Instrument panel dials all pegged to zero or max

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atkinsonguy - 18 Apr 2007 01:24 GMT

2003 Focus wagon 2.0L Automatic (US) - 65000 miles. Upon returning to
the airport after a weeks trip, temp, spedo, and fuel gauges started
to jump. Very quickly the temp and spedo pegged to zero and the fuel
gauge
pegged to full. On the 40 mile trip home, ocassionally all three
gauges [at the same time] would jump to the correct value but then
would peg back to the zero/full position. After I got home, I let the
car sit for an hour and then took it out for a short drive. All dials
now pegged to zero/empty with no movement whatsoever. Other than the
dials, the car ran fine. All other electrical equipment [lights,
radio, wipers, heater fan, windows, other instrument idiot lights]
were fine. I've read the posts about the VSS. Could that also affect
the temp & fuel dials?

Dave

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Chris Whelan - 18 Apr 2007 08:21 GMT

> 2003 Focus wagon 2.0L Automatic (US) - 65000 miles. Upon returning to
> the airport after a weeks trip, temp, spedo, and fuel gauges started
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Dave

Unlikely to be the VSS in this case I would think.

First thing to check would be all earth points in the dashboard area. Remove
them, clean and replace.

Even if this is not the solution, it will save time (and therefore money) to
eliminate this if you eventually need to pay for help.

Let the group know how you get on.

Chris

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MK - 18 Apr 2007 12:50 GMT

> 2003 Focus wagon 2.0L Automatic (US) - 65000 miles. Upon returning to
> the airport after a weeks trip, temp, spedo, and fuel gauges started
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Dave

This is a fairly common problem with Focus. I had mine replace by Ford
under warranty, some chip behind the dash required replacing. Do a search
of this group in google and you will see a few others have had this problem.

Cheers,

MK

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Ivan - 18 Apr 2007 13:29 GMT

||| 2003 Focus wagon 2.0L Automatic (US) - 65000 miles. Upon returning
||| to the airport after a weeks trip, temp, spedo, and fuel gauges
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
|| Do a search of this group in google and you will see a few others
|| have had this problem.

Had it not been under warranty, I wonder out of curiosity how much Ford
would have charged you for the replacement of a complete dash panel, for the
sake of an IC which probably cost nowhere near a fiver to produce?

|| Cheers,
||
|| MK

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Mike Hunter - 18 Apr 2007 15:48 GMT

If the pod does indeed needs to be replaced, try a salvage yard. Probably
only a $5 item

mike

> ||| 2003 Focus wagon 2.0L Automatic (US) - 65000 miles. Upon returning
> ||| to the airport after a weeks trip, temp, spedo, and fuel gauges
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> ||
> || MK

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Mike Hunter - 18 Apr 2007 15:46 GMT

You have a loose, or dirty, connection to the instrument pod, WBMG

mike

> 2003 Focus wagon 2.0L Automatic (US) - 65000 miles. Upon returning to
> the airport after a weeks trip, temp, spedo, and fuel gauges started
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Dave

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atkinsonguy - 24 Apr 2007 09:08 GMT

> 2003 Focus wagon 2.0L Automatic (US) - 65000 miles. Upon returning to
> the airport after a weeks trip, temp, spedo, and fuel gauges started
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Dave

Resolution - Connections to instrument cluster were checked and were
OK.
Took car to local garageman who isolated problem to instrument
cluster.
Exchange price for new cluster: [$318] + 1.5 hours labor to diagnose &
replace
cluster solved problem.

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