4 hours ago, ntelas said:

Here is a better look at it. 

Climate control on a Mk2 is super rare over here.  Can't remember the last one I saw with it!

Are GEM's easy enough to source in your location?  I'm just thinking you could swap in a spare GEM to see if that makes any difference.  Wouldn't have to be a perfect replacement, as we don't need everything to work on it, just need to know whether basics like the radio and cluster still have the intermittent fault with a different GEM.

If it's not the GEM or the cluster, then I suspect you'll be looking at the interior wiring loom, which is not an easy thing to access, let alone replace it if can't be repaired.

 

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

Climate control on a Mk2 is super rare over here.  Can't remember the last one I saw with it!

Are GEM's easy enough to source in your location?  I'm just thinking you could swap in a spare GEM to see if that makes any difference.  Wouldn't have to be a perfect replacement, as we don't need everything to work on it, just need to know whether basics like the radio and cluster still have the intermittent fault with a different GEM.

If it's not the GEM or the cluster, then I suspect you'll be looking at the interior wiring loom, which is not an easy thing to access, let alone replace it if can't be repaired.

 

Climate was on my filters when I was looking for a car! 

I don't think it's easy to test another Gem, I would have to buy it anyway. 

@ntelas I still have the issue.

What I noticed is that when I'm driving and say listening to the radio the lights flash and the radio stops for second then goes again so what I tried to do was play a song real loud leave the door open and wiggle wires in the engine bay like negative battery wire and positive wire on the battery and the ground bolt on the chassis to see if one of them was not contacted probably but no luck so my next thing is fuses then change battery and then altanator 

10 hours ago, Jcwutang92 said:

so my next thing is fuses then change battery and then altanator 

I don't think this is a battery or alternator fault and wouldn't recommend replacing either based on the current symptoms. 

You can use the live data function on Forscan to watch the voltage output of the alternator during a drive.  As long as it's not spiking or dropping when the instruments fail, you can rule the alternator out.

Is the battery silver calcium?  Or has it been replaced with a lead acid one by mistake?

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

... You can use the live data function on Forscan to watch the voltage output of the alternator during a drive.  As long as it's not spiking or dropping when the instruments fail, you can rule the alternator out.

Is the battery silver calcium?  Or has it been replaced with a lead acid one by mistake?

I have seen that the voltage is generally between 13.5 and 14.5 (not output, but battery voltage on the display) when this is happening, but lights flicker a bit. 

Should the battery not be lead acid? I haven't seen what it is on mine. Why would this matter? 

45 minutes ago, ntelas said:

I have seen that the voltage is generally between 13.5 and 14.5 (not output, but battery voltage on the display) when this is happening, but lights flicker a bit. 

Should the battery not be lead acid? I haven't seen what it is on mine. Why would this matter? 

The Mk2 Focus (and other Fords of this era) use a Smart Charge system to charge the battery more effectively.  Lead acid batteries aren't designed for use with this system, and often the battery won't last long and the alternator will get damaged if a lead acid battery is used on these.

Really need to use a live data graph to watch the voltage as the display isn't very accurate and it doesn't react quickly enough.

13 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

The Mk2 Focus (and other Fords of this era) use a Smart Charge system to charge the battery more effectively.  Lead acid batteries aren't designed for use with this system, and often the battery won't last long and the alternator will get damaged if a lead acid battery is used on these.

Really need to use a live data graph to watch the voltage as the display isn't very accurate and it doesn't react quickly enough.

Thanks for the info. Will an OBD2 connection show a more accurate graph? 

2 minutes ago, ntelas said:

Thanks for the info. Will an OBD2 connection show a more accurate graph? 

Yes.  Forscan is ideal if you have that.

Sorry I have been so busy past while.

 

I haven't tried anything yet but I will take out GEM and clean it to see if it's the issue because mine was left hanging down for a long while and I was fuse tapping to hardwire my dash cam a while back.

 

I will update asap

I have a very positive update. 

After disconnecting the radio, the issue didn't show up in 300-400 KMs. 

The CAN network goes through it and apparently on mine it caused issues. I also connected another radio and it didn't return either. 

@Jcwutang92if you can, try disconnecting it as well. Keep in mind that you will need it's password to re-enable it after the test. 

