Mark Li

I just bought my 2013 MKS from a large dealer in Denver, CO. They knew about the issue with the climate control and when I asked about any known problems (I told them I was flying down from Minnesota) they said nothing about the problems with the climate control. The climate control would automatically climb to 85 degrees with high fan and then sometimes set the "My Temp" to the new 85. Sometimes it would go to the LO position as well but would always climb back to the 85. While it was malfunctioning, I could not use the 3 buttons on the FCIM panel. The (Left side or drivers side) +, - and My Temp. I could use any of the other buttons on the panel and touch screen as well as the buttons on the steering wheel but as soon as I let up, the temp would climb again. This is what I did to save myself $3000.00 in repairs at my local Ford dealership. I went to Youtube and searched for climate control MKS and there are several videos showing how to remove the FCIM panel. It took me about 2 hours to get it out and I have very little experience with removing dash parts. Once I popped it out I flipped it over and took out the 6 screws on the back exposing the circuit board. There are 2 ribbon cables attached to the circuit board. One on the drivers side (Left) and one on the passengers side (Right). The one on the Right controls the passenger side airbag (my guess as it does not light up when unplugged) along with most of the buttons on the panel so I left that one plugged in. The one on the Left was the one I figured I was having problems with as it was un-responsive when the system was acting up so I unplugged it. Put some tape on the ribbon cable and then put it back together. I plugged the FCIM back into the car, started it and it has been running perfectly since. There are 4 buttons on the FCIM that I cannot use now. The drivers side +, -, My Temp and the power button for the climate control system. This is not an issue as I can still control those same buttons on the touch screen. All the other buttons seem to work as they should and the temp holds where I set it. Things to note. 1. Do this at your own risk. I am not sure if things like the airbags or other safety items will work as they should. for me it is worth the risk as I don't have an extra $3000.00 to spend at the moment. 2. When I had the FCIM out and apart I noticed a hairline crack less than an 1/8th of an inch vertical right below the My Temp button on the Left side of the FCIM. This crack was right over 3 of the circuit lines and may have had something to do with the problem. The buttons on this panel are responsive to touch and I think people were not touching in the right area and pressing too hard to get a response and cracked the panel at the place where it damaged the circuit. This is just a guess on my part so when using the panel be sure not to push hard, just touching it in the right area should do. 3. I have been told that the touch screen is very sensitive to sunlight and/or heat. I have not had the car long enough yet to verify this so if your problem is with the touch screen this solution will most likely not help 4. Prayer does help. I was stuck and asked for guidance and my prayer was answered. Digging this deep into an issue is not something I would normally do! I hope this helps others out as much as it has helped me as Ford is doing nothing but charging a fortune to fix their bad design.