Escort MK5 cabriolet- no dash lights or rear passenger side lights

[janinea]

Hi I’m hoping that someone can help here. 
On Saturday evening everything was working as it should until someone pulled out in front of me and I had to brake hard (emergency stop). 
I then noticed that I had no dash lights beyond the instruments cluster and my heat control surround light wasn’t on either. The clock was lit up fine as that is wired on the radio loom. 
I got home and was parking up when I noticed that I didn’t have any lights on the rear passenger side at all and nor did I have the number plate light. 
Just for information... I replaced all the bulbs in the rear light cluster around a month ago and they are still all good as I checked them Sunday morning. 
Im not sure which fuse I should check but I looked at one that according to the manual I have is for the lighting or high speed fan which is down in the manual as 10/30 amp. That was fine. I also checked some other 7.5amp fuses and they were fine. 
Im completely baffled by this. Has anyone else had a similar problem and if so please how do I fix it? Is it possible that a faulty bulb or bulb holder at the rear would cause the instrument cluster lights to not work? 
If it’s an easy fix I would like to tackle it myself rather than spend money on an auto electrician. 
Thank you in advance 

[janinea]

Please please please can someone help me here.

Tested all light bulbs at rear and replaced them again. The number plate bulb installed is 5 watt yet the book says that it should be 10 watt. I’m getting mixed information when I do a google search too. 
Im also waiting on a new number plate light holder.

Changed the stalk as suggested in some other posts but that’s had absolutely no effect. I think it’s a wiring or fuse box problem but I can’t drive the car at night until it’s fixed. The tail light did flicker on and off for a second yesterday afternoon when I was checking everything. 

[Dan62]

Did you check fuse 3, should be 10A ?

[janinea]

On 2/7/2021 at 2:49 PM, Dan62 said:

Did you check fuse 3, should be 10A ?

Hi yes I had an auto electrician to look at it because I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what was wrong. Turns out that it was two things and one was a blown 10amp fuse. The other was a knackered number plate light holder 

[janinea]

The problems just keep coming, 

Now yesterday afternoon I was driving along quite happily and had pulled into a car park to wait for someone. I turned the car off whilst waiting. Went to restart it and it wouldn’t restart. Fuel pump all good, starter motor good so what could be wrong I wondered. Tried a few more times... ***** smoke coming from under the bonnet near the battery. 
Only ended up with the battery to inner wing earth lead smouldering badly. Only problem is that it is also part of the starter motor earth cable. 
Did a temporary battery to inner wing earth but really want to find a replacement loom part. Does anyone know the part number for it please?