[Earl]

I have noticed that on presumably the 00 focus sedans, the rear running/brake light is the round segment only, and the top segment is the turn signal. I have a 2001 sedan, and it's taillights (and a lot of other foci sedans I've seen, presumably 01+) the middle (round) segment does everything, running/brake/turn I have pulled my taillight housings out and the top segment is there but it is blocked off, there is nowhere for the bulb socket to lock into. Anyway, I want to get some taillight housings with the top segment in usable condition (stock red though, no clear crap) Now, say I do get a hold of some housings (preferably new) Now, I think it would be cool if the top (squareish) segment did the same exact thing as the round segment at the same time. Now, today I looked at the wires on the harness that goes into the round segment of the housing, there is, I believe a red/black/and blue wire going into the harness, is this like pos/neg/ground?? Could I get another bulb socket (with the bulb) and just splice into those wires and run them into the back of the socket and then the top segment of the light will light up/get brighter with the brakes/turn signal at the same time? Will this work? Are there some un-connected wire leads under all that electrical tape in there? I would really like to set something up to make my taillights a little more complete.

Thanks!

Earl

 

[Nacron]

Ford integrated the brake and turn signal for a brief period in 01/02 on the lower models. My 01 has separates. You can still get the lights with the turn signals on top from ford.

Your idea isn't that bad...might look cool.

 

[63330]

if you are going to go through all that trouble to have seperate turn signals, why not get some European tails, and have amber turns instead of red.
the wiring may be a little complex cus you have to convert a 2 lamp system into a 3 lamp one.

 

[Nacron]

What he's saying is he wants to make the top part do the same thing as the round one (break, running, turn)

 

[Earl]

Okay, so I can buy the three-bulb housings...I dont wanna go with the euro tails...cool/unique as they are, I honestly like the full red look. My question is, can I get the same bulb/socket, and splice the same wires from the main bulb socket to the new (top) one and have both bulbs do the same thing at the same time?? Will this overload the flasher relays or the fuses and blow anything out or melt/break anything? If it will work I will serch for some new housings and I will tackle this mod, OR could I cut into my housings and cut out a spot for the bulb to lock into? What kind of tools would do the cutting exactly like the other bulb lock-in places in the housing?

Earl

 

[G1-Focus]

Okay, so I can buy the three-bulb housings...I dont wanna go with the euro tails...cool/unique as they are, I honestly like the full red look. My question is, can I get the same bulb/socket, and splice the same wires from the main bulb socket to the new (top) one and have both bulbs do the same thing at the same time?? Will this overload the flasher relays or the fuses and blow anything out or melt/break anything? If it will work I will serch for some new housings and I will tackle this mod, OR could I cut into my housings and cut out a spot for the bulb to lock into? What kind of tools would do the cutting exactly like the other bulb lock-in places in the housing?

Earl

Ah-ha!

Go to a junk yard and get a set of tails off an early sedan with the upper lamp that works.

Go to the dealer and order the bulb sockets for the turnsignals and if possible, order the plug ends that go into the turnsignal socket - the color of the socket and plug ends are a brown (sort-of) color; Ford color codes the various sockets to the plugs on the harness.

If you cannot get the plug ends, then get them off the wreck at the junk yard.

You can disassemble the plugs by taking your time and rerouting the wire ends as you like to the new plug ends.

The only problem is to separate out the brake lights from the turnsignals. You locate where the harness plugs together in the trunk area under the L.H. side cover. It's a blue plug connector. On the side that goes to the taillamps will be a green wire w/red stripe that comes out and goes back into that blue connector. This wire is for the brake lights and it is looped and routed back to the 4-way switch to have the integrated brake/turnsignals.

You can verify that it is for the brakes by having someone step on the brake pedal, with the car on, and you test the wire with a wire tester. If you cut this wire it will disable the integrated lamps and you will now have separate turnsignals. You then have to run a wire from this green/red stripe wire to the taillamps and wire-up the brake lights separately.

Make sense?

Take a look and take your time.

