jbryant

Wifey has a Focus, and I've been driving it a lot lately (great car, BTW - very chuckable!).

Weird thing is that during my journey to work, while bumbling along the motorway, the Centrakl Locking starts to jigger about and then activates itself, locking all door. Fairly disconerting but harmless, though it seems to be doing it on a more and more regular basis now.

The last couple of days I've turned on the ignition and all the needles on the dash have done a 'full sweep' of the dials, and then returned back to normal. Pretty cool except for the fact that none of this has happened before.

Does anyone know what might be causing these electrical gremlins? I've seen a thread on the RS forums detailing how to get the Central Locking on an RS to 'auto-lock' when you drive off, but this
1) only applies to Focus RS and
2) works immediately, not 20 minutes into the journey!

Thanks for any suggestions
Joolz

Cabinet Enforcer

The dial sweep is because the gauge cluster has experienced a low voltage condition, first check would be the battery, the cold weather/use of lights may have killed one of the cells.

The auto lock works on all mk1 facelift focus models, and some of the earlier mk1s as well. I don't think it has anything to do with your problem though.

Could be a fault with the central locking control unit, (that could also be running the battery flat, but I doubt it). Gut feeling would be a damaged door loom, or corroded plug connector, but it's impossible to tell from limited information.

You could try the sensor check test. Press the door shut (the one on the b pillar) 7 or 8 times quickly in sucession. you shold get a horn peep and indicator flash, pressing any sensor or activating any part of the system (door handles etc) should result in a horn peep, any that don't, or you get multi peeps from are being detected as faulty. Hopefully that will isolate the problem and you can try wiggling connectors etc to try and trace it further. To exit the test mode, just don't touch anything for about a minute and there will be a horn peep to indicate the mode has turned off.

Alternatively, take it to the dealers, they'll plug it in and find the problem, and relive you of a wedge of cash