[Annanders]

Hi!

I just bought a 2003 Ford Focus Stationwagon and have a problem regarding the locking mechanism of the trunk door.

I am not able to open the door with the button on the dashboard, or the button on the key. I can use the keys to open the other doors (wireless) but I can only open the trunk door mecanically with the key in the lock.

Do anyone know what is the problem?

Thank you in advance!

 

[PratoN]

Hi!

I just bought a 2003 Ford Focus Stationwagon and have a problem regarding the locking mechanism of the trunk door.

I am not able to open the door with the button on the dashboard, or the button on the key. I can use the keys to open the other doors (wireless) but I can only open the trunk door mecanically with the key in the lock.

Do anyone know what is the problem?

Thank you in advance!

Do the rear lights/defroster/wiper not work (or work continuously)? Is there a blown fuse?

After many times of opening and closing the door, the wires can break in the boot at the top of the hatch and cause the electronics not to function.

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=218110
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=178941

 

[Annanders]

Do the rear lights/defroster/wiper not work (or work continuously)? Is there a blown fuse?

After many times of opening and closing the door, the wires can break in the boot at the top of the hatch and cause the electronics not to function.

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=218110
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=178941

Thank you for answering!

All the lights, defroster and wiper do work continuously. I have not found any blown fuses, but I have read on the internet about fuse F63, which I can not find?

I will check the wires at the top of the hatch first ting tomorrow morning

 

[Annanders]

Do the rear lights/defroster/wiper not work (or work continuously)? Is there a blown fuse?

After many times of opening and closing the door, the wires can break in the boot at the top of the hatch and cause the electronics not to function.

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=218110
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=178941

Hi again!

I checked the wires and some of them were bent resulting in poor insulation, but the wires seems to be unbroken (please see the picture). One wire is broken, but I think that wire is the one for the lights above the license plate.

 

[Marde]

Hi. I did the same repair and then did something stupid. I forgot to check the wiring at the bottom of the boot (only 4 inches away!). I had damaged wires at the top and bottom, so please inspect both spots.

 

[Annanders]

Hi. I did the same repair and then did something stupid. I forgot to check the wiring at the bottom of the boot (only 4 inches away!). I had damaged wires at the top and bottom, so please inspect both spots.

Hi and thanks for the answer!

I checked the bottom of the boot. One wire is spliced, but I don't know if it is one of the wires for the trunk lock. Do you happen to know (red and white wire)?

 

[Marde]

... Do you happen to know (red and white wire)?

I looked at my (2002-2003) wire diagrams and found the red/white wire is for the wiper blade motor.

Wires for tailgate latch locking are:
White/Green - lock & unlock
Black/Red - tailgate open or closed indication
Black/Blue - interior lighting
Black - electrical ground

I see a White/Green wire in your first picture, but not in your second picture.

 

[Annanders]

I looked at my (2002-2003) wire diagrams and found the red/white wire is for the wiper blade motor.

Wires for tailgate latch locking are:
White/Green - lock & unlock
Black/Red - tailgate open or closed indication
Black/Blue - interior lighting
Black - electrical ground

I see a White/Green wire in your first picture, but not in your second picture.

I checked again and found the White/Green wire and it was not damaged as far as I could see. I also checked the lock-mechanism and found the wires you described.

When I started the car with only the tailgate open, I noticed that the open/close indicator was not indicating that the tailgate was open..?

 

[Marde]

Tailgate open/closed indication & open tailgate electrical commands have one thing in common, and it must be operational for both of these things to function-> the ground wire. It is a solid black wire.

Edit: Nice try Marde but your wrong(-ish). That Black wire is not even inside the rubber boot. It is ONLY inside the liftgate.

 

[Marde]

Whoops! I am right but also very wrong. If the ground wire was damaged/broken you would have a door ajar caution light always On.

Your Black/Red wire is likely electrically shorted to ground. Visually check the Black/Red one again, exposed wire strands are not allowed.

 

[Marde]

Whoops!... you would have a door ajar caution light always On.

Where have I heard this before? Door ajar light Always On? Why does that symptom sound so familiar? Oh! That's what my car was doing! -and my Black/Red wire was broken!

I strongly believe your White/Green wire is messed-up. Check it again.

 

[Annanders]

Where have I heard this before? Door ajar light Always On? Why does that symptom sound so familiar? Oh! That's what my car was doing! -and my Black/Red wire was broken!

I strongly believe your White/Green wire is messed-up. Check it again.

