Just recently has the following intermittent but recurring problem: First the battery light came on permanently. Local garage said alternator was overcharging and changed battery and alternator. Next I noticed that when accelerating hard 3 lights flash on/off: ABS, Traction Control and another (too brief to see when driving) and a warning tone similar to no the safety belt tone. This was pretty consistent in the colder weather. But yesterday we drove a decent distance on warm Easter Sunday and even when trying to reproduce the fault on a steep hill the issue did not repeat.

I have already taken it in a second time and was told there were no new faults recorded.

Any pointers please?

2 hours ago, mikecro said:

I have already taken it in a second time and was told there were no new faults recorded.

Any pointers please?

If there were no 'new' faults recorded, does hint at a common issue with the deterioration of the solder in the instrument cluster.  A while back, Ford thought it would be great to leave out lead from their solder to save some dolphins. Worked great initially, but over time, the solder deteriorates causing all sorts of random electrical faults. It's not terminal in that you can get the cluster re soldered and loads of services available on Ebay, just search focus cluster repair.

Good news is that that dolphin they were trying to save lived to a ripe old age, before being run over by a V8 speed boat 🤣

When you say colder weather do you think the light could have been the outside temperature sensor????…. Only saying as many a time I get the death tone 🤣 only to see the snowflake light come on or go off or change from amber to red and back again 🤣🤣. Drives me nuts but I kinda get used to and just ignore it 

It's 'Tree Hugger' solder as it is professionally known, but some like to think it helps the dolphins  🤣

Seriously guys @mikecro @hardy1812 it's a very common problem on vehicles of your age. You just need all the solder joints on the instrument cluster re-flowed using 60/40 lead tin solder. It will sadly stunt the growth of a few trees, and possibly affect a dolphin or two (I'm not sure about the dolphins 🤔), but it will fix the faults.

9 hours ago, hardy1812 said:

When you say colder weather do you think the light could have been the outside temperature sensor????…. Only saying as many a time I get the death tone 🤣 only to see the snowflake light come on or go off or change from amber to red and back again 🤣🤣. Drives me nuts but I kinda get used to and just ignore it 

You must be a mind-reader. No, I am pretty sure it wasn't the snowflake. But it did spend a day telling me it was -10 when it was about +5. Sorry, did not list that in the symptoms.

9 hours ago, StephenFord said:

If there were no 'new' faults recorded, does hint at a common issue with the deterioration of the solder in the instrument cluster.  A while back, Ford thought it would be great to leave out lead from their solder to save some dolphins. Worked great initially, but over time, the solder deteriorates causing all sorts of random electrical faults. It's not terminal in that you can get the cluster re soldered and loads of services available on Ebay, just search focus cluster repair.

Good news is that that dolphin they were trying to save lived to a ripe old age, before being run over by a V8 speed boat 🤣

Yes - this looks likely based on my tiny knowledge. I don't suppose there is a way of looking up someone who does the whole job rather than sending it away. Not least as this is our only car just now

7 minutes ago, mikecro said:

Yes - this looks likely based on my tiny knowledge. I don't suppose there is a way of looking up someone who does the whole job rather than sending it away. Not least as this is our only car just now

Do a search on Ebay using the 'location' filter and see if your post code is listed by any of the repair listings. (Scroll down left hand side to see option) Failing that, if you have a decent local 'indie' garage, ask if they farm that kind of thing out locally, it's not a complicated repair, but you do need someone with fairly competent skills at soldering, and preferably the experience of doing a cluster previously.

On 4/18/2022 at 1:25 PM, unofix said:

It's 'Tree Hugger' solder as it is professionally known, but some like to think it helps the dolphins  🤣

Seriously guys @mikecro @hardy1812 it's a very common problem on vehicles of your age. You just need all the solder joints on the instrument cluster re-flowed using 60/40 lead tin solder. It will sadly stunt the growth of a few trees, and possibly affect a dolphin or two (I'm not sure about the dolphins 🤔), but it will fix the faults.

Who about trees and dolphins?? I just want a car to work properly if that means a dead tree or a or an extra tin of dolphin meat I’m happy with that. Plus by the time the world is dead I’ll be long gone 🤣🤣

2 hours ago, hardy1812 said:

... if that means a dead tree or a or an extra tin of dolphin meat I’m happy with that.

Anyone else think it hilarious that on cans of tuna, they advertise, 'dolphin friendly'? Well, it wasn't that friendly on the poor tuna 🤣

21 hours ago, StephenFord said:

Anyone else think it hilarious that on cans of tuna, they advertise, 'dolphin friendly'? Well, it wasn't that friendly on the poor tuna 🤣

Is that a friendly with benefits 🤣🤣if it is I’m not eat tuna ever again I don’t know what they’ve been up to 🤣