What have I done!?!?!?

[Colin1976]

Hi, 

I don't know what the hell I've done but I've somehow managed to muff up my electrics in a very strange way. So I drive a 2005 focus estate diesel and it has a 12v socket in the boot. I plugged a phone into it today to charge while I was driving to my mam's to drop shopping off. When I got there I realised that although the phone said 'charging', it had put zero charge into it! 

Then the oddness started. My washer motors won't work, the rear wiper stops halfway through its cycle, the outside temperature gauge now shows 3 lines and the red warning is on even though it was 11° at the time, my readout says "bonnet open" (but it isn't) and the 'one-touch' electric windows are now only one-touch when putting them down! 

Checked fuses etc but can't find anything. Doesn't help that my fuse box looks nothing like the diagram in the manual 😕😕. I also disconnected the battery for 10 mins hoping it would reset things but no luck. 

Anyone got any idea what I've messed up?

Thanks in advance. 

[nicam49]

battery terminals nice n tight? Got a meter to check volts with? 

[TomsFocus]

Did you get one of the heavy downpours yesterday?  If so, check for any dampness around the GEM (interior fusebox).  

[Colin1976]

Terminals are good and tight but I don't have a volt meter. No rain at all either. Are there any known issues with the wiring for the rear 12v sockets (or any of the sockets for that matter)? 

It's never given me the slightest trouble with electrics up until this point. 

[isetta]

If outside temp not showing and frost warning on this makes me wonder if you have other problems that I have seen associated with this. Does blue high beam light work, can you hear indicators clicking. Do the dashboard indicator tell tales work. If you also have problems here it suggests canbus disconnected between fuse box and speedo console which is sometimes caused by connectors on underside of main fusebox. I would disconnecting and reconnecting the big plugs. But if some of those connector pins are corroded you might find you introduce more problems than you fix

[WireyWhenWet]

Does the phone charger work in another motor?

If so, a few things to check..

The symptoms all really do suggest a bad earth though. I've had this exact issue when using a bluetooth OBD reader, leaving it in whilst driving sent the electrics nuts.. Do you have anything else plugged in?

It can be an easy one or a ridiculous task but check the grounding on the car, it's not unheard of for wiring to be rubbed through usually under the bonnet somewhere or under the chassis.

Next, solder joints; check the cluster it's not a big task and can be sorted with basic soldering skills but the instrument cluster is very well known to develop dry joints or whiskers on the main circuit board, a quick reflow is usually all that's needed to resolve and the unit isnt that hard to remove in all fairness.

Worst case the gem is damp as mentioned; corrosion CAN be cleaned up but it needs catching early and done right.

All assuming fuses and relays are good etc. I'd be looking at something pulling earth where it probably shouldn't as being the more likely cause initially.