 

[Earl]

Wow, thanks for all the great information. That is a good solution to what I want, but that is still just pretty much stock operation. If I was to go through that much work I might as well do all the work to install the euro tails with the orange markers in them. All I want is for the top segment to do the SAME thing as the middle segment at the same time. Brakes, flasher, running, so that basically the whole lens is lit up...if I wire up a harness off the other one (round segment) will this work without overloading anything?

Thanks,

Earl

 

[Nacron]

I dunno if the having running lights will melt the top housing...maybe have the top as break and blinker and the circle as running light

 

[CasperSE+]

Ok, I want just the opposite.

My car has the seperate bulbs (independednt blinkers on top).

Anyone know what needs to be done to go to the opposite? I want my taillights and blinkers to both be from the same bulb.

Has anyone done this

I looked at the wiring, but Im not sure if I need another part (a 4 way switch was mentioned above).

Thanks,
Brad

 

[Nacron]

Ok, I want just the opposite.

My car has the seperate bulbs (independednt blinkers on top).

Anyone know what needs to be done to go to the opposite? I want my taillights and blinkers to both be from the same bulb.

Has anyone done this

I looked at the wiring, but Im not sure if I need another part (a 4 way switch was mentioned above).

Thanks,
Brad

Nice to see people using the search.

I think you might just be able to just splice the running light wire into the brake wire or something similar.

Question is...why?

 

[CasperSE+]

Why?

A friend of mine's ZTS was like that, and I think it looks better.

I tried jumping the wire for the blinkers into the brake light wire. The brake light/running light would blink, but when I pushed the brakes, the light went solid, and the front blinkers flashed really fast, like when you take a bulb out. Mabey I need to jump the brake wire into the blinker one, so the blinker is more dominant

What sucks is, she just traded in her car, so I cant take a look at what's different.

Thanks guys, any other ideas or experience?
Brad

 

[G1-Focus]

I have a late 2001 sedan with the lamp functions integrated into the center bulb.

I have since switched to the true European sedan taillamps.

But initially, I purchased (and now they're part of a land-fill somewhere) APC carbon-fiber looking taillamps. I installed a second set of sockets where the turnsignals would have been on the earlier models. Those second set of sockets I tied directly into the brakelights. So when you stepped on the brakes, you had a 5th set of brakelights - 2 regular L&R, center, and the new upper L&R, making it a total of 5 brake lights.

 

[Nacron]

Why?

A friend of mine's ZTS was like that, and I think it looks better.

I tried jumping the wire for the blinkers into the brake light wire. The brake light/running light would blink, but when I pushed the brakes, the light went solid, and the front blinkers flashed really fast, like when you take a bulb out. Mabey I need to jump the brake wire into the blinker one, so the blinker is more dominant

What sucks is, she just traded in her car, so I cant take a look at what's different.

Thanks guys, any other ideas or experience?
Brad

I think they might use a different system. Try take a look at a focus hatch, that's the system you want. I think the blinker is a negative cut out insted of a powering.

 

[CasperSE+]

I think they might use a different system. Try take a look at a focus hatch, that's the system you want. I think the blinker is a negative cut out insted of a powering.

I think you are right (about the grounding), how could I do that?

 

[CasperSE+]

Ok, been thinking about this some more.

Mabey the trick is a zx3 set-up from a junk yard. But, how far "up" would I need to go with the harness? Is the fuse block different? Or mabey a relay is needed, something like that?

I dont think just getting from the blue connector back would do it. I'd probably need to get the harness before that one as well

 

[CasperSE+]

Anyone?

 

[SilverDuratecZX3]

After looking through a wiring diagram for a project on my ZX3, I noticed that the exterior lights are controlled by a devise called a Generic Electronic Module (GEM) on the right "A" pillar. This device allows for the "one-bulb" system on the ZX3/5 & wagons. According to the schematic, the sedans have a separate circuit for the stop lamps. Maybe you can get one of these modules from a "one-bulb" system and it might make your turn signals & brake lights behave like you want them to.


I need to get under the dash and find this module.

 

[CasperSE+]

Keep me posted man

Thanks,
Brad

 

[deezntsz]

Bump