I’m posting this so that hopefully other people who own a Ford Focus will find this. Over the weekend the windscreen washers on my Focus stopped working. This was a bit of a bugger given the crappy weather so on Sunday I pulled it apart and removed the switch as a prime suspect. A bit of digging and some posts on some Focus owner club sites soon began to point to the switch as a fairly common failure (although not usually quite how mine was failing).
If anyone reading this is having problems with the washer switch on their focus then first, check the pump. Easily done as the same pump does the front and rear washers. It is highly unlikely to run in one direction but not the other. Assuming you can hear it (it is under the nearside wing) then take the switch off. This is actually surprisingly simple. Lower the steering wheel right down and pull it towards you if you sit in the drivers seat. On each side of the plastic cover on the top of the steering column there are two small clips. Push something small into these (small screwdriver – I found the car key actually worked ok) and the top of the column cover will lift off. Once that it removed you can see the two switches (lights, wipers) and can push the small clip on the top of the suspect switch. It should then lift out. Remove it from the loom by pushing the small plastic catch on the multiplug and pulling the plug out. This is probably the trickiest bit of th job!
To test the switch check out that *without* the button for the washers pressed you have continuity between pins 6 and 2 and open circuit between pins 2 and 3. this should switch when the button is pressed. I found that on mine 2 and 3 were open circuit regardless of the switch position.
If this is the case then you have a knackered switch. Assuming that you don’t have the switch with the 6 intermittent speed settings check out the plug on the loom in the car. If you have wires going to *all* 10 ways (not just 10 wires – make sure one goes to each pin) in the plug then you can save a little cash and get an upgrade at the same time 
. Get down to the ford dealer and ask for part# 1097542. This is the switch from the Mk3 mondeo apparantly so don’t give them the reg number of your focus (they will press for it) – just ask for the part. Get it (I paid £30.22 + VAT for mine) and plug it in. All should now work
The advantages of getting this part is that a) it’s actually cheaper for some odd reason and b) you should now have variable delay on the intermittent wipe. Bonus! The whole thing should take less than 10 mins.
Hopefully someone will stumble across this info and save themselves hours of trawling around the web looking for snippets of info
Hi,
I don’t have a failure issue with my wipers on my focus, but I really want to upgrade to the 6 speed intermittent switch. Is it just a straight swap from the old one speed intermittent switch to the new one? the method you used seems straight forward enough and if it really is a straight swap I’m gonna do it this weekend! So frustrating only having the one speed intermittant wipers!
Regards,
Andy Roberts
yep, straight swap as long as you have all ten ways wired (check it isn’t just ten wires – I think one pin has a couple).
Swapped as you described… Piece of cake! managed to get the replacement part for £15. Took all of about 5mins to swap. Next job… Heated washer jet upgrade! Annoying in the winter when they freeze up! Anyone know if this is difficult/possible?
Read this post with interest as I’m wanting to do this mod to my 1.6 Zetec – but… I can only see 9 ways wired into the multi switch on the existing stalk. Pin 1 has no wiring going to it at all, but some others have several. Do you think this means I’m not going to be able to do the mod? I wanted to install the trip computer, but don’t have the loom or connector for this either – have I got a Focus that was subject to Ford’s cost-cutting in ’02, ie not fitting a standard fit-all loom to all Focus models? Would be grateful for any help!
As far as I know, if there are only wires in 9 of the 10 ways than it won’t work
I can’t check for sure as I’ve not got a focus anymore (moved up to a C-Max which is different).
Let me know if you find otherwise!
Are you sure about the pin 2-3 open/closed circuit?
My focus front wipers have also stopped working, no water, no wiper action. (the back ones work fine)
I took the original switch off and it was like yours, open circuit 2-3 with both the swtich pressed and without. I’ve just bought a new one (well, from an online breakers) and it’s open 2-3 all the time too.
Now, this either means that these switches are meant to be open 2-3 all the time and that I have a different problem, or I’ve bought a duff switch…
Any thoughts?
Well posted article as I have exactly the same problem.