I am not sure if I am understanding you correctly, but my "door ajar light" is not on when the tailgate is open.

I have checked the wires again, and I can't find any damage on the White/Green wire. But the Black/Red has some damages in the insulation due to bending, but the wire itself is not broken.

 

[Marde]

I am not sure if I am understanding you correctly, but my "door ajar light" is not on when the tailgate is open.

I was talking to myself or other people, not to you. I had the door ajar light Always On.

You need a multimeter to ring-out the wires. You might have a defective latch... but I don't think the latch motor is bad because of the problems we have with our wiring inside the boot. Go to this Link and view or download the file named "2003_5_Focus_WD.pdf". That pdf has all the info you need to ring-out the wires... and more.

 

[Annanders]

I was talking to myself or other people, not to you. I had the door ajar light Always On.

You need a multimeter to ring-out the wires. You might have a defective latch... but I don't think the latch motor is bad because of the problems we have with our wiring inside the boot. Go to this Link and view or download the file named "2003_5_Focus_WD.pdf". That pdf has all the info you need to ring-out the wires... and more.

Ok Thank you!

 

[tmittelstaedt]

Once the insulation starts cracking your best off pulling the harness out (it should unplug on the car side) and buying a new one from the dealer. If your handy with soldering you can resplice the wires in the harness that have hardened insulation but the hack job your pictures are displaying is NOT the way to do it. A proper splice there would be to cut out the hardened wire, and solder in a replacement with heat shrink tubing shrunk on to the splices. I have seen wires break inside the insulation and the insulation not break.

 

[Annanders]

Once the insulation starts cracking your best off pulling the harness out (it should unplug on the car side) and buying a new one from the dealer. If your handy with soldering you can resplice the wires in the harness that have hardened insulation but the hack job your pictures are displaying is NOT the way to do it. A proper splice there would be to cut out the hardened wire, and solder in a replacement with heat shrink tubing shrunk on to the splices. I have seen wires break inside the insulation and the insulation not break.

I've just talked to the dealer, and it costs 1800 NOK (!) just to locate the problem!

I've a friend who is a mechanic, so I believe we will manage to change the harness. Do you happen to know where I can buy a harness for the trunk on-line? I have checked e-Bay but I'm not sure which to buy..

 

[Marde]

... Do you happen to know where I can buy a harness for the trunk on-line?

I do not know. My guess is the harness (C800 <-to-> C48) is unavailable "new". Might be able to get one used or at a car junkyard.

The wiring can be repaired. Unfortunately, you might have to expose the luggage compartment interior panel walls and liftgate interior to access the "good spots" for placing multiple splices. Placing extra wiring and splices into the rubber boot is difficult because of the very limited work area & because that flex-point does not want extra bulk in this spot. My repairs were done poorly and I plan to return and make them better. When doing the re-work, I think I might have to do what I just mentioned, and will have to remove a lot of panels to do it.

C800 is inside the liftgate. C48 is located behind an interior panel, under the left rear window, luggage compartment.

 

[Annanders]

I do not know. My guess is the harness (C800 <-to-> C48) is unavailable "new". Might be able to get one used or at a car junkyard.

The wiring can be repaired. Unfortunately, you might have to expose the luggage compartment interior panel walls and liftgate interior to access the "good spots" for placing multiple splices. Placing extra wiring and splices into the rubber boot is difficult because of the very limited work area & because that flex-point does not want extra bulk in this spot. My repairs were done poorly and I plan to return and make them better. When doing the re-work, I think I might have to do what I just mentioned, and will have to remove a lot of panels to do it.

C800 is inside the liftgate. C48 is located behind an interior panel, under the left rear window, luggage compartment.

I guess I'll have to wait and see what I'll do then. Not sure if I'm capable of doing the repair myself.

Thank you anyway!

 

[sailor]

Might just repair the wiring as well as possible for now, save like new for later if needed.

At that point it will be easier to check the latch/release/sensor assy. for operation, mine had trouble with latching fully unless released fully first. Right now it's waiting on wiring repair as well!

 

[tmittelstaedt]

If you can't get a new harness don't bother with a wrecking yard harness as they are all going to be the same age with the same problem happening to them.

If the boot is tight and a connector cannot be slid into it then it's going to be best to do an in-vehicle repair as Marde described.

Any decent mobile mechanic or mobile stereo installer should be able to solder in the splices. Or a body shop since they sometimes run into cut wires also.