No Instrument Cluster, No Entertainment Center, In and out of Battery Saver Mode!

[dslmech]

Good morning all,

I have a 2013 Fusion SE Hybrid and I am looking for some help.  This past week I began experiencing an electrical issue.  I'll try to keep this as short as possible but informative.

 

The problem began by getting a blind spot fault and cross traffic faults.  When this happened, I still had my instrument cluster and entertainment center with the exception of the radio.  Bluetooth would connect but I could not talk via SYNC. 

- I pulled fuse 33 (Radio) for 10 minutes, installed the fuse and everything powered up and began working again.

 

Next day, I was about 80 miles into a 120 mile trip and received the blind spot and cross traffic faults again.  Shortly after, my instrument cluster and entertainment center would enter power saving mode.  I was receiving the infamous "Thank you for driving a Hybrid" message and then the dash would power back up.  I never lost engine/hybrid, never lost power steering or brakes, tail lights, head lights, power seats, heat or AC.

 

Last night, I connected the vehicle to my computer that has AutoEnginuity (Scan tool) and had Battery Voltage Low and a bunch of Loss of communication codes on various modules.  I replaced the 12V battery but it didn't fix the problem.  I continued to troubleshoot the problem and discovered if I stand on the rocker panel (bottom of the driver door jam) and bounce, the car cluster and entertainment center power up, but them immediately powers down.  Hmmm.  So it appears to be possibly a loose/broken wire around either the shock tower or A-frame.  The bounce is enough to rock the car but not forcefully enough to move wires anywhere in the car.

 

I am looking for any advice, thoughts, ideas, or a similar experience with a fix.  I understand these vehicles are extremely sensitive to power and sometime too "smart" for a road vehicle.

 

I appreciate any assistance that anyone can provide.

[West]

I have a 2015 Ford Fusion SE 2.0L Turbo, only 29,000 miles on it.  I have had this intermittent failure just like you for a few years now, I think it first showed up at 16,000 miles.   So far, I have replaced the DLC, OBD2 port, the Radio, the center console face with all the controls.   I thought it was fixed after cleaning all the connections at the BCM, I even tried replacing the BCM.   My only trouble picked up on my scan tool is “Failure to communicate with the Rear View Camera”.   Camera works fine but the lane lines that show where you are going as you back up do not turn, they always show straight lines, never turn with the steering wheel.

I sold the car after it had not acted up in 7 months.  The problem came back with the new owner.   He put it in a shop.   They told him to come get it they could not fix it.  He put it in Ford, they kept it a few days and called and said they can’t fix it, out of warranty of course.    Now one of these two shops messed up a few items on this car.   Heated Seats are now dead, Rear Window Defog is now dead,  Driver seat would power forward but not back.  The new owner called and asked me to buy it back.  I felt guilty and I did buy it back, now I need to fix it.   I have bought a Mercedes to replace this car before I sold the Fusion so I have a car to drive and time to fix this car but I need to find the problem to fix it.   I fixed the Driver seat myself.  It now works fine, I have not found a way to fix the heated seats or the rear window defogger, even with the new Radio and center console faceplate and module these items do not ever work although I can turn on the heated seats with my scan tool so the system still works but something was fried by the shops.   I have yet to find the exact cause of the center console problem.

