Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lighting
NOTE: If equipped, the perimeter lighting feature can be enabled or disabled. When enabled, the exterior lamps are illuminated when the UNLOCK button is pressed on the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter. Refer to Handles, Locks, Latches and Entry Systems Testing and Inspection or Testing and Inspection for programming and diagnostics.
NOTE: The Smart Junction Box (SJB) is also known as the Generic Electronic Module (GEM).
Exterior Lighting System
The exterior lighting system consists of the following components:
- Headlamps
- Ballasts (if equipped with High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps) (located on the underside of each headlamp)
- Front side marker lamps
- Rear side marker lamps
- Rear lamp assemblies
- High mounted stoplamp
- Reversing lamps
- Headlamp switch
- Multifunction switch
- Hazard flasher lamp switch (located in front of the instrument panel storage bin for Fusion/Milan or the lower portion of the center instrument panel finish panel for MKZ)
- Light sensor
- Stoplamp switch
- Reversing lamp switch (located on the forward side of the manual transaxle)
- SJB (located to the left of the brake pedal)
- Headlamp Control Module (HCM) (located next to the SJB)
Battery Saver
NOTE: Time-out is 1 minute if the vehicle has less than 80 km (50 miles).
The battery saver is internal to the SJB and provides automatic shut-off of the headlamps and parking lamps after 10 minutes in order to save battery voltage. A timer is started when the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position with the headlamp switch in the HEADLAMPS ON position, or the headlamp switch is placed in the HEADLAMPS ON position with the ignition switch off. When the time-out period has elapsed, the voltage is automatically shut off to the lamps by the battery saver.
The battery saver does not control the parking lamps if the headlamp switch is in the PARKING LAMPS ON position.
Lamp Assembly Condensation
Exterior lamps are vented to accommodate normal changes in pressure. Condensation can be a natural by-product of this design. When moist air enters the lamp assembly through the vents, there is a possibility that condensation can occur if the temperature is cold. When normal condensation occurs, a thin film of mist can form on the interior of the lens. The thin mist eventually clears and exits through the vents during normal operation. Time to clear the lens of acceptable mist varies with ambient humidity and lamp types. Normal condensation clears from any lamp in 48 hours under dry conditions.
Do not replace a lamp assembly with acceptable levels of condensation such as:
- presence of thin mist (no streaks, drip marks or droplets are present)
- fine mist covers less than 50% of the lens
Examples of unacceptable moisture (usually caused by a lamp housing leak):
- water puddling inside the lamp
- large water droplets, drip marks or streaks present on the interior of the lens
Headlamps - Fusion
The headlamp system is a quad-beam pattern system. It consists of replaceable low and high beam bulbs. The headlamp assembly has the park/turn lamp integrated into the headlamp assembly.
If the headlamps are on when the ignition switch is turned off, the battery saver feature turns off the headlamps after 10 minutes have elapsed.
When the low beams are requested (based on inputs to the SJB), the low beams are illuminated.
When the high beams are requested, the high beams are illuminated with the low beams.
When the flash-to-pass feature is requested, the high beams are illuminated for as long as the multifunction switch is held in the FLASH-TO-PASS position.
Headlamps - Milan
The headlamp system is a dual-beam pattern system. It consists of a single replaceable headlamp bulb in each headlamp assembly. The headlamp assembly has the park/turn lamp integrated into the headlamp assembly.
If the headlamps are on when the ignition switch is turned off, the battery saver feature turns off the headlamps after 10 minutes have elapsed.
When the low beams are requested (based on inputs to the SJB), the low beams are illuminated.
When the high beams are requested, a shutter within each headlamp is activated. This changes the headlamp beam pattern to illuminate a greater distance.
The flash-to-pass feature is unique for Milan. If the low beams are off when the flash-to-pass is requested, the headlamp bulbs and the shutters within the headlamps are activated for approximately 0.5 second. If the headlamps are already on when the flash-to-pass is requested, the shutters within the headlamps are activated for as long as the multifunction switch is held in the FLASH-TO-PASS position.
Headlamps - MKZ
The headlamp system is a quad-beam pattern system. It consists of replaceable low and high beam bulbs. The headlamp assembly has the park/turn and side marker lamps integrated into the headlamp assembly.
If the headlamps are on when the ignition switch is turned off, the battery saver feature turns off the headlamps after 10 minutes have elapsed.
When the low beams are requested (based on inputs to the SJB), the low beams are illuminated.
When the high beams are requested, the high beams are illuminated with the low beams.
