Hi, Ive had an issue with my Ford Focus Ghia 2.0L saloon registered 1999. The symptoms are after driving for 10 minutes the radio starts to go quiet (like its losing signal) then if i stop at a junction and pull away hard (i'd say using around 3500rpm tops so not too extreme) all dials on the dash die (like the car is off) then after another minute the ABS kicks in every time I try to accelerate. Of course if you have to stop at a junction or get stuck behind traffic then picking up any speed is almost impossible because of the ABS. Only way to temporarily fix it is to turn car off, wait 10 minutes and then you can drive again, for 10 minutes, like nothing is wrong. Also, until you do the temporary fix, the engine sounds very weak (like the timings are off) and at first i assumed the ECU was bad.

Managed to get the car to a local garage. Engineer (called Dave) immediately said battery must be causing interference with ECU (without even looking at the car). Asked if it could be the ECU but he said that one ECU controls the ABS and the other the Engine so it couldn't be that. I'm assuming his logic is that the chances of both ECUs going faulty at the same time is near impossible.

Anyway, I picked up car next day, drove 15 minutes down the road and same thing occurred. Took it back to the garage and a different engineer said to me "Dave told me it was the battery so I just replaced that without thinking. Sorry about that, but dont worry i tested the battery and it was faulty anyway". So i said fine and asked him what he could have a look at it again, he told me to ring back in the afternoon. Rang back at 5pm and he told me he had replaced the alternator but the alternator was running too hot and must be faulty and to wait another day for the second replacement alternator to arrive. I asked him if it could be the voltage regulator overheating the alternator by providing too high a voltage and he said "no, the voltage regulator is built into the alternator".

Thats my story. Now im waiting to here back from the garage but before I do Im wondering what your opinion is as to whats wrong with my car?

Thanks for all and any info :)

Dan

sound like the speed sensor it sits on the gear box at the back of gear box

it has two or three wires going to it. It held in with a pin can be very tight in the box

needs a good pull to get it out. see here http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR4.TRC1.A0.H0.Xford+focus+.TRS0&_nkw=ford+focus+speed+sensor&_sacat=0

sound like the speed sensor it sits on the gear box at the back of gear box

it has two or three wires going to it. It held in with a pin can be very tight in the box

needs a good pull to get it out. see here http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR4.TRC1.A0.H0.Xford+focus+.TRS0&_nkw=ford+focus+speed+sensor&_sacat=0

This can cause issues with engine timing, ABS and stop the car from starting whilst hot?

Edit: also, thank you for the promt response :D

all of the above there a few post on here about it I have one just search this forum.

These speed sensor are well known they do all sorts to the car I got mine from ford £35.99 a few years back now have a different car so don't need one any more

what concerns me is the ABS issue, if the speedo drops to 0 then yeah I agree it could be the sensor, however, if the entire IP dies and also the ABS sticks on causing issues, then we are looking at something else. The ABS has its own module, This sounds like a potential electrical fault to me.

The replacement alternator seems to have fixed it. Who'd have thought a charger would play such havoc with the electrics :)

Good Result!