Posting a new thread for our https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ch-folder.html


2000 Ford Excursion V10 6.8l


Harbor Freight– Torx 10X4 screwdriver; $10 for a set.


If you’re like me and haul a bunch of rowdy boys without the best of supervision, your interior lights will take some abuse, and eventually give out.


The center ceiling console has 2 buttons to turn on map reading lights (dome lights). Repeatedly hitting the switch with abusive force will break the switch. If you’re unlucky, like me, it breaks in the on position. If you don’t notice it for a while, you run the risk of draining batteries. If you’re wise (like me), you remove the 5 amp fuse to fix it while out camping with said boys until you have time to fix it later. For some reason, that 5 amp fuse also controls the door pad locker/unlocker and the ability to move from park to various other gears. If you’re accustomed to leaving the keys in the truck thinking you’ll use the pad to unlock the truck – think again. Now to the fun fixing part:

• The console is held in place with one small Philips head screw and 2 knife blade – type fasteners at the windshield (front) of the console. Once the screw is out, gently tug down/backwards on the console to remove the blade fasteners, then swing the front down a few inches to enable the entire console to move forward (towards windshield) to clear the 2 rear plastic tabs. Now the console is hanging from the multiple harnesses, they’re strong enough to support the light-weight console.
• From the hanging position, start unscrewing the 6 Torx screws to free the dome light, garage door holder, and sunglasses holders (all one piece) from the console sub frame. Also disconnect the wiring harness for those 2 dome lights. In addition, remove thewiring harness connector from the sub frame. Once everything is clear, you can work on the dome light switches at your work bench.
• My passenger switch was broken/split in half. I gathered the back switch cover, 3 wires connected to the switch, a small spring, a small plastic tube (much like the workings of a clicking ball point pen) and a small round plastic piece with metal wrapping that connects the power to the light bulb harness with in the ‘on’position.
• With the wires back in place, apply a drop or two of glue on the 2 halves of the case (they are normally held by plasticstubs – mine were broken). Once the glue is dry, re-attach with wiring connector to the sub frame, re-attach the wiring to the harness, re-install the 6 torx screws and check to make sure the lights are working properly now.
• Final step is to reattach the rear of the console on the plastic clips, then the front knife-type fasteners, finally the one screw that makes the console tight against the ceiling.
• Close up the fuse box and reattach the shin cover to the lower dashboard using a coin on the 4 twist/spring tabs.

 

I think I would have just removed the bulb....... :-((

Glad you were able to fix it!

Pop

 

Valid point Pop, but the process to get to that little stinker of a light bulb is the same one to get to the switch, so might as well fix it.

 

Thanks for the info, what kind of glue did you use and is it holding?

Thanks again!

 

Yep... I need to fix both of mine. Reps sent.

 

Ben, when you take the console down find the springs for the switches while it's hanging half down, I dropped mine down in the back and it took an hour to find it, there up there and there small! A magnet will come in handy fishing them out.

 

​​​​​​
Thanks for the pro tip!

 

jd, a couple drops of Harbor Freight super glue. Yes, still in use today.

 

Thanks so much for posting this, you just saved me $100+ on a replacement console that may have had the same problem!

 

 

Did you have any luck finding the switches?