my brake lights, blinkers, and hazards all out and I replaced the bulbs.... The fuses are ok. So what is it?

Question

2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac

First out went my blinkers. No lights on dash either. Then for a few days they worked again. Then the other day I used my hazards and and they all went out again. Then only one brake light would work and one light on the hazards. Now my brake lights won't at all or the hazards, or the blinkers. Even the one above the pick-up bed. For the brakes is out. I've checked all of the fuses, and replaced all the bulbs. Could this be a relay or some sort of switch and where do I look for it? steering column, under the dash, under the hood, etc? Or do you think its sum sort of short.... but for all of them?

the lights and tail-lights still work... There is a relay panel with 4 boxes that gets pretty warm after I have had the hazards switch on... I hope it's those

Answer 1

Unless you want to spend forever and a day tracing wires and checking circuits, my advice is to go with a specialist on this one. A Ford dealer or a good auto electrical guy should be able to trace the problem.

I am thinking that it's a bad common ground somewhere, or perhaps some common secondary relay or fuse situation...you could look under the hood for a relay/fuse panel there, and see if anything looks bad. Otherwise, I'd have an expert check it, before you start throwing more good money after bad treating the symptoms and not the cause.

Hope this helped.

Answer 2

When you replaced the bulbs...did you touch them with your bare hands? If you did the oils from your skin can cause them to blow right away...Ive seen this happen a million times, and the people that it happens to, have no idea what happened.
next: if you didnt touch with hands
You have short in your wiring harness, most likely under your steering column...do you ever hear any ..buzzzz sounds? like a wire is arcing of another one? most likely if you follow...just look around the wiring you'll see where it is shorting out. There will either be a bare wire stuck to another one, or be blackened. Its not a bad idea to try to smell for it either...Ive found a few that way.

Answer 3

Unfortunately Ford started making a simple wiring plan into a complicated "lighting system computer." On some Ford's it is integrated into the headlight switch. They are very expensive to replace, I would suggest a salvage yard.

Answer 4

ford runs the brake lights through the multifunction sw. since the hazards also use the sw. and obviously the turn signals. this might be a place to start testing. It is an expensive part so I would verify it is bad before replacing

Answer 5

Check the wiring. I had the same thing happen and it turned out that a squirrel had taken residence in my engine for warmth one night and chewed up the wires that went to my brake lights.

Answer 6

wow, thats odd, i would check for an open ( a short is a wire that is shorting out) in the hot wire powering that side of the fuse block because thats what it sounds like, best bet, get a wiring diagram for your vehicle and go from there, the local library should have one

Answer 7

You brake switch should be above the brake pedal.

It sounds, off-hand, like you might have problems in the ignition switch. I don't know if your hazards route through there , or not.

Answer 8

I MIGHT BE OFF BASE HERE. WAS YOUR FORD IN AN ACCIDENT? MAYBE OR NOT. THE PROBLEM IS WATER LEAKING SOMEWHERE ON OPEN OR CORRODE WIRE.