06 Ford Focus electrical issues

boomshakalaka

Hi everyone!

I've been having some bother with my 2006 Ford Focus the last while. It's very odd in fact, but I'm no mechanic so looking for some advice!

I've owned this car for the past year and haven't had a single bit of bother with it up until a month or so ago. I work from home so I don't drive a lot but one evening while driving the engine fault light would come on (the wheel with ! inside it) and when changing gear while that light is on, the acceleration would be diminished but it would drive fine otherwise.

If I turned off the car and started it again, the light wouldn't be on, it would come on during driving though.

This had been happening for a week or so when one evening I tried to start the car shortly after turning it off (half hour or so) and the same light came on and stayed on, the odometer would show

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, a red light on the dash would be flashing and when turning the key in the ignition nothing would happen. The radio, windows etc would work fine.

I'd leave it ten minutes and come back and the car would start no problem. The light comes back on sometimes during driving

Then another week or so later, while driving, all the alarm lights on the dash would come on and the odometer would show

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, the rev count would go to zero (even though it drives perfectly fine). This would go on and off for a while until it would settle, once again on the wheel with the ! in it. If I turn off the car now I can be sure the light will be one when I try to start it and it will not start. Again, leaving it 10/20 minutes will allow me to start it again

Now it's been doing those 3 scenario's on and off, it might do none of them for a week then give me awful bother on one day, not starting.

Any ideas?

bazz26

Ignition coil packs and alternators are very common problems on that model Focus. They are the first things I'd have checked.

cocoman

Alternator maybe.

boomshakalaka

Was reading a bit online and noticed a lot of mention of cluster clocks? Any thoughts on that?

honda boi

My cmax was doing the same thing
Have you an obd plugged in constantly by any chance?
I had mine in all the time and when I plugged it out the problems stopped.
If you don't have an obd plugged in its most likely the instrument cluster.
Try bang on the cluster if it happens again.
It will prob need to be resoldered at the back of the cluster

dr.fuzzenstein

Well, it's basically your car screaming at you "HELP ME, I'M IN PAIN!!!"
And yet you keep driving it.
Go to a garage and get the codes read.
Go to a friend who knows about cars and get the codes read.
Buy a good or even cheap OBD reader and read the codes yourself.
Go on eBay, buy a very cheap OBD Bluetooth adapter and install Forscsan on your mobile phone (there's even a free version)and read the codes.
In short, stop driving your car and read the damn codes.
Unless you fancy facing a much larger bill later on because you kept driving the car whilst something was wrong and wrecked something bigger in the process.
I simply don't understand the attitude of people towards fault codes, they're not something put there maliciously and to be ignored, they're telling you there is a problem and get it checked out immediately.
The old adage holds true, it won't magically fix itself if you ignore it.

boomshakalaka

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Well, it's basically your car screaming at you "HELP ME, I'M IN PAIN!!!"
And yet you keep driving it.
Go to a garage and get the codes read.
Go to a friend who knows about cars and get the codes read.
Buy a good or even cheap OBD reader and read the codes yourself.
Go on eBay, buy a very cheap OBD Bluetooth adapter and install Forscsan on your mobile phone (there's even a free version)and read the codes.
In short, stop driving your car and read the damn codes.
Unless you fancy facing a much larger bill later on because you kept driving the car whilst something was wrong and wrecked something bigger in the process.
I simply don't understand the attitude of people towards fault codes, they're not something put there maliciously and to be ignored, they're telling you there is a problem and get it checked out immediately.
The old adage holds true, it won't magically fix itself if you ignore it.

As I mentioned, I don't drive a lot as I work from home. Also you don't know my context as to why I haven't gotten it checked out yet, so hold your judgement.

I get that there is something wrong, I don't get why it's going wrong sometimes and not other times. THAT was my question, I wasn't looking for a lecture thank you very much.

To me, this scenario is like having a broken arm and the next day waking up with a healed arm and suddenly throughout the day the arm breaks again. It just doesn't make sense and I was looking for understanding. Thank you for you helpful response.