Hello good folk of the Focus forum.

I'm working on an issue with a 2008 EU Focus Mk2.5 which is causing the red info panel on the instrument cluster to remain illuminated and running the battery down. This is a fault that has developed more over time but now is getting chronic. I'm given to understand that the panel being illuminated means that the canbus is active, and this makes sense because with the ignition off, and the light on there is a 660ma draw on the battery, but pulling fuse 106 for the canbus drops it down to about 130ma (which I realise is still high but one step at a time). I'm not even sure that pulling the dash fuse actually shuts down the CAN system or just saves half an amp by putting out the lights).

I've used a OBD scanner (otofix D1 lite) which found a few faults as you might expect on a 17 yrs old car. One which is recurring is "Missing CAN message from Restraint control module".

Now, we happen to have two complete instument clusters (because the original had a fault on the info panel backlight so we bought a set to swap the panel out) and the fault appears with either cluster fitted so we can reasonably eliminate the widely-reported solder joint issue in the cluster as the fault. I've removed the RCM module and inspected the contacts along with the ones in the multi-plug and they all look pristine with no hint of tarnish or corrosion.

Another fault which popped up on a scan concerned a switch in the driver's door latch not reporting the vehicle locked, or something very similar. I didn't do this scan it was done by a mechanic in the family who did an initial scan then I decided to buy the otofix so that I could work on it myself. I decided to check out the wiring in the driver's door and the door latch itself. so off came the door, I belled out the door shut wiring whilst pulling and twisting the loom and it got a clean bill of health so there's no issue with the loom from door to pillar. I removed the latch and found that one of the microswitches is indeed faulty. It gives a very poor and scratchy contact in a continuity test.

https://vimeo.com/1161198150?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

The microswitch is between pin 8 common and pin 3 which is further on labelled A6 RESET (I realise that the schematic is for passenger door but this is a RHD car and the pinouts are correct for the RH door labelled passenger here, but it's the driver's door on the right here in the UK). Also worth noting that here in the schematic pins 2 and 3 appear to be a spdt switch but it's actually 2 separate microswitches. The other three switches in the latch all give a clean and clear tone when depressed.

So my questions are thus:

1. Is the missing CAN message from the RCM likely to be responsible for keeping the canbus awake? My intuition says no but I really don't know.

2. What does the RESET relay in the driver's door lock actually do, and is it likely to be the reason that the canbus is staying awake?

I'd really appreciate any constructive input on this and any experienced advice whilst I wait for the replacement door latch to arrive so I can re-fit the door and then re-scan. I should point out that this is a very well-kept vehicle which is used every day but kept gargaed, has immaculate bodywork and cherished by the owner which is why we are investing so much time and effort into finding this fault and fixing it.

Thanks,

Pete.

Edited February 2Feb 2 by Pete.

Just to add here I have downloaded Forscan and I have a Vlinker FS adapter coming today. Hopefully this will help with diagnosis though the otofix seems to be very good on its own.

I hope you find Forscan better (do let us know as "we" always nag members to use it - other software, we know is available)

Can't help with the detail but Dan had this similar issue so I'd say yes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7gggowzPSE

Okay first time using Forscan so I hope I've done this right. Bear in mind that the driver's door is removed and on the bench and all of its electrics unplugged. Key on, bonnet open. I have got some "Theft Detected" entries which I think is because I turned the ignition on with the car "locked" (because it has no drivers door I didn't need to unlock it). I did cycle the ignition and unlock the car but still got the warnings.

(WARN) [16:58:24.112] Checking FTDI #1:D3ASSKR4...

(OK) [16:58:24.767] Connection to adapter has been established: FTDI #1:D3ASSKR4

(OK) [16:58:24.767] Adapter: vLinker FS v2.3.04 MIC3322 V2.3.04 (ELM327 v2.3)

(OK) [16:58:24.956] Connection to vehicle has been established

(OK) [16:58:29.870] Vehicle: Ford Focus DURATEC-HE / I4 1.8L 2008 ( 2007.5 MY ), VIN: WF0*********53818

(OK) [16:58:31.030] Found module: OBD2_PCM - On Board Diagnostic II (PCM)

