Reduce Ford Focus Warning Chime Volume
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Ford Focus:

Reduce Warning Chime Volume


There are ways to shut off the seat belt chime function either for a single ignition key cycle or permanently; here's a page with info on those procedures:

http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=38

But the chime sounds for other reasons as well, such as when the headlights are left on with the key off, a door is open, etc.

If you'd like to retain the useful chime warnings but reduce the sound volume to a less annoying level, there's a fairly simple way to do it.  It will take you about 20 minutes to complete.

Please read all the steps before you begin the procedure.

Tools & materials required: 

Before beginning, remove all items from the glove compartment to lighten it so that it's easy to remove and replace.

The chime unit is located behind the glove compartment, on the right bulkhead [for left-hand-drive vehicles].


chime unit behind glove compartment

To remove the glove compartment, locate the three screws at the base:

3 screws at base of glove comp door

Use the 8mm socket or nutdriver and remove these three screws.

Unlatch the glove compartment door and carefully tilt and remove the glove compartment, taking care not to damage the bump stops on either side:

right bump stop location

With the glove box out of the way, locate the chime unit on the right bulkhead:


chime unit location

Using your fingers, pry open the metal clips, remove the chime unit, and let it hang down by the wiring harnesses.

remove chime unit cover

Using the small flat-blade screwdriver, gently lift the plastic over the 4 tabs [2 on each wide side], then remove the cover.

CAUTION:  Hold the circuit board by the edges.  Avoid touching the electronic parts on the circuit board; static electricity can destroy a chip without warning.  If in doubt, ground yourself by touching or holding an unpainted part of the body metal [such as a fastener on the door hinges] while finishing the procedure.  In electronics assembly plants, workers wear a metal "bracelet" connected by a wire to a ground to discharge any static electricity.
 
chime unit

Cover and/or plug the opening in the chime unit:

plug chime hole

["Quake Hold" putty material shown]

Test the volume of the chime unit by placing the key in the ignition; if it's still objectionably loud, cover and plug the chime opening more thoroughly. 

Remove the key from the ignition after testing.

As they say, reassembly is basically the reverse of disassembly:

  • Replace the plastic cover and snap the tabs securely
  • Reposition the chime unit securely into the metal clips
  • Put the glove compartment back into postion [tip:  latch it at the top and it will hold itself up]
  • Replace the 3 screws at the bottom of the glove compartment
  • Check fit of glove compartment door for evenness; loosen 3 screws and reposition the glove compartment door if necessary, then re-tighten screws.
  • Relax.

That's it!

If you have a Focus with the Duratec [PZEV] engine and it doesn't have a diagram in the engine compartment or in the owner's manual as to the serpentine belt routing [as my 2004 didn't], here they are:

https://www.angelfire.com/mac/ton_de_lay_o/fordfocus/pzev_belts.html

If you find either or both of these pages useful, pass them along to others and link to it in discussion group postings, web pages, whatever. Focus owners helping other Focus owners, that's what it's all about.

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