A few months ago the boot lid catch stopped working on my Mk2 Focus. At a recent service Ford quoted me £130 to fit a new micro switch, and I favoured saving the cash and using the key instead! I do need to get it sorted though and wondered if I could do the work myself. I had read some bits online about how to get to it, so I set about removing the boot trim this afternoon and found it very easy to get to. Basically it was 2 screws and poppers for the boot trim, then 4 nuts and 2 poppers on the boot lip (containing the boot micro switch and the rear numberplate lights) which then detaches from the outside - easy as!!!

What I need to do now is source the part from Ford (I hear it's about £35) and fit it. I do have a couple of questions though so hopefully someone here has performed this before!

1. Does the micro switch contain the rubber seal that you press when you release the boot catch, as I'm sure it's a worn rubber seal letting water in which has caused the existing micro switch to fail?

2. How to I attach the micro switch cable to the loom - I was assuming a clip of some sorts but I'm sensing soldering is required?!?

3. How does the micro switch fit in to the recess? I see a clip either side but when trying to remove the existing one, nothing seems to move anywhere?!?



4. Any recommendations on how to prevent future water getting back in after I fit the new switch? Any kind of special 'putty' barrier I should be applying around the switch?

Thanks in advance.

Si

 

Hi, I did this job myself a few months ago. You can either buy a microswitch from Maplin & struggle to fit it or do as I did & buy the complete thing for £30 (got mine off ebay). Half an hour to fit it, really straight forward no hassles, includes the rubber that covers the switch. Hope this helps.

 

There a pain in the butt, period!

I done some work ages ago on a Nissan Micra for someone, who had the exact same problem, water ingress in the switch, it was a recall on a certain VIN range/year which hers fell outside of

£80 later a new switch was purchased from Nissan , apparently they revised the seal.

Evidently they aren't the only manufacture affected!

As said you can buy a "Push to make" switch and DIY repair the current one if you wanted to (it will certainly be cheaper).

I guess you could smear a little vaseline around the body? I don't think I would be applying any sealant though.

Martin

 

vaseline on the rubber seal will help with water protection as it causes the rubber to swell a little. Its an old solution for leaky sunroofs & fridge door magnetic strips

 

you can buy them from ebay for pennies, or through some of the breakers

or you can go to the scrapy and get one, they are easy to fit and the vasaline trick works well

 

I had the same idea with the mentioned Micra, they had Micra's but not the frog eye model (K13) I think it is.

I should think the only MK2 Focus you will find in scrappies are write offs (So long as they haven't had a rear end shunt) in which case you may be back to square 1

Martin