Crown Vic. Headlight problems

[Warn1]

Hope this is not a redundant post, but thought it would be some good insight for some!! My 2005 Crown Vic along with its sister in our fleet, recently started having sporadic headlight failure. After spending the money on replacing the switch and then having to pay to have the computer read, we found its the Lighting Control Module (LCM). Its lil over $500.00 bones to replace as an individual or $400.00 dept. price. Thinking this may be some type of new problem contacted Ford Fleet Corporate office, whom said never heard of it??????? google'd the problem to find thousands listings of the exact issue from the past several years to include the Mercury edition as well... - 1 to you Ford... You would think this would be a recall issue!!


Hope this helps anyone having similar issues!!


Be Safe!

 

[MPD 818]

Yup, mu 05 just recently had to have the LCM replaced.

 

[rwo978]

When I worked at BPD... some night shifts... went crazy trying to figure out WTF was wrong with the head lights, they kept going on/off on their own. Needless to say, several trips to the dealership and many months of grief, they finally figured out it was the LCM. That was 6+ years ago, I think the car was an 04.


What I researched, it was a fairly common problem. So, if the tech hasn't heard of it, he got his head up his arse.

 

[rwo978]

Same thing... if the car starts chugging, high rev with no power and no go.... just tell the dumb ass tech it's the fuel pump. Same car, different problem = many more months of grief. It got so bad, I couldn't even drive the car, grandma's with walkers were passing me on the sidewalk with me trying to go to a priority call.... :lol:

 

[HPD84]

yup,it sure is the LCM but they rarely go out! You can get them on ebay or car-part for about $50-$100 used,it should usually last for awhile

 

[DEPUTYSTEPHENSON]

Half our fleet at the Sheriff's Office had this problem with the 2003-2005 model cars. Every department I've worked for that had 2003-2005 cars had to have the LCM replaced on almost every car. They do not rarely go out, if it's a night shift car that runs its headlights a lot then it seems to be a guarantee that it will go out.

 

[EL1998P71]

My 1998 CVPI does the same thing, but only a few times so far.


I haven't done it yet, but I am going to go with getting mine rebuilt.


Much cheaper then a new one, and auto yards don't seem to have many 1998-2002 CV's lately.


I'm not too sure a 03+ up will be compatible.


Also my friend had an 05 and it did it too alot. No head lights, tail lights, dash lights, ect.

 

[Shawn L]

I remember having issues on the first gen cars that had a LCM, 1997 was the first year we seemed to noticed a higher rate of failure on cars that had headlight flashers and or tail light flashers one example was 3 cars all put in service at once, 1 officer hated the headlight flasher, so he never used the slide 3 position , his lcm didnt go out, the other 2 cars did. there for a while we were installing diodes or isolated headlight flashers, there seemed to be an improvement in the failure rate, but we weren't exactly doing a scientific study either.

 

[zacmtz7]

I had a 2004 that did the same thing. Our 05's neve rhad the issue. The 04 gave me conastant trouble, replaced the LCM and it still gives us issues. Good thing it is a last resort car.

 

[SlickTop Solutions]

Its been a known issue, I keep several spare LCMs on hand in case I have a department complain. I pick them up for about $10 at the local yard and let the department know it is a used item I am putting in and give them the option to have the dealer swap it out.


So far, no issues with the two I have replaced (knock on wood).