[coalchamber998]

Hello all, my wife's '06 ZX4 keeps blowing the fuse that controls the brake lights/shift interlock. I replaced the 10A fuse two days ago and she drove it to work only to come out and try to move it and it wouldn't budge. I checked the fuse and it had blown again. I checked all the brake light bulbs and they are fine. I replaced the brake switch today and put a new fuse in it and it worked fine at first. I shut it off and when I put my foot on the brake before I started it again, the fuse blew. What could be causing this? I thought I had the problem fixed by replacing the switch but I guess not.

Thanks for the help,
Arthur

 

[viney266]

This isn't much help, but it must be a dead short somewhere, broken or loose wire. Check the wires near the firewall to the switch ..

 

[ArcticMynx]

theres a slight possibility that some liquid spilled on the shifter and it leaked down between the shifter face and the console which for some stupid reason ford put the shifters harness main plug RIGHT under the driphole ( morons ) you may have corrosion thats shorting that plug out aswell


**Edited**
Sorry just looked up the 06 ZX4 and it came back to a sedan so I've omitted the part about hatchbacks

 

[bluefront]

Remove both brake bulbs.....see if the fuse still blows. Disconnect the third brake light...try it again. Sometimes there can be a dead short inside the bulb itself. Rare but possible. And the bulb may look just fine.

More likely is a dead short in the wiring as mentioned....

 

[whitefox]

I would have to agree with bluefront, I had a bulb in my Explorer that kinda did the same thing - it would blow the fuse every time I stepped on the brake pedal. Both bulbs looked ok and the third brake light bulb was ok too. I replaced them all and no more blown fuses.

 

[coalchamber998]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I did a visual inspection of the wiring without taking any tape off and I couldn't see any breaks. I also looked at the main plug and didn't see any charred connectors when I unplugged it. It looked nice and clean too so I don't think that's the issue. I also took out all the bulbs and it still blew the fuse. I don't know enough about wiring to chase gremlins so I'll just take it to the dealer on Monday. Wish me luck!

 

[autolite]

should be under factory warranty 3-36 bumper 5-100000 drive train

 

[coalchamber998]

Well, I just got the car back from the dealership and thought I'd let everyone know what happened. At first, they replaced the shifter assembly. I got in it and it wouldn't shift out of park again. So they took it back in and after some more troubleshooting found that a wire was rubbing on the PCM bracket causing it to short out. So they installed an insulator and my old shifter assembly and the problem is fixed. So for anyone else having this problem, maybe check near the PCM bracket. Thanks for everyone's insight and replies!

 

[penguin]

Thanks for reporting back as to the solution. Too many people just ask and disappear.

 

[coalchamber998]

Not a problem. Too many times I've gone to a forum where someone asks the question I have and never respond back with their solution. That's the whole point of a forum in my mind!

 

[rrwolfman]

How did you come out on the warranty? Were you still in your 3/36 bumper? If not, did they count it as 5/100000 powertrain since it involved the PCM bracket?
Reason I ask: my '07 SE Wagon (40K miles) appears to have developed the same problem.
But: I'm not eager to let the dealer diagnose it. A few years ago, the dealer took six hours of "electrical specialist" time ($86/hr) just to diagnosis a short in the turn-signal circuit.
Instead, I "fixed" the Focus with a 15-amp fuse (in a 10-amp circuit). Crazy? Maybe not. Long before the Escort's turn-signal mess (which billed out at $1400), the same dealer "fixed" a buzzing noise coming from the fuse box by putting a 20-amp fuse in a 15-amp circuit.

 

[whynotthinkwhynot]

^^ You need to find another dealer to take your business to my friend. That's ridiculous. I'd only replace a fuse with a higher rated fuse in extreme situations- and only after making sure that there was no problem with that circuit which was causing the higher load. If it worked the first time, it should work forever if nothing changed or broke.

 

[rrwolfman]

Thanks.
Rest assured, we won't be going back to that dealer.
A question:
You said, "If it worked the first time, it should work forever..."
Well, it worked, the stop lamps operate again, the interlock has not reactivated, all systems appear normal.
So are you saying I should be in the clear?

 

[multi]

2006 Ford Focus ZX5

I have a 2006 Ford Focus ZX5 and the parking light fuse keeps blowing. I've replaced the switch and wrapped all the wires in the hatch harness and it seemed to work for a while and now it's happening again.

 

[Marde]

^^ Go back and re-inspect those wires inside the hatch rubber boot again. Inspect inside the top and bottom sides of the boot.
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=204878&page=2

I had to fix em' twice myself.

 

[Mandroid]

Not a problem. Too many times I've gone to a forum where someone asks the question I have and never respond back with their solution. That's the whole point of a forum in my mind!

Amen to that. I always close out my threads. This forum is great. Unlike most forums.. (*cough, honda*)