Focus Mk2: Upgrades & Tweaks: Making the car feel like home

19 August 2017 - Reading time: 2 minutes

At some point, replacing the rear bumper for a facelift one with parking sensors spiraled into swapping the entire interior wiring loom for a facelift version with keyless capability.

The wiring marathon

Swapping looms between donors (some hatch, some estate) turned into a complex game of rewiring connectors: moving pedal sensor wires, adapting ABS sensor wiring, extending wires for brake lights in the facelift bumper, and adding wires for the fuel flap actuator.

Doors: the module challenge

Facelift door looms from a 5-door didn’t fit my 3-door - lengths were wrong, lock modules were different. To make things worse, my donor modules were from a UK RHD car and refused to reconfigure for LHD use.
After some EEPROM and hardware swaps, we eventually got folding mirrors, turn signals, and puddle lights working - but window directions were reversed until I sourced correct 3-door modules from a EU Focus RS.

Cosmetic and comfort upgrades

• Swapped in facelift black headliner from an ST/RS, with matching trim and visors.
  
• Fitted facelift facelift heated leather seats after a little engineering to keep folding function.
• Installed facelift center console with USB, Aux, and inverter.
• Added ambient footwell lighting, visor lights, chrome-trimmed glovebox, facelift black grab handles.
  

Electronics & dash bling:

• Level 3 cluster installed with help from a fellow enthusiast, showing full trip computer functions.
• Bluetooth module upgraded to A2DP + USB, with software brought up to latest version.
• New alloy wheels & fresh tires, improving both stance and ride quality.

At this point the car was already a blend of pre-facelift mechanicals with a fully facelift interior and wiring, plus options the car never had from factory.