Hi,

I seem to be having problem after problem with my current motor.

Recently when I've gone to start the car up only 4 out of the full dash lighting up appear (oil, handbrake, engine & another light).

When it does this the needles don't move either, even when I pull away they all stay at the bottom.

I have to keep turning the key back and forth before they all light up and go off and the needles swing round.

When the needles do go round it resets the current mileage count?

Any ideas what could be cauing it?

sounds like a battery isue or an earth cable mate

Nice one, when it happened the first time I had the battery and autonator checked, both we're fine so I'll have to check the cable.

Thanks

The battery could always show fine but if its a dead cell, then the other cell is fine (which is why it looks it).

The battery could always show fine but if its a dead cell, then the other cell is fine (which is why it looks it).

Righto, I'll get a new battery to check.

Was fine yesterday so thought might be due to being rather cold past few days but then did the same thing today

The MK1 is prone to a touchy cluster.

Bad solders can react with condensation.

Test the dash by pressing in and holding the trip reset button while you start the car.

First phase will be a dial sweep and light test.

The MK1 is prone to a touchy cluster.

Bad solders can react with condensation.

Test the dash by pressing in and holding the trip reset button while you start the car.

First phase will be a dial sweep and light test.

I'll give that a go tomorrow, thanks.

Where do I go from there if every test runs okay or not?

Hi,

I went to test the dash about an hour ago but it fired up with only the four lights showing, kept trying and only the four appeared, so no test happened.

I've driven it about and tried again but the full dash still isn't lighting up & no needles are moving!

Not even the engine light, which is always on due to a faulty manifold which is getting done on Wednesday, when I use indictors and put the lights on full deam they lit up on the dash but nothing else.

I kept trying but after a while the car made a weird beep noise for a second or so :/

Not knowing the speed, revs, petrol or oil temp on the way to work tomorrow gonna be a pain.

Unfortunately it sounds like a new cluster is needed.

Not cheap or easy I'm afraid.

If it is the instrument cluster, get it repaired instead of paying £700 for a new one! Thats what I did..

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I'm going to get a new battery today, not sure how old the current is, if it is the cluser, great...! :/

I've seen on another post someone had the same issue where it started by the speedo dropping and bouncing back to the speed (no affect on the engine).

Now this has made an appearance, connection at all?

Suggests more likely to be a faulty cluster, a repair is your best bet!

If it's the cluster you can get one second hand from a breakers but the mileage will be wrong. Had this on my old car. MK1's are prone to this unfortunately. My one eventually stopped showing anything on the dials so had no idea of speed and petrol left. Total pain.

For about £100 I got my cluster repaired and it came with a 2 year warranty, I had similar issues to you.. never had any problems since.

Quick update, changed battery, still the same issue.

I got the fuses checked, all seem OKAY.

My mate pulled the dash out hit a few cables put it back then started it up with the clutch and break down, everything kicked in and worked!

Fired it up a couple more times and all good, went to drive it again now and back to sqaure one.

Maybe a funny cable just behind the dash, possibly?

Quick update, changed battery, still the same issue.

I got the fuses checked, all seem OKAY.

My mate pulled the dash out hit a few cables put it back then started it up with the clutch and break down, everything kicked in and worked!

Fired it up a couple more times and all good, went to drive it again now and back to sqaure one.

Maybe a funny cable just behind the dash, possibly?

ANOTHER UPDATE!

Got home, fired it up, works again!

Also, I'm not sure if this could be connected but my driver electric window hasn't worked the past couple days and today kicked back in.

The way I'm looking at it, if the cluster didn't work, it wouldn't keep coming back on?

I've found a local place that can test it for £35 and £125 if they can fix/find issue.

I had a really tempermental instrument cluster, was so confused about what the hell was going on as sometimes it was normal and other times not.. but I have the mk2 focus and found tons of similar issues online, so chances are it is the cluster, not a big job to repair

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Ford OC mobile app

Thanks :)

Out of interest did your indicator lights, hand brake and full beam lights work even though the rest of the dash was dead?

Just spoke to BAA Reman and they said they'll pick up the cluster, key and ECU.

Bit of a pain, how awkard is it to get the ECU out?

Also, digging about the forums a bit more, this couldn't simply be caused by a faulty VVS, could it?

Its unlikely to be the VSS, basically the solder joints on the back of the cluster are weak and poorly formed in the factory, they degrade and the ability for it to hold a good connection is lost. These repair services tend to resolder everything, and with the key and ECU just test it on a donor car.

Its unlikely to be the VSS, basically the solder joints on the back of the cluster are weak and poorly formed in the factory, they degrade and the ability for it to hold a good connection is lost. These repair services tend to resolder everything, and with the key and ECU just test it on a donor car.

Thanks, my mechanic is having a look tomorrow while doing the manifold.

I mentioned my electric window a few posts back which stopped working then restarted yesterday after taking the car apart, it's not stopped again!

Is there an earthing cable connecting these two things at all?

Seems a weird co-insodunce...

Its possible, its probably best to check the earthing points at the engine and the gearbox area.

The mechanic had a look on Wednesday when doing the manifold but worked fine all day so didn't pick anything up.

Been okay the past two days and gone again today.

I'm gonna check for small cracks on the welding at the back of the cluster and check earthing points over the weekend.

Hopefully it'll play up when the mechanic plugs it in next...

Sorry for another post, just managed to get a dash test when turning the car on.

Going through the tests etc it said the following.

Know idea if it means anything...

R22

E001

DTC None

the only one that means anything is dtc which is fault codes none so all is clear the mk1 lets water into the lock mechanism and window motor thres no fix really other than removing the top torque screw on the lock nearest the driver side seat and spraying wd40 at a downwards 45 degree angle then replace the screw

Just been to take the cluster out but I can't seem to get the mutli wire connection off, I didn't wanna pull too much incase it broke.

I unclipped the front which was just the glass and lamp filters but there was a plastic back to it covering the board itself which I haven't seen in the other videos of people taking the dash out.

Do I unscrew the back plastic or is there a certain way to take off the connector?