Low beam headlights barely lit?

KGOOLSBY1

MEMBER
2013 FORD FUSION
2.0L
4 CYL
4WD
AUTOMATIC
135,000 MILES

My high beams work fine, my fog lights work fine, my low beams barely emit light when you unplug the connector, they shut off completely so I know that they still show some light but that's the only way you can tell. When I touch the ground wire at the connector on either side light with a test light grounded at the battery the low beams come on for a few seconds. I don't see any breaks in the wire or extreme corrosion or dirt or anything.

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9 Replies

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
47,643 POSTS

It sounds like you have a BCM that has gone out, but we should start by checking fuse #20 interior left fuse panel (end of dash). Fuse #20 and #67 in the fuse panel under the hood. Here are the headlight wiring diagrams so you can see how the system works and where the grounds are, which should be checked. You can use this guide to help:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-wiring

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-fuse

If everything is okay, I have included how to change out the BCM in the images below as well. You can get a rebuilt unit by searching google or eBay. Check out the images (below). Let us know what happens and please upload pictures or videos of the problem.

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Tuesday, December 27th, 2022 AT 11:25 AM

KGOOLSBY1

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The panel door and picture number five for changing out the BCM is an airbag in my car.

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Tuesday, December 27th, 2022 AT 11:28 PM

KGOOLSBY1

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I can access the fuse panel if I take that plate off underneath the steering wheel though. New symptom tonight was the one headlight started flickering so I'm thinking it's more like a harness problem or wiring connection obviously. I think I will start there and test with the ohm meter tomorrow and let you know.

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Tuesday, December 27th, 2022 AT 11:29 PM

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
47,643 POSTS

Sounds good, so #5 is an airbag? Can you upload an image please? Please let me know. It still sounds like a BCM to me, but a wiring connection is possible. Also did you check the #20 fuse?

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Thursday, December 29th, 2022 AT 1:31 PM

KGOOLSBY1

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I meant the 5th picture that you had posted. I'm uploading a photo of mine saying airbag on the panel. I checked fuse number 20 under the steering wheel and it's working but it's only a 5amp which I don't think would be enough to power the aftermarket hid headlamp bulbs. One of the contacts in the connector I'm uploading a photo of is damaged and it's part of a pigtail so I'm just going to go ahead and replace that because that's at least the flickering part that just developed the other day because as soon as I touch one of the two wires it goes to flickering and besides the fact that one of the two wires the red one has the damaged contacts and it's too thin of a metal to be reliably reshaped. That's the one side and the other side the only thing I could find wrong was enough to make the problem happen and that was one of the pins in one of the connectors was pulled out, so it wasn't allowing it to work fully. I'll update again when I replace these items and see if that was the issue or not. I'm even considering going back to factory bulbs because the car was bought and used so very well factory bulbs could be sufficient just not sure yet. Will update. Couldn't find a fuse 67 under the hood as you can see in the picture of the diagram.

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