Looks like almost no slack and a sharp angle weren’t great for these wires over 18 years. They’re falling apart now.
Yeah, as wires age, the sheathing gets brittle and cracks. I’ve seen this a lot on older cars, especially MK1 Focuses and MK4/MK5 Fiestas back when I worked at Ford. The harness going into the rear hatch was a common trouble spot. They used to sell repair kits for this, but I’m not sure if they still do.
@Layne
This car has been a nightmare for me. And now the heat doesn’t work, so I’m trying to figure that out too. Looks like it might be a bad heater core or the air direction flaps.
Wei said:
@Layne
This car has been a nightmare for me. And now the heat doesn’t work, so I’m trying to figure that out too. Looks like it might be a bad heater core or the air direction flaps.
Could be the heater core. Does it smell like coolant inside the cabin? That’s usually a dead giveaway.
@Layne
No coolant smell at all.
@Layne
Had a similar issue with my 2007 EU Ford Fusion. It kept blowing fuses until I found that the wires for the headlight bulb had cracked and shorted out. It reminded me of those old Mercedes-Benz models with biodegradable wiring insulation—cars catching fire and all sorts of electrical mess. Insane stuff.
How did you figure out something was wrong? Also, where should I look to check mine?
Storm said:
How did you figure out something was wrong? Also, where should I look to check mine?
It’s a common Focus issue. The wires in the rubber boots between the doors get brittle and rot over time. For me, the power locks, windows, door sensors, and rear wiper stopped working because of this.
@Wei
Interesting. My rear wiper doesn’t work either. Do you have to take anything apart to see this or just open the door? Which door should I check?
Storm said:
@Wei
Interesting. My rear wiper doesn’t work either. Do you have to take anything apart to see this or just open the door? Which door should I check?
If you open the hatch, there’s a rubber boot on the driver’s side. You can use a flathead screwdriver to pop off the plastic holder and check the wires inside.
@Wei
Got it. Thanks! I’ll save this for when I get a chance to look.
Storm said:
@Wei
Got it. Thanks! I’ll save this for when I get a chance to look.
Also check the rubber boots in the doors. It’s the same issue there.
Get a soldering gun, some wire, and heat shrink tubing. Just rewire it all.
Noor said:
Get a soldering gun, some wire, and heat shrink tubing. Just rewire it all.
That’s the plan, but I’m waiting for some time off and for it to not be -2° outside.
Noor said:
Get a soldering gun, some wire, and heat shrink tubing. Just rewire it all.
That’s the plan, but I’m waiting for some time off and for it to not be -2° outside.
I had the same issue on my 2006. Soldered everything back together. It’s a pain in tight spaces, but everything works fine now. These cars are pretty great, so don’t get too discouraged.
@Merritt
Yeah, I’m not too upset. It’s a manual, so my goal is to turn it into a weekend track car for under $2K. The plan looks doable so far.
Noor said:
Get a soldering gun, some wire, and heat shrink tubing. Just rewire it all.
That’s the plan, but I’m waiting for some time off and for it to not be -2° outside.
You might want to crimp the wires instead. Car companies do that because solder joints don’t handle vibrations well.
@Kip
I was thinking of using those crush connectors and adding about an inch of wire to give it more slack.
If the heater core isn’t leaking, it might be fine. Older cars had valves in the heater hoses that would fail, but newer cars don’t. It could be the blend door actuator. I had one go bad on my Chevy, and the dealer wanted $200 for a replacement. Found a different part number online for $30, and it’s worked perfectly.
@Noor
That’s a good point. My Ram’s blend door went bad, so I’ll check that once it warms up a bit.