I have found the center console failure  problem is caused by the VDB - 04 +(vehicle Data Bus HS1 Wire +)  wire shorting to ground.   I can duplicate the problem any time I wish by grounding the DLC connector #6.   Touch #6 to ground and the Center console and other items go dead just like other owners report.   Remove my ground it it comes right back to life.  I just have yet to find where it is being shorted to ground,  OK, it may also be shorting to the VDB - wire as this also causes all the symptoms.   VDB-04 is the Pin 6 wire at the DLC or Data Link Connector/OBD 2 port under the dash.   This is also called the HS-1 + high speed communications wire or CAN Bus wire HS1 +.   There is also a HS2 system that does not cause the problems if grounded like the HS-1 can do.   I believe there is also an HS3 system but this problem seems to reside on HS-1 or VDB-04.   I am in process of testing the HS 1 + VDB 04 wires from the PCM to each and every splice and connector or module the wires go to.  This is very time consuming, seats have to come out, dash gets taken apart, module in trunk and wires they’re checked.  There are many splices where the wire might be shorted so lots and lots to check.    We are not alone, many Ford owners have this issue.   Find where the Can Bus wire is getting grounded and the car should be reliable again.    Should be a FORD RECALLMaybe .   This is a very dangerous failure.    It seems to go out when it is 100* outside, when it goes out you have no A/C, can’t roll down a window down to get cool air.   Door locks don’t work either.   This is a Safety issue.  FORD SHOULD STEP UP and fix these cars.     BTW:   My scan tool is a good one, I have 2 way communication with it, I have purchased and used FORSCAN, nice program but still no solutions.   I have a Oscilloscope, it has let me see exactly what the wires should be doing and shows the odd behavior when the wire is grounded but does not show where it is happening.    It could be one module randomly shorting out?   Wha knows but a solution has to be found.  Any guidance would be appreciated.   I will report back if I find an issue.

Edited August 6, 2023 by West

[WKelley]

Unfortunately, from 2013+, quality took a major hit.  They also decided that every feature needed it's own module and random modules dropping out is a real problem with the vast majority of 2013+ vehicles.  Now I realize this is of no help to you for me to say this, but you do get the idea that you really are in for a battle.

 

Try disconnecting modules one at at time on that network leg and see if you can get lucky.  

 

Try looking at a few of "Pine Hollow Diagnostics" on Youtube, plus he has a few other links to some of the other high end diagnosticians.  You'll need wiring diagrams as well.  Goodluck and hopefully some one with better advice than I have given will chime in.

Edited August 7, 2023 by WKelley

[West]

I am pretty well equipped for a shade tree mechanic, I have an Oscilloscope, Fluke multi meter, Launch X431V+ bi directional scan tool, FORSCAN, 2 different wire diagrams, and they do differ by the way.    I have done the disconnect module testing, unfortunately I have yet to find any real issues.  I do see where I am not the first to go into many of the connectors and wire harnesses.  Either the shop or the Ford Dealer went in first.  One of them messed up and caused the Heated seats and rear window defogger to fry.   Neither work at this point.   I did fix the driver seat that would not adjust.   I had ot solder the connectors on the adjusting control but that feature is fixed.   Nothing has made the rear window defog work.   I do know what can bus is failing or grounding now I just need to find out where.   I have had both front seats out and the carpet up, had the entire trunk apart, the dash is currently still apart.   Had parts of the engine compartment apart to reach the ABS and several other connectors.   Someone was into those before me also, not all were put back perfectly.   Both the local auto shop and the Ford Dealer did not charge for the work done and gave no receipt.,   I know they fried the heated seats but I can’t prove it so no recourse, I just need to fix it.,   It is a very nice car but I need to get it back to perfect.   Thanks for the ideas.   This is more for therapy for me.   Trying to find the cause.   My can bus system so far has read perfectly all the time,  2.5-3.6V on the can + and 1.5 - 2.6 on the low side.   Can signal on the oscilloscope shows a nice square pattern as it should.    

[West]

Should have noted, since my problem can come and go, 7 months without a problem and then it comes back?   Very strange, I am not sure if a module fails when it gets hot or a wire happens to ground in certain conditions.   Odd thing is when it is dead, entire console shut off not working I can re set the system and it will work fine till it fails again?   Could be 10 minutes or 5 months.   Hard to track down.,   Scan tool will not clear this issue, it does show multiple systems are not communicating which indicates the Can Bus has been lost or shorted out.   If a wire is shorted why would it work again after I reset by disconnecting the battery, unplugging the BCM or unbolting the grounds under the driver seat.   Any of these 3 will fix the system till it does this again.  I keep hoping it gets worse so I can find it but so far that has not happened.   I have disconnected and cleaned every ground I can find.   The only one I have not cleaned is the one in the center of the dashboard.  The entire center console has to be removed to reach that one.  I do not think this is a bad ground situation, I think it is a can bus wire shorted or a module failing.  Any tricks I should know to figure this out?   Thanks

