Hi 

does anyone know what this warning light means. It initially came on when it was minus figures in the winter & I was told it was nothing to worry about it was telling me my fuel was heating efficiently & it would go off once it warmed up, which it did.  However it came on again a week or so ago even though the weather is significantly warmer now.  Pleas could anyone help?

thanks, Andrea

It's the electric auxiliary cabin heater. It operates to quickly boost the cabin heat when the engine is still cold. It never stays on long. 

 

21 minutes ago, unofix said:

It's the electric auxiliary cabin heater. It operates to quickly boost the cabin heat when the engine is still cold. It never stays on long. 

 

Great response, I thought it would be easy to find this out, but I spent 20 minutes on a futile search looking for it on official Ford web sites, including a 473 page owner manual - couldn't see it anywhere. Ford don't half make it difficult to find out what should be something very simple!

1 hour ago, unofix said:

It's the electric auxiliary cabin heater. It operates to quickly boost the cabin heat when the engine is still cold. It never stays on long. 

 

Thanks, is it normal for it to be on for over a week?

32 minutes ago, andream3314 said:

is it normal for it to be on for over a week?

Only if you live at the North Pole 🤣

Is your car petrol or diesel?

You need to get it checked out. Most independent garages will not have the necessary Ford specific diagnostic equipment. This leaves you only two options (1) Take it to a Ford dealer and expect to pay £150 just to be told what the fault is. (2) Use FORScan and diagnose the fault yourself.

If the auxiliary heater is truly on then you will probably notice a couple of things. Firstly the cabin should be heating up very quickly in the morning, and you will possibly notice an odd slight burning smell like when you turn on an old electric heater that hasn't been used for a long time. Second you will possibly see a little drop in your mpg.

I suspect that this is more likely just an indication fault on the instrument cluster.

I haven’t noticed ether of those things. I’ve just gone in to vehicle settings & there is no option for aux heater

thanks

1 hour ago, andream3314 said:

I haven’t noticed ether of those things. I’ve just gone in to vehicle settings & there is no option for aux heater

thanks

That symbol is for a Fuel Fired Heater, something that can be fitted in some colder climate markets but as far as I know not in the UK although the Dash fitted to cars is one that covers all markets and variants so will have symbols that are not applicable to every car.

I don't know why it is lighting up unless your car is an import or someone has retrofitted a Fuel Fired Heater.

 

4 hours ago, Tizer said:

That symbol is for a Fuel Fired Heater,

Are you sure  ?

The fuel fired heater is normally operated by a time clock, and/or remote control.

As far as I know, some Focus Mk4 diesels have electrically operated auxiliary cabin heaters which are operated by the setting on the instrument cluster.

Either way, it certainly shouldn't be on for a week 🤣

1 hour ago, unofix said:

Are you sure  ?

The fuel fired heater is normally operated by a time clock, and/or remote control.

As far as I know, some Focus Mk4 diesels have electrically operated auxiliary cabin heaters which are operated by the setting on the instrument cluster.

Either way, it certainly shouldn't be on for a week 🤣

I'm sure, see the enclosed from my Owners Manual which also shows you the Symbol for the Fuel Fired Heater. I think in cars with Remote Start you can also set the Interior and Engine Heater on or off and in some cars you can set a Timer.

My car has the Electrical Auxiliary Heater that automatically comes on when the Outside Temperature is less than about 9c and the Coolant is less than 60c.

Edit - I meant to say that the Electrical version only heats up the interior, the Fuel Fired one does the Engine and Interior so the 2 and heat Symbol probably donates this. There is no Symbol for the Electrical version. 

Auxiliary Heater



Principle of Operation

The system is designed to reduce the time needed to heat the engine when it is running. It turns on or off depending on the outside air temperature and the coolant temperature.

 The system warms the engine and the vehicle interior. It uses fuel from the vehicle fuel tank.

Using the Auxiliary Heater

WARNING:  We recommend that you have a qualified technician check and repair the heater system after a crash. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death.    WARNING:  Do not use the fuel-operated parking heater at fuel filling stations or near sources of combustible vapors, dust or in enclosed spaces. This could result in serious personal injury or death.

 

Note:   The system does not operate if the battery charge level is low.

Note:   Make sure the heater exhaust outlet, in front of the right-hand front tire, is free from snow, ice, mud and any other blockages to avoid issues with the heater operation.

Note:   When the system is on, exhaust fumes come from under your vehicle. This is normal.

Note:   If the heater is in the process of stopping, excess fuel in the heater burns out and there is some heat, exhaust and noise.

