Ford Focus Estate Ghia 2002 - side lights and tail lights all not working - nick noble

I have an old focus and hadn't driven it for quite some time until my other car decided to die on me. All the lights did work, and now the tail and side lights don't work. They work OK if I turn the lights to park, but when driving if I switch on the lights nothing at all from any of them, the dipped and full beam headlights are ok, front and rear fogs are ok, as are the brakes and indicators.

I've checked the fuses (every one in both fuse boxes) and all are ok.

Anyone have any thoughts on causes or solutions?

Ford Focus Estate Ghia 2002 - side lights and tail lights all not working - elekie&a/c doctor

From what you are saying,first position of the switch gives parking/side lights front and rear.Second position should give all these plus headlights.If the sidelights are going out in second position,then I would suspect the switch is at fault.Plenty of s/hand ones out there.

Ford Focus Estate Ghia 2002 - side lights and tail lights all not working - gordonbennet

Working the switch a lot plus a blast of contact cleaner might just do the trick.

Ford Focus Estate Ghia 2002 - side lights and tail lights all not working - nick noble

Thanks guys, taken the switch unit out done as suggested regarding working it and using contact cleaner without success, replacement unit on ordered and will try that as soon as it arrives.

One good point, I now know how to get the switch out, and another it's still working exactly as it was so I've not broken anything :)

Ford Focus Estate Ghia 2002 - side lights and tail lights all not working - nick noble

Well I've now swapped the switch but the problem still exists (there's another swith on it's way too so I'll try that one too!).

Any other thoughts?

Ford Focus Estate Ghia 2002 - side lights and tail lights all not working - elekie&a/c doctor
Never changed a switch on these.Are you sure you have checked all the fuses in both the engine bay and cabin fuse box?
Ford Focus Estate Ghia 2002 - side lights and tail lights all not working - nick noble

Re the fuses, yes, but I will go through them all again. If it was a fuse I would have thought that the lights would not work at all rather than working OK when switch is at park and nothing when set to side lights or headlights.

Ford Focus Estate Ghia 2002 - side lights and tail lights all not working - khcomp

My wiring diagram suggests that there's a different feed for the parking lights to that for the sidelights (you'll notice that the instrument lighting doesn't come on with the parking lights). I'd double check the switch, and also the fuses: Autodata suggests that fuse 30 in the dashboard fusebox supplies sidelight power to terminal 11 on the light switch. This supplies power to the sidelights via terminal 13 on the switch in the sidelight or headlight 'on' position.

However, the actual fusebox picture on Autodata gives different fuse numbers: fuses 32 & 61 are shown as supplying power to the light switch, so you may have to refer to the fuse listing on your car.