MK 2.5 1.6 TDCI Won't start - Sensor / CAN Bus Faults

[andy1741]

Hi guys. I have a 2009 MK 2.5 Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI Zetec. I've been having an issue with the car recently.

After washing the car (no idea if this detail has had any impact) I went for a short 3-mile drive. No problems.
The next day I tried to start the car and it didn't engage the starter, it had an error on the dash: "Engine Malfunction" "Power Steering Malfunction":

I tried a few times turning the ignition on and off. No change. I tried a "miraculous" solution. I got out pushed the car forward a couple of inches, tried again and it started. Driving felt normal.

It started and drove fine for the next few days and then this occurred again 3 days ago and again the day after that.

I checked the codes, and these were present (full log attached):

• PCM DTC P1622-21 - Immobilizer ID Does Not Match
• PCM DTC U0073-21 - CAN communication bus fault
• PCM DTC P193B-24 - Throttle/Pedal Signal
• PCM DTC P1936-24 - Clutch switch input circuit malfunction
• PCM DTC P1935-24 - Brake Switch/Sensor Signal
• PCM DTC P1934-24 - Vehicle Speed Signal
• PCM DTC P0500-24 - Vehicle Speed Sensor A
• FACM DTC U1900-20 - CAN Communication Bus Fault - Receive Error
• FACM DTC U2516-20 - CAN Communication Bus Fault - Transmit Error
• FACM DTC P2409-60 - Fuel Cap Sensor/Switch Circuit Range or Performance
• ABS DTC U2202-A0 - Configuration Error
• ABS DTC U1900-A0 - CAN Communication Bus Fault - Receive Error
• EPS DTC U0073-20 - CAN communication bus fault
• IC DTC U1900-20 - CAN communication bus fault
• IC DTC U2510-20 - CAN communication bus fault

    
P2409-60 has been on the car since I bought it and I believe is related to that fact that the previous owner had the DPF gutted.

I'm a bit stumped and I don't know what steps I can take next before I go to a garage. Would anyone have any suggestions? I know the DTC codes can sometimes be misleading and triggered due to a more central issue (e.g. bad battery etc.). If anyone has any ideas on what to try, I'd really appreciate it. I'm a bit desperate here. I can provide more troubleshooting info too.

Scan20230412.txt

[JONATHAN_11_80]

You have the common cluster fault.  The solder joints in the cluster crack and cause this issue.  Try and hit the top of the dash and see if it starts. The can bus codes are the key here as the dash cluster is the centre on the can bus network.  Defo your cluster these can be repaired cheaply.

[andy1741]

Thanks Jonathan. Delighted to hear it sounds like a common fault. Felt like i was doomed with all the different codes. I'll try give the dash a bang but assuming this isn't a permanent solution, is repairing the cluster something like a mere moral could do or is this best left to a professional?

[rd457]

I concur that this sounds like the common instrument cluster solder joint issue. A bash on the dash having an effect as suggested would help strengthen this diagnosis.

Taking it out of your car is easy, but to actually repair it, firstly you have to carefully dismantle it, including carefully getting the gauge needles off of the stepper motor spindles, then you need suitable soldering skills, a fine-tipped temperature-controlled soldering iron, and for a proper fix suitable leaded solder and such, and then you have to get it all put back together again, and getting the gauge needles back on properly isn't as straight forward as you might think.

There are lots of services available offering to fix this, including on eBay, in fact I offer my own and would do it for you however you're in Ireland which would involve too much import/export complexity. Some garages might do it but generally it's outside of their wheelhouse. Beware that some people will just fix it the quick "bare-essentials" way where they reheat the existing solder to let it flow back into place, but this will inevitably crack again over time. The proper fix is to remove the old lead-free solder from the main connector pins (where the cracks occur) and replace with standard "60/40" leaded solder.

Expect it to cost you somewhere in the £60-100 region.

[andy1741]

Thanks for the information. I followed a video that did show me how to take the cluster out and disassemble. I have managed to get it down to the circuit board but I need a mate’s help with the soldering as I don’t own a soldering iron myself nor have the skills. I’ll hopefully get this sorted over the weekend.

