Flashing light, won’t start!

[barrymx5]

I’ve got an issue with my 55 plate Mk2 Focus diesel. The engine warning light has been popping on for a while now but it disappears when the car is re-started. Without warning my car stalled whilst waiting at a barrier and it refused to start again. I now have a rapidly flashing amber immobiliser light, and break light fault and engine system fault notice on the cluster. Having researched the problem I’ve cleaned the earth strap connection to the bodywork, checked my battery condition and anything suspicious in the engine bay electrics box. All fuses appear to be in tact.

I would appreciate comment from anyone having had a similar experience or have any level of expertise. My wife tells me that my 17yr love affaire with this belting little car is at an end if I can’t fix it on the cheap. I can’t really justify throwing too much cash at a car worth very little anymore. It’s value is more to me as a work horse, tip runs golf bag locker etc.

I have a vid of the issue but I’m not sure how to show it here. Advice appreciated.

[TomsFocus]

Sounds like the standard Mk2 cluster solder fault.  If you give the top of the dash a tap, that sometimes realigns the joints just enough to get the car started.

Could also be water in the GEM (fusebox under the glovebox) but cluster seems more likely in this case.

[barrymx5]

I’d thought of that cos I’d experienced a dash circuit corrosion prob on a Mk1. The difference is that the lights are solid and don’t flicker like before.  If all else fails I’ll check it out and clean the board. The passenger fuse box is bone dry though I haven’t checked any fuses there yet. Thanks for the comment.

[isetta]

It’s not usually a matter of cleaning the instrument cluster board, it usually needs the 18 pins on the connector socket resoldering.  But that requires total dismantling of it including taking the needles off the gauges .  YouTube videos show how.  It’s all quite fiddly and needs precision soldering . Certainly not for anyone’s first attempt at electronics soldering. 

[barrymx5]

Many thanks for the comments. I used to teach electronics so felt both confident and prepared to tackle a simple dry join challenge. I was doing so well following explicit YouTube direction on remedying the issue, and yet somehow I managed to crack the liquid display. So now I’m worse off than when I started, especially as my efforts didn’t resolve the initial problem. If anyone knows of a reasonable cluster or liquid display replacement provider I’d be eternally grateful. Still looking for a solution but I’ll wait to see what the diagnostics bring up.

[unofix]

These people might be able to help you. A couple of other forum users have had replacements from them.

https://customod.co.uk/collections/customod

[barrymx5]

Does anyone know if I’ll need to reprogram the cluster if I replace the liquid display. I’m thinking the information might be stored in the chip so info won’t be lost. I’m only guessing though, or is it wishful thinking?

[unofix]

It would be foolish to try and replace the display 'they can be broken easily'.

The replacement IC can easily be reprogrammed using FORScan software which is free to download.

[Jimpster]

3 hours ago, unofix said:

These people might be able to help you. A couple of other forum users have had replacements from them.

https://customod.co.uk/collections/customod

I highly recommend Richard at Customod, he sent me my 2.5 cluster to replace the dead LED one in my mk 2, and set the mileage to 0 to make life easier.

You can try and do it youself and if you brick it try and restore with asbuilt data, as they say the choice is yours

[Jimpster]

https://customod.co.uk/collections/focus-mk2/products/ford-focus-instrument-cluster-repair-service

usually 48hr turn around

[barrymx5]

Yeah, I hear what your saying Unofix but the one I have is already broken and they’re really quite easy to swap. I’ve been offered a Mk2 05 plate petrol display but I’m not sure it’s compatible and would appreciate advice. I’ll certainly explore your advice Jimpster and see what they can come up with. Many thanks for the advice offered guys, it’s very much appreciated and supportive in my tIme of need.

[unofix]

If it just the LCD that you are thinking of swapping from the petrol IC to the diesel IC it might be possible. I say for sure that the two complete instrument clusters are definitely not interchangeable.

[barrymx5]

Hi Jimpster, I’ve been in touch with CuSToMod and after my contact with Richard the company director, I’m about to send my cluster off for repair. I couldn’t find a postcode on their web-site in order to workout the cost of sending the item to them so I googled the company. I was somewhat concerned when I discovered a possible issue as the company was dissolved in 2019 but still operates now. Richard agrees that 2019 was their ‘last account’ as he puts it and then continues to offer postage instructions as though there was no issue. Any thoughts on this?

CUTSOMOD LIMITED / Company No. 10249693

Reg office 7 Barnaby Way, Laindon, Basildon, Essex, UK SS15 5TS
Company Status- Dissolved on - 26 November 2019

[unofix]

My thought would be do you want your Instrument Cluster repaired or are you wanting to do an audit of his accounts ?

Lot's of companies get 'Dissolved' for lots of perfectly legitimate and justifiable reasons. They didn't go bankrupt and weren't forced in to receivership so I can't see what the problem is. There is a lot of behind the scenes expense in running a Limited company, and if turnover doesn't justify the expense why continue ?

[Jimpster]

7 hours ago, barrymx5 said:

Hi Jimpster, I’ve been in touch with CuSToMod and after my contact with Richard the company director, I’m about to send my cluster off for repair. I couldn’t find a postcode on their web-site in order to workout the cost of sending the item to them so I googled the company. I was somewhat concerned when I discovered a possible issue as the company was dissolved in 2019 but still operates now. Richard agrees that 2019 was their ‘last account’ as he puts it and then continues to offer postage instructions as though there was no issue. Any thoughts on this?

