Telerisk Posted September 2, 2018 Report Share Posted September 2, 2018 2016 Ford C-max SEL; The Center Display, might be called MY FORD (correct me please)....its lighting during the day (Headlights off) will flicker and at times intermittently flash Bright...than DIM. This of course is annoying because you cannot help seeing this flickering/flashing from your peripheral vision as your driving. This display seems/might be lite by Fluorescent light...(the symptoms I have described is like an Interior Fluorescent Light that flickers like when you see a defective Fluorescent Flash to full brightness..than to dim, etc). Or, might it have a separate sensor that depending on the daylight...automatically adjust based on the sensor and this senor is defective causing the issues..... When I turn on the Headlights and this display changes to the night time Black background...I have not notices this flickering..... Any feedback, opinions? I just have that feeling when I take it in for service the issue will decide not to display. I tried taking Video with my Smartphone...but the iris\shutter (found no way to turn this off) of the phone quickly adjust to ideal lighting and all yoy see is the Flash/washout as the display changes from dim to bright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raadsel Posted September 3, 2018 Report Share Posted September 3, 2018 2016 Ford C-max SEL; The Center Display, might be called MY FORD (correct me please)....its lighting during the day (Headlights off) will flicker and at times intermittently flash Bright...than DIM. This of course is annoying because you cannot help seeing this flickering/flashing from your peripheral vision as your driving. This display seems/might be lite by Fluorescent light...(the symptoms I have described is like an Interior Fluorescent Light that flickers like when you see a defective Fluorescent Flash to full brightness..than to dim, etc). Or, might it have a separate sensor that depending on the daylight...automatically adjust based on the sensor and this senor is defective causing the issues..... When I turn on the Headlights and this display changes to the night time Black background...I have not notices this flickering..... Any feedback, opinions? I just have that feeling when I take it in for service the issue will decide not to display. I tried taking Video with my Smartphone...but the iris\shutter (found no way to turn this off) of the phone quickly adjust to ideal lighting and all yoy see is the Flash/washout as the display changes from dim to bright The "My Ford Touch" (MFT) display is a standard touchscreen panel. similar to ones in phones or tablets. There is a sensor that adjusts the brightness according to the lighting, so it is likely that sensor having issues. kyledamron1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowStorm Posted September 3, 2018 Report Share Posted September 3, 2018 I don't have MFT but the other screens have brightness controlled by the sensor at front center of dash. We used to have state inspection stickers placed near center of windshield and when the sun was at the right angle the sticker would cast a shadow that caused dash lights to change brightness as car turned slightly - but wouldn't describe it as "flicker". It had me baffled for a while though. obob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telerisk Posted September 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2018 At another site I read several Posting regarding My Ford Touchscreen flickering....suggestion was to go to the Display Menu....Auto Dim....and turn it off (mine was set to on). So far no flicker/flashes dim to bright.....and the display is Bright (and can be adjusted manually to be dimmer...). This issue, flickering/flashing dim to Bright...to dim, its been occasionally noticed since I purchased car, but of late it became a lot more frequent. So where is the sensor for the My Ford Touchscreen? Is it the small module I see Center of Dashboard, near inside of windshield? That being so, and, if it needs to be replaced to correct the Auto-Dim issue...and the Dashboard has to be disassembled to replace it...no way I will have the sensor replaced. If I can avoid it, I hate having major disassembly's.... never goes back the way it was from the factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plus 3 golfer Posted September 3, 2018 Report Share Posted September 3, 2018 (edited) Yes, the sensor is the one near the bottom, center of the windshield on the dash. You would need to remove the A pillar - trim pieces, the defroster vent cover, and the center cover to get to the sensor. Looks easy but where I always run into issues is reassembly when clips are used - pieces never seem to slide back together and align (maybe 15+ slides/clips to get aligned and in place). The Body Control Module processes the sensor input and sends day / night info to the Instrument Panel Cluster which is used for day/night illumination status for the display. There