Whilst noseying about in our Fiesta Zetec, I happened to notice that the footwell light (driver's side) is an exposed bulb underneath the dash in the vicinity of the steering column. I was surprised that it was so prominent, as it's clearly visible, sticking out (downwards) if you bend down outside the car to take a look. I suppose the reason it surprised me is that it gets rather hot, and could conceivably touch the driver's knee - and it seems a bit vulnerable itself to damage there, too. It's very firmly mounted, so doesn't seem to have dropped down by accident or anything - yet the passenger-side one is more as I'd expect, not easily "findable" as it seems to be mounted up within a recess of some sort.

Are they all like this? Just wondered...

Yes they are all like this :) or I know mine is anyway.

A lot of us have changed our Footwell bulbs to red and they are very hot when you try and change them as they are so exposed.

Yes they are all like this :) or I know mine is anyway.

A lot of us have changed our Footwell bulbs to red and they are very hot when you try and change them as they are so exposed.

Thank you! Isn't the forum wonderful - where else could you get an answer to a niggling question within a minute of asking?!

Exactly....you'd still be on hold if you rang Ford!!! :D

Exactly....you'd still be on hold if you rang Ford!!! :D

...A propos of all this, I was also slightly surprised (thanks to the bright light cast by the footwell light, maybe) that I could clearly see the actual steering column (the metal rod-type major part of it) passing through the upper part of the footwell. Now, I've never really looked before in another car, so either it was on the other side of the bulkhead on our previous 2000-registered Astra (after all, that was an older-style car with a longer nose and less sloped windscreen, so proportionately less of its length was in the passenger compartment, if you see what I mean!) or else I just never noticed it in the Astra simply because it wasn't lit up in the footwell and I never looked...!

most of us have changed the bulbs for coloured wide spread led's, these will not burn your shin.

I can't see it doing any burning to your skin anyway as they turn off while driving and also turn off after 30 seconds if you dont turn the engine on :)