S-Max 2.0 56 Dashboard & central console goes dead after starting car

[Beckenham]

Bought a second hand S-Max 2.0 Titanium (80k miles) on a 56 plate a week ago, the battery went flat a few times in the week and so decided to buy a new one at Halfords who fitted it. It drove home fine. Today I drive the car and I notice that as soon as I put the key in everything works as it should, the dashboard lights up just fine, instruments all okay and the central console lights come on. Radio works etc. I turn the ignition and it starts first time. Then within 15 seconds or faster if I apply the accelerator the instrument panel switches off, rev meter goes to zero, so does the mileometer also, engine temp and fuel gauge, all at zero. The central console lights have gone out but the radio still plays, the heaters work, but I can't see any display for the heating A/C etc.

I can drive the car, but when turning on lights or indicators there is no way of knowing they've come on, no tick tock tick tock from the indicators...

So I was going to take it back to Halfords, but they might be good at changing batteries (or not), but a full diagnosis..? Well the Quickfit garage was closer and open and it's a Sunday and the very helpful mechanics all tried to find the fault. The battery was changed just as a check and no, everything was okay there. There isn't anything else electrical that would have been disconnected or not so they were all at a loss.

We noticed that the hand brake light comes on when you lock the car and does not go out... now that might have been the fault that was draining the previous battery overnight... It's an automatic flip paddle  handbrake type.

The car drives superbly otherwise, but why has this happened now... change of battery really be the culprit? When pushing accelerator something in the wiring is fusing? Capacitor? ECU?

Can anyone help, or had this problem before, or able to assist? I'd be very grateful.

Cheers, Jon (Beckenham)

[gregers]

have you done the on board diagnostic check???
also check on the ford 'etis' site to see if your car has anything outstanding,but i have a gut feeling it requires a software update,and afaik thats a visit to the stealers m8.

[Beckenham]

Many thanks, on board diagnostic check says nothing wrong, but also difficult to do as if i touch the wrong button that disappears too.

Sounds very much like a trip to a Ford Dealer :-(

Let's hope they are better than Renault ones :-)