ford focus 02 instrument cluster problems?

Been driving around for a year with a digital speedo app. Found this today as MOT is due

Removed, there was corrosion all over the board.

Cleaned with loads of electrical contact cleaner and a soft copper brush. Then gave a massive spray to get rid of debris.

Dryer with a hair dryer on cold. Popped back in car. Everything works perfectly. Thanks for the info everyone

Craig A
December 2022

Thanks so much ! Solved in - (minus drying time) in 1hr. Got stuck for a bit till I realised that to release the cluster connector you need to press the lug at the top of the connector to pull the locking lever back..

onetime
February 2019

Hope this helps I had all the symptoms of the above posts and tried all the remedies wd40, cleaner spray,resolder the posts. Had the cluster out and in 5 times. The last time we pluged the wire harness up the gauges flickered ended up being the plug in.Took a tip cleaner and rodded out the female side plugged it back in and all wonderful again.Hopefully this can save somebody grief

Orin
October 2016

Personally I think WD40 is a nono on electrical boards, try to get IPA this is used within the electronics industry.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=ipa+cleaner

Phil
October 2016

Hi, daughters focus 02 has sat on drive for 18 months and she decided to see if it would get through mot.
After doing pads and getting it running I noticed gauges flicking about and then pack up altogether. Asked local garage who said it would possibly be dashboard cluster that had failed and would need replacing. Big job. Decided it was probably not worth mot-ing.
After a quick look at workshop manual and a look on here i removed dash and cleaned circuit board as already mentioned on here and it now works!!!
Thank you so much.
There is hope yet.

paul farnworth
April 2016

have to say a big well done to all the above troubleshooters!!!!
Probably like me,you would rather burn your beloved Focus,rather than booking in and being ripped off by the main dealers !!

adrian
January 2016

Same problem, same solution. Mine is an 03 focus with disco dash. Eventually got round to removing circuit board. There were some corroded empty holes which looked bad and didn't clean off but after wd40 and a night on the radiator it all works. How long it will last though is another question.

JB Manchester
December 2015

no rev no lights and no indicators at all

steph
February 2015

Same problem as many others, 03 instrument cluster blank.. after looking on this forum and taking out and cleaning with wd40 and drying with a cloth and air drier as advised by others, BINGO job done all working, thanks for the info, BRILLIANT....

jim
February 2015

Hi everybody. I have a question. My fathers 2004 Ford Focus c max has been off the road for a year due to an electrical problem. He took it to a ford dealership and they couldn't locate a fault. The dash is very erratic and he loses power. The battery drains after a little while and the car will not start. After months of research I found that 2002/2003 c max models were issued a recall on the instrument cluster due to the wrong solder being used causing corrosion. After all the reading I have done, I am 99% sure my fathers car is also experiencing this problem. As a manufacturing fault I don't see why we should pay the £700 ford are asking for.! Can anybody shed any light on this or guide me in the right direction? Or has anybody else with 2004 plates experienced this problem?

Emma Hazell
January 2015

Our Ford Focus 03 instruments stopped working yesterday. I took the cluster out of the car and inspected the circuit board very closely with a magnifying glass and noticed on several circuit vias that there were little black growths leading from via to via. I followed the threads advice to clean the circuit board with WD40 scrubbing the black growth areas with a hard tooth brush to remove all traces of the black substance, I suspect it is conductive and shorts out signals running through the board.

I reassembled the instrument cluster into the car and switch on- Perfect all instruments now working.

Well done on this thread, many thanks and enjoy Christmas to everyone.

Michael Odell
December 2014

Another thread revival!
Just had this problem on my Focus that's been standing for a couple of months. Battery was flat so I jumped it and got the 1970s disco light show on the dash. Followed the suggestions here, took out the instrument cluster and gave it a good clean with WD 40 and a lint free cloth. Reconnected it and Hey Presto it's working again! Thanks for the thread!

Malcolm
December 2014

Thank You..Thank You. !!!!!
Selling my 02 focus and checked this morning and found dash fault as above ..... pulled the cluster and cleaned with WD40 as advised and all works again ..... new owner would not even know there was a problem ..... saved the sale and the wrath of "she who must be obeyed" lol.

Thanks again !!!!!!!

Stewart
October 2014

I have had this instrument cluster fault for 4-5 months before now. Tried this fix too but unfortunately it did not work for me, I ended up sending it to a company called cartronix in waterlooville and they sorted it for me for around 80 quid and gave a 2 year warranty, the gauges are no longer dropping out and the abs and brake light have stopped flashing

ST Mike
September 2014

The "no rev counter , no speedo, no mileage" problem yet again.

I tried the WD40 remedy which worked for a couple of days.
I then tried Halford's 'Electrical Contact Cleaner' (only because it was a quid cheaper then WD40's version). One spray to each side of the PCB and it was cured. Two months on now, wind, rain, condensation etc and still working perfectly.

