THSCC Forums

Hey, this isn't about my Miata, it's about my 2001 MERCURY SABLE! Basic car, no auto-off lights or other stuff.
All you electrical wizards out there, I'm asking for help... or suggestions.

Here's the deal:
No parking, running, or license plate lights. Everything else that is electrical works fine. Sounds pretty simple? Fuse, right?
Nope.
The facts so far:
No fuse labled or called out in the owners' manual.
No fuse blown on either the interior fuse block or the "Big" one under the hood. All removed one at a time and checked with an ohmmeter AND under load in the panel with a voltmeter on each side.
No "auxilliary" fuse blocks or panels located under the hood or the dash.
Light switch replaced with NEW OEM. No help.

There is this thing called a GEM (Generic Electronic Module) that appears to be in the circuit.

Any suggestions? Anyone have a FORD Workshop Manual? for this car? Boy, I'm stumped, and just HATE to bring it to the dealer for something like this. I feel soo inadequate!!!

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Brad

Brad,

Some 2001 Mustang shop manual based ideas (hopefully Ford doesn't have too many different ways of doing the same thing).

First, The GEM seems to be related to stuff that has nothing to do with power to the lights in question.

Second, does your car have a panic alarm? if so, try activating it and see if the lights in question flash. If they do they are getting power through a different circuit for part of the overall circuit. In my Mustang there is a parking light relay that energizes the parking lights, running lights, and license plate lights when the panic alarm is activated. The power for this circuit is 15A.

Third, the main power to the parking light, running light, and license plate light circuit is through a 30A fuse at the battery junction box which then goes to the headlamp switch (A separate switch on the dash in recent Mustangs . . . not a "multifunction" stalk). From the switch it goes through a couple of connectors in the dash/door area before heading to the back of the car. There is another connector near the trunk. All the connectors are multi-circuit, not just the circuit with problems.

EDIT TO ADD: The parking light relay which is energized by the panic alarm parallels the main parking, running, license light circuit so if these lights are on they do not flash if the panic alarm is activated.

EDIT AGAIN to ADD: I found another multi-circuit connector between the main junction box (near the battery) and the dash in the engine compartment.

Hope this helps.

Dick

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

loose ground wire in the rear of the vehicle (trunk maybe).

Turn on lights and check the voltage through a bulb socket to ground. If you get 12 volts with the volt meter, then it's quite possibly a ground issue.

Scott

I have the 2001 Ford Factory Service CD. If you want to borrow it, and if you are so inclined burn a copy without my knowledge, let me know.

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Rich
http://www.v8mongrel.com/

You should reword that to read..."and if you can make a back up copy incase I decide to throw my original in a bonfire, that would be most appreciated."

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Todd Breakey
STS 42 - 1992 Sunburst Miata
Dammit!
"You souldn't play leap frog with a porcupine. You might get hurt." - Eliza

Let me get this straight. NONE of the lights that go on when you click the headlight switch to the first stop come on. But then the headlights do? No other problems?

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Brad,

Just to be "clear", with the Mustang there is a separate 30A fuse for the parking, running, license plate light circuit and a different 30A fuse for the headlight circuit. Therefore, there are separate wires to the switch. Both fuses are in the fuse box near the battery, not in the one under the dash.

The 15A fuse for the "alarm" circuit which also energizes the parking, running, and license lights is in the under the dash fuse box.

I assume that you have checked for power after the parking light switch.

FYI, The grounds at the rear of the car seem to be go to a common point for essentially all circuits in the back of the car. This includes the fuel pump as well as all the lights, trunk release solenoid, etc.

_________________
Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Problem solved.... by the dealer, I'm sad to say.

Here's the lowdown:
I gave up on the problem by Sunday. Patriots game was on, and I had to break into the Sam Adams to "get right".

Mike, to answer your question: Yes. First click, no OUTSIDE lights, except all the dash lights and dimming functions working! Hmmm...

The switch assembly in these cars is a control circuit only. Little teeny-tiny wires incapable of carrying the current required by the lights. These wires go into the ozone underneath the dash. Impossible to follow short of unwrapping the entire harness. Anyway...

I dropped the car off at Carolina Ford in Few-kway early Mon. AM.
Hour later, the service guy calls with questions:
"This is a verrrrry Un-Usual problem, Mr. Mackey. Has this car been wrecked?"
"Nope."
"Have you added any funky accessories, alarms or stuff laak that lately?"
"Nope."
"OK, just checkin'. We're still working on it."
"OK."

Two hours later the guy calls back. "Found the problem!! Bad connection from the 'Control Box' to the wiring harness. It's buried up under the dash, and our guy is going to repair it. Be ready in an hour.

Needless to say, there's NFW I would have ever found this problem. Anyway, thanks for all your interrogations.
Simple. But weird.

_________________
Brad