2014 Mk3 Focus - I understand this rain light option should turn on the headlights when the wipers are on continuously if auto lights are set. It doesn't.

 

I'm no mechanic by any stretch - would I be right in thinking there's a sensor somewhere between the wipers and the headlights to do this? Is so, where might I find it, and how would I find the part number?

 

Just to clarify - this is not the 'rain sensor' for rain. It is only intended to turn the lights on when the wipers are manually turned on. 

 

Thus is the only thing I can see that might give the headlight fault info warning - all the lighting apart from this works perfectly.

 

Thanks

This is going to be a difficult one for anyone here in the UK to answer. We don't have a setting "Rain Light" but from what you say it does sound like the headlights should turn on when the wipers are in use.

In the UK if a car is fitted with Auto Headlights then once the wipers begin to operate the headlights will turn on. It does not matter if it is daylight or nighttime the lights will still turn on. This would make me think that although there is a light sensor which turns the headlights on at night, this must not have any control over the lights when the wipers operate.

Can you please post a photo of your Auto light switch so we can see which type you have ? 

14 minutes ago, unofix said:

In the UK if a car is fitted with Auto Headlights then once the wipers begin to operate the headlights will turn on. It does not matter if it is daylight or nighttime the lights will still turn on. 

Can you please post a photo of your Auto light switch so we can see which type you have ? 

Yes, as I understand it, they should work exactly as you describe. When set to auto-lights they should come on in daylight when the wipers are in use. They don't.

I've attached the photo. Thanks for taking the time.

The only sensor is the rain sensor. That does rain and external light level to make wipers work and make the auto lights come on at dusk light levels. My focus 2013 had exactly the same set up once I retrofitted it and the headlights did come on in heavy rain but not light rain from what I remember. 

If your manually putting wipers on I doubt the headlights will come on unless it's raining fairly hard. It's the rain amount that's putting headlights on. 

Thanks for the photos. They look the same switches as the UK use.

What is the "Ambient Light" setting ? (Not something I have seen on a UK model).

If you un-tick ambient does that alter the behavior of the headlights/wipers ?

Ambient lights are interior lights like footwell lights. Had that on mine too. 

Basically the op needs to set headlight switch to auto, put wipers to auto( like intermittent switch position and get hose pipe watering the rain sensor to see if it works or not. But don't stand to close to the wipers as you will get soaked when the wipers start. 🤣🤣

I tried to test a light sensor by shining my phone torch into it once.  The sensor was totally broken, so the wipers were also intermittently wiping, having been left on auto.  They swiped my phone straight across the screen, only saved by the rubberised backing on that handset...  

I don't have any way (in the stalk above) to turn on rain sensing. I don't believe it is on the car (but have just confused myself looking at the windscreen as it seems to have the sensor). I just think that it is meant to turn the headlights on in slow and fast. I'm assuming somewhere the wipers and the headlights is a 'switch/sensor' to tell the headlights to turn on? 

The first 'up' on that stalk is automatic setting.  They saved a few pence by using the same stalk for both manual and automatic wipers on the Mk3.

49 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

The first 'up' on that stalk is automatic setting.  They saved a few pence by using the same stalk for both manual and automatic wipers on the Mk3.

Thanks Tom, the first up on mine does intermittent...

17 minutes ago, AlanGNW said:

Thanks Tom, the first up on mine does intermittent...

Maybe the sensor is broken.  Or maybe a previous owner has disabled the auto function using Forscan.  Or maybe the Titanium spec was different for different countries.  Auto wipers, lights and auto dimming rear view mirror was standard on the Mk3 Titanium in the UK.

When you move the stalk up once in the dry it should do just one wipe and then stop.  Then react to any water that hits the sensor.  Easy to test by just pouring some water on the sensor.

Definitely only intermittent. I'm sure it is only meant to turn the lights on.

Will probably have a look in Forscan myself at some point see if I can see anything there. I'm no mechanic but I am an IT person! 😉

I had a diagnostic done by Ford (€65) when I got the car a year ago because of the headlight waning (which narrowed down to this since), showed nothing and they then wanted €165 to 'check wiring'. I didn't bother and have tolerated the info warning since. 

Apart from this and having to replace the ***** expensive ERG pretty happy with the car...

I'm due a service before coming on a trip to the UK soon, so will see if my mechanic can figure it out. At least narrowing it down to this might give him something to work with.

UK car. 2013 Mk3 focus titanium x