Strange running problem with my Focus????

[scrubbie]

Okey dokey.............so I'm driving along in my Focus (V reg, 1800 LX) and all of a sudden the speedometer drops to 0mph!!! (The rev counter still works fine). Still able to drive along..........until I have to pull up at a junction or roundabout and the engine cuts out - so I'm left rolling along but without power steering and no engine power of course!

Turn the key and the car starts again straight away so I can carry on driving but still without a speedo. Driving it further and the digital readings (the digital bit at the bottom of the speedo that tells you how many miles your car has done - is it a mileometer????) changes from "figures" to "dashes"!!!!!

When it happens I can keep the engine running by keeping the engine revs higher than normal to prevent it cutting out but it's a pain the "you know what" and it's not safe.

Any ideas of what it might be would be very much appreciated.

Cheers

[mnkiboy]

It's the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) that sits on top of the gearbox. About £30 from Ford I think, though you'll probably need someone to fit it.

Google 'Focus VSS', there's loads of info about it.

[scrubbie]

Thank you very much for your advice.

I contacted a Ford main dealership who said they would need to connect it up to some kind of computer gizmo to check it out before they could tell me what it was.

For which they were going to charge me £80 plus v.a.t.

I'll get one of the speed sensors you speak about and get it fitted asap.

Thanks again.

[neiljohnson]

Could also be a dash problem it's well known the vss is the cheaper option so worth trying that first