Hello All,
   My 2000V UK 1.8 Zetec with 38k miles yesterday did the strangest thing.
Went to supermarket on way home from a 40 mile uneventful journey and was
parked for about 1 hour. Started normally ok and I drove off.
Stopping at the first roundabout to give way, I dipped the clutch as normal
and the revs died away to nothing and the engine stopped.
Started immediately and I drove on for another 100 yards and when stopping
to give way again, the revs died again and the engine stopped again.
Turned starter and it started immediately again and I drove on for about
half a mile when one of the amber lights on the dash came on. Thinking it
was the engine stopped amber light, I pulled into the edge of the road and
put my 4way flashers on. The engine didn't stop and I then noticed that it
was the traction control light which was on. Checked the switch on the
centre console between the seats and it would not turn off the light.

Everything else seemed to be ok so I drove off home (carefully watching
everything and checking brakes worked ok etc). On the way home (with the
amber traction control light still on) after about 2 miles the speedo
stopped working and the odometer and trip distance disappeared leaving
just - - - - - -  in each place. Drove on for another couple of miles and
the speedo started working again and the odometer plus trip distance
returned to normal (with the correct figures in the mileage etc) but the
traction control light was still on.

Arrived home, stopped and switched off, unloaded the shopping and decided to
try my wife's car key instead of my pushbutton remote.
It started first time and there was no traction control light and I parked
up in the garage.

I decided to use the (normal type) key because for the last 3 weeks or so,
the push button remote locking fob has not worked properly in that it would
not double lock or unlock the drivers door. I had been to my normal Ford
dealer who said it would either be the solenoid in the drivers door or it
may be a wire which has broken and he/she suggested that it would be about
£120 to fix and seeing as the car locked and double locked ok with the key
as opposed to the remote, it was an expensive facility but they left it to
me to decide. (It's not the battery incidentally, tried to replace that but
no difference - it still locks and unlocks all doors except drivers at a
distance (and the lights flash after I lock the drivers door manually with
the key and then put the double locks on with the remote).
I mention this now because when I parked up the car in the garage after the
traction control/stalling episode, I thought I would try the remote
(thinking computerwise, that all may now be working now that it had been
rebooted??) and it worked ok, double locking all doors.
Went out this morning and the remote fob didn't unlock the driver's door
again however I drove about 10 miles and there were no problems driving.
Up to this incident, I have not had a single problem with the car letting me
down and indeed it is driving as fine as ever now.
Hoping that someone like Tim or Paul can give me some clues, I would like to
know:-
1. Are the two problems likely to be connected?
2. Is there anything that can be replaced to rectify this (replace ECU or
something?)
3. Can the Ford dealer connect his computer and find out what the problem
is? How much does that cost?
4. I am worried now that it is going to let me down when I am doing
something more important that supermarket shopping, is this likely (or
predictable?)

Hope it is clear what happened and sorry to be a bit longwinded,
Thanks
Justin