Are the central locking of your Ford Focus not working? It is a big issue if not solved.
Focus is one of the most admired models from Ford Motor which is known for its modern designs for different models and incorporation of the latest and unique technologies in various electro-mechanical systems.
However, as there are always some drawbacks along with good qualities, Ford Focus also has some technical challenges to overcome like problematic dual-clutch transmission, steering issues, central locking system outage, etc.
In this article, we will focus on the issues related to the Central Locking system in the Ford Focus. But before we jump directly to the issues or problems let us know a little bit about the central locking system.
What is Central Locking in cars?
Any vehicle having a power door lock provides a button at the driver’s side or in some cases front passenger’s side along with the driver’s side to simultaneously lock or unlock all the doors of the vehicle by pressing the button. In old vehicles, this function was allowed only through the door locks.
The central locking system is of high importance because it contributes highly to the safety of all the passengers in a vehicle.
How does a Central Locking System work?
In general, most cars use a central locking system which includes four electronic locks (aka locking gun). Out of these four locks one and in some cases two act as master lock and the remaining act as slave motors.
But in the case of Ford Focus, this system is replaced with a locking mechanism that operates based on a small 12V electric motor. This motor is the heart of the locking system which drives the “cam and follower” mechanism delivering the up and down movement of the locking switch/jockey.
This locking system consists of four such locking assemblies installed inside the door panel to operate the mechanical system through the connecting links. One or two out of these four assemblies act as master and the rest work as followers.
When the master assembly goes in locking status, all follower assemblies also switch to locking status and vice versa. All four assemblies are connected via an Electrical Control Unit (ECU) or relay socket which communicates between them according to the
various inputs it gets from different sensors.
The main inputs to the ECU are:
1. Timer: Gets the input for how long your vehicle has been left unattended.
2. Lock system scanner: Gets the input for the status of all door locks. It keeps on scanning continuously.
3. Engine status: Gets the input for engine status like ACC, LOCK, ON, START.
Ford Focus Central Locking Not Working: Causes & Fixes
Now with all these details necessary to understand the central locking system we are good to go further to understand the problems users encountered regarding the central locking system of Ford Focus.
The major and most frequent problems faced by users are the locking system not working at all, water inside the locking system, short circuit in the locking system, problems with the microswitch, etc. Now let’s take a dig at all these problems one by one:
1. Locking system stop working altogether or malfunctioning
This is one of the most frequent problems observed in Ford Focus where there are
malfunctioning of different sensors or their outputs like an improper response from indicator lights, sirens, locking/unlocking of a few doors while others work the opposite.
Potential causes:
The locking system has not been configured or synchronized or needs to be configured again.
Solutions:
Reconfiguration of locking system. How to do it? You need to follow below steps:
• Put the key into the ignition. Then turn it to ignition and back 4 times rapidly.
• You will then hear a chime that indicates you are in the central locking programming mode.
• Remove the key and press the lock and unlock (although It may only be needed to press the lock) button on the remote
• You will then hear another chime and it should be done.
• The central locking should work great now with no issues.
Check the central locking system from Amazon.
2. Water/moisture inside the locking system
This is also a very common problem reported by users, especially from the areas where the weather is cold and moist.
Potential causes:
No watertight seal in window edges, window guides are worn out, window no longer snug
against the strip.
Solutions:
Once the water or moisture penetrates the locking mechanism, it tends to damage the electrical parts of it mainly the motor, electrical circuits, and electric supply/power plug. If any one of these is damaged by water, then they must be replaced or repaired if possible.
To eliminate the root cause of the problem we need to provide a watertight seal with tape along the window edges and provide new window guides.
Check the watertight seal tape from Amazon.
3. Short circuit in locking system
Many users, while searching for a reason for the locking system problem found that there
was a short circuit in the locking system.
Potential causes:
Lock and unlock wires are earthed at the same time. It happens due to the improper functioning of ECU sensors which deliver a wrong input to the ECU.
Solutions:
The damaged circuit must be replaced to achieve the proper functioning of the central locking system. But before that, we need to find out the default sensor and look for the reason why the sensor defaults. This data will furnish the root cause to eliminate any short circuits in the future.
4. Problems with microswitch
The malfunctioning of the microswitch is also one of the most common problems observed and reported by the Ford Focus users.
Potential causes:
The microswitch which is located behind the door panel and near the bottom corner of the door malfunctions when there is an inclusion of water, wax, oil, or grease. Generally, the combination of moisture and water forms a greasy layer on this micro switch, resulting in its
malfunctioning.
Solutions:
If this situation occurs, then the micro switch must be cleaned. All the moisture, water, or grease must be cleaned up. Most commonly WD-40 is used to clean and spray microswitches.
Check the WD-40 cleanser spray from Amazon.
However, it is just a temporary solution to the problem. The root cause is the moisture or water intrusion inside the door panel. The solution for this problem is already discussed above.
Where to get the new Central Locking System for your car?
You can search on Amazon to find a new central locking system. Plus, many service centers keep the Ford Focus central locking system.
Check the central locking system from Amazon.
Check the central locking system for your car from Amazon.
You might be interested to read also our another article of: How Do I Get My Car Put Out of Anti-theft Mode?
Final Words
The Ford Focus central locking not working issue is not very difficult to fix. But you have to maintain all the steps properly.
Hope this article was helpful to you. For any query, please comment below or write to us.