Focus Mk1 Wiring Problem

[poriet]

I have a 1998 MK1 focus, manual, petrol.

There is intermittent failure to start: when you turn the key against the 'resistance' of the switch, there is no sound ( no clicking ). The battery is OK and occasionally the thing just suddenly bursts into life.

I therefore assume it's the ignition switch or the starter relay (R17).

I removed the starter relay. When ign is ON, but before you go to 'start', there is 12V at pin 1 of the relay ( as expected ) but the relay doesn't pull in because pin 2 ( earth connection ) isn't making it to earth.

The wire goes to a contact on the ECU, apparently.

At this point I'm stuck: why does it go to the ECU and not to the body-work?

How should I proceed?
Bruce

[jeebowhite]

Hi Bruce,

I think it does this because the ECU is used to detect errors in the system, and so it needs to be connected. For the short term to confirm the issue you could take a wire and earth it to the bodywork quite easily, or even back to the negative terminal for the battery.

[poriet]

Hi and thanks for the reply.

I did some more investigations. The 'ground' wire of the starter relay goes not to ground but to the ECU.

This is so the ECU can inhibit starting if required. The facility is only necessary on an automatic, which mine is not.

To check, I shorted the relay contacts and the car starts OK.

It seems unnecessary to buy a new ECU: I will short the relay contacts permanently. In fact, the existence of the relay itself is

superfluous in a manual Focus.

I don't know why the ECU is playing silly-buggers: I'll wiggle the wires and spray WD40 everywhere as it might be a contact

problem.

Bruce

[jeebowhite]

fingers crossed its a zero fee fix!

[poriet]

Hello again,

I got the AA out so they could do a computer check, but he told me the computer was unlikely to be helpful.

That starter relay is superfluous in a manual vehicle, so I removed the relay and simply shorted between the 2 contacts

which go from ignition switch to starter solenoid.

Now it starts OK.

I wanted to access the wires to the ECU, but there is this wretched bolt in the way. It's inches rom the wiring loom ( 50 wires)

The manual says, basically, to angle-grind the bolt off. But careful of the wires. Ha, !Removed! ha. I gave up.

It's outside idling now as I need to recharge the battery.

If it really is fixed, and God isn't having a cruel joke, then you're right: a zero-cost fix.

Regards

Bruce

[jeebowhite]

well, at least for now its working!

So how did you wire it? two spade connections with one wire bridging, or did you short the wires before the relay seat?

[poriet]

Hello,

I spoke too soon. Now it wont start at all even though the engine is turning over.

I tried another key and that's fine, so I guess the key needs reprogramming. I'm about to Google it

B

[jeebowhite]

Two keys red and other then a few cycles of each in turn then plug in the third. If you don't have two working keys you can't program any

[poriet]

Hi,

It was definitely the key had lost it's program ( or the will to live ). What happened? What did I do to

cause that? All I did was put everything back.

Yes, I heard that about programming. However, one guy said you can do it without any other keys.

You lock the doors and turn the key several times, say 3 'Hail Mary's, make an incantation ( you get the idea ).

It seemed to work OK: without the aid of another key, I reprogrammed the dud and now it seems to work.

I've had enough for today. Tomorrow, if it starts and runs, I shall be very, very pleased.

I'll let you know. Cars, huh!

Bruce

[jeebowhite]

Good result perhaps this just reminds the car this key exists and is previously approved.

Good luck for tomorrow

[poriet]

Hi,

Last night I drove home, parked the car, and this morning the key had lost it's programming identity. I locked the

doors and that seemed to solve it. Later today it did it again, twice. It seems like locking and unlocking the doors

fixes it. Well, until next time.

It's all !Removed! infuriating and I have no idea what this means. But, then, who do I trust with it? The Net is littered

with advice, much of it confused, badly explained and wrong.

I'll have to have another read around and see if theres a cure. Well, short of buying a new car.

Bruce

[jeebowhite]

Not sure I fully understand you? are you referring to the car wont start, unless you open the door with the key?

[poriet]

OK:

the key opens the door OK, but wont deactivate the immobiliser. The little red light on the dash should go out: instead it flashes quickly. The engine spins over, but clearly the ignition is off because it wont fire.

I followed the procedure I found on the Net: you lock the door, turn the key 4 times, remove key, then unlock the door.

Worked OK, but by this morning the programming had disappeared again.

Rather than go through that palaver again, I tried locking and unlocking the doors from inside. It works, but not every time!

Also, a second key, which I keep in reserve, works OK. I inserted that, turned on the ignition, removed key. Then

I inserted the 'dud' key and it started working again.

Are you following this or have you lost the will to live?

Bruce

[wayne.m]

Sounds exhausting, if you have a key that's fully working every time then just use that.

[jeebowhite]

That is weird, it sounds like you have a pays fault. I recon the issue is with the chip in the key. If it's not bring picked up it won't disarm the immobiliser.

Try something for me.

Put the dud key in, and next time it fails leave it there. Turn the ignition to zero, get the good key out and hold the good key next to the dud key and turn the ignition back to electrics.

Does the light stop flashing?

[poriet]

Aha! I'm way ahead of you: I did just that - the light goes out and the engine starts, so it looks like the

chip inside the key isn't well.

I had considered, in the past, getting a chipless key and a programmed key. Cut the metal end off the one with the active chip and

wear the RFID round my neck. A friend who owns a BMW just throws her keys into a tray near the radio, so I assumed the ECU would pick up the RFID provided it were within a few feet. No so with this car. The trick we have just discussed only works if the 'good' key is very close to the 'chip' end of the dud key.

This is difficult to comprehend. The RFID device isn't, AFAIK, an active type; it's passive. You cant damage them, so why would it fail?

Bruce

[jeebowhite]

It could be the key quality, if it's degraded battered or what have you it may be the reason. Strip the key down and take the chip our (I believe it may be a glass one) in which case you could for now hols th e chip next to the key and see if it improves.

[poriet]

I'm going to reprogram ( to try!) this funny key the way it says in the owner's manual. You need 2 other working keys,

which, luckily, I still have. I keep one strapped to the chassis in case I lose my key away from home, so, as yet, I havnt

hooked it out because it's a pain!

If it works, so far, so good. If not, I will grit my teeth and buy a new one. Personally, I feel 3 working keys is a minimum

requirement, but we're all a bit odd, you know.

I think I will start a new thread about this with a different title. This thread title seemed to excite little interest, but, if the new thread mentions RFIDs, there may be more interest. I feel sure there must be many more Focus owners who have had hiccoughs with

keys.

Bruce