Oops! EDIT the last post!!!
I've just been out (in the rain, where did that come from!), and although all the front lights are working, the rear lights are out! No tail lights or number plate illumination.
Any thoughts, i'm off to check the Ford TIS wiring diagram!
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Looks like it's the lightswitch then; try fiddling around with it and see if you can get them to come on.
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Do you mean the main light switch on the dash, that turns on all the exterior lighting?
Has it got several connectors to independently switch the differing circuits for front/rear/interior lights?
Will I benefit taking the switch off the dash and cleaning up the contacts?
Its a whole new area for me!
Thanks for your help!
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Yes; it's a long time since I did one; but I've a feeling that the two sidelight circuits are orange and blue and orange and black - could be wrong.
To check it properly; have a look at the wiring diagram in the Haynes manual - some variants have a sidelight master fuse too that can get blown if there's towbar wiring. Fuse layouts change month-by-month on some years.
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Pull out the rotary light switch with its panel and you will find one of the wires to the switch burnt/overheated.It is ususlly the corner thin red cable.hth
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Thanks guys for all your help. I finally got around to prising the panel away to get to thew switch and it was exactly as described.
Cable to the top of the connector block showed signs of overheating within the block, bit the spade and the terminal were "blackened" somewhat!
A quick clean up and the connection was re-made, although for how long I cannot be sure!
Any tips for replacing the green connector block, as the spade didn't seem to want to relinquish its hold within the plastic moulding!
Great advice from you all, as always - thanks again!
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Hi, i've just experienced the same issue on my 98 mondeo
is taking the switch out a big job (ie do i need to remove the dash surround to get to it) or is there a simple way?
any help gratefully received :)
ps. been an excellent car this, over 180k miles in 8 years and this is the first time its caused me trouble
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Hey guys thanks for the tip.
i had exactly the same problem happen to me today. Must be mondeo light switch breaking season! Mine is a Ford Mondeo 1998 2.0L Zetec modelm with >180k miles too.
Basically - Instrument panel, side lights left and right and rear lights not working at all. Main headlights and dipped head lights work fine.
Took the light switch apart (did get the green plug out of the main housing with difficulty - needed to use a couple of knives or thin sleaves fed into the slot) to give a little more room for cleaning that top left connector plug, which was black.
Basically
(1) remove 3 screws to pull the cover out under the steering wheel - about 5-10 mins i recon. - there are 2 plugs left (one on each side) that pull off after the screws are removed.
(2) pull off the Instrument panel on which the switch is mounted - on the right side of the steering wheel (4 plugs that pull off) - its a little tricky. - perhaps 10min of fiddling if you haven't done it before.
(3) Remove all connector plugs and isolate the switch housing, - 5 mins
(4) Identify blackened plug in a workshop under a light and clean - 10 mins
(5) put back together. - 10mins
next time (hopefully not) ill be quicker!
lights work again as they should.
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It was a 5 minute job for me, in situ.
Prise the right hand end of the dash panel off, the one where the rotary switch operates. Use a flat blade screwdriver with a cloth to protect the dash.
There are 3 or 4 points where the clips holding it to the dash "give".
The green plug on the back of the rotary switch then comes off, whilst remaining connected to the wiring loom.
The top corner connection (red) was the offending item (I assume it is the main 12V feed for the entire plug - hence gets some bashing with all the differing circuits that may take a drain from the rotary switch.)
A quick in situ clean up with some WD40 and a small screwdriver covered in a lint free cloth did the trick.
Re-seat the green plug and re-assemble the panel to the dash.
Hope this helps!
S
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yup, you lot were correct, it was the top right plug connection
scraped the crusty stuff off the prong and cleaned up both parts with contact cleaner
jobs a goodun :)
thanks for the assistance guys =)
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Wow thanks to the above I have sorted the same problem on my R reg Ford Mondeo, the hardest part was getting the dash section off, a quich spray with WD40 and I am a very happy lady. A garage quoted me £85. I wish I had a go at replacing the resistor last month. Thanks again to you all. :)
Edited by lyndy on 12/05/2008 at 17:01
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Don't you just love the internet - my 240k+ mile Mondeo has just suffered the identical problem, garage couldn't figure it out and you guys helped me sort it in 15min. First port of call will be Honest Johns for all future problems.
Thanks!
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I've also just had this same problem, had to call out breakdown service after checking every fuse in the car to see why my tail, dash and number plate lights were all out. All other lights were fine, just those ones. Mechanic couldn't find the problem at all, he checked all the fuses again, plus the bulbs etc - nothing - he left.
