Instrument Cluster stopped working

[Poolie]

Hi All,

I have an intermittent problem with my 2014 s-max. The instrument cluster will go off along with my air con controls. The date and time on the stereo don’t appear and i have to press the on button to get it to come on. Does this sound like the common fault with the instrument cluster ive seen numerous times when searching google? An example. i drove into work yesterday morning and all was working fine. parked my car in the car park for 12 hours come out to return home the above was off. I drove home 24 mile and parked up. come out this morning for work and its still off. If i press the right ok button on the steering wheel the instrument cluster lights up and i get the convers boot logo for around 10 mins then it goes off.

This happened 3 weeks ago then it came back on after 2 days.

Does anyone have any suggestions I can try?

If it is a fault with the instrument cluster can anyone recommend someone in the north east who could repair it?

 

Thanks

[unofix]

4 hours ago, Poolie said:

Does this sound like the common fault with the instrument cluster I've seen numerous times when searching google?

No, not your model or on a 2014.

It sounds like a connector that has started to become disconnected somewhere. Given the number of items being affected I would start by checking that all the plugs are fully seated on the Body Control Module (BCM) which is part of the passenger compartment fusebox.

Remove the connectors from the BCM and look for signs of any water ingress and/or corrosion (greenish fur) on any of the pins in the plugs.

[justinzak]

I think this one was instrument cluster solder joints for those curious 

[rd457]

1 hour ago, justinzak said:

I think this one was instrument cluster solder joints for those curious 

Sorry, but I have to disagree. How would that explain the simultaneous power loss to the AC controls and possible power loss to the radio?

The Mk1 S-Max is affected by the common IC cracked solder joint issue, but only with certain cluster models, and I have to agree with unofix's original suggestion that something else was afoot.

As some here already know, I provide a repair service for the IC solder joint issue. Most people don't bother to tell me which vehicle model the cluster they send me came from, so as best as I have been able to gather, primarily from looking at google images, there are two distinct models of IC that may be found in a Mk1 (2006-2014) S-Max. I've encountered both and while one does suffer from the problem (every one I've worked on has had cracks), the other does not (or at least not the one or two I've been sent).

From the mention of 'convers boot logo' we can infer that he had the latter, unaffected, type.

Borrowing some pictures from my service...

This cluster is the type that is affected:

This is the type that isn't (or at least not that I've encountered):

[justinzak]

This vehicle was the second type (type 4) with the fancy lcd. The instrument cluster provides a 120ohm terminating resistor to the interior/medium speed canbus, without it, the ac and stereo will not receive a wakeup command upon ignition. The BCM provides the other terminating resistor, which is why it can produce the same symptoms. The newer model interior accessories operate on wakeup signals instead of ignition feeds. 

I have also come across the "type 3" and resoldered the IC in the middle of the cluster, (turns on and off when you bend board) but it was an older vehicle than this. Also on tall screen kugas.

 

Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of the op's cluster but I have attached photos of the IC that needs resoldering on type 3

 

[unofix]

2 hours ago, justinzak said:

for those curious 

I'm curious. I'm still waiting for your update on Focus 😉

[unofix]

On 5/1/2023 at 1:24 AM, justinzak said:

Can't seem to see anything wrong with abs module but did a reinitialization on it just incase. Most, if not all modules have had as-built data downloaded again with vcm2. If I'm not mistaken, it's the older tddi Ford's with the fuel pump immobilizer?

have gone ahead with a second hand ecu and will report back 

 

[justinzak]

The fella scrapped it as he needed a car asap! I couldn't sleep for weeks 😭  we will never know 

[rd457]

1 hour ago, justinzak said:

The instrument cluster provides a 120ohm terminating resistor to the interior/medium speed canbus

Indeed.

1 hour ago, justinzak said:

without it, the ac and stereo will not receive a wakeup command upon ignition... The newer model interior accessories operate on wakeup signals instead of ignition feeds. 

Okay, fair enough, I don't know enough about that to argue differently. A loss of one of the two CAN bus terminating resistors can of course result in communication issues, so if indeed these things need a wakeup call I can accept your explanation. I was assuming such things as A/C control backlighting would be on a simple power circuit.

1 hour ago, justinzak said:

Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of the op's cluster

You actually worked on @Poolie's car? I figured you were just randomly commenting on what you read in his post.

So you're saying that you found actual cracked solder joints in his type 4 cluster??? If so, interesting! Were they on the main wiring connector pins or somewhere else? I've got a bunch of pics of the one I was sent (I check my records and it's actually just one type 4 I've been sent not two), so I could provide some pics if helpful. The joints on that one were pristine. If you've encountered one with cracks then I may have to adjust the details in my listing.

[rd457]

2 minutes ago, rd457 said:

I was assuming such things as A/C control backlighting would be on a simple power circuit.

Oh, re-reading OP said 'A/C controls' not lighting.