Middle brake light sticking on (Focus Mk 1)

Jimmy Bottles

Anyone know if this is a common fault on a Mark 1 Saloon.

Basically, the middle brake light is now on constantly like the two tail lights but gets brighter once the brake is pressed. Common electrical fault or are the electrics in the car on the way out ?

Plug

Check the wiring loom at the boot, you can see it when you lift it up. Have a look in there for broken wires. I myself have never come across this issue with that car.

working fool

Sounds like the connectors on the tail light bulbs are crossed .
Cheak the bulb holders and earths
2 screws to remove the tail lights
Think their t25's

Jimmy Bottles

I changed both tail lights on the car a few weeks. Could it be I got the wrong bulbs from the motor factors ?

One thing I did notice when I looked at the back of the car was that the tail lights seemed a bit brighter than usual.

dougie-lampkin

You've put at least one of the brake/tail bulbs in sideways, or put in a single filament bulb, causing a short between the tail and brake circuit. Take out both the bulbs, check that they're both marked P21/5W (and that they look like this). When you're putting them back in, note the offset tabs at the base of the bulb. Look inside the bulb holder on the lamp, you'll see they're also offset. The bulb is only designed to be put in one way, but it can be forced in the wrong way.

It could also be the brake switch on the pedal, but if you're just after changing the bulbs I'd look at them first.

Jimmy Bottles

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

You've put at least one of the brake/tail bulbs in sideways, or put in a single filament bulb, causing a short between the tail and brake circuit. Take out both the bulbs, check that they're both marked P21/5W (and that they look like this). When you're putting them back in, note the offset tabs at the base of the bulb. Look inside the bulb holder on the lamp, you'll see they're also offset. The bulb is only designed to be put in one way, but it can be forced in the wrong way.

It could also be the brake switch on the pedal, but if you're just after changing the bulbs I'd look at them first.

Excellent. Will try this later.

Jimmy Bottles

Thanks again Dougie. Turns out that when I bought the two bulbs a few weeks ago, the motor factor gave me one wrong bulb.

He gave me one P21/5W. The other is a 12VP21W.

Unlike the P21/5W which has two elements, this one only had one. Any idea what this bulb is for ? Fogs, reversing light, indicator ?

jimmyw

Jimmy Bottles wrote: »

Thanks again Dougie. Turns out that when I bought the two bulbs a few weeks ago, the motor factor gave me one wrong bulb.

He gave me one P21/5W. The other is a 12VP21W.

Unlike the P21/5W which has two elements, this one only had one. Any idea what this bulb is for ? Fogs, reversing light, indicator ?

What type of clowns are working there?:p.

Don't know about fogs, but yes the other two use single filament bulbs

Jimmy Bottles

I can tell you, I didn't go back to the same place for the replacement bulb.

ScouseMouse

Why not?

They need to know they fecked up and give you the right one.