Hi I have a 2008 1.8 TDI Focus with the awful Visteon 6000CD sound system.

When it started to play up (randomly switching to 'phone mode') I decided to upgrade

So i fitted a BEAT290 CD Head Unit with SD Card Input http://www.online-caraudio.co.uk/shop/cd-mp3-head-units/beat-audio-head-units/beat-290-cd-sd-card-usb-head-1057470.html with a patch lead kit,

Initially alll was well

the audio system worked consistently and to quality was much improved.

But then I started to get problems with the alarm and central locking

1) all the locks clunking until the battery went flat

2) random alarm soundings

I refitted the horrid old Visteon and the locks and alarms are working properly again!

Help anyone?

What kind of "patch lead kit did you use, any chance you connected the CAN leads to the radio (and it just drives the cars electronics crazy). CAN is on pin A9 and A10 (and should only ever connected to a good CAN adaptor).

Hi Tomtom 70

My lead only has terminal blades in A1-A8 then A12-A16 so 9,10,11 are not connected

and none in B or C

I did not get a patch lead for the steering wheel remote

There is no branding on this lead but I could take a picture if that helps?

Of those, only 13 (alarm) and 14 (illumination) are suspicious. Does the new radio turn off and on with Ignition? If not, swap 15 and 16.

It turns on and off with the ignition ok.

3 questions

1) do i need to command the ecu not to look for a radio on the can leads?

2) Is there a recommended suppier of patch leads

3) is it necessary to connect to the steering column remote controls

1) No (even not knowing what you might think "the ECU" ist - that is a generic term for any Electronic Control Unit in the vehicle, and there must be more than 20 in yours). Can you set the clock on the cluster with the OEM radio gone? If not, you may need to disconnect the battery once to let the modules (ECUs) relearn the vehicle configuration without the original radio.

2) No idea - what ever does one get directly at the Ford dealer?

3) No

Ok good point about the number of ECU's in a car I was thinking motorcycle-simple - there is freeware for writing control instructions to the (single) ECU on motorcycles

I did reconnect the battery as the locks popping every 20 seconds flattened it but the symptoms did not change: the alarm and locks were still mad after that

So I will enquire at the Henry Ford factor for the appropriate patch cable to replace my aftermarket one - and ask BEATs for their fitting instructions as I appear to have lost the originals :\

Ford locks always pulse on the CL system, its the way they are designed but it's not supposed to be every 20 seconds every 5 minutes if memory serves. The radio removal should not in any way affect your central locking, I have fitted THOUSANDS of radios and several hundred to focus's I have never heard of or seen this fault. I'd probably get it into the stealership and have a diagnostic performed.