Intermittently I get the engine malfunction light, there are no codes stored.  Ford have said I need to take it to them when it happens so they can see it themselves.  

I have had the battery changed just before Christmas and the instrument cluster changed christmas 2023.  

I have only had her 2 years and this issue has been on going.  It can go months with not a peep and then suddenly 3 times in one trip.  

I have had reduced acceleration,  I have has speed reduced.  I've had all my dials stop working. Every time, I have turned the engine off and when restarted, no problems at all. 

Last night was the 3 times on 1 trip.  The first time my dials stopped working, the second time I had reduced acceleration,  the third time, I could not turn it off initially.   I had to stall the car to stop the engine but still it would not turn off.  I was just about ready to call my partner to come when it suddenly turned off.  I restarted after a minute and drove the 3 miles back to my house no problem.  

Mechanically it is sound, just passed MOT with no advisories, has been serviced every year, just under 50000 miles on the clock (it was just under 30000 when I bought it) I probably go on the motor way for 20 miles or so once or twice a month.  

I feel like this could be a needle in a haystack moment but I would love if anyone had any words of wisdom to help me. 

 

Thanks for any help and suggestions you may have for me.  I didn't think to take pictures of the dash but I certainly will in future. 

Hi,

If all the dials stop working, it sounds like it's the cluster at fault again.  Was a used one fitted?  Or was the old one repaired?

New one, supplied and fitted by Ford.  I will take it back to them tomorrow and see what they say.

6 minutes ago, focusgirl24 said:

New one, supplied and fitted by Ford.  I will take it back to them tomorrow and see what they say.

Hmm, that does make it seem less likely then.  It could be as simple as the plug in the back coming loose if it wasn't fully clicked into place to start with.  If not that then potentially a wiring fault somewhere but those are difficult to trace and definitely not something to let a Ford dealer do.

The other option for all dials stopping and not being able to turn off is the ignition switch.  This fits behind the key barrel and tells the car the key position.  This is a very cheap part, around £10 on ebay, and can be replaced at home by a competent DIY mechanic.

Use the phone version of FORScan, and then you can read the code when the light comes on. 

I will download it and see what happens.  It might be a few months before it pops up again but after last night I'm not hopeful. 

I will let them see if it's plugged in properly as I really have no idea what I would be looking at.  

I will then look for a reliable, local auto electrician if it continues. 

It's a keyless start so will it still habe a lock barrel?  I really am clueless when it comes to cars.  I can drive, change the tyre and check fluids and that is the extent of my skills. 

Thanks for your comments.  

8 minutes ago, focusgirl24 said:

I will let them see if it's plugged in properly as I really have no idea what I would be looking at.  

I will then look for a reliable, local auto electrician if it continues. 

It's a keyless start so will it still habe a lock barrel?  I really am clueless when it comes to cars.  I can drive, change the tyre and check fluids and that is the extent of my skills. 

Thanks for your comments.  

Honestly, if you've got a small flatblade screwdriver, you can check the plug in the back yourself.

I wasn't expecting a Zetec to have keyless start.  That won't have an ignition barrel or the conventional switch.  The ignition switch on these is the start button itself, and they do go go wrong occasionally.  Again very easy to replace at home if you want to try that.

Thank you.   I will look into it, watch a few YouTube videos etc to make sure I get the right bit and see what I can do.  

Just a thought but the new instrument cluster would likely be around 15 years old. I doubt they would have been manufacturing those as spares for very long after car production ceased, so the lead-free solder joints could still have gone brittle.