ABS light on Focus Dash

Bushboy

Hi,

Last week the ABS light appeared on my Ford Focus 2003 model dashboard.
It then flashed on and off randomly thought-out an hours journey.
On Monday this week the brake light appeared on the dash.
I haven't used it since as didn't want to risk anything.
Will this be front dics that need replacing?
The front pads were replaced last year and have done just under 10k since then.

Whats the damage likely to be from a garage in London likely to be.
I wouldn't trust myself to change 'em!
Cheers :beer:

slimer3k

Hi Bushboy, I have an 03 Focus doing the exact same thing! My ABS light comes on and off random, but I don't have the red light.

There was a manufacturing fault in the 03 models. The instrument cluster fails because of corrosion of the PCB tracks. I've not checked mine yet, but will as soon as I get a chance.

If you take it to a garage, they will charge you £40 to read the code, and if it is the dash then there will be no error code.

The options are to pull it out yourself and clean off the corrosion, or take it to a dealer who will replace it for £100.

It could also be a genuine problem though......

http://www.autoinsider.co.uk/problems/show.php?problem=446

atrixblue.-MFR-.

slimer3k wrote: »

Hi Bushboy, I have an 03 Focus doing the exact same thing! My ABS light comes on and off random, but I don't have the red light.

There was a manufacturing fault in the 03 models. The instrument cluster fails because of corrosion of the PCB tracks. I've not checked mine yet, but will as soon as I get a chance.

If you take it to a garage, they will charge you £40 to read the code, and if it is the dash then there will be no error code.

The options are to pull it out yourself and clean off the corrosion, or take it to a dealer who will replace it for £100.

It could also be a genuine problem though......

http://www.autoinsider.co.uk/problems/show.php?problem=446

could be that or just the abs sensor. get fault code read that will tell you.
when you depress the brake does it feel like the pedal shakes then it disapears and comes back again shortly after if so sounds like abs! if not then could still be abs sensor wont know till you fault code read it at a garage.
your mistaken on the no error code being the dashboard, you may not be aware of it but most if not all modern cars 2000 on have 2 ecu's one for engine and one for dashboard that comunicates with the engine ecu as to display faults e.t.c. also check you battery if its comeing to its end of life it could throw up potential false eroors as power not adequitly going to the sensors in the car and may intermitantly turn them off and on thus giving faulse errors too.

Bushboy

That's interesting responses from both of you.
The car has been great in the 3 years I've had it. and I just wondering if it is just the brakes that need replacing and nothing else.
When I last used the car,on the way home stick in traffic in damp conditions I could smell a faint whiff of"brakes" from inside the cabin whilst we were stationary.

I haven't had any problems with the brake pedal when braking,although over the couple of years, whenever I press the brake pedal I do hear a low toned sound from the brakes.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Bushboy wrote: »

That's interesting responses from both of you.
The car has been great in the 3 years I've had it. and I just wondering if it is just the brakes that need replacing and nothing else.
When I last used the car,on the way home stick in traffic in damp conditions I could smell a faint whiff of"brakes" from inside the cabin whilst we were stationary.

I haven't had any problems with the brake pedal when braking,although over the couple of years, whenever I press the brake pedal I do hear a low toned sound from the brakes.

ABS sensor possible defectaive caliper from what you describe smell of brake but must not be confused with burning clutch even in 1st gear with clutch depressed stationary you can ride the clutch if not depressed fully. cars have moved on with their clutch systems and most dont use a cable type clutch setup but hydralic concentric slave cylinders (csc's for short) and even buy resting your foot on the clutch pedal engages the clutch hence waring it out and burning it up. but saying that if the hand brake light is comeing on too intermittantly as well as abs could be a rear brake fault abs sensor or caliper. have it check at garage.

marmitedog

The sensors get very dirty and this can throw a fault code.. Worth using an old credit card and some Wd40 togive them a clean (between the sensor and the disk). I'm sure I don't need to tell you to get WD 40 on the actual disk!