are 3 BCM DTC's for the sensor; signal too high, signal too low, and signal erratic. Before I'd tear into the dash, I'd want to make sure the sensor is the issue. :) Have you tried your auto headlights? If they work OK, then the sensor is likely good. Edited September 3, 2018 by Plus 3 Golfer obob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telerisk Posted September 4, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2018 (edited) Auto headlights.....I have had the switch for headlights in "Auto" position and the lights have come on when I have started the car when Headlights were needed. They have gone off as I recall....as designed....a short time after I have turned off the initiation. I have never been driving when the headlights would have needed to come on..... Based on this it would point away from the dashboard sensor, the BCM...is it a part inside the My Ford Touchscreen...and easy replacement? Based on your detailed description,,,replacing the sensor, I would just go with turning off the AUTO DIM setting....rather than having the Dash Torn down. I have learned, the hard way, if it isn't a safety issue, and its tear down, and the feature is not necessary...Like AUTO DIM....leave it alone. Golfer...are you by chance a Ford tech? Perhaps you would not want to answer...but I have read several Posts by you and you are extremely Technically knowledgeably regarding the C-Max.....your response here is very appreciated Edited September 4, 2018 by Telerisk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestevens Posted September 4, 2018 Report Share Posted September 4, 2018 My HHR had a dimmer dial with dirty potentiometer contacts that would do that - similar to a "noisy" volume control .. you had to find a good spot on the dial where the control wasn't dirty and then the flicker would stop. I guess this car is a little more advanced, even the dimmer control is digital pushbutton I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plus 3 golfer Posted September 4, 2018 Report Share Posted September 4, 2018 (edited) Auto headlights.....I have had the switch for headlights in "Auto" position and the lights have come on when I have started the car when Headlights were needed. They have gone off as I recall....as designed....a short time after I have turned off the initiation. I have never been driving when the headlights would have needed to come on..... Based on this it would point away from the dashboard sensor, the BCM...is it a part inside the My Ford Touchscreen...and easy replacement?... Golfer...are you by chance a Ford tech?Not a Ford tech, just a retired electrical engineer who has been reading auto service manuals since the 1980's for the VWs, MBs and now the C-Max vehicles I've owned and participating in car forums. The BCM is where the fuse panel is under the glove box and is likely not the issue. My guess: it's the FDIM (8" display touchscreen) or the APIM (SYNC module). Both are rather expensive new. Problem is I don't know how to tell which might be the issue. You can get the system into diagnostic mode by holding the CD Eject and right Seek button down at the same time. But I don't recall anything in the mode relating to dimming / flickering test. I've seen videos on replacing Sync 2 with Sync 3 and it looks easy to pop off bezels / covers and remove the display and Sync modules. Edited September 4, 2018 by Plus 3 Golfer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonsche Posted December 7, 2018 Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 (edited) At another site I read several Posting regarding My Ford Touchscreen flickering....suggestion was to go to the Display Menu....Auto Dim....and turn it off (mine was set to on). So far no flicker/flashes dim to bright.....and the display is Bright (and can be adjusted manually to be dimmer...). This issue, flickering/flashing dim to Bright...to dim, its been occasionally noticed since I purchased car, but of late it became a lot more frequent. So where is the sensor for the My Ford Touchscreen? Is it the small module I see Center of Dashboard, near inside of windshield? That being so, and, if it needs to be replaced to correct the Auto-Dim issue...and the Dashboard has to be disassembled to replace it...no way I will have the sensor replaced. If I can avoid it, I hate having major disassembly's.... never goes back the way it was from the factory. Had this same issue. Was flickering, mainly when the vehicle was cold. I brought it to Ford while it was still under warranty and they replaced some module that was expensive for free. That stopped most of it. But noticed it still flickers when auto-dimming which is annoying as it switches back and forth like when going under a bridge or tunnel. Must be just poorly written code for "fading" the dim. Going to try turning this feature off as Telerisk suggested. Edited December 7, 2018 by vonsche Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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