I originally followed this video on the disassembly: 

 

subsequently I saw this video: 

 

 

In the second video there is a lot more care given to the gauge needle removal. 

8 hours ago, rd457 said:

including carefully getting the gauge needles off of the stepper motor spindles

You also mention this here. I took the former video approach and just twisted them in the opposite direction and pried them off.

I guess the damage is done now but have I goosed this? I’m hoping it’s not a case were I’d have to recalibrate the gauges using forscan or similar? For reassembly is it just a case of setting the needle at say the 0 MPH position and it’ll be sorted? I’d hate to be caught doing 70 in a 50 etc!!

[rd457]

Hi, no you've not done anything wrong. Twisting them off like in the first video is what I've found to be the best way to get them off, I was originally prying them off but it felt really dodgy by comparison.

One crucial thing missing in the first video, besides the fact that he skips over the actual soldering, is that he just seems to stick the gauge needles back on casually and then sticks the front cover on, without doing anything to check that the needles are properly positioned. Perhaps he actually did set them up properly off camera.

The second guy of course doesn't show anything of putting it back together again at all, pushes on the circuit board at one point with a metal screwdriver - yikes - and I don't particularly care for what he's doing with his soldering, he's just reheating the existing solder, rather pointlessly adding a touch of fresh stuff of some unspecified type on top, and relying only upon the tiny amount of flux presumably within the core of his solder (admitting himself he should probably be using proper flux).

As I said before, the proper way to do the soldering part of the task, which should hopefully last for the remaining life of the vehicle, is to spend the extra time to actually remove the existing solder (e.g. with solder wick) and replace it with standard 60/40.

Anyway, back to the needle gauges, I'll let you in on how to do it. Firstly you need to make sure that you've pushed them back on (down onto the spindle) properly, don't go mad with pushing too hard though, and you can do so with them pointing around the zero marks. If you then very gently try to rotate them in each direction you'll find that you can freely do so but that the stepper motors have a certain limited range of movement (less than a full circle of rotation). So turn the needles in whichever direction goes from larger to smaller value until it hits the limit of the motor. Typically when it hits this limit you want the needle pointing just slightly below zero. It it's not perfect already, don't prize it off to reposition. Instead you'll reposition it by forcing the needle to turn beyond the limit of the motor (you're now just overcoming the friction between the needle and the spindle such that the needle rotates a bit whilst the spindle does not). If the needle is too far above zero, then force it to turn more towards zero until it gets to the right point just below zero. If it moved too far (adjusting can be a fiddly back and forth process because it often tends to rotate on the spindle more than you wanted), then rotate it in the opposite direction up to the other limit and then force it further in that direction. If alternatively it was too far below zero, then just do the opposite, rotate to the upper limit, and force it a bit further a just described. Just keep at it, forcing the needle to turn a bit on the spindle in one direction, then the other, until it gets close enough to the proper resting point just below zero when pushed to the lower limit. Ideally it's best to take a photo of where the resting points are before taking the needles off (ensuring to actually push them into resting position not just assuming that they are already at it when you took the cover off, since it's possible they may have been bumped out of place), so you know exactly where exactly to aim for upon reassembly to reproduce the original positions. So long as you recreate a resting position just slightly below zero though this will do just fine. Once you've plugged it back in to the car you can see where the needles point to with power supplied in each ignition position to help reassure you that they're correct, and if you did feel that they are off a bit, you could always just readjust them a bit more.

[mjt]

Re; the last sentence above I was going to suggest that before refitting the front of the unit you plug it back into the car with it resting on the column and turn the ignition on to see where the needles settle. Then you can adjust further if necessary.

As Lyndon says, you will find adjusting the position quite fiddly and frustrating as the plastic grips the spindle and as you apply more turning force will suddenly 'give' and move further than you wanted. You just have to keep at it until you get a satisfactory setting.

[andy1741]

Thanks so much guys. I got the soldering work done and using your directions I replaced the gauge needles. Car is running absolutely fine and gauged are all spot on. All DTC codes reset too.

I’ll monitor the car over the next few weeks to make sure that there is no intermittent issues. All looks good though!