I still needed to drive the car, so I googled the problem... lo and behold, one of the first hits I got was this thread - exact same problem, mine's a 95 Mondeo, 1.8 GLX, 130k - bought for £175, had it for 18 months - this is the first problem with it...
Thanks for posting about this - It took me 5 seconds to fix - I was trying to get the bit of dash off to get at the back of the switch, and the chiming noise started up telling me I'd left my lights on - and... all the lights came back on... !!! Sorted!!!
This will also now be my first port of call - wish it had been this time, was supposed to drive a mate and her cats to the vets, but couldn't, plus was supposed to take my son to London, also couldn't and too late now.. but it's fixed and I don't have to find a mechanic first thing in the morning either!! I'll take it all apart soon and sort it properly, but for now.. we have light!!
Cool site, nice one Honest John and thanks again to all those that provided the answer (isn't it obvious that the switch is the problem once you know what it is huh?!!) :)
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Many thanks to google, OP and screwloose.
My elderly Mondeo had the same symptoms and when I pulled off the dashboard cover around the switch I found the burnt out red connection. A little bit of cleaning and everything is OK again.
BTW I think the intermittent warning buzzer may be an early indication that problems are developing with the switch.
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Thanks to all for this thread, I have had this problem for a few weeks and I didn't even know my rear lights were out, I thought it was just the interior ones. (Shocked)
I went out about an hour ago and found that the rear lights were indeed out so I cleaned up the red wire contact as described and bingo everything is working again, brilliant.
I'm especially greateful for this post as I didn't have to start undoing screws on the dashboard as I only had a couple of hours before work, so wouldn't have had the time to do it, so no transport at this time of year with no rear/numberplate lights.
Cheers,
Wayne.
Mega snipquote!
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 06/01/2010 at 20:24
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I have the 1.8 Turbodiesel. Had the same symptoms reference the dashboard light, and Googled to find which fuse it was. Found this link - which made me go and check the rear lights (Thanks for that, I was totally oblivious tbh!) All I had to do was prise at the dashboard housing in the top righthand corner, I could not get it to come away from the steering column anyway. Like someone has mentioned beforehand, the light/door open sensor sounded (which it as not done since I have had it, in over 2 years...) so I started the car up, and sure enough all of the lights are back on. With the state of the roads, and all of the additional new potholes after the recent cold-snap (one local pothole is so bad, the CD jumped the first time I found it!) it must have been a loose connection, it seems. Now sorted!
You saved me quite a bit of money. The car is parked on the street, and working on it is impossible. I needed it for tonight though/no other means available, so thought it was worth an investigation. A matter of 2 minutes. The local garage would have charged me £40 and said they had done me a big favour, etc etc for a couple of minutes work.
Cheers,
Toshmund
Edited by Toshmund on 13/01/2010 at 19:10
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I have this exact same problem, no rear lights, dash lights or glove box and number plate light, and I have removed the lightswitch unit from the dashboard but cannot see any signs of over heating wires anywhere.
Is it easy to get wires out of the connector block that plugs into the back of the light unit to inspect the tips of them to see if they need a clean up and then get them back in ?
The only connector blocks I have ever used have had clamps to hold wires in place, and I can't see anything like this on my car.
Thanks
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Thought I'd better add some more details.
03 TDCI, has a towbar fitted, rear lights all work fine when the keys are not in the ignition and parking light is on, but rear lights go out when the normal lights are switch on.
Bit frustrated, lol
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rear lights all work fine... but rear lights go out when the normal lights are switched on.
Sounds like an earthing or short circuit problem to me, best to check all wiring in the vicinity of the lights (both rear and front) and especially around the trailer lighting connections.
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Same problem on my 1998 2.0L GLX. All sidelights were out, though the parking position worked fine. I'd guessed it might be the switch but was not sure, and then discovered this excellent thread.
Much the same cause, except there was no sign of any burning on the connectors. But what I did notice, on exactly the same red wire connection (in the green block) that everyone else mentions here, was the connector leaves were badly splayed, so it was not going to grip the pin pushing into it. No doubt another symptom of getting a bit hot. So I carefully closed the connector to a sensible gap again, using a very small watchmakers screwdriver. But note it's important to not accidentally short the connector to ground when you do this, else you will blow a fuse! (Unless of course you've been ultra-good and disconnected the battery - which I could not be bothered with).
After which I was rewarded with that very heartening little warning ping!
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