Dashboard - everything has stopped working

AnnRo

Hi

I have a 02 Ford Focus - for over 6 years, the orange engine light has been permanently on. I did get it checked out with a ford garage - they were quoting over 500 euros to replace dashboard and then extra for labour. I asked if it would stop car functioning - they said no. It was on watch dog on the BBC -where its a known fault with Ford Focus.

For the last few years, all the gauges would just go dead - back to zero and not moving - it would last about a mile or two and then come back.

Yesterday - all the dials started going haywire - speedometer going from 0 to 140. Petrol gauge dial whizzing around. Mileage gone back to 0. But it went back to normal after a few miles. Now this morning - all gauges just dead. Speedometer reading 0. Petrol guage on empty. Mileage on 0. The only light I have on now is the handbrake light. My orange engine light is even gone.

My NCT is due in January - will it fail if these dials are not working?
And anybody know what could be wrong. I had to go my local Ford garage with a faulty power steering problem this year and it cost a fortune - since been told they overcharged!! I'd love to know what I was talking about before I have to go to a garage.

There is no problem driving the car - its running perfectly - I just don't know what speed I'm doing now.

Thanks

the won't check the emissions if the oil light doesn't extinguish, as it won't come on at all they won't test your car I would think........


9. This test should not be carried out where:
(a) the oil warning light remains on with the engine running.
(b) the oil level is below the manufacturer’s minimum level.
(c) the oil level is above the manufacturer’s maximum level.
10 This test does not apply to two-stroke or rotary piston (Wankel) engine

http://www.nct.ie/pdf/nctmanual.pdf


All the 00000s will indicate to them something is wrong so they'll probably fail it on the speedometer not functioning too.


Speedometer

1 Missing or not working.
2 Cannot be seen from driver’s seat.
`
Go to an independent garage, ask here for recommendations close to you

Gregor Samsa

This happened to my 03 Ford Focus. It happened to me after spells of heavy rain, if the car wasn't being used - like if I was away for a weekend. At the beginning, it would sort itself out after a few days, but later it didn't.

As you've said, Watchdog on the BBC did a piece on it, and as a result, Ford in the UK admitted that it was a design fault (moisture getting into the dash circuit board), and over there you can get it fixed for free. Over here, Ford don't.

What I did was remove the instrument panel, stuck it in the hot press over night, sprayed the back of it with WD-40, and put it back in. This not only fixed the problem, but it never occurred again (I fixed it 2 years ago).

If you want to give it a go yourself (and obviously, if you do this, you're on your own if anything goes wrong), here's the instructions for removing the instruments:

http://www.focusfanatics.com/howtos/guageremoval/

Some tips:

Be careful removing the screws: they have soft heads, and I stripped 2 of them using an electric screwdriver.

The clear plastic window over the instruments is prone to scratching. Bring a soft towel with you to wrap it in for after you've removed it.

Be very careful with the dial needles. Don't move them when you've taken the cluster out.

This won't affect your total mileage display, but your trip counter will be reset.


Some alternatives:

Ask an Independent mechanic to take out the cluster and dry & spray it for you, if you don't want to do it yourself. This shouldn't be too expensive.

Buy a cluster yourself (new or used) and get an Independent mechanic to fit it. Your mileage will be back to zero (or set to that of the car you got it from if used) if you do this, which is hassle if you ever want to sell the car on.

But your car will fail the NCT if the dash is flashing like a Christmas tree, with all then needles dancing, so you will need to do something.

AnnRo

Thanks everyone for replying. I contacted the mechanic I normally go to - an independent one. He is sourcing a second hand dashboard for me - says about 150euro and he'll fit it. The indicators stopped working for a while yesterday evening but then came back once I switched car on/off again (same as a computer!!).

I'm only driving short journeys now - to/from work. I'm afraid that the lights could stop working. Hopefully all will be sorted next week.

Thanks again and good to know it's not only me.

George Dalton

phutyle wrote: »

Ask an Independent mechanic to take out the cluster and dry & spray it for you, if you don't want to do it yourself. This shouldn't be too expensive.

Good advice here ^^ Did you do this? It fixes them most of the time.

AnnRo

I asked mechanic to do this and he said he has done it loads of times. It may last a day, week, month but will not fix the problem permanently. He has found a second hand dashboard with 135000 miles on it (mine has 108800 or it was the last time the clock worked for a few mins). The second hand dashboard can not be clocked back to what mine is. I now have a few choices

1. Install second hand dashboard with clock as above - adding on nearly 30000 miles extra - cost about 150 for parts and labour. No guarantee it will fix the orange engine light
2. Install a new dashboard - clock can be set to what mine was but part is 485 - again no guarantee it will fix the orange engine light
3. I have an offer of 1000 euro for the car without it been fixed or having the NCT

First two choices - no guarantee orange light will be fixed so that means I can't get my NCT.

I have no idea which road to go - help

And thanks for all your replies because I know nothing about cars - if it gets me from A to B - that's all I care.

George Dalton

I find cleaning the cluster works most of the time. We have an 03 Focus van as a runaround and I cleaned the cluster in February 2010 and it hasn't acted up since.

Randyleprechaun

Anyone have any experience of problem like this where fuel and temp. gauge wait at the position they're at when you switch of ignition. They indicate properly when driving but just don't go down when you switch off. Don't even go down when you disconnect the battery.

Also, no warning anymore if you leave lights on.Also,clock is always at 8:00 when you start engine.

Any helpappreciated

paultronix

all early focus/transit clusters manufactured by visteon suffered with these issues, if you're interested in getting you're own cluster repaired for a fraction of the price of a used one and guaranteed please feel free to pm me for details.

Randyleprechaun

I took out the cluster, as I read on the net that folks have sorted problems with these by cleaning them.

Couldn't see any problem so didn't bother cleaning it.

See pictures attached, notice how the fuel gauge and temp gauge still haven't returned to low position even with cluster out.

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