The instrument cluster in my 2022 Fiesta ST3 flickers in Eco mode.

The flickering is subtle, and high frequency but annoying enough that the car is unusable in Eco Mode, especially at night (when the cluster is brighter than outside).

I first noticed this from almost new. The temperature was well below freezing so I assumed it was a temperature problem. However, it persisted when the weather got warmer.

I first took the car to a local dealer. The mechanic observed the problem. He also checked some brand new Pumas in the show room and observed the same problem. However, he said there was nothing he could do!

I took it to another dealer who did NOT observe the problem - even though I was standing next to the mechanic saying "Are you telling me you cannot see that flickering?"....(he couldn't!).

Next step was Ford Customer Service who got in touch with Ford Technical and they said that it was a "feature" (i.e. a crappy screen) and there was nothing they would do - other than offer me a free service.

I was hoping to get this fixed once and for all whilst the car is still in warranty.

I know the problem is not uncommon (as I said, the mechanic observed it on brand new Pumas in the showroom); but it is not seemingly something Ford want to fix.

I suspect the flickering occurs in all driving modes, but is only readily observable in eco mode due to the light colour scheme

Has anybody noticed this problem and solved it (other than driving in Sport mode when the cluster is black!).

cheers
W

45 minutes ago, weesam said:

The instrument cluster in my 2022 Fiesta ST3 flickers in Eco mode.

It's by design. It discourages ST owners from using Eco Mode on what is supposed to  be a performance car. 😉

Don't take this the wrong way, but, don't drive in ECO mode, simple

Yes, it's annoying I know.

It doesn't do anything anyway, nothing more than a good right foot can't do

 

I briefly tried Eco when I got the car (just to check everything worked) and as expected, it made the car very unresponsive unless you completely floored the accelerator.

Normal mode is perfectly fine for economy driving (and the ST can be surprisingly economical).

Thanks. I'm aware the Eco mode is a bit crap; but that's not really the point. Is there a particular problem with the cluster, or is it a symptom of a dodgy power supply (which may cause further problems in other display modes in the future?). It does seem bizarre that a flickering display in a brand new car is explained away for Ford "as a feature". Although the very understanding person at Ford Customer said that when they receive enough complaints Ford usually do something!

It's probably just a software glitch with the cluster

Ford screens are poor quality.  Getting into a modern Ford straight out of a modern VAG the screen difference is really noticeable.  While I wouldn't say this is a feature, I do suspect it's just standard operation without a fix.

Don't think it could be software causing it to flicker. My niggling suspicion is that it is something as trivial as a cheap and nasty 20-pence capacitor not doing it's job resulting in a dirty power supply.

It does seem Ford displays are not the best. And talking of software. Sometimes it takes a while for the software to boot up, so the screen draws in incrementally over time as you drive off! So you get the dials....then the numbers....then the needle...then the petrol gauge.... etc etc.  what a load of rubbish!! hahaha!

I suppose when it eventually does fall over, and the car is out of warranty it will be replaced with a decent third party one! Bring back mechanical dials! These digital ones look dated 5 minutes after they are designed.

 

1 hour ago, weesam said:

Don't think it could be software causing it to flicker. 

Not sure why you think that. All modern cars that use LED lights whether for tail lights, parking lights or in this case instrument cluster lights use a system of 'pulse width modulation' (PWM). This enables the car to control and regulate the brightness of the lights by switching them on and off at a high frequency.

This effect can be seen clearly if you use your phone and video rear LED lights on a car at night. What seems like a constant steady light to the naked eye, appears as a seriously flickering light when you watch the video playback.

I would suspect that when Eco Mode is selected, the frequency of the PWM to the instrument cluster is reduced (possibly to save a little power?) to a point that the flicker becomes noticeable to some users. A software update could fix this issue by simply increasing the frequency and making the 'on' period of the PWM longer.

Persistence of vision is the phenomenon where the human eye and brain continue to perceive an image briefly after it has disappeared from view. This happens because the brain retains the impression of the image for a short period, approximately 1/15 to 1/16 of a second, after the stimulus has been removed

The Ford technician measured the frequency. Was the same in all modes, just more visible in eco mode (the screen is a light blue/cyan colour) rather than the other modes which are dark(er)

7 minutes ago, weesam said:

Was the same in all modes, just more visible in eco mode

So there's the answer. It's a contrast problem with colour of the background.

2 hours ago, weesam said:

My niggling suspicion is that it is something as trivial as a cheap and nasty 20-pence capacitor not doing it's job resulting in a dirty power supply.

The capacitor theory would have had some bases if you were dealing with a regular switched mode power supply, but that's not the case here.

5 hours ago, weesam said:

Thanks. I'm aware the Eco mode is a bit crap; but that's not really the point. 

Though I'm definitely in the cr*p camp as far as the Eco mode is concerned, I agree with you. If the manufacturer puts a feature in the car, it should work to an acceptable standard.

I might try giving mine a longer try (if if I can do it safely) just to see if I get the same effect.

I wonder if there's another factor here, though, that of differences in eyesight/perception? I recall in the working environment some would complain of flickering roof lighting, others wouldn't notice.

Same with monitors (or VDUs as we used to call them😀). In the course of our working day my team needed to switch between various systems - Windows itself, a contract management system with a Windows-like "look and feel", and 2 old corporate mainframe systems which used the traditional black screen and green text. Some team members complained of flicker on some of the systems, most of us just couldn't see it.

I've always had regular eye check ups and discussed this with my optometrists. They told me that an eye could be physically perfect but how the brain interprets the messages it receives via the optic nerve varies between individuals. In effect, only you can see what your eye can see.

It occurred to me you can scroll through the various modes ignition on/engine off, so just had a sit in the car doing just that.

Not the most scientific test, but fwiw other than background colour, absolutely no difference and to my eyes no discernible flicker.

5 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Getting into a modern Ford straight out of a modern VAG the screen difference is really noticeable. 

Certainly is. I had a sit in our friends' new Golf Mk 8.5 and played about with the screens. It's too touchscreen dependent for my tastes, but the clarity of the touchscreen and instrument displays compared to mine was stunning.

8 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

In effect, only you can see what your eye can see.

the first technician that looked at the car could see it - and saw it on other cars; the second could not.

However Ford have written to me and agreed the screen flickers in eco, but it's a "feature"😄

Looking at it again today, contrary to what I stated earlier, I suspect it IS worse in cold weather. The first time I noticed it was bitterly cold, and the flickering was worse than it is today (warm). It's most noticeable around the edges where there is that naff feather/gradation of colour.

9 hours ago, unofix said:

So there's the answer. It's a contrast problem with colour of the background.

 

Isn't that what I said to start with? That the flicker is more obvious when the screen is lighter. Obviously it will not be noticeable when the screen is black....

The "problem" is not the colour but the screen. Screens should not flicker - especially in a car! And it's certainly not a "feature" as Ford put it!

Well, I drove for about 10 miles this morning in "Eco" (very scary - in constant fear of being rear ended by a speeding milk float😀). Outside temperature 11°C.

Not a trace of flicker.

So, to me,either there's something in my eye/perception theory or Ford are incorrect in suggesting they all do it.

It would be interesting to get views from other owners. Many models of Fiesta, Focus and Puma for example have the same, or similar, display so there must be a fair number out there.