ROTAVATOR driver
March 2014

yes yes yes .
had same problem with dash lights going crazy ,no rev counter , no spedo,no millage . priced a new cluster 300 euro plus labour, took out dash cover with 3 screws, remove boot switch wire , removed cluster 2 screws , un plug , took off cluster 2 small torque screws , and could see small bits of corrosion on electric board , cleaned with dry cloth , replaced and am back motoring , 15 min in total. thanks a mill guys for the advice , will have 300 euro more to spend for christmass

TERRY
December 2009


WOW!! Thread revival.

Had a problem with the fuel/temp gauge going up when keys were taken out of the ignition. Not a problem really, but when I lost all dials while driving and then they came back on.... I decided to google it!
Found the thread above and followed the steps. The only thing missing was how to remove the plug from the rear. There is a black clip that you have to lift up and this will pull the plug out for you.

I looked at the circuit board and it looked pretty clean until I looked closer and found silvery/brown marks over a lot of the connections. Sceptical, I followed instructions, and after some WD40 and a cloth (not a fluffy duster as the fluff will stick, I used a new dish cloth) It looked a lot better so I put it all back together. Took about 10mins in total, and....

Problem solved!!!

All needles how they should be and all at zero when ignition off.

Hopefully it will last!

MANY MANY THANKS TO ALL ON HERE!!!!

Jake Shuttleworth

Jake Shuttleworth
October 2013

Hi all , I need to gain access to the INNER pcb board on my 55 ford focus 1.8tdci. I seem to have a dry/broken joint between the main board connector. I have used wd 40 and it's working fine for the moment BUT I do a lot of travelling and i'm afraid that this could go again at any given time.I have stripped down the outer housing but cannot seem to prize open the inner part to gain full access to the pcb soldered 'pins and circuit board to check for any cracks .... Anyway here's my question ........Is it the 4 dials that are preventing me from opening this up and if so then how do I remove them without causing any damage to them.... Any video links etc would be appreciated, cheers Gripper ;-)

Gripper
April 2013

I started this thread:-
Having had the instruments removed, I sent the unit to a firm in the midlands (internet advert) that said they could 'rebuild' the dash. on it's return, the dash had the same faults that it was sent off with, re-sent the unit, only to be told "we can't repair it". In fairness they have given me a full refund.
new dash unit on order from ford motor co . at a price less than the initial quote for repair.

pete
March 2013

had the usual 'parasitic discharge problem' so i dis-connect the battery when not using the car. after 4 months of not using the car, i started it and found the altenator was siezed so i replaced it-the battery was at full capacity (slow charger). went to see family - 100 mile drive - left battery connected for three days without using the car.
started it to return home and the dash electics went bezerk and a relay was clicking in the fuse box.after three minutes the dash settled down but the fuel gauge and the 'you've left the lights on' chime has stopped working
off to find a 'sparks' to find if the new alternator is overcharging when cold. if so, is the dealer who supplied the altenator liable for consequental damage to the car's electronics?
small claims court here i come !

pete
February 2013

WD 40 worked for me thanks for the tip

Addonic
December 2012

just followed tips with using wd40. sparyed the rear part of pcb board the wiped softly with tissue then stood in front of small fan heater for 40 mins. #
refitted and now working for now will keep an eye it!!!!
fingers crossed!!!!!!

Adam85
November 2012

nopin ford focos 1,8 2006

agus
March 2012

SteveC is correct. Most likely one or a series of bad solder connection on the main connector to the PCB of the dash.
However I would personally get someone who can solder to reflow EVERY pin to prevent future failures. This is COMMON!!!!!

JustinSteer
March 2012

I have just cured same problem. lost rev and speedo and glow plug, drive train and engine and battery light stayed on. then worked then didn't etc...
removed pcb, used a can of electrical cleaner on pcb, let dry for an hour and replaced. Works just as it should now.
WARNING: before removing pcb, note where the dials are! bit of masking tape is not a bad idea. i had to adjust my speedo and fuel guage dials as i put them back in the wrong position.

lee
December 2011

Fuses ok. Earth connections inside wing ok. Solved by spraying PCB with WD40 and cleaning with cotton buds and then drying overnight in airing cupboard. hey - presto - works fine. No cost!

Glen
November 2011

Might have to try spraying the pcb board with wd but I have cleaned up the contacts on my car battery after a starting problem. The car has been behaving itself for 3 days. fingers crossed.

Jenny Trevillion
July 2011

thanks for the advise.my 03 focus instrument cluster just died 3 weeks ago.i took out the cluster sprayed it with wd 40 gave it a wipe,dried it with a hair dryer and it's back working fine

benji
April 2011

Thank you folks!!!! This worked a treat for me. Examined the pins and didnt see any cracks or corrosion. Gave it a good long clean with cotton bud and WD40. Tried it, no luck. Tried it all over again, no luck. So took the advice of lightly brushing WD40 with a small soft brush all over both sides of PCB board, dried for a few mins with Hairdryer on low setting. One last rub down with kitchen towel. Hey presto, result!!! Lets see how long it lasts for now. Thx again.

