HOW TO Retrofit genuine parking sensors to MK3+MK3.5 Focus

[Tommo17]

@Phil21185 Sure have. Cars getting sold now I’ve had enough 😤

[Phil21185]

Wait, what??

Sounds like you've just been unlucky with a module mate. Don't throw in the towel just yet!

[Tommo17]

Haha no it was always going. Wanting a discovery sport. You can’t add stuff like we have the focus though so need to pick one carefully. 

[Nathan Buffery]

Great guide @Bannko. I've read all the comments 4 or 5 times now and I got excited and ordered the module (the pre facelift one with the "B" on the end of the serial number). I then looked for the wiring on the car and I'm happy to report I have the 2 yellow and the black in my boot. I also have the two plugs under the car. See pictures. 

....And now the questions!!! 

Eventually I plan to go for the full automated parking, but I'll need to do it in stages to avoid the "death stare" from the wife!! 

My car has just the 4 sensors on the rear. They go up to the module which is located on the passenger side forward of the fuse box in the boot (mines an estate). When I fit the new module, does it communicate with the existing module? And will I get anything extra by just plugging in the new module? 

On the RHD cars, is the plug for the fog light/ front sensors under the passenger side headlight? I think there is a picture on the thread of this, but how many wires need to be in the plug for the 6 sensors?

With the internal switch, I'm guessing the parking aid wires should be in the auto stop start switch connection.  How many wires should be in this connection for the extra switch? 

If I keep the 4 sensors on the rear, instead of the 6 and have the 6 on the front, will it auto park? 

 

[Phil21185]

Not sure what your second picture is there. Is that under the rear?

So I've got your circumstances correct:

 

Pre-facelift focus

3 plugs in the boot

4 Rear sensors already

Front fog lights?

 

The answers to all your questions are actually in the comments you've read, but it is a lot of info!

If you already have 4 working sensors at the rear, you do not need to add the other two. The general consensus is that the pre-facelift parking module will not recognise the 6 sensors, and if you installed the facelift module, it wouldn't be recognised by the prefacelift BCM.

Parallel parking will work on the pfl With just 4 rear sensors in any case.

Without the front sensors, if you install the adaptive parking assist module, you will get an error and the parking system will not work. The fault will have to be cleared using Forscan after the front sensors have been added.

Before going too much further, take the front bumper off and check how many wires are in the connector plug. Front fogs only will just have 4. Parking sensors and front fogs will have 12. This is the side of the connector attached to the car were talking about here. 

It sounds very much like you're in the same position I was. I had all the wiring in the car up to the passenger footwell (rhd) but had to add wiring between there and the bumper. If your bumper plug has only 4 wires, you will have to do the same. Wasn't too hard to do. You will likely have the wiring to the buttons and that will be plug and play. 

The easiest way of checking this is to remove the passenger knee panel and see if you have wires going to the large plug there, as described a few posts above. 

I never got round to a full guide for this (filling in what little was missing from Bannkos excellent guide) but if it would be helpful then I will.

 

 

[Nathan Buffery]

1 hour ago, Phil21185 said:

Not sure what your second picture is there. Is that under the rear?

So I've got your circumstances correct:

 

Pre-facelift focus

3 plugs in the boot

4 Rear sensors already

Front fog lights?

 

The answers to all your questions are actually in the comments you've read, but it is a lot of info!

If you already have 4 working sensors at the rear, you do not need to add the other two. The general consensus is that the pre-facelift parking module will not recognise the 6 sensors, and if you installed the facelift module, it wouldn't be recognised by the prefacelift BCM.

Parallel parking will work on the pfl With just 4 rear sensors in any case.

Without the front sensors, if you install the adaptive parking assist module, you will get an error and the parking system will not work. The fault will have to be cleared using Forscan after the front sensors have been added.

Before going too much further, take the front bumper off and check how many wires are in the connector plug. Front fogs only will just have 4. Parking sensors and front fogs will have 12. This is the side of the connector attached to the car were talking about here. 

It sounds very much like you're in the same position I was. I had all the wiring in the car up to the passenger footwell (rhd) but had to add wiring between there and the bumper. If your bumper plug has only 4 wires, you will have to do the same. Wasn't too hard to do. You will likely have the wiring to the buttons and that will be plug and play. 

The easiest way of checking this is to remove the passenger knee panel and see if you have wires going to the large plug there, as described a few posts above. 

I never got round to a full guide for this (filling in what little was missing from Bannkos excellent guide) but if it would be helpful then I will.

 

 

Ah, I was hoping you would reply @Phil21185 as you have the Mk3 like me. I have no front fog lights but would like to add them. I have little grills where I believe they should be (hopefully its not a big job). Because I have no fog lights, where is the connection located? In other words, is there an easier way to find out, without taking the front bumper off? 

