Instrument cluster problem

[pumpylee]

Hi. I got a 2007 mk2 ford focus and in 2014 i changed the lvl 1 dashboard with the mk2.5 level 3 ones. Until a few weeks ago all worked great but then it started loosing power on the lcd and after that the dials were not functioning but it sometime work ok-ish sometime i would drive for over 2h with no dash at all. I wanted to change the old ones back and i went to a local dude because ford in my area doesnt change dashboards anymore because its against they own policy even tho in 2014 in changed at the dealer :)) the guy changed my dash the dials work and the car stars but i dont have any information from the can like average consumption or instant fuel consumption. I also have an error regarding them U1900. What would you guys advice me to do ? i have elm modified with that switch. I read somewhere on the forum that you need to initialize the module of the instrument cluster in order for it to work. Please help me

[Phil21185]

Not too knowledgeable on MK2, but I think u1900 is a basic lost communication error.

Try clearing the code one Forscan and seeing if it comes back.

If you want to try initialising the IPC (I have no idea if it will work, but shouldn't do any harm) then click on the third logo up from the bottom on the left (looks like a computer chip) and choose the option related to IPC. 

There may be more than one, do not choose the As-Built option, though if you haven't got the extended Forscan licence you may not be able to anyway...

[pumpylee]

Yeah i need extended for both. I tried removing the battery for 5 mins and that didn't do the trick. Do i need to take any old settings from the old dashboard ? Or i just need the reinitialising ? It's wierd that it doesn't show info from the ecu and stuff when it's just plugged in.

[Phil21185]

The extended licence is free, you just need to register on the forums for it.

[pumpylee]

And if that isn't the problem ? can there be any other faults with the car maybe ? the last IC worked great until it stopped working 😂

[Phil21185]

There have been issies with MK2 clusters where the solder joints on the main connector become dry and crack, thus breaking the circuit. 

This is usually signified by an immobiliser fault but other electric weirdness can be a symptom. I would expect a lot more error codes to pop up, but then it's possible that some of the errors do not cause codes to be stored.

If you know how to use a soldering iron, it is not a difficult job to do by all accounts (not having had a MK2 myself), there are guides and videos on how to dismantle the dash, then it's just a case of re-flowing any bad connections so the contact is good again.

As both of these fixes cost you nothing, they're worth trying.  I would clear codes first, then reset the IPC, then whip it out and have a look, in the absence of other suggestions.

@Tdci-Peter Is very knowledgeable about this, hopefully he won't mind me tagging him for his two penneth.

 

[pumpylee]

Well i gave up on the old dashboard..gonna check it sometime maybe i can fix it. The dash that is in now is the original one that came with the car but that worked good when it was on the car so i just need to reset it maybe.

[Tdci-Peter]

On 11/2/2019 at 7:05 PM, pumpylee said:

in 2014 i changed the lvl 1 dashboard with the mk2.5 level 3 ones. Until a few weeks ago all worked great but then it started loosing power on the lcd and after that the dials were not functioning but it sometime work ok-ish sometime i would drive for over 2h with no dash at all. I wanted to change the old ones back and i went to a local dude because ford in my area doesnt change dashboards anymore because its against they own policy even tho in 2014 in changed at the dealer :)) the guy changed my dash the dials work and the car stars but i dont have any information from the can like average consumption or instant fuel consumption. I also have an error regarding them U1900.

There is a lot of communication between the IC (dashboard) and the ECU (aka PCM). If the car started and drove ok, then the IC must have still been working and communicating with the ECU. So the gradual failure of the LCD and dials sounds like an internal fault inside the IC, and the IC is still working in most other ways, ie it can read the PATS codes from the keys and pass then to the ECU, and also pass accelerator, clutch & brake position signals, and maybe other stuff. So the failure surely must be local to part of the IC.

When going back to the older IC, was it the actual original that was re-fitted, or another similar unit? The fuel consumption data is an optional extra, not available on all cars, I do not have it. So it may need to be enabled. The best tool to alter and check the configuration of options like this is ELMConfig, rather than Forscan. It is another free download software package that uses the same ELM327. I have not tried it myself, so I am no expert, I am afraid!

Even if it is the original IC, it is possible that configuration changes had to be made to the ECU by the dealer to use the Mk2a IC fully, and these would have to be reversed to get full functionality with the old IC.

The U1900 error on its own is very common and is of no real diagnostic use unless combined with other codes. The RPM comes direct from the ECU, and speed from the ABS (or ECU if ABS is not fitted), both over the HS-CAN bus. So there is no evidence of any CAN bus or similar connection problems from the data given here.

Just thought of something else: I had heard that the odometer (mileage) reading is stored in both the ECU and the IC. Your old IC will have an out of date odometer reading. Forscan can increase the odometer, to match the correct mileage. Since fuel consumption is linked to mileage, maybe this will not work while there is a mismatch.

[pumpylee]

I tried reseting with forscan and that didn't did the trick but after i tried it with elm327 and after that it worked. I think i will replace them with a level 2 dash sometime soon because i got used with that big screen.