CUTSOMOD LIMITED / Company No. 10249693

Reg office 7 Barnaby Way, Laindon, Basildon, Essex, UK SS15 5TS
Company Status- Dissolved on - 26 November 2019

I didnt know that but i can highly recomend Richard, many companies lapsed during lockdown even my daughter that has a Vape buisness struggled renwing her listing on companies house

[barrymx5]

I’ve been in touch with CuSToMod and after my contact with Richard I’m about to send my cluster off for repair. I couldn’t find a postcode on their web-site in order to workout the cost of sending the item to them so I googled the company. I was somewhat concerned when I discovered a possible issue:

 

CUTSOMOD LIMITED / Company No. 10249693

Reg office 7 Barnaby Way, Laindon, Basildon, Essex, UK SS15 5TS
Company Status- Dissolved on - 26 November 2019

Any thoughts Jimpster?

[barrymx5]

Sorry to hear about your daughter and it does put things a bit more in perspective. However, I’d be a bit of a mug if I ignored the fact in legal terms, when a company is dissolved, it ceases to exist. It cannot still be trading although a person may trade (misleadingly) using its name. Dissolving a company means closing it
down completely. Once a company has been removed from the Companies House
register it becomes illegal for it to continue trading. These are not my words, I’ve Google it. So to answer you unofix, I couldn’t be less interested in auditing anyone’s accounts, but I prefer to make an informed decision when making any purchase. Quite frankly I don’t see much risk anyway as PayPal payments are protected, and especially when given such high recommendation which I appreciate.

[unofix]

Hi Barry, at the end of the day all we want is for you to get your car fixed and back up and running.

I agree that Richard is making things a little unclear. I assume that he once had a limited company called 'Customod Ltd.' of which he was a director.

For whatever reason he chose to dissolve the company in 2019 and as you say quite correctly that was the end of Customod Limited.

However there is nothing to prevent any person setting up a none limited company and calling it "Customod" and the owner can be refereed to as the Proprietor. If this is the case with Richard, he can no longer call himself a director, as the company is no longer limited.

Let's just hope they are better at fixing things rather than the technicality of the company name 👍

[Jimpster]

As i said previous i can vouch [whoever i am} as can many others on the mk2 ST and RS scene as he's well known on them all as well as a guy called Ollie Jones, they are the go-to's on the forums

[barrymx5]

Sorry to hear about your daughter and it does put things a bit more in perspective. However, I’d be a bit of a mug if I ignored the fact in legal terms, when a company is dissolved, it ceases to exist. It cannot still be trading although a person may trade (misleadingly) using its name. Dissolving a company means closing it
down completely. Once a company has been removed from the Companies House
register it becomes illegal for it to continue trading. These are not my words, I’ve Google it. So to answer you unofix, I couldn’t be less interested in auditing anyone’s accounts, but I prefer to make an informed decision when making any purchase. Quite frankly I don’t see much risk anyway as PayPal payments are protected, and especially when given such high recommendation which I appreciate.

[barrymx5]

Many thanks for the comments, that’s great advice and somewhat taken the risk out of dealing with CusTOMod. This is why forums like this are invaluable in such circumstances. Fingers crossed is resolves my issue.

[barrymx5]

Following my almost cert £80 solution investment,  I’ve just received my instrument cluster back from CuSToMod with the lcd in tact so at least I can see info on the screen now. I couldn’t wait to plug it in to see if my issue had been resolved, but sadly there’s absolutely no change. The car doesn’t crank, the immobiliser light still flashes and the break light and engine system fault shows on the display. What a downer! Richard at CuSToMod suggested the fault was elsewhere, maybe plug connectors, bad fuse or corrosion in the fuse unit under the glove box. I’ll certainly explore this next but on a quick inspection there doesn’t appear to been a damp problem in the fuse box. I’ve also noticed that the led displays flicker slightly now, something that I hadn’t noticed before .

[unofix]

Well half a result 🤔

I think your next move is to fully remove the fusebox / GEM unit from the passenger side and look for signs of greenish corrosion on the connector pins and especially the tracks on the circuit board of the GEM

[Jimpster]

does it not need coding to the car or did he send wiped so mileage and keys were all that needed doing via forscan, you can give him remote access if it will help him

 

 

[barrymx5]

Once again many thanks for the suggestions. I’d say at least x6 fault codes were showing and even though the wife was saying ‘get rid’ I thought I’d give it one more chance. On inspecting the engine bay I noticed a reddish coolant fluid leak onto the starter motor so though it might have effected the contacts. I removed and tested it as per YouTube demo and it worked as it should. I also removed the ecu and cleaned the contacts, so as you can imagine quite a bit of  knuckle rash. The moment had arrived, everything back in place when I turned the key with great anticipation and ……nothing!! I plugged the diagnostic back in and noticed I was down to only x3 faults which I quickly erased. I turned the key once more and ‘bingo’ she fired up like a champ and sounded better than before all the probs started. So I don’t really know what the issue was though I’m thinking it might well have been the cleaning of the ecu contacts. Anyone thinking of doing likewise please bear in mind that the ecu on this car is under the wheel arch and has a security pin in a metal cage covering the contacts. This has to be removed by either drilling, sawing or grinding and is a pig of a job. So I’ll run the car to see if it’s cured and report back in a couple of weeks. Many thanks once more guys.