After checking and changing the relays, still no water to the front screen. back ok, jets ok, pump ok and therfore the filter in the pump ok I started to think that knowing the focus and its awful electric component issues it might be the stalk. Sure enough I found that by carefully removing the cap off the stalk and pressing the inner slide (plastic) it made a more firmer contact – and it worked, albeit intermittently. So its a clean up on the contacts and then I think it will be ok.
dont go there! u need a new switch am on third one now on `03 car, u cant strip them down bits fly in all directions if u try! trust me go to breakers and get one
I annoyingly have rains sensors and front heated windscreen on my ’03 Zetec Focus but no variable intermittent wiper control.
Where can I find the plug on the loom in the car to check for the ten wire connection so that I can go ahead with sourcing part# 1097542?
I assume that once installing the part then setting the wiper stalk to position 1 will then allow for automatic variable intermittent wiping??
Thanks
IIRC (it was a while ago, and I’ve changed car now) it was the plug on the back of the wiperswitch that you need to check. It is a multiway plug and you need to ensure that every connection in the plug has a wire going to it – just counting the cables isn’t enough as some connections have a pair of cables.
If you have at least one cable to each connection in the plug then it should work apparantly (certainly did for me but that was a ’99 plate – yours might be newer/different. I have had others suggesting that it works as well however).
Good luck!
Does anybody know if a rain sensor activated intermittent control was EVER made an option on any Ford Focus Mark 1/1.5?
Only I have rain sensors on my windscreen but no control and nobody on any other Ford forum seems to be aware of rain sensor controls for Focuses!
Just want to say thanks for putting this article together. Had the same problem on my ’99 Focus, now sorted
Opted for a second-hand part in the end (from http://www.remoco.net); time will tell whether this was a wise move!
i have just bought the 6 speed intermittent switch for my car, when i took the steering rack cover off i found i only had the 9 wires connected. wire 1 was missing and the 6 speed variable wipe setting doesnt work on my car. does anyone know where i need to run a wire from to get this function to work
My washer packed up this morning on the way to work. I did a quick Google search and found this site. I popped the cover off the steering wheel and checked that I had the 10 wires connected, phoned the dealer who had the part in stock and fitted it with out any tools in the car park at work in about 5 minutes.
My car is a Y reg Focus.
Thanks very much for this info – the variable intermittent wipe is a great add on. I just wish I’d done this when the car was new, rather than the ageing runabout it is now.
Got one of the intermittent wiper switches BUT it won’t move towards me for the read wiper!!
Any ideas?
Cheers.
W. Force.
I have ten wires and have put a 6 speed switch on but still wont work, any ideas?
Reading this thread with interest as I have just bought a 6 speed stalk for my 54reg TDCi Edge. I bought it because I read somewhere that most Foci have the wiring in place. Well they dont. There is no wire to the no.1 terminal on the switch multiplug on my car. Looking at the wiring diagram and reading the description in Haynes, there should be white wire going from this terminal to the GEM (generic electronic module). This module apparently supplies all timer type functions on the car. It is situated down by the drivers right foot behind the A panel. I am going to run this wire to see what happens. However if the module is not programmed to opperate this timer then nothing will make it work. Only alternative is to source a GEM from a car that you know had variable delay. One good thing is that with the stalk fitted it looks like you’ve got it anyway
I just followed the instructions in the original posting (5 years later) – worked a treat – thank you.
Many thanks, your blog saved me a trip to the garage.
Still being viewed in 2012
Even in the cold of winter, this was a fairly easy swap for my Arthritic hands. ONCE I got the PROPER instructions. lol Thanks…..
Just spotted that I had saved this as a favourite. I was in a scrap yard before the winter looking for alloys to put snow tyres on. Found three and already had one from another source, but the reason for adding to this, is that whilst wandering, I spotted a Focus Ghia. It has the speed option so asked the chap in the yard if I could have the switch, he didn’t want me dismantling the steering, etc. so I told him it would take me longer to find a screwdriver to pop the catches than to it would to remove the switch. So I showed him and he was amazed Ford managed to make something so simple. I now have 6 speeds for my intermittent wipers. My Missus didn’t understand the fuss until she had the need to vary the speed, now she is a happy bunny as well. It cost me a fiver!!
So, the answer to you dreams of variable speed wipers is to find a Focus Ghia, unless you find the one I found.
Happy wiping.
Charlie.