First, a couple of definitions of terms used in this article:
The manual-transmission versions of the US-spec Ford Focus have a very annoying “shift-light” in the instrument cluster. The light wouldn't be so bad if it only lit when the engine speed was approaching the rev limiter (in fact, that might even be fairly useful), but this isn't how the system is programmed. The car's ECU seems to have a very bizarre opinion about when you ought to shift from one gear to another and consequently the light is on more often than it is off. It is especially distracting at night, since the light is a quite bright orange color. I did notice, however, that the light never illuminates is when the clutch is disengaged, which led me to the following set of instructions on a method to disable the light altogether. Note that it only works on cars without cruise-control fitted. If your Focus has cruise control, please see the bottom of the page.
For curious Focus owners without the shift light (all non US-spec Foci, as far as I can tell), I've included a photo of the instrument cluster with the shift light illuminated (the engine wasn't even running at the time...):
I welcome your comments on this page. If you'd like to provide feedback, send your email to me at cars [at] noegruts [dot] com
Note that my Focus doesn't have cruise control. The ECU uses the switch that is disconnected in this procedure to disengage the cruise control system if the driver disengages the clutch while cruise is operational. So if your Focus has cruise control you can't use this method to disable the shift light and still retain cruise control operation..
This page shows you how you can very easily disable the shift light without any kind of permanent modification to your car. You do not need to remove the instrument cluster or cut any wires. However, remember that any work you perform on your car is your own responsibility. If you feel at all unsure about what you are doing, I suggest you either obtain professional advice or don't work on your car at all. I cannot guarantee that it will work on all US-spec manual-transmission Foci, nor can I take any kind of responsibility if something goes horribly wrong with your car after you work on it. But if you're sensible, you'll be fine.
1. Switch off the engine and engage the parking (emergency) brake. Remove the keys from the ignition switch.
2. Identify the various plunger switches surrounding the pedals. There is one switch on the brake pedal and two on the clutch. One of the two clutch switches allows the vehicle's ECU to know when the clutch is disengaged (switch #1 in the photo), while the other only allows the starter motor to operate when the clutch is fully engaged (ie. when you have the pedal pressed to the floor). See Photo 1.
3. Gently remove the #1 clutch pedal switch by rotating it. You might find this easier if you press the clutch pedal slightly. See Photo 2.
4. If your car has cruise control, use a zip tie or similar to hold the plunger on the switch depressed. See Photos 3 and 4. If you do not have cruise control, you can omit this step. This hasn't yet been confirmed, but I suspect if you don't carry out this step the car's ECU will refuse to allow the cruise control system to operate because it will think that the clutch is permanently disengaged. Note, however, that if you perform this step on a Focus equipped with cruise control you will not be able to cancel the cruise control by pressing the clutch pedal. Perform this modification at your own risk.
5. Secure the clutch pedal switch with a zip tie or similar to ensure that it doesn't hang down and get in the way of the pedal operation. I secured it to the nearby hood release cable. See Photo 5.
6. Take a test drive and enjoy the “Focus Experience” unhindered by the annoyance of the shift light...
Thanks are due to Gaétan Girard and “pokey074” for providing feedback on the cruise control issue. You can find their Usenet postings archived on deja.com here and here.
If your Focus has cruise control fitted the system willl refuse to engage if it believes the clutch is disengaged. If you zip-tie the switch closed as described above then the cruise control will not cancel when the clutch is disengaged. You can either live with this or avoid this problem altogether by removing the bulb in the instrument cluster. Jason emailed me the following description of the procedure.
Tools required: Phillips-head screw driver 7mm socket and 3 inch extension
1. I removed the ground on my battery just to play it safe. I was paranoid about a surge going through the system and deploying the air-bag while I was hugging the steering wheel. Just a safety step that may not be necessary.
2. Remove the three phillips-head screws under the over-hang above the gauge cluster.
3. Once the three screws are removed, the shroud will simply pop out (there are clips that help hold the trim at each corner, this is the source of the pop), along with the cover on top of the steering wheel (I have tilt steering, may not be there if no tilt).
4. Remove the plug to the trunk release button, and put the shroud away.
5. Remove the four (7mm) bolts that hold the cluster in the dash.
6. Pull the cluster straight out. The wiring harness going into the back of the cluster is removed by pushing the black clamp all the way to the right, which pushes the plug out of the cluster (pretty simple).
7. Remove the gray plastic bulb retainer, by turning it counter clockwise. Do what ever you want with the bulb and retainer, I moved it to a blank location on the back of the cluster so that when I sell the car I can easily find the bulb.
8. Place everything back into the dash in reverse order. Reconnect the battery.
9. Take a drive around and be amazed at how chilling it feels for the light not to come on. Its like never seeing that friend, that you never really liked, again!
Many thanks to Jason for providing these instructions. Now all US-spec Focus owners can be shift-light free!
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