If I had a. Mk2 or mk2.5 Focus with suspected can bus issues and the cluster hasn’t been reconditioned, £100 pounds having it professionally reconditioned/tested would be a good investment because if not now, likely next year or the year after.

On 7/23/2023 at 1:41 PM, ntelas said:

I have a very positive update. 

After disconnecting the radio, the issue didn't show up in 300-400 KMs. 

The CAN network goes through it and apparently on mine it caused issues. I also connected another radio and it didn't return either. 

@Jcwutang92if you can, try disconnecting it as well. Keep in mind that you will need it's password to re-enable it after the test. 

I spoke too early(?). 

This week the problem came back after a car wash. I had a newer stereo plugged in, and it first did it then. After, I waited for the problem to start then immediately disconnected the stereo plug and it continued happening like nothing changed. So it appears it's not the radio's fault.

I think what changed was the humidity. It was dry at 30-50%, while now it's 40-80%. It started doing it many times on short drives, but that is irrelevant anyway. It even does it when the car is off (the small dash display's backlight dims).

I don't know if the car wash has to do with it, but It was the first time it re-appeared after weeks. Maybe there is water trapped somewhere.

Mk2/2.5 Focus. Water ingress into the Fusebox/gem or dry joints in the instrument cluster are the prime candidates but I assume you’ve checked already.

On 8/6/2023 at 12:53 PM, RL123 said:

Mk2/2.5 Focus. Water ingress into the Fusebox/gem or dry joints in the instrument cluster are the prime candidates but I assume you’ve checked already.

I would like to check if the water ingress into the GEM fix is done. How could I check for it? 

I'm going to get my instrument cluster repaired and see if that cures the problem for me.

13 minutes ago, Jcwutang92 said:

I'm going to get my instrument cluster repaired and see if that cures the problem for me.

I can recommend Hobsons, who repaired my Focus cluster a few months back. Advantage too that it doesn't leave the island! Reasonable price, and quick turnaround...

https://www.hobsonelectronics.com/

14 minutes ago, Jcwutang92 said:

I'm going to get my instrument cluster repaired and see if that cures the problem for me.

Please do. Now the electrician says I need a new used cluster because this is the first time he's seen something like that in the tens of years he's working with focuses. 

Are you getting it repaired soon? I want to see if it's that, so I can then proceed and buy a used one. 

1 minute ago, ntelas said:

..so I can then proceed and buy a used one. 

You don't need to buy a new one? Getting it 'repaired' should suffice...

I just seen some place on eBay in Essex for 95£ so going to send it away Monday hopefully get it back for Friday I'm in the north of Ireland so I will have to wait and see my locals are too dear to get it done £130-150.

 

I will let you know asap.

8 minutes ago, Jcwutang92 said:

I just seen some place on eBay in Essex for 95£ so going to send it away Monday hopefully get it back for Friday I'm in the north of Ireland so I will have to wait and see my locals are too dear to get it done £130-150.

 

I will let you know asap.

What?? Hobsons charge nothing like that, and they're in the same country as you 🤣 Oh, I'm in the 'north of Ireland too' LOL

Just now, StephenFord said:

You don't need to buy a new one? Getting it 'repaired' should suffice...

The same electrician has repaired it though. He did it in front of my eyes and he has decades of experience. Now the most possible thing to do for him is to swap cluster, suggesting it has more damage than the known one. 

How can I check for the leaky GEM though? This I haven't verified. I swapped it with another one (there goes another 100 euro) but it didn't make a difference. 

Could this also have anything to do with the ECU plugs by the 12V battery? 

1 minute ago, ntelas said:

... He did it in front of my eyes...

What exactly did you see him doing?

Just now, StephenFord said:

What exactly did you see him doing?

The same some YouTube videos show. Redid the solder spots or whatever they are called so it makes better contact with the connector I think.

I had my son’s cluster 2008 ST done by Essex Recons 2 years ago .  No issues. 
somebody posted the specialist in Norwich does 200 clusters a month.

well known issue.

Some may just reflow a few suspect joints in the cluster but the old lead free solder should be removed and replaced with new .

Also not just the plug pins, the end resistors at the end of the can buses have been known to loose contact as well.