Faulty Aux Input

[Mark Williams]

I have a 54 reg Mondeo Zetec which has an aux input in the glove compartment.

It see to work fine but I've now noticed that when I plug something in, the sound only comes out of the right Speakers.

I took out the glove box to see if there were wise loose but can't see anything obvious.

Has anyone any advice on how this could be fixed?

[NorthSussex]

It could be the lead you are using to connect to the Aux socket, have you tried a different connecting lead and a different input device?

[Stoney871]

Because the face of the socket and the contacts for the cable are two parts sometimes they move causing the contacts to become out of alignment with the 3.5 plug.

[Mark Williams]

The lead is ok. I have tried others and other devices and it still is the same. I tried wiggling the plug but to No avail. Would it cost much for Ford/a garage to fix?

[BigD]

Don't go to Ford for this! They'll charge you a fortune for something you can do yourself in ten minutes (probably) and will cost you less than a fiver. I 'm 99.9% sure it's just a cable that runs from the socket to the rear of the head unit and is easy to change.

You could either repair the one you've got if you're conversant with a soldering iron, or just get a replacement from a scrappie. You'll need the head unit out, so possibly need the radio code too.

[Mark Williams]

Any idea how I'd do it? As in how to take the head unit out etc? I live in Lincoln and there's a Ford specialist garage...guess they'd be a lot cheaper than Ford themselves

[BigD]

You need four keys to get the 6000CD head units out - push a key into each slot until it clicks, then pull it all out. If you don't have them you can get a set from eBay.

It won't hurt to get a price from that local company, as long as it's not Evans Halshaw in Lincoln where I got my Mondeo from! Got the car last January, and two weeks later noticed half the heated windscreen wasn't working. Took it back and they said the wiring was corroded, and they wouldn't do it - told me I needed to go thru my insurance. After I pointed out that insurance would not cover it as the screen was in-tact, they then had the nerve to suggest I chuck a brick through it and even offered to pay me the £75 excess if I did! Didn't fancy going down the insurance fraud route, and told them to either sort it, or give me a full refund (I paid cash). They replaced it, under protest.

Oh, and that's on top of the other stuff that later turned out to be faulty - the aircon only worked when the car was moving - tracked that down to a stone-dead radiator fan, which I replaced myself. The EGR was blocked solid (almost) and had probably not been off the car since it rolled off the production line in 2005 so I had all that off and the inlet manifold which was almost as bad, and I had to replace the entire auxiliary drive system - belt was almost perished and the crankshaft pulley was badly corroded. This isn't stuff you can check prior to purchase as you can't take it to bits on the forecourt, but THEY should have checked it all.

Finally, when I was under the car doing stuff I noticed HALF a tow bar. The mount was there, but the bar itself had been removed - presumably so that the unwitting customer (i.e. me) would not realise the car had been towing a caravan half way around the country.

Would not buy another car from them in a million years, and I recommend nobody else does either.

[Stoney871]

Get a new one of these-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-GENUINE-FORD-AUX-INPUT-FOR-MP3-iPOD-ADAPTOR-KIT-fiesta-focus-mondeo-1426121-/200822286869?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item2ec1f0ea15

And a set of these-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-Focus-C-Max-Mondeo-Fiesta-CD-Radio-Stereo-Removal-Keys-Pins-6000-6006-CDC-/250904481702?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item3a6b128fa6

You should be able to get away with just trying the new cable into the existing socket but if it still won't work then you have a new socket in the kit too to replace the old one.

Please note that the inner and outer parts of the socket are designed to lock together from either side of the mounting hole so will need to be broken apart to remove.

The end socket (two piece)

The socket broken apart (it has locking clips that need to be prised apart to release)

These are the two parts that can move slightly when pushing in a 3.5 connector causing the contacts inside to misalign and result in the terminals not lining up properly.

All it takes is a small bit of play and the contacts will misalign.