Our method will help you confirm or rule out a fault with the Ford HSRNS radio digitiser without removing it from the car – even if you cannot enter the PIN to unlock it!
One fine day, a Ford HSRNS / HSMCA radio with a non-working touch screen arrives at your workshop. Symptoms: the touch either does not work at all, or responds incorrectly to your commands. What do you do in this situation?
As you probably know, this fault may be caused by:
- system error (a fault in the software stored in the NOR memory – GL512 ebga flash on the main board)
- mechanically damaged touch panel – digitiser
- incorrect calibration data stored in the memory in the front panel
- damaged graphics board (it is behind the display in the front panel section)
- fault on the main board (e.g. a problem with voltages on the edge connectors)
How should you approach repairing this radio? We assume that at the beginning you will try to rule out a software fault, i.e. calibrate the screen. You will go into MENU, select DISPLAY and then Calibrate Touch Screen. And if you manage to do that, you are in luck. But what should you do if the touch is so damaged or out of calibration that you cannot even enter the PIN code to unlock the radio?
What if you press “2” and “3” appears on the screen instead?
Why make more work for yourself?
Many workshops at this point will decide to swap in a working “front end” from another radio, and others will order a new part straight away. But why create extra work and waste money, if the digitiser fault can be confirmed or ruled out in a much simpler way.
There is a secret method that will let you sort this problem out in 3 minutes!
What is more, this simple method means you will not have to swap the whole “front end” to diagnose the fault… You can do it without removing the radio from the car!
Think how much time and money that saves – 3 minutes and you know whether the digitiser is faulty, or whether the fault should be sought in the graphics unit or on the main board. And your customers? I think they will appreciate your expert knowledge and efficient work!
Want to learn this trick?
Here it is:
How to calibrate a faulty Ford HSRNS touch panel
The Ford HSRNS/HSMCA radio has a hidden calibration menu, and you can access it without using the touch panel.
Here is what you need to do:
Press and hold the MENU button for a few seconds!
After a moment, the calibration menu will appear. Now try to calibrate the touch screen, and if everything is successful, you have probably fixed the fault. If the touch works properly, you will then be able to enter the PIN code without any problem and test the operation of the touch panel and the radio as a whole.
And if calibration cannot be carried out, or if after that the screen still reads the touch incorrectly… Then you will know for sure that the damage is more serious and you can move on to further diagnosis.
Simple, isn’t it?
And so few people know about it!
Now you have joined that select group – I wish you successful repairs 🙂
PS: This will certainly interest you: soon we will write about how to check the digitiser terminals in a Ford HSRNS radio yourself, so as to confirm or rule out damage.
