MK4 Focus/MK8 Fiesta Parking Sensors/Alert sounds - Speaker fault?

[FezMan]

Sorry if this has been asked before but I can't find any threads on this specifically, ill try to explain the best I can.

On my previous Fiesta which was a Mk8 with B&O I noticed that the parking sensors/alert sounds had started to sound as if they weren't coming out of all the Speakers. Like if you half plug in an AUX cable or a pair of headphones and the sound only comes out one side or with no bass. I always put it down to there being a loose wire somewhere and never took it to Ford to get it checked out, being one of those things that I felt if I tried to show somebody they wouldn't hear any different, as they wouldn't know what its 'supposed' to sound like.

Anyway, since then Ive replaced the Fiesta with a Focus, again with B&O, and have noticed the same issue.

I was reading a thread the other day which seemed to link it to a low battery (although never had a battery issue on the Fiesta). My Focus however was confirmed to have a faulty battery which Ford have replaced today, which has also fixed the start/stop and keyless entry on all doors (as it also meant only the driver door would unlock keyless). 

Picked the car up today, first thing I hear is all the start up alerts sound full again, I think great! On the way home my start/stop works which has never worked since I got the car 4 months ago, great! ...And then when I reverse onto my drive I notice the parking sensors are again back to sounding like they're not coming out all of the Speakers.

Does anybody else have this? Drives me mad! 🤯

 

[Al1966]

Hi Ben, mine does exactly the same. Has been very regular recently as car not being driven for days on end and when it is lights on, heating on etc so I go with low battery theory on this too. Has never bothered me to the extent of getting it looked at.

Al

[alexp999]

The reverse sensors are only supposed to come out of the rears. But if you mean the low quality tinny sound then this is generally battery related but it can also be just because of a communication break down or delay between the parking module and audio module. The parking module will use the tinny speaker as a backup. 
 

I generally get it after I’ve been cleaning the car and been opening and shutting doors. But it will also occasionally happen for no reason. The only other consistent time is when I had battery drain and the car is trying to preserve power. The keyless and stop start working are not a fault as much as an indication of a low (or faulty) battery and the car is operating in power save mode. 
 

If you aren’t doing the miles your stop start will soon stop stopping too. Even with a new battery

[FezMan]

10 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

The reverse sensors are only supposed to come out of the rears. But if you mean the low quality tinny sound then this is generally battery related but it can also be just because of a communication break down or delay between the parking module and audio module. The parking module will use the tinny speaker as a backup. 
 

I generally get it after I’ve been cleaning the car and been opening and shutting doors. But it will also occasionally happen for no reason. The only other consistent time is when I had battery drain and the car is trying to preserve power. The keyless and stop start working are not a fault as much as an indication of a low (or faulty) battery and the car is operating in power save mode. 
 

If you aren’t doing the miles your stop start will soon stop stopping too. Even with a new battery

Tinny speaker sound is probably a good way of describing it.

I took the car in to be looked at as the S/S hadn't worked a single time in the 4 months ive had it, and only the driver door and boot would unlock keyless. They confirmed the battery was faulty for that and not just low.

They ordered a new battery which I had fitted today, so thats why i'm wondering if the tinny speaker sound is actually a low battery issue or not as id like to think the battery fitted today is 100%. Could very well be a module issue like you say.

Just very annoying that Ive had this on both a Fiesta and a Focus, where's your quality control Ford!?🤨