West

[West]

For those with this issue, one person posted on Youtube that they can fix it with a Key Fob.   Press Unlock 2 times, Press Lock 2 times.  Press lock and hold for a few seconds?   Others claim this will fix the issue of a dead center console, dead windows and door locks.   I hope it works for others, 30 second fix is worth a try.

[jpohlman]

I'd look for a loose ground or a problem with the BMS sensor.

For some reason Ford likes to power the data bus from the BMS power.

[West]

I followed up in another thread on this forum, I think I found and fixed my car.  2015 Ford Fusion SE 2.0L Turbo, Center Console going dead, No Radio, No AC, No heated seats, no door locks, no power windows.   These items have been coming and going for a few years now.  I finally found one wire, a violet with a white stripe small wire under my carpet in front of the driver seat along the door jamb.   This one wire is in a bundle of maybe 50 other wires.   As I pulled up the carpet and Carpet pad for access to this area I spotted a small amount of green dust in one area on the floor board under the wires.  Lifting the wire bundle carefully up I inspected the wire harness.   This is hard because of the number of wires in this harness but I finally found one violet and white stripe wire that had the green dust on it, there was a small lump of green dust in one spot.   When I wiped the green dust off I found the wire had a small damaged area and the copper wire inside had corroded away.   I cut away the corroded ends of the wire and spliced in a new section of wire.   This Violet wire with white stripe goes into a factory splice about 2 inches away from where I repaired it.  After the factory splice this wire becomes two white wires, one may have a stripe but I did not peel back the tape to verify.   After this repair the entire car seems to be working perfectly now.  I did find my driver side puddle lamp in the rear view mirror was also not working and fixed that at the very same time.   One of these repairs seems to have fixed a very long running repair.    Hope this helps.

Edited August 24, 2023 by West

[Panda Girl]

On 6/15/2023 at 7:43 AM, dslmech said:

Good morning all,

I have a 2013 Fusion SE Hybrid and I am looking for some help.  This past week I began experiencing an electrical issue.  I'll try to keep this as short as possible but informative.

 

The problem began by getting a blind spot fault and cross traffic faults.  When this happened, I still had my instrument cluster and entertainment center with the exception of the radio.  Bluetooth would connect but I could not talk via SYNC. 

- I pulled fuse 33 (Radio) for 10 minutes, installed the fuse and everything powered up and began working again.

 

Next day, I was about 80 miles into a 120 mile trip and received the blind spot and cross traffic faults again.  Shortly after, my instrument cluster and entertainment center would enter power saving mode.  I was receiving the infamous "Thank you for driving a Hybrid" message and then the dash would power back up.  I never lost engine/hybrid, never lost power steering or brakes, tail lights, head lights, power seats, heat or AC.

 

Last night, I connected the vehicle to my computer that has AutoEnginuity (Scan tool) and had Battery Voltage Low and a bunch of Loss of communication codes on various modules.  I replaced the 12V battery but it didn't fix the problem.  I continued to troubleshoot the problem and discovered if I stand on the rocker panel (bottom of the driver door jam) and bounce, the car cluster and entertainment center power up, but them immediately powers down.  Hmmm.  So it appears to be possibly a loose/broken wire around either the shock tower or A-frame.  The bounce is enough to rock the car but not forcefully enough to move wires anywhere in the car.

 

I am looking for any advice, thoughts, ideas, or a similar experience with a fix.  I understand these vehicles are extremely sensitive to power and sometime too "smart" for a road vehicle.

 

I appreciate any assistance that anyone can provide.

 

[WKelley]

I would pull the cluster and check all connectors and wiring.