The second picture is of the connection under the car on the drivers side rear. I wasn't sure if this connection is used or is it just for the BLIS system that @Tommo17 mentioned in one of his posts. (Although I believe the traitor is going to the darkside!)

As to the switch, I have installed a facelift centre console into mine after putting in the sync2 unit so I extended the wires to the Auto Stop Start connection (think it was 4 wires). I also installed the facelift heater control module, which is working up to point. Having read @Bannko's comment about the BCM not recognising the Facelift module, I'm wondering now if this why I'm not fully up an running with the heater control module. 

A guide for us poor folk with Mk 3's would be great. Just hope you don't get the backlash that @Luke_Anderson got on his Sync2/3 guide!!

 

 

[Luke_Anderson]

@Nathan Buffery the backlash I got was minimal compared to the love 😂 

I’m gonna throw something into the mix here, you can update a preface bcm to facelift spec with a firmware upgrade. I did it when I facelifted the front end as I needed to do it to get the adaptive xenons to work.....

[Nathan Buffery]

31 minutes ago, Luke_Anderson said:

@Nathan Buffery the backlash I got was minimal compared to the love 😂 

Yeah you certainly got some love from me when my dash was ripped apart and I stupidly burnt myself with the soldering iron!! I kept it to myself though!!

So.....now you've added that to the mix.....will the updated BCM communicate (seamlessly) with all the non-facelift modules?

If so......well you know whats coming.....where do I get the firmware......can it be done through Forscan....blah blah blah....why do men have nipples... 

 

 

[Phil21185]

48 minutes ago, Luke_Anderson said:

@Nathan Buffery the backlash I got was minimal compared to the love 😂 

I’m gonna throw something into the mix here, you can update a preface bcm to facelift spec with a firmware upgrade. I did it when I facelifted the front end as I needed to do it to get the adaptive xenons to work.....

Wait, what??

Firstly, what backlash?!

Secondly? What wizardry is this?!

To be honest, I don't think I could be arsed to do all that!

I'm not sure about what's required with regards facelift consoles and buttons etc.

Adding the fog lights shouldn't be too hard: the loom for the bumper includes them anyway. 

I'm not sure about the wiring to the fog light button though: what to look for, whether it would be there already etc.

@Luke_Anderson, Did you have to change your parking module after you updated the BCM?

If not, you are left with a choice of pfl or FL module. If FL, you can fit 4 or 6 rear sensors. 6 sensor setup allows bay parking as well I think.

If you've already got 4 rears then I'm not sure what the plug is for, likely BLIS as you say. 

If you do update the rear, you need to consider keyless entry if you have it as I believe the rear loom acts as an antenna for ke.

And the absolute easiest way to find if you have the wires to the front bumper is to find the connector behind the glovebox and see if you've got the wires I showed in an earlier photo.

You won't have to take the bumper off then.

I can talk you through what I did, bit you'd have to tweak it to suit your circumstances I think.

Have you got the wiring to the buttons as well?

Edit: ah good point: not sure what will be at the bumper if you don't have fogs. 

Best to take the bumper off after all and find out for sure.

[Luke_Anderson]

@Nathan Buffery well I’m afraid I can’t be held responsible for operator clumsiness 😂😂

In answer to your questions- 

I can only draw from my own experience but after updating the bcm there was no change and no problems with how the other modules worked only difference was that it communicated properly with my facelift hcm module. 
 

firmware was sent to me by a chap from the russian forums however if you know what ones to get then it’s easy enough to download them from ford

It can be done through forscan but only if you have the 2.4 beta version and an els27 cable

men have nipples because otherwise we would only be around 50% as attractive when naked 😂

[Nathan Buffery]

1 hour ago, Phil21185 said:

Firstly, what backlash?!

Some guy got half way through retro fitting the sync 2 module and got stuck. When his questions (actually questions that had already been discussed) were not answered within 3minutes, he took his frustration out on Luke who had written the guide.

[Tommo17]

2 minutes ago, Nathan Buffery said:

Some guy got half way through retro fitting the sync 2 module and got stuck. When his questions (actually questions that had already been discussed) were not answered within 3minutes, he took his frustration out on Luke who had written the guide.

I remember that guy haha. 
 

I’m still a little confused on what you’ve got and what you’ve done. I didn’t touch the heating controls for sync 2 upgrade. But I didn’t swap to the updated controls like you. 
 

Start from the back. Try find the 3 plug for the parking module.

next check the plug behind glove box. 
 

next check you have the wires from the plug right hand side of passenger foot well below gear stick. 
 

finally whip bumper off 20 min job if that. And see if you have the plugs for the sensors and fogs from the plug under passenger head light. 