Switching the Auxiliary Heater On and Off

To switch the auxiliary heater on or off, use the information display controls on the steering wheel to select the following:

 

Menu Item	Action
Settings	Press the menu button.
Vehicle Settings	Press the OK button.
Aux Heater	Press the OK button.

 

Secondary Interior Heating System Active Indicator

It illuminates when you switch the system on.

Parking Heater

Principle of Operation

The system is designed to provide heat when your vehicle is parked.

 The system warms the engine and the vehicle interior. It uses fuel from the vehicle fuel tank.

Note:   Make sure the heater exhaust outlet, in front of the right-hand front tire, is free from snow, ice, mud and any other blockages to avoid issues with the heater operation.

Using the Parking Heater

WARNING:  We recommend that you have a qualified technician check and repair the heater system after a crash. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death.    WARNING:  Do not use the fuel-operated parking heater at fuel filling stations or near sources of combustible vapors, dust or in enclosed spaces. This could result in serious personal injury or death.

 

The system does not operate if the battery charge level is low.

The system only operates when your vehicle is stationary with the engine off.

When you correctly use the system it:

• Keeps the windows clear of thin ice and helps prevent condensation.
• Assists the engine to reach normal operating temperature sooner.

Note:   If the heater is in the process of stopping, excess fuel in the heater burns out and there is some heat, exhaust and noise.

Parking Heater Information Messages

 

Message	Action
Park Heater Not Started Low Fuel Level	Displays if the parking heater fails to operate due to low fuel level.Refuel as soon as possible.

 

Switching Continue Heat On

When you switch the ignition off, the heater starts or continues running if conditions permit for up to 30 minutes.

Note:   You can use this mode to maintain a warm cabin after you switch the ignition off.After the heater completes this mode, the check box in the information display resets to unchecked.

To switch continue heat on, use the information display controls on the steering wheel to select the following:

 

Menu Item	Action
Settings	Press the menu button.
Vehicle Settings	Press the OK button.
Park Heater	Press the OK button.
Continue Heat	Press the OK button.

 

Setting the Timer

The system has three different modes, that you can set in the information display.

 

Timer Mode	Description
Once	Allows you to set one heating cycle for a specific day. If conditions permit, the heater starts up to 40 minutes prior to the set date and time.1
Time One	Allows you to program a heating cycle for each day of the week. The time remains stored and the system warms up your vehicle prior to the programmed departure times.
Time Two	Allows you to program a second heating cycle for each day of the week. The time remains stored and the system warms up your vehicle prior to the programmed departure times.

 

¹You must set the day and time for this mode before you check the box in the information display.

Note:   The time and date on your vehicle clock must be correctly set.

To set a timer mode, use the information display controls on the steering wheel to select the following:

 

Menu Item	Action
Settings	Press the menu button.
Vehicle Settings	Press the OK button.
Park Heater	Press the OK button.
Heater Programming	Press the OK button.
Activate	Press the OK button.
Once	Press the OK button.
Activate	Press the OK button.
Time One	Press the OK button.
Activate	Press the OK button.
Time Two	Press the OK button.
Activate	Press the OK button.

 

Switching the Parking Heater On and Off With the Remote Control

The parking heater transmitter allows you to remotely request the heater to start and run for up to 30 minutes or to stop all heater modes.

Note:   Up to three transmitters can be paired to your vehicle.

Note:   The LED light on the remote transmitter does not indicate the actual status of the heater.The light does not guarantee the heater received a signal to start or stop.

Note:   Electronic devices that operate in the same frequency may affect the range of the transmitter.

Press and hold the ON or HEAT button on the transmitter until a green LED light illuminates on the transmitter.

Press and hold the OFF button on the transmitter until a red LED light illuminates on the transmitter. This applies only for the heater mode running at the present time, so future timer settings or future continue heat settings do not disable.

The following table lists the parking heater remote control indications.

 

Transmitter LED	Description
Green	The transmitter sent a radio signal.
Flashing green	The transmitter sent a radio signal, but the heater did not receive the signal.
Orange to green	The transmitter sent a radio signal, but the transmitter battery charge is low.
Orange to flashing green	The transmitter did not send a radio signal as the transmitter battery charge is low.
Flashing orange	The transmitter battery charge is low.
Red	The transmitter sent a radio signal.
Flashing red	The transmitter sent a radio signal, but the heater did not receive the signal.
Orange to red	The transmitter sent a radio signal, but the transmitter battery charge is low.
Orange to flashing red	The transmitter did not send a radio signal as the transmitter battery charge is low.

Focus Owner's Manual

 

Edited April 25, 20251 yr by Tizer
Additional info