(OK) [16:58:31.182] Found module: PCM - Powertrain Control Module

(WARN) [16:58:31.272] DTCs in PCM: P1260-63, P2126-63

(OK) [16:58:31.274] Found module: ABS - Antilock braking system

(OK) [16:58:31.327] Found module: HCM - Headlamp Control Module

(WARN) [16:58:31.341] DTCs in HCM: B2612-30

(OK) [16:58:31.343] Found module: EPS - Electronic-Controlled Power Steering

(OK) [16:58:31.374] Found module: IC - Instrument Cluster

(WARN) [16:58:31.413] DTCs in IC: U1900-20

(OK) [16:58:31.426] Found module: CDP - Compact Disc Player

(OK) [16:58:31.456] Found module: PDM - Passengers Door Control Unit

(OK) [16:58:31.476] Found module: RCM - Restraint Control Module

(OK) [16:58:31.489] Found module: PAM - Parking Aid Module

(OK) [16:58:31.506] Found module: ACM - Audio Control Module

(WARN) [16:58:31.575] DTCs in ACM: B2408-60

(OK) [16:58:31.590] Found module: GEM - Generic Electronic Module

(WARN) [16:58:31.613] DTCs in GEM: P0071-0F

EDITED to remove duplicate entry

(WARN) [17:00:08.484] DTCs in PCM: P1260-63, P2126-63

(WARN) [17:00:08.516] DTCs in HCM: B2612-30

(WARN) [17:00:08.548] DTCs in IC: U1900-20

(WARN) [17:00:08.672] DTCs in ACM: B2408-60

(WARN) [17:00:08.688] DTCs in GEM: P0071-0F

Edited February 3Feb 3 by Pete.
Cleaned up duplicate entries

To me, that looks like the log file rather than the direct reading of the DTCs (so there's a lot of chaff?)
Suggest looking at the Errors menu item if you are using the App or this to get them directly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-lNDtAA2Ks
Of course, you MAY now have all of the codes which will have to be listed, the nature of each found (if you clear them, see what return immediately and any that come back later and under what conditions.)
You look like you are very experienced and have access to wiring diagrams so feel free to ignore my musings!

Yes it's the log file and no I'm not experienced at fault-finding canbus issues I just learn fast and am willing to try. More of a motorcycle guy myself.

Anyway, to follow-up here I was a bit reticent to do it but I ended up clearing out the DTC's, charging the battery over a day and ran the scan again. It seems that some of the DTC's must have been historical because most of them have disappeared. Not having any experience with this it's led me down a few blind alleys so now I am concentrating only on the active ones.

One which WAS recurring is the ACM is reporting speaker wires shorted to ground which makes sense because the rear speakers have never worked. We pulled the radio and had a good look around and found no obvious faults but since re-fitting the radio unit (which is a Ford unit but not the original one) it is now refusing to talk to the ACM controller. We pulled it out again and re-fitted and still reports "unable to read DTC". IC is also now reporting missing can message and live data on the otofix says it's the ACM that's not doing the talking. I don't think any of this is relevant to the original issue of the CAN remaining active when the car is locked though.

So right now I am waiting for the replacement door latch then I'm going to put the door back together and re-fit it. Then I'll run the scans again.

One question - what does the plunger switch next to the bonnet catch do? It's not responsible the putting the bonnet open notice on the display - that's done inside the latch itself.

Thanks

Pete.

Unless otherwise confirmed, there is a solid rod next to the catch on ours which I've always assumed is just to guide the bonnet into the catch if it's an actual switch I don't know.
Regarding CAN... if there is a fault on a module, it can drag the entire CAN bus that it is connected to down and the technique is to disconnect modules until the fault goes away - if that is even relevant?
If you've watched Dan's video disconnecting components whilst monitoring the fault seems to be the way?

That rod is sprung loaded with a heavy spring, I figured it was some kind of switch. I'll look at it again later.

I did watch the vid you posted by Dan I will take another look through it. His approach to troubleshooting is impressive.

Can you confirm that the ACM is inside the radio unit itself? When it came back not communicating I unplugged the whole radio unit thinking that it would simply ignore that module but it still comes back with unable to read DTC even after clearing all DTC's.

The spring pushes the bonnet up onto the safety latch when you turn the key.

That's also what gives it 'bounce' if it doesn't shut fully first time.

3 hours ago, Pete. said:

Can you confirm that the ACM is inside the radio unit itself? When it came back not communicating I unplugged the whole radio unit thinking that it would simply ignore that module but it still comes back with unable to read DTC even after clearing all DTC's.

Sorry, I can't confirm anything (although it sounds logical?)
In a way, if a module is disconnected, it obviously can't be read, nor can that actual module or anything connected to it cause an actual fault although other modules may need the output and so object.
I can only anticipate that ACM needs to know road speed so it can adjust volume if required, otherwise I can't think of any other modules needing output from the ACM - can anyone?

The Bluetooth module (I don't know much about it either location or how it is connected to CANBUS has been mentioned as a major cause of faults so do you need to look into that?
We'll wait to hear if your door latch changes anything, again, need to delete all codes and see what comes back?

22 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

The spring pushes the bonnet up onto the safety latch when you turn the key.

That's also what gives it 'bounce' if it doesn't shut fully first time.

Makes perfect sense thanks for confirming. I wondered why the spring was so heavy.

19 hours ago, Shearers said:

Sorry, I can't confirm anything (although it sounds logical?)
In a way, if a module is disconnected, it obviously can't be read, nor can that actual module or anything connected to it cause an actual fault although other modules may need the output and so object.
I can only anticipate that ACM needs to know road speed so it can adjust volume if required, otherwise I can't think of any other modules needing output from the ACM - can anyone?

