the car so its just a thought?
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Steve
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Is it zeroing the trip meter at the same time? To get the dash panel to self test, ie. the guages sweep you hold down the trip reset button on startup for a few seconds and it begins. It could be someting as simple as a sticky microswitch causing it or the trip reset button becoming wedged.
Low battery voltage usually manifests itself as chattering relays and flashing lights on the Focus, so unless you're getting that as well then you may be barking up the wrong tree. I have heard of problems with the ECU power relay on the Focus - some people have had new ECU's fitted when its actually been the £5 relay thats at fault rather than nearly £1000 for an ECU. Power supply problems to the ECU will generate fault codes so it may be wise to get the fault codes scanned by a decent garage with the right equipment (doesn't have to be Ford).
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Mine doesn't reset the trip computer. It simply shoots the speedo and tacho up to max and then they go back to normal. All the warning lights go on - this is normal when first starting up but not when you're sitting at a junction with the engine running!
I've heard a lot of the speed sensors (on the gearbox I assume) can fail and cause all sorts of problems with driveability, perhaps mine is on the way out and this is causing problems.
I've run the 'diagnostics' using the trip computer button, but I get a lot of meaningless (to me!) numbers, if I knew what they meant I could decide if I had a fault!
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My partner had similar problems with her S reg 1.8 LX Focus.
She suffered from the sweeping instruments, intermittent dips in power, as well as the engine cutting out occasionally when slowing down.
All of this was solved by the fitting of a new speed sensor.
PP
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PeterPerfect,
Thanks for that - I've heard/read this once too often to ignore! I think it might be worth replacing the sensor (as long as its not too pricey) and seeing what happens.
The car doesn't seem to cut out at all, although in the three years I've had it has stalled once or twice when I was driving and I was sure it wasn't me!
Perhaps this sensor starts to fail and causes a variety of faults before it completely gives up.
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The speed sensor is a possibility, but that generally just causes the speedo to drop to zero and a bit of juddering. They're not particularly expensive (about £30 IIRC) but they can be a bit of a pain to remove.
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Just to update this: I took the car to a Ford dealer (gulp!) as they said they'd run diagnostics on it for £25.
Their tests came back with the following results:
-no ddc fault codes
-checked G1 and G8 earths
-battery test reads 12.89 volts
-code 4c6 v4v (replace batt)
and basically they said the battery needs replacing.
Now I'm stumped. The battery is only 2 months old. Its showing a charge of 12.89 volts which to my knowledge is fine. I took the battery back to the local motor factors (not a Ford battery) and they tested it and said it was fine. I trust the factors as I've used them for many years but who do I believe!
Thing is, if the battery was dodgy, surely I would have had problems during the recent snowy period when temperatures really dropped - but the problem persists even on a nice mild day like today!
I'm happy to put in a speed sensor but I'm now not 100% sure!
Does anyone know what the Ford codes (4c6 v4v) actually relate to or mean in english?
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I am going to stick myself out on a limb here, but I have a 2004 fiesta, and in the owners manual it states the the battery is a Silver Calcium battery, and MUST be replaced by a silver calicum battery. Now if this is the same as your focus, if you have replaced it with a standard lead acid, then this may be a potential problem.
I'm not speaking from knowledge here, just suggesting.
cheers
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....in the owners manual it states the the battery is a Silver Calcium battery, and MUST be replaced by a silver calicum battery. Now if this is the same as your focus, if you have replaced it with a standard lead acid, then this may be a potential problem.
>>
See my recent posting re such batteries
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=30...7
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This is why I trust my local factor. When I got the battery the first thing they said was 'its got to be the calcium silver type' so thats what I bought.
Its a little smaller physically than the original Ford one but otherwise the same (I think 90AH instead of 92AH)
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My partner had similar problems with her S reg 1.8 LX Focus. All of this was solved by the fitting of a new speed sensor. PP
Please can you tell me how much this cost, and where did you go to get the part? did you have to go to a ford garage? I've had this problem for month's and it's driving me nuts! I've had all sorts tell me diffrent reasons. Would very much appreciate the feedback
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From my memory, the speed sensor cost about £25, and I paid a local independant around the same to fit it as it was a swine to get access to - mainly because the retaining pin had completely seized in place.
Might be a lot easier to do if you have good ramps or a pit but I didn't have the space
Fitting the new sensor seemed to cure the problems for about 6 months, then they reappeared! I sold the car soon after that which solved the problem once and for all!
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thank you very much for your help, I rang a ford dealership, they said if it was the sensor, then the speedo would not work at all! I don't want to sell the car as i've spent huge amounts on it! it's been a good car but with wear an tear, I'm of a mind for better the devil you know, I don't want to end up buying something that has it's own hidden problems.
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Hi Snakey, I have just bought a 99 1.8td Focus and the same problem has started to develop on mine, on cold statrts the dash goes through a self test. I had a word with my uncle he used to work for fords as a mechanic many moons ago and he mentioned the battery or even starter motor taking a major drain out of the system.
He also suggested changing the glow plugs as a matter of course as it is happening on cold starts. This is more of an annoying problem than anything!!
Alleycat
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got the same problem with a 1.8 diesel so can rule out spark plugs. i always thought it was a loose connection on the battery but wasn't too bothered as it wasn't affecting the drive.
as you have tried replacing the battery, it seems like the favourite is speed sensor. has anyone else replaced a speed sensor to cure this problem?
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This probably isn't going to help but....I replaced the battery as a matter of course, the problem persisted so I then fitted a new speed sensor and the problem disappeared - and then re-occurred about 6 months later.
So I'm not 100% convinced it was either part at fault.
If the speedo and instruments do what mine did (all shoot over to max and then return to zero) then it seems to have no ill effect. Mine did this for around 2 years before I did anything about it and there was no starting or driveability issues. Maybe this is a feature of the Focus in the cold weather?
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My dad's Focus (52 plate, then ~70k, now nudging 80k) did this for a while but eventually stopped apparently of its own accord.
I don't know but I believe that it was a dodgy earth somewhere in the bonnet area - it never got as far as a formal diagnosis (other than Ford telling hiim to replace the instrument cluster) but he'd had the bonnet up to check fluids when he magically resurrected it.
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ford doesn't appear to mention it in any of their tehnical service bulletins so perhaps it is not an issue.
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I thought a common cause of this problem was a dodgy earth connection at the rear of the engine bay on the passenger side, under the battery, or air filter back there?
I had a '99 diesel that suffered this, it was so corroded the bolt sheared when I tried to remove it.
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