Help needed with my 2014 Ford Focus issues

Seeking Help
1

I have a 2014 Ford Focus (base model, no extras at all).

Here’s what’s going on: the ABS, traction control, and brake lights are on, the electric power steering isn’t working, and neither is the speedometer.

Here’s what I’ve tried: I used a code reader and it gave me a low battery voltage code. I replaced the battery, swapped out a corroded positive wire, and cleaned the connections. No changes at all.

One weird thing though—if I let the car idle for more than an hour, everything seems to work fine.

Any ideas what could be wrong?

2

This sounds like an alternator issue. Have you checked that yet?

3

Dustin said:
This sounds like an alternator issue. Have you checked that yet?

Yeah, same thing happened to me when my alternator failed.

4

Mica said:

Dustin said:
This sounds like an alternator issue. Have you checked that yet?

Yeah, same thing happened to me when my alternator failed.

Btw, I’ve got the same model too. It was definitely the alternator in my case.

5

Could be one of the ABS or wheel speed sensors. They can cause a ton of random issues like this.

6

Briley said:
Could be one of the ABS or wheel speed sensors. They can cause a ton of random issues like this.

I’ve seen a lot of posts mentioning those sensors. Would I need to test each one with a voltmeter, or do they usually all fail at once?

7

Maybe check your fuses? I noticed a lot of accessories share the same fuse.

8

Zyler said:
Maybe check your fuses? I noticed a lot of accessories share the same fuse.

Which fuses should I start with? Not sure where to begin.

9

Keaton said:

Zyler said:
Maybe check your fuses? I noticed a lot of accessories share the same fuse.

Which fuses should I start with? Not sure where to begin.

Check your owner’s manual first to find the relevant ones.

10

Keaton said:

Zyler said:
Maybe check your fuses? I noticed a lot of accessories share the same fuse.

Which fuses should I start with? Not sure where to begin.

Start with the high-amp fuses in the battery case. Just follow the positive cable—you’ll find about 8 fuses, usually 50-100 amps. No need to swap the 150-amp one, but the others can cause issues even if they look fine. Swapping all of them shouldn’t cost more than $20. Oh, and remember to disconnect the negative cable before swapping high-voltage fuses!

11

Honestly, you might want to take it to a mechanic for a diagnostic. It could be a bunch of things, and trial-and-error part swapping can end up costing way more. Just make sure you go to someone reputable and not a backyard mechanic—they might make it worse.

12

Have you had any brake work done recently? I had a similar issue once because I forgot to plug the wire back into the hub after working on my brakes. No power steering, ABS, or traction control until I fixed it. Worth double-checking if you’ve had any brake work done!