LS Seatbelt warning alarm & pinging

Curly · 11-01-2007, 11:59 AM

When we start the engine on our LS Focus while not wearing a seatbelt the loud seatbelt warning alarm frequently sounds. Isn't it only meant to beep when travelling over 20km/h without a seatbelt? Does anybody elses car do this? Ford tried to turn it off in the computer but it didn't work. Any comments? Also our car still occasionally pings on 95 octane petrol. Ford say take it back to the dealer but the dealer say there is nothing more they can do and a new flash is coming out soon that may help. Are there many other LS owners that still have pinging issues on 95 octane? When speaking to Ford it would be helpful if we knew how widespread this issue is. Thanks

Piotr · 11-01-2007, 12:07 PM

The seatbelt warning will sound as long as your don't have seatbelt on.

Curly · 11-01-2007, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piotr

The seatbelt warning will sound as long as your don't have seatbelt on.

OK. Thanks. So all the LS Focus do it when you first start em up? Ours is strange because sometimes it doesn't do it and there doesn't seem to be a pattern as to when it does and doesn't. Should it stop itself or only when you put the seatbelt on? Thanks again.

Piotr · 11-01-2007, 12:43 PM

It starts when you put on the key will ring for a little while. Stop and then start again

More revs · 11-01-2007, 12:48 PM

Sometime I like to eat lunch in the car and need to open windows etc while doing so. Of course to open windows you have to turn on the ignition - seatbelt alarms ruin a quiet lunch.

I've tried to program the silence code but discovered it was from the previous model so it didn't work after wasting an hour or so.

All I do now is push the red seatbelt release button down for 5 secs and turn on the ignition... the car thinks the seatbelt is on.

then I can adjust windows for ventilation without scaring shoppers.

More revs · 11-01-2007, 01:04 PM

As for the pinging there are plenty in this forum with that problem but a few like me who have no problem at all.

One thing might work. Reset the ECU then go out an P plate the thing.

Mine was thrashed from new. The dealer had just received the car and I was the first to drive it and believe me I rev limited it and gave it a caning not expecting to actually buy the thing. I mean they have "other" cars that customers buy right?

Bahhh it was the only black Zetec they had so I had to buy that exact one. Still I kept thrashing it and still do to this day and it's had no problems at all, touch wood.

As for fuel all I use is 10% ethanol 95 RON without any pinging at all. I've used 98 RON from time to time but all it does is cost more and frees up slightly more torque below 3500 RPM.

I wish Ford would resolve this pinging issue too...

eXtremist · 11-01-2007, 01:18 PM

I thought you could browse through the cluster menu and turn the sounds off?

Curly · 11-01-2007, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXtremist

I thought you could browse through the cluster menu and turn the sounds off?

I seem to remember reading you can turn the alarm off for that trip only then it comes on again.

Lagom · 11-01-2007, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curly

Also our car still occasionally pings on 95 octane petrol. Ford say take it back to the dealer but the dealer say there is nothing more they can do and a new flash is coming out soon that may help. Are there many other LS owners that still have pinging issues on 95 octane? When speaking to Ford it would be helpful if we knew how widespread this issue is. Thanks

Ours pings sometimes, usually when you're off the throttle and then suddenly jump back on. Eg. when rolling down a hill, going into an uphill corner, and you'll get about 1 second of pinging

Does this on 95 or 98 RON at times. Seems totally random, can go on for weeks without doing so and then comes back here and there.

Kind of surprising considering my other car has a 11.5 (vs Focus' 10.8) compression ratio and never pings.

Curly · 11-01-2007, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lagom

Ours pings sometimes, usually when you're off the throttle and then suddenly jump back on. Eg. when rolling down a hill, going into an uphill corner, and you'll get about 1 second of pinging

Does this on 95 or 98 RON at times. Seems totally random, can go on for weeks without doing so and then comes back here and there.

