Tools and control devices (Mondeo 3)

As soon as the ignition key is inserted, many technical components between the front and rear wheels are under electronic "supervision". This increases your safety – while driving, you must devote all your attention to the "speedometer" and the situation on the road. However, do not underestimate the suddenly lit control lights: the visual warning signals in the Mondeo"s cabin always have a "serious" basis.

Oil pressure, airbag and ABS indicator lights go out briefly after starting

This applies to the oil pressure warning light, as well as the airbag and ABS warning lights, which light up for a few seconds during engine start-up. However, if they always remain "dark" or flickering while driving, this "intentionally" indicates a fault in the system. To avoid further expensive consequences and unnecessary accidents, immediately provide your Mondeo to Ford service specialists for diagnosis.

Sometimes it is possible - incorrect information from the salon

Naturally, electronic on-board systems operating online sometimes "get in someone's way": from time to time it is not the system itself that "weaves the web", but its periphery. Sometimes a faulty switch, sensor or connecting wire provokes the appearance of poor-quality information, which pushes a technically experienced driver to "anxious thoughts". Therefore, keep a cool head and follow logic - for example, when indicators of different systems fail simultaneously. Sometimes "only" a faulty voltage regulator is responsible for this information "salad". If only that were the case. In each case, it is necessary to consult well regarding possible causes and exclude a lack of information.

Route for professionals - visual check before the trip

Before you start your Mondeo, while sitting in the cabin, allow yourself to take a close look at your surroundings - over time, the "usual picture of the exterior appearance" of the cabin has been imprinted into your subconscious (the number of indicators depends on the corresponding equipment of your Mondeo), and even any deviation from it will immediately catch your eye.

• Does the watch work?
• When the ignition is on, the battery charge control lamp, oil pressure control lamp, handbrake control lamp (with the brake applied), airbag control lamp and ABS/ESP control lamp should light. In diesel Mondeos, the preheating control lamp also lights up for a few seconds immediately after starting.
• Don't forget about the hazard warning lights, heated rear window (front window), front and rear fog lights. Check if the corresponding indicator lights are working.
• Is there a switch and does the interior light come on?
• Shift the left combination lever, do the direction indicator and high beam indicator lamps work?
• Do the charge and oil pressure warning lights go out after the engine has started? Do the airbag warning lights and ABS/ESP indicator go out? Does the preheating warning light go out after the diesel has started?
• While driving, pay attention to the speedometer and tachometer.

Ergonomic and tasteful: placement of vehicle maintenance tools in the passenger compartment.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

Checking tools in "self-test" mode We assume that you are a certified "professional", or at least will be one in the near future. Therefore, any problems in the interior will immediately catch your eye. To understand and evaluate them correctly, use the technology that Ford donates to every Mondeo as a "hidden" help for the professional "screwdriver": before the mechanic starts moving any screw, he must animate the combined device for self-testing. To do this, he presses the speedometer Reset button and simultaneously turns the ignition switch to position II. As soon as the word "TEST" appears on the display (after about 5-8 seconds), you can release the reset button. The combined instrument then goes into the "test scan mode" of all display devices. If you want to continue the self-test mode, press the reset button again. This "game" continues until the coded solution to your problem appears on the display or you complete the self-test process by turning the ignition key in the "OFF" direction. If this code means nothing to you, then look for your Ford dealer and "give" him the combination of numbers and letters. At first, naturally, he will be skeptical, whether he can translate this code and take the appropriate first steps. And only after that will he definitely take the fashionable garage tester "WDS". As a knowledgeable amateur, you, of course, are not so helpless without "WDS". Oil pressure warning light does not light: turn on the ignition, disconnect the wire from the hydraulic switch and touch it to bare metal (ground). If the lamp now lights up, replace the switch - if the lamp remains "dark", check the supply wire, the conductive film of the combined instrument panel and the lamp in sequence. The hydraulic switch is "located" in carburetor engines in the engine cylinder block directly next to the oil filter flange, the diesel engine "carries" this switch at the height of the cylinder head on the left side of the engine. The fuel level indicator in the tank does not function: either the indicator or the fuel sensor is defective (the float is jammed). It is possible that there is a power failure or the ground contact is insufficient. The fuel indicator allows only limited troubleshooting. To check the wires in the fuel tank, some preparatory work must be done in the Mondeo and, depending on the diameter of the wires, special tools for spring clamp clutches are needed here. Therefore, we recommend that you look for a workshop with a lift and carry out this work there. Without causing damage, spring clamping clutches can only be separated using a special tool. The hazard warning lights do not work: First check the relevant fuse, then the wiring connections and the sensor elements for proper operation. A multimeter will help you here as much as possible. If the fault has been localized, then replacing most of the sensor elements or warning lights will not be particularly difficult for an amateur. However, it is better, of course, to refuse to repair the electronic boards of the combined instrument panel: trust your Ford dealer here.