Ford cars are some of the best workhorses around, and many have performed well over hundreds of thousands of miles. But when a Ford Focus arrived at A1 Diagnostics recently with a broken reverse light and no parking sensors, our team went into detective mode. Here is the car at the garage.
Aspects of these faults sound innocent enough: missing lights are frequently caused simply by broken bulbs, and a quick replacement will sort the problem. Parking sensors are more tricky, but ultimately they run on software that can be realigned and updated with minimal effort. But when the two problems occur simultaneously, that can be a clue to a deeper issue.
When both these features malfunction at the same time, there is likely to be a common root cause, and in this instance it is likely to be an issue with a small component called the Reverse Light Switch. Sounds innocent enough, but this switch is the connector between the gears in the engine and the tech around reversing which we now rely on as motorists.
The Reverse Light Switch is located on top of the gearbox housing, typically just under the battery tray though this can depend on car models. The switch is operated when the car is put into reverse gear. At this moment, the circuit is closed, causing the reverse lights to shine and the reversing sensors to operate. Replacing a broken switch is a straightforward job; the battery and tray are removed, the old switch is taken out and a new one installed. Replace the battery and there you have it: one repaired car with fully functioning reverse systems!
For this particular Ford, a recent engine replacement seemed to have been the catalyst for the problems. This suggested an issue caused by the large mechanical repairs recently conducted on the vehicle rather than a blown bulb which should have been picked up at the time. Following this starting point our highly trained mechanics followed the trail to the Reverse Light Switch and were able to resolve our motorist’s issues.
If your car is in need of maintenance but you’re not quite sure what the problem is, bring it along to A1 Diagnostics where our experienced team can help to track it down.