Alzybob
March 2011

this happened to my car yesterday and i am worried if this problem could cause an electrical surge and my car catch fire does anyone know if this can happen plus the fact that i am not clueless to how fast i am driving

Divy40
March 2011

Had the same on 52. Took out cluster, sprayed connector with electrical cleaner spray. Worked for a week then died again. Took out cluster, connector in and out a few times didn't solve so took off pcb on back of cluster. Examined under a magnifier, could see no visible cracks in solder joints but re soldered every joint on the connector anyway. Cluster back in and working again so I guess time will tell. Hope this helps

Paul G
February 2011

i have same problem 52 plate ford focus. i am not sure how to fix it i paid 1300 for the car. ford dealer asking 300 for new one. and garage guy say he can fix the problem for 150.

dave
November 2010

Went through the fuses today and found that removing a fuse while the engine is running and putting it back again made the cluster come back on, but once the ignition is turned off for 5 seconds it will not come back on cant understand it at all, ill go through the cleaning and soldering next and if that dosnt work then ill put a switch at the fuse to turn it on when engine is started

Barry
October 2010

This has happened today to my 51 plate focus 1.8td ghia estate, it was working fine, as i notices that the milage was coming up to 105k, got home then went to go out an hour later went to start the car and ide left it in gear, the radio stations reset back to default and after a mile i noticed that the speedo, rev counter, temp gauge and the fuel gauge had not moved, the milage display is blank but all the bulbs on the cluster worked, i removed the earth from the battery for about an hour, put it back but its still the same, gonna look into the wd40 / re soldering option tomorrow before i think of going to the scrap yard for a replacement, luckily ive set up a gps speedo on my iphone until i get this sorted out.

Barry
October 2010

Check 2 grounds at left fenderwell, going to (-) batt

all tech auto electric
June 2010

i have a ford focus and am having same problems with a lot of other owners somthing wrong somwere what should i do

elizabeth
May 2010

my 02 reg focus has speedo and mileometer problems. loses all dashboard for no reason and occasionally comes back on how do i fix this problem

lee
March 2010

yes yes yes .
had same problem with dash lights going crazy ,no rev counter , no spedo,no millage . priced a new cluster 300 euro plus labour, took out dash cover with 3 screws, remove boot switch wire , removed cluster 2 screws , un plug , took off cluster 2 small torque screws , and could see small bits of corrosion on electric board , cleaned with dry cloth , replaced and am back motoring , 15 min in total. thanks a mill guys for the advice , will have 300 euro more to spend for christmass

TERRY
December 2009

re cluster problem ford garage advised me new cluster unit has been reduced in price by over £100 to £57 and are readily available bit of confusion over cost of fitting at ford garages one quoted £203including cluster other quoted £99 have book my car into £99 fit on 16/11/09 will advise out come

winder
November 2009

The guide from Soarpoint is dead on. Mine worked first time after a quick squirt of WD40 and a wipe and fan heater dry. The pics from www.focusfanatics.com/howtos/guageremoval/ are useful. Blow up teh clip pic to see how it works to get the plug off the cluster - no force required at all.

mikec
November 2009

The instrument cluster in my 54 plate Ford Focus suddenly went crazy, lights and display flashing, chimes sounding. I removed the unit, dismantled it carefully (Note the zero position of the pointers/needles!!) and found that the pcb had some white crusty 'corrosion' in places. At one point these deposits appeared 'sooty' and looked like it had been causing a short between some of the tracks. I cleaned these deposits off with a very stiff toothbrush and everything works fine again.

soarpoint
June 2009

I had exactly the same problem on my 51 focus 1600 zetec (NO TEMP,REV,SPEEDO,ODDOMETER,FUEL GUAGE BUT BACKLIGHT,INDICATORS,FULL BEAM ECT OK). Problem started a while back but went ok for months. Then last week started happening again and then went completely.
After having read this forum and others I can see this is a common problem.
I have now fixed my problem and I hope this info will help others do the same AND SAVE THEM A FEW QUID!!.
This may be too technical for some people but it might help pointing you in the right direction.
If you can remove the cluster from dashboard and can use a small tipped soldering iron it will help.
Once you have removed the cluster from the dash (be carefull to keep the dials upright) remove the five torx head screws on the back of the unit. This will give you access to the pcb board. Carefully pull the board away from the main body. You should now have the pcb in your hands(you dont have to worry about keeping this part upright).
Turn the board round and you will see two rows of soldered connections that hold the main plug socket on.
Use a magifying glass and inspect all the joints. You should find cracks between the socket pins and the solder(mine was top right hand pin).
Re solder the broken connections with a small tipped soldering iron.
Reassemble the unit and test.
I know this is a bit of a tricky job but if this advice helps anybody it's worth it.

SteveC
September 2008

simple answer is never ever buy a ford focus or any other ford i have but never again

pete
April 2008

I'm sure you have already seen this covered on Watchdog (14th April 2008), but if not, check out their website (www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/) I've experienced the same problem with my 03 Focus, and have had costly repairs at a Ford dealership who were in fact next to clueless/useless. I wish I had heard about the WD40 idea (Take out the cluster, brush down the back of the PCB's and spray them with WD40, stick it in the airing cupboard overnight, refit and then everything is OK - not sure how long for though!) before shelling out hundreds of pounds.

Barbie
April 2008