FocusCanada Forums

Today awhile driving home from work, my interior lights for the CD player and gauges stopped working. (basically all the numbers on the cluster) I thought the switch might be bad but it still operates the fog lights and headlights. I checked fuses 32, 59 and 62 thinking that where they relate to the lights on an '01 Focus, one might be bad.
Any input would be appriciated if it means I dont have to start looking for bad wires. :huh:
thanks

vy_MR2,Dec 14 2006, 08:19 AM Wrote:Today awhile driving home from work, my interior lights for the CD player and gauges stopped working. (basically all the numbers on the cluster) I thought the switch might be bad but it still operates the fog lights and headlights. I checked fuses 32, 59 and 62 thinking that where they relate to the lights on an '01 Focus, one might be bad.
Any input would be appriciated if it means I dont have to start looking for  bad wires.  :huh:
thanks
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Aftermarket radio?

just the stock single disc player

Don't take this personally, but you did check the wheel you use to dim your dash lights, right? Did you make sure you didn't dim them accidently?

that was the first thing i checked. I had to drive to work tonight and not be able to see the speed. I have to drive 50km on the highway with very few street lights

What Fuses did you check under the dash or under the hood?

vy_MR2,Dec 14 2006, 07:44 PM Wrote:that was the first thing i checked. I had to drive to work tonight and not be able to see the speed. I have to drive 50km on the highway with very few street lights
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No blown fuses? Do anything under the dash lately? Check your connections to the headlamp switch and the dimmer wheel. After that, it's tester time :(

Fuse #41 controls both the cluster and radio lights.

Fuses 39, 52 and 62 I believe. I put them in the first post hoping someone may know which fuse I should look at... Fuse 41? my manual made no reference to fuse 41 for any lighting but I'll look into it after work Thanks
I havent done anything with the car. I do all my own work but where its the family wagon, I keep it stock, and this is the first thing to go wrong on the car. Not bad for an '01

I found the fuse panel layout on this forum, and according to it, fuse 41 is not used.

vy_MR2,Dec 14 2006, 08:45 PM Wrote:I found the fuse panel layout on this forum, and according to it, fuse 41 is not used.
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Sorry, my mistake, I thought you had a later model.

The fuses to check are:

32, 35, 36, 50, 59, 61 (that covers everything)

Specifically, if you want to test the switch, pull out the light switch so you an access the wires in the back (but still plugged into the switch).

This is what you should get with a voltmeter with the key in RUN and the light switch ON (park or headlights on). Attach the black lead of the meter to a good KNOWN ground like a screw, or the dash frame. Put the voltmeter on DC Volts.

With the red lead, jam it in the back of the light switch plug at the following wires:

Orange/black stripe: +12V >>If not you have a 10A fuse blown
Green/black stripe: +12V >>If not you have a 7.5VA fuse blown
Orange/blue stripe: Between +12V and +.25V. When you turn the dimmer up the voltage should rise.
Black: 0V. Turn the car off (important). Put your multimeter to "Ohms" (Resistance). The needle should peg at nearly 0 Ohms when you connect the red lead to the black wire in the plug and the black lead to ground.

If the first two wires are fine (have +12V) and the last is no good (0V no matter what you move the dimmer wheel to), then the switch is bad.
If you have a voltage at the black or there is a high (infinite) resistance at the black the ground is bad.

If you replace a blown fuse, and it blows again, you'll have to delve deeper.

Any luck with this?

The lisense plate light was the culprit. The wire was corroded to hell and grounded. It took out all the lights.

vy_MR2,Dec 16 2006, 10:12 AM Wrote:The lisense plate light was the culprit. The wire was corroded to hell and grounded. It took out all the lights.
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Ok, all's well that ends well.