Hi,

If it's not bad enough I'm having a problem with the suspension and unopenable boot on my 2004 1.4LX automatic Fiesta, when driving into Manchester yesterday, two orange warning lights came up on the dash and refused to go out.

The first is an exclamation mark in a jagged circle (not red the smooth circle with an exclamation mark in, i.e. the handbrake warning light) which I think is the DURASHIFT error.

Second is the ABS warning light, again in an orange circle.

It drives perfectly well, but after I rang my garage to arrange to drop it off, I noticed that when I stopped at traffic lights, the dash said I was in 4th, then as soon as I started driving it dropped to 1, then climbed up to 2, then 3 as I pick up speed.

I don't know if it's always done that as I never look.

I have googled horror stories of Ford garages wanting new gear boxes for £1,000, yet other people say it could just be a loose fuse light behind the passenger glovebox or relatively small fault.

I sense the worst case scenario

Garage is putting it on the ramp this morning to have a look underneath as they don't have the diagnostic tool thingy with them, it's at there other branch.

Anyone have any clues please?

I was made redundant just before Xmas and can't afford any massive repairs (who can?).

I also need my car for a 2 day anniversary trip next Thursday/Friday, great timing eh.

Is it safe to drive with the ABS light on if I have to get it fixed after my trip?

What about the Duratech gear error? It drives okay now, but what if I got stuck or it went bad on a motorway? Yikes

Any suggestions, please post ASAP.

It's been fine up until now since I bought it in 2007.
Only 45k on the clock, and it's serviced every September too....



P.S. And I stupidly left the Fiesta manual/guide in my glovebox thinking it would be of use to the garage. Wish I'd bought it home with me on the bus!

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Talking to myself now, googling things just scares me even more....

 

Could be a wheel speed sensor from Google, but that coming from someone who knows NOTHING about cars, hence drives an automatic...

 

Hi, are you getting a funny buzzing noise from the wheels whilst driving? like a bad vibrating from one side or another?

Lee

 

I would say it does smack a bit of bein a wheel speed sensor . Purely as u say u have an ABS and box light on . If its the intelli system that the galaxys have they use there own brain of sorts for the gearbox but it also references the wheel speed and throttle position and engine revs . This is to make a decision on whay gear and when to change . I had a very simular prob with my galaxy however it woildnt use 1st/4th gear . could also be the gearbox speed sensor but cant see that it would throw an ABS light on though .

 

Having done a little research for you it seems the reluctor ring (ABS speed sensor) is a common problem, if you are getting a vibrating/buzzing noise from either side you need to take the wheel off and look for a small toothed ring on the driveshaft, at wheel end.
This should have no cracks or pieces missing, if it has then the ABS system will think the wheel is locking up, hence the vibration due to the brakes rapidly going on and off to stop wheel skidding, however it is getting a false signal.

 

If I remember right the ABS pickup is built into the wheel bearing, the sensor bolts into the hub and gets it's signal from a magnet in the bearing. A diagnostic machine should pick it up, if it is an ABS sensor I put one on my mondeo recently, I think it was around £20 off of ebay.

 

Thank you so much people.

Most of what you say kinda goes in one ear and out the other as car parts/maintenance is like a foreign language to me

My garage hasn't phoned me yet to let me know what they have found or rather haven't (seeing as they apparently don't have the reader in this branch), and I'm loathed to phone them up and pester them, still if I don't, I'll only get major grief of 'er indoors


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No funny buzzing noise, but there is vibration on the right side and it handles potholes and dents badly and the CD player skips at the slightest bump on the road

 

Maybe I shouldn't have taken it to the garage where I bought it from if they don't have the diagnostics machine reader actually there. Stupid me. I could have done with an instant "reading"...

I was tempted to pop into my local Ford dealer which is actually much nearer to my home...... sigh

 

if i were you i would go get it from the garage and take it somewhere what has diagnostic equip . its very time consuming and ultimatley costly for you to chase sensor faults otherwise . As you say with a reader you should in theory it should do the hard work for you . if you get stuck and fancy a trip over to warrington i'll plug my reader in next sat when im back at work foc. not back in till then and its in my toolbox

 

is your rev counter working and you mileometer if not it could be your abs pump modulator had a prob similar on my wifes fiesta codes were pointing at abs sensor checked them and they were all ok with a bit of digging i found that this is common on fiestas as the dash is all worked through the modulator car still drove fine only no rev counter or speedo and brake warning light was on a new pump is around £750 plus recodeding i got a compant near me who repaired it and recoded it for £300 or find one in a scrap yard with the same no,s they are a pain to remove as battery has to come out and unbolts from the underside and lifts out from above hope this is a easyer fix than mine was

 

Hi,

Well, my car is back from the garage this afternoon, and the bill was £136.

Breakdown was:

1. Run diagnostic check

2. Diagnosed ABS ring fault O/S rear (is that behind the driver?)

3. Replace O/S rear wheel bearing and ABS ring = £23

4. Reset diagnostic system to clear further codes and road test (4 miles)

5. Strip boot lid and adjust bracket for boot opening.

Labour & diagnostics = £90

Plus VAT = £22

Grand TOTAL = £136.


No lights on when driving home, and car felt smoother. Also gears changed down on dash when approaching lights, i.e. 4th down to 1st, then they progressed as I picked up speed.

All is now fine, touch wood.

Any further comments, suggestions please?

Good price? Good work carried out? Proper diagnosis followed through?

Guy showed me some worn circular ring thing - but it meant nowt to me!

Thanks for the help and suggestions
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I think that's a pretty good price for diagnostics, new bearing and the labour to fit it, plus whatever you had done in the boot. Even a couple of hours labour at £40-50 + vat would have been over £100, so yes, I would be happy enough!