[Tommo17]

And @Nathan Buffery come on a DS won’t be much fun as you can’t mod them like the focus. But a lovely car

[Phil21185]

5 hours ago, Luke_Anderson said:

@Nathan Buffery the backlash I got was minimal compared to the love 😂 

I’m gonna throw something into the mix here, you can update a preface bcm to facelift spec with a firmware upgrade. I did it when I facelifted the front end as I needed to do it to get the adaptive xenons to work.....

I just had a read through the bits of that thread I missed while on hiatus. 

What a tossbag. Good reply to it!

[gravey11]

So I’ve looked behind the glovebox and it looks like I might be more missing than I thought. I’m guessing the connector at the bumper just looked like there was enough to it but that part of the loom looks to not be coming through the bulkhead. Thank you for this thread as I might come back to it but until I find a breaking kuga st line close enough I think I’ll leave it alone for now. It just means I’ll have sensors in the bumper that do nothing for now. 
Here are the pictures for reference. 

[Nathan Buffery]

6 hours ago, Tommo17 said:

I’m still a little confused on what you’ve got and what you’ve done. I didn’t touch the heating controls for sync 2 upgrade.

I bought a FL centre console which came with a heater control. The PFL heater controls wouldn't fit, so I thought I could easily swap them. I have got them in and most things are working apart from the heater rear screen. Think it would be a lot easier if my car had auto climate (but I might look at that as  future project). 

@Luke_Anderson is the 2.4 Beta version linux based? And would the firmware be specific to my vehicle or to the BCM. 

[Luke_Anderson]

No it’s a windows based beta and actually very stable, I just think they aren’t ready to release it yet as they know lots of people are going to brick their cars with it 😂 

firmware would be for the bcm, I know it works on late PFL’s 

[Luke_Anderson]

@Nathan Buffery how was the swapping of the center console? I’ve been thinking about it but not sure how the heated seats are gonna work 

[Nathan Buffery]

8 hours ago, Luke_Anderson said:

@Nathan Buffery how was the swapping of the center console? I’ve been thinking about it but not sure how the heated seats are gonna work 

It was actually quite easy to swap the centre console. There is a little bit of cutting the existing dash. 

So you need to trim down the plastic to just above where the bolts locate. 

There is locating lug on the trim panel that's beside drivers leg (RHD) that I cut off completely and the one on the passenger side I trimmed it down so it located. 

One thing to make sure though if you are getting one from eBay or a scrapper, is you need this panel that is at knee height on the passenger side. 

This is where if fits.

Then there's the heater control to contend with. I also had to extend the wires on the stop start button, but the connection was the same for it. Not sure about the heater seats button though. Maybe this would be controlled through the HCM. 

[Nathan Buffery]

On 10/27/2019 at 8:30 PM, Luke_Anderson said:

No it’s a windows based beta and actually very stable, I just think they aren’t ready to release it yet as they know lots of people are going to brick their cars with it 😂 

I see they released it as a trial but have since stopped. Given that I'm not that keen on bricking the car I was thinking of a few of options.

The first was to buy a facelift BCM from eBay, but was wondering how to install it. Is it just a case of copying my built data and writing it to the new BCM with Forscan? 

The second option was to try to find someone local to my area that has the Beta 2.4 version and the skills to update the module. 

The third option was ask my local ford dealer to do it. Not sure if they would do it though. You know how these guys can be? 

[Luke_Anderson]

I guess I’ll just get the console then see if I can work it all out 👍🏻
 

buying a facelift bcm won’t work as it’s part of the immobiliser system so you would need to get the key recoded to the car

if you email forscan they will send you the download link for the beta version. If you follow the procedure correctly and have a good quality cable there is no reason why you would brick it.

ford will absolutely not do it 😂

[Nathan Buffery]

1 hour ago, Luke_Anderson said:

I guess I’ll just get the console then see if I can work it all out 👍🏻

Having a look on eBay now it seems I got a bargain with mine. Mine was £30 for the console including all the side panels, handbrake, gearstick boot and heater control unit and facia panel.

I'll email Forscan and ask. Where do I get the update for the BCM from? 

[Luke_Anderson]

Yeah that is a bargain! Don’t suppose you have the seller details do you? 
 

update files can be downloaded from Ucds 👍🏻

[Phil21185]

Just a quick one to bring this back ON TOPIC 🤣 just kidding!

Seems the facet ABS sensors I got are the wrong ones. I get abs related errors (DDS, hill start etc) and Forscan gives me incorrect component errors on the abs sensors. 

Odd thing is, the part numbers seem to match up across the manufacturers but the sensors are black, not beige. Also could be the wrong items in the boxes I suppose, but I'll have to research a bit more and figure it out...

[Luke_Anderson]

Is this for the Rear sensors for auto park? 
 

If so I had one go down on me, this replacement has so far worked fine. 
 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F193080462528

 

It arrived black so instantly thought I was wrong but popped it in and it works fine 👍🏻