Ford Focus Mk1 Face Lift - Brake Light Issue - NEED HELP

[Andy Sumners]

Hello,

I have a Ford Focus Mk1 2003 Face lift, I have an issue with my OSR (Driver's side rear) brake light, it doesn't seem to work.

The NSR (Passanger side rear) and third brake light work fine and the rear side lights work, even the drivers side as the bulb is a dual filment.

I have checked the bulb and its fine, I have checked the bulb fitment for resistance and its fine(also cleaned it), fuses are okay and the the wiring from the light to the body of the car seems okay just looking and moving them around.

Any ideas would be most appreciated with it being dark most of the time at this time of the year in the UK.

Cheers

Andy

[mac801123]

Hi, I had a similar situation and found the holder to be at fault. Try moving the holder and bulb to the opposite side, if this cures the issue the holder is at fault. As the bulbs are in the holder for many years the tabs that press on the bottom of the bulb get weak and loose there spring so the contact is not what it was. I just went to a scraped one and got a holder and it's now fine. I want to upgrade the lights anyway so didn't see the point in going to Ford for a new one.

Hope this helps Mike

[Andy Sumners]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for your help I will try that today and will report back my findings.

Cheers

Andy

[isetta]

voltmeter on bulb holder to see if 12 volts there when brake pedal pressed?   if there is no voltage there, the simplest thing may be to run a wire from the other brake light on the other side. Not ideal, but it may be the quickest and simplest

[mac801123]

5 hours ago, isetta said:

voltmeter on bulb holder to see if 12 volts there when brake pedal pressed?   if there is no voltage there, the simplest thing may be to run a wire from the other brake light on the other side. Not ideal, but it may be the quickest and simplest

Hi, yeah that's OK if you don't mind and have the skills (or not to do it properly).

The best place to check for a voltage would be the connector before the bulb holder. That way you'll eliminate the holder or the wiring. 

Then if you really have to you can take a wire from the other side but make sure you solder and put heatshrink tube over the join. You need to make sure you don't get any water it the joint or it will corrode and then stop working again.

Mike.

[mac801123]

Hi, have you got your light fix yet?

[Andy Sumners]

Hi All,

Thank you for all your input, checked the power delivery to the bulb, was getting power to the bulb.

In the end I swapped the bulb hold to the other side to see if it was that (as suggested by Mike) and turned out to be that.

Got a genuine Ford replacement on online for next to nothing, fitted last night and works a treat now.

Thanks for all the help!!

Cheers

Andy

[mac801123]

Hi, Glad you got it working again. Its not been documented on here that I've found but it's the best way to workout it the bulb holder or the wiring was at fault. If you had put another wire to the holder it still probably wouldn't work as the holder was at fault! it just would have caused more frustration with the time taken to do the wiring and the out come would still have been the same. 

MIke

[Andy Sumners]

You got any ideas how changing the stretch fit drive belts?

My Focus doesn't have a tensioner and I am struggling to find the tool needed to fit the stretch fit properly.