When the flash-to-pass feature is requested, the high beams are illuminated for as long as the multifunction switch is held in the FLASH-TO-PASS position.
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Headlamps
Each HID headlamp consists of a ballast and replaceable low and high beam bulbs. The ballasts provide the higher voltage required for the HID bulbs to illuminate.
When the low beams are on, the HID ballasts provide high voltage to the HID bulbs.
Autolamps
The autolamp system provides light sensitive automatic on/off control of the exterior lamps. The autolamp system keeps the exterior lamps on for a pre-selected period of time after the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position (20 seconds is the factory default setting). The pre-selected time lapse is adjustable up to approximately 3 minutes. To adjust the setting, refer to Autolamps Time Delay Adjustment Autolamps Time Delay Adjustment.
Headlamps On With Wipers On Feature
If the headlamp switch is in the AUTOLAMPS ON position, this feature turns the exterior lamps on when the front wipers are on for more than 10 seconds (except during a mist wipe or while the wipers are on to clear washer fluid during a wash condition). The exception to this is when the exterior lights are on because of darkness determined by the autolamp system.
Refer to Wipers and Washers Testing and Inspection for diagnostics of the headlamps on with wipers on feature.
Stoplamps
NOTE: The Fusion high mounted stoplamp has 9 LEDs mounted in the center third portion of the assembly. The outer left and right portions of the high mounted stoplamp are not illuminated. The high mounted stoplamp is not designed to illuminate the full width of the lens.
The stoplamp switch is located on the brake pedal assembly. The stoplamps are supplied voltage when the brake pedal is applied.
Turn Signal/Hazard Lamps
The front turn signal lamps are located within the headlamp assemblies. Fusion utilizes combination stop/turn lamps while Milan and MKZ have dedicated rear turn lamps. When the multifunction switch is placed in the LH or RH TURN positions, the SJB routes voltage to the LH or RH turn signal lamps. The SJB then cycles the voltage on and off approximately 80 times per minute. If a front or rear turn bulb is inoperative, the SJB cycles the voltage on and off approximately 160 times per minute.
When the hazard switch is pressed, the SJB supplies voltage to all the turn lamps. The SJB cycles the voltage on and off approximately 80 times per minute.
For Fusion and Milan, the hazard flasher lamp switch is mounted to the instrument panel upper storage compartment panel.
For MKZ, the hazard flasher lamp switch is part of the Front Controls Interface Module (FCIM).
Parking Lamps
The SJB supplies voltage to the parking lamps when demanded. The parking lamps include the following:
- Front parking lamps
- Front side marker lamps
- Rear parking lamps
- Rear side marker lamps
- License plate lamps
Fog Lamps
The fog lamp switch is integrated into the headlamp switch. When the fog lamp switch is engaged, the SJB provides ground for the fog lamp relay coil (integrated into the SJB), which then energizes and routes voltage to the fog lamps. The fog lamps can be turned on when the ignition switch is in the RUN or ACC position, the parking lamps are on, and the high beam headlamps are off.
On vehicles equipped with HID headlamps, the fog lamps are used for the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL), if this feature is enabled.
Reversing Lamps
When the transmission is placed in REVERSE (R), the reversing lamps are illuminated. The reversing lamps are located within the rear lamp assemblies (Fusion) or mounted to the luggage compartment lid (Milan/MKZ).
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
NOTE: Milan is not available with the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) feature.
On vehicles with halogen headlamps, the DRL system illuminates the low beam headlamps at a reduced intensity.
On vehicles with HID headlamps, the DRL system operates the fog lamps at full intensity by energizing the fog lamp relay.
The DRL turn on when the following conditions are met:
- The ignition switch is in the RUN position.
- The headlamps have not been turned on by the autolamp system or the headlamp switch.
- The transmission is not in PARK (P) (automatic transaxle).
- The parking brake is released (manual transaxle).
The SJB can be configured to turn the DRL on for this vehicle. Refer to Module Configuration [1][2]Initial Inspection and Diagnostic Overview for additional information on this programmable parameter.
Adaptive Headlighting
Vehicles equipped with adaptive front lighting have a Headlamp Control Module (HCM) to control the left/right swiveling of the headlamp bulbs. Depending on the inputs received (steering wheel angle and vehicle speed for example), the adaptive front lighting module HCM can change the angle at which the headlamps are aimed (left or right) to improve nighttime visibility around curves.
The swiveling motor within each headlamp (used to control the angle of the headlamp beams) are part of the headlamp assembly and cannot be repaired separately.