Ours is similar. It also occasionally does it when taking off at the lights and when going up a hill. It can be fine for a while then just has a "bad day". On 91 octane it was dreadful. We are determined to keep pursuing this issue until Ford do something.

kenny21 · 11-01-2007, 05:24 PM

Make sure all ya fuel filters air cleaners are clean and that ya spark plugs are still alright cause sometimes if theres **** in somethin it does the strangest of things and dont run the tank to empty too often cause that stuffs ya filter up which then causes problems as well anyways thats enough of me blabbering on

Curly · 11-01-2007, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenny21

Make sure all ya fuel filters air cleaners are clean and that ya spark plugs are still alright cause sometimes if theres **** in somethin it does the strangest of things and dont run the tank to empty too often cause that stuffs ya filter up which then causes problems as well anyways thats enough of me blabbering on

Good advice but our car is only 2 months old with just over 3000kms on the clock.

karl74 · 12-01-2007, 12:08 AM

My Focus occasionally has a slight ping which i feel is related to the starting issues i have experienced (ie taking 3 or 4 times to start). I have had the fuel pump and sender replaced twice now and still no resolve. The dealership has told me that they have to wait for Ford to get back to them with an update on resolving the problem. So Ford are aware of the issue. I just hope they come up with a solution soon.

eXtremist · 12-01-2007, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karl74

My Focus occasionally has a slight ping which i feel is related to the starting issues i have experienced (ie taking 3 or 4 times to start). I have had the fuel pump and sender replaced twice now and still no resolve. The dealership has told me that they have to wait for Ford to get back to them with an update on resolving the problem. So Ford are aware of the issue. I just hope they come up with a solution soon.

Does the car crank slowly?

Get ford to run their diagnostic tools on the car to find out what the computer is thinking when the car is being cranked.

blacksapphire · 12-01-2007, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curly

OK. Thanks. So all the LS Focus do it when you first start em up? Ours is strange because sometimes it doesn't do it and there doesn't seem to be a pattern as to when it does and doesn't. Should it stop itself or only when you put the seatbelt on? Thanks again.

I've found that if you start the car and quickly toggle the blinkers (like you're changing lanes), the seatbelt warning doesn't sound. I haven't tried it yet but maybe it'll work too if the blinker is toggled to left/right before the engine is started.

Guliver_TwiSt · 28-01-2007, 12:50 PM

Apparently there is a special sequence that you can go through to diable the seat belt warning? does anyone know what it is?

Cheers!!

Would love to shut the beeping up once and for all

Curly · 28-01-2007, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guliver_TwiSt

Apparently there is a special sequence that you can go through to diable the seat belt warning? does anyone know what it is?

Cheers!!

Would love to shut the beeping up once and for all

I think it only works for one trip and has to be done each time the ignition is turned off.

Conquest_Tsi · 29-01-2007, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curly

I think it only works for one trip and has to be done each time the ignition is turned off.

There has to be SOME way to permanently disable this, it is extremely irratating.

Curly · 29-01-2007, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conquest_Tsi

There has to be SOME way to permanently disable this, it is extremely irratating.

The guys at our dealership tried to disable it for us but it didn't work.

Piotr · 29-01-2007, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conquest_Tsi

There has to be SOME way to permanently disable this, it is extremely irratating.

There are two ways to disable it
1: Wear your seatbelt
2: Ground the connection

29-01-2007, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacksapphire

I've found that if you start the car and quickly toggle the blinkers (like you're changing lanes), the seatbelt warning doesn't sound. I haven't tried it yet but maybe it'll work too if the blinker is toggled to left/right before the engine is started.

This is because the seatbelt beep, the guage cluster beep and the blinker tick tock comes from the same speaker inside the cluster.

I was gonna disable the whole speaker when I was doing the dashlights but I realised that id have no blinker tick tock.

I'm also a bit weary about grounding the seatbelt buckle due because it may be linked to the Airbag and seatbelt pretensioner systems and may cause a system error. I'll probably give it a go anyways.