Ford Focus electrical issues - Any ideas

pete4130

I'm back visiting my family for a week and using my dads car (my old car). It's a 2005 1.6 TDCi Focus Estate, approx. 150,000km. My family would be a bit lazy concerning small maintenance so I'm trying to get everything sorted/fixed while I'm here.

Then tonight, I was collecting something out in Santry this evening and when I was reversing the interior light suddenly came on. They are set to the "On" position only when the doors are open. I flicked them to the off position and they turned off.

My indicator/hazard lights on the dashboard stopped working too but the hazard/indicator lights themselves are still working fine. Just no visual or audible cue they are being used. The front windscreen heater also stopped working, or at least the LED light on the button has. The rear window heater is still working fine.

The Central locking also started playing up. The car unlocked itself and will instantly unlock when you try to lock the car.

The front electric windows are still working fine.

The Handbrake warning light remained on the entire time regardless of the handbrake being on or off. My guess is this is a warning light staying on for the other electrical issues.

On start up, the usual warning lights are displayed (power steering, ABS etc..) and turn off as normal bar the handbrake warning light. It seems to be isolated to the front of the car. The boot light seems independent and is still working fine when the boot is opened. I'm guessing its on a separate circuit.

It's too wet/dark to start looking to see if any fuses are gone. It might be the heavy rain today and there is some water ingress causing something to short out.

Any ideas? It's booked in for a service on Friday morning so I'll see if they can chase anything up too.

Thanks.

Bigus

pete4130 wrote: »

I'm back visiting my family for a week and using my dads car (my old car). It's a 2005 1.6 TDCi Focus Estate, approx. 150,000km. My family would be a bit lazy concerning small maintenance so I'm trying to get everything sorted/fixed while I'm here.

Then tonight, I was collecting something out in Santry this evening and when I was reversing the interior light suddenly came on. They are set to the "On" position only when the doors are open. I flicked them to the off position and they turned off.

My indicator/hazard lights on the dashboard stopped working too but the hazard/indicator lights themselves are still working fine. Just no visual or audible cue they are being used. The front windscreen heater also stopped working, or at least the LED light on the button has. The rear window heater is still working fine.

The Central locking also started playing up. The car unlocked itself and will instantly unlock when you try to lock the car.

The front electric windows are still working fine.

The Handbrake warning light remained on the entire time regardless of the handbrake being on or off. My guess is this is a warning light staying on for the other electrical issues.

On start up, the usual warning lights are displayed (power steering, ABS etc..) and turn off as normal bar the handbrake warning light. It seems to be isolated to the front of the car. The boot light seems independent and is still working fine when the boot is opened. I'm guessing its on a separate circuit.

It's too wet/dark to start looking to see if any fuses are gone. It might be the heavy rain today and there is some water ingress causing something to short out.

Any ideas? It's booked in for a service on Friday morning so I'll see if they can chase anything up too.

Thanks.

Go down the water ingress to the fuse boxes route.

martinr5232

Have a look at the fusebox up under the glovebox there is two small connections one brown and the other is green i think make sure they are both secure.

If they are drop down the fusebox and see is there any signs of water ingress if you have your radio code dissconnect the connections and check the pins for corrosion.

keithclancy

Ghosts ... definitely ghosts.

Ya I'd say water got in somewhere .. did you change any fuses recently (in the last few months ? )

Claregirl

Hi Pete,

Did you ever get this sorted? My mother developed the exact same problem in her Focus.

Thanks in advance