The Bluetooth module (I don't know much about it either location or how it is connected to CANBUS has been mentioned as a major cause of faults so do you need to look into that?
We'll wait to hear if your door latch changes anything, again, need to delete all codes and see what comes back?

Yeah this is my plan right now. I expect that I'll have it back together this weekend I will report back.

Okay time for an update her eI'm sorry that it's ben a few days coming but I've had a busy couple of weeks. We've had to wait for a replacement latch and do some work over several sessions.

So firstly to address the matter of the door latch, we replaced the driver's door latch mechanism with a used replacement which I tested thoroughly and found all of the switches working, and that is all functioning correctly now. It did nothing for the red panel light/canbus however.

Once the door was back together I decided wor work my way through all of the active DTC's in order to eliminate them not just as part of this process but also to clear all of the faults in the car anyway.

Firstly I went through the audio control module faults which were indicating shorted speaker outputs. Since getting the car the driver's door speaker and both rear door speakers have never worked so I removed the door cards, un-plugged all of them, hot-wired in a random speaker to test the outputs were working, which indeed they were. With the rear door speakers un-plugged the shorted outputs fault cleared so I drilled out the rivets and removed those speakers. we've ordered a used set of original speakers from eBay for little money and when they arrive they'll get installed.

Another fault which had been appearing was HCM (headlamp control module). I had largely ignored this fault because it would show a fault on the diagnostic scan, then when you selected the module to read the error codes in the otofix it would magically clear. It would do this every time: scan - there's a fault - go to read fault - no faults detected.

Well, it turned out to be a simple matter that the driver's side headlamp plug was not fully pushed in. i removed the headlight and when I went to unplug the loom I found that it was only half way in. Clicked it fully home, ran a scan and no more faults. On top of that, when I locked the car up the red panel light went off after 10 minutes!

The elation was short-lived however because after erasing all the codes, and coming up clear in a scan, after a couple of rounds of locking the car and waitingthe dreaded red light stayed on once again and we got a U1900 once again.

This has brought us up to date now with the problem. Just this evening we have been talking through the whole process and I'm wondering if we have been fighting two separate issues with the canbus - one where a marginal connection to the headlight has been upsetting the HCM and not allowing the canbus to sleep, and now wondering if this has been the cause of the "same" fault recurring regardless of which instumanet cluster was plugged in. There is also a chance that my naiivety in diagnosing these things has caused me to reach a false conclusion regarding the same fault being Heyup !!present regardless of which cluster was connected because i didn't clear the fault when switching clusters.

So this evening I have switched to the 'spare' instument cluster and cycled the central locking 3 times in succession. Each time the red panel has gone out. We are unable to do much more with this cluster installed because it's not coded to the car (and half of the panel is out anyway - we bought these clocks to get a working display panel for the originals).

Tomorrow I think I will strip down the instument cluster and go over the board with a soldering iron and flux, wick out all the joints on the big connector and re-tin them with some good old 60/40 solder. See what happens.

Right, to wrap up this story it turns out the clocks are knackered. Someone has been meddling in there before because when I removed the board I was confronted with this abortion:

I de-soldered everything and wicked out all of the excess and removed the connector.

I re-soldered the connector and cleaned up the flux. I'm no expert but I'm at least much better than the last guy

However even though the connector is well soldered it seems that there's something else on the board which is causing a load of problems which were highlighted to me when I was running guage sweeps and trying to align the needles properly - just even gently pressing on the needles was causing power re-sets and all kinds of errors. I removed the board again and checked the continuity from the connector power and ground pins to the diodes on the board, and despite flexing and bending the board gently I got a good solid signal. However, even after checking all that the clocks are still very flaky electrically. The original factory soldering is very shoddy looking it has tro be said. Might be the lead-free solder I guess but I've used 60/40 coz I'm old and I don't care.

I've now come to the end of my ability and unwilling to risk completely ruining the only clocks which allow the car to start so I've called it a day. After doing a local search there's a repair place literally walking distance from me so I've dropped the clocks off for them to clone the original clocks onto the donor spare. Should be back together on thursday so I'll report back.

14 hours ago, Pete. said:

Might be the lead-free solder I guess but I've used 60/40 coz I'm old and I don't care.

That was the right choice. The lead-free stuff is cr@p. That looks a pretty neat job you've done there. I had to do the same on our Mk2.5 using wick to get rid of all the old stuff on the connector pins. I didn't actually take the connector out though, would have made cleaning up the flux easier if I had.

Just following up here. We had the old faulty clocks cloned onto the spare set (which thankfully he had kept) by a local company called Remanx in Medway. They did the cloning and also re-flowed the soldering as a matter of course. Since fitting these new clocks the car has been perfectly behaved so I guess we can call the problem solved.

FYI the cost was £110 & vat and took less than 2 days to process.