bu11frogg

@AndrewX192 I posted a photo of my 2014 TC above with all brake lights on. I know it's a different generation, but maybe it'll help.

Posted by accident so I deleted the content...couldn't figure out how to delete the entire post, sorry!

You read my mind, @Fifty150! And yes, you and @G B L were correct, it was quite an easy job. I had my 11 year old hold the flashlight, but otherwise all I needed for the job was a ¼" ratchet, small extension, 10mm socket, and needle-nose pliers. And of course, the replacement light, which I did get from Ford for $100 (yes, it's online for a bit cheaper, but oh well). DT1Z-13A613-A We saved $180 (dealer install price) in less than 30 minutes. My shrewd 11-year old tried getting me to split the difference...sorry, buddy. For anyone who wants to see the process, here it is. First, I pulled the headliner down a few inches and put a couple wooden blocks in there to hold the headliner down for me. There are 3 bolts coming out of the bottom of the new light, and it's easy to identify where those 3 bolts are accessed -- the 3 square holes. \ Once the nuts are out, lift up the light to get at the wiring. I squeezed the clip with the needle-nose pliers to pull it out. And the old brake light is now free! Then I cleaned up all the dirt, leaves, etc. to make sure the new foam seal on the bottom of the new light would seat properly and seal out the elements. Then clip the wire back in and test! (Don't forget to put the nuts back on if all goes well!) The whole thing took less than 30 minutes.

Well, I searched for "third brake light" whereas you searched for "high mount lamp". I didn't know Ford referred to it as that. Again, thank you!

Wow @Fifty150, I don't know how you found that brake light photo and drawing! I searched a long time and only found them for older TC's and full-size Transits! I did tell the dealer it was a go, but the part hasn't come in yet. I'm wondering if they'll let me just buy the part and skip scheduling the job. Thanks @Fifty150 and @G B L!

I should've mentioned, I have the XLT wagon version (with seats, upholstery, etc.) which makes it a bit more difficult to get at a few things. I took a look a couple times, hoping it would be obvious how I could pull the light out and have a look. I'm usually OK with taking things apart, but in this case I'm assuming this unit, exposed as it is to the elements, must have some weather sealing where the bolts connect to the roof. I can't find any directions or even a good schematic to show where the fasteners and electrical connections are, so I'm concerned if I start fiddling with it, I'll do more damage and end up worse than it is now. I can't even find a replacement to purchase, which would be helpful because then I could see where it's bolted in, etc. The dealer said sometimes the connection is bad and they tested the light and confirmed it's bad. So, clearly they're either lying, or there must be an easy way to get at and connect the electrical lines to a battery to test the light. I was there about 40 minutes, but they didn't pull my car into the bay right away, so it really didn't take them more than 25-30 minutes to check it all out. And they had enough time to do a "free" brake inspection in an attempt to drum up some additional business, too.

My 2014 TC just failed annual inspection due to the 3rd brake light not working, and the local shop wouldn’t touch it. They sent me to the dealer, who said it’s hard-wired in and requires removing part of the headliner to replace. $100 for the part and $180 for labor. The amount of electrical issues I’ve had with this car is making me question ever buying Ford again. My Honda and 2 Subaru’s in the past have - combined - never had this many problems or cost me this much to fix. All had over 100k miles and this car has just over 60k. Anyway, if you need that light replaced, here’s hoping your generation TC has a light that’s cheaper and easier to replace!

I'm sure you're right! I just don't have a lot of cash to play with, and just as happy with less than perfect. Mainly I wanted to save the $100 every fall and spring to mount tires to rims...I would've been OK with another set of steel wheels if I could've gotten them for the right price. I've made bigger mistakes!

@Beta Don @jrm223 Yup, those are the rims in all their minivan glory! Haha! They didn’t come with the covers and the best price I could find was $60 for a set. To me it’s not worth it; I don’t think they look that great. I’ll be happier with plain chrome center caps...$52 happier. ?

@G B L I’m sure you’re right! I’m kind of glad not to be pulling my wheels apart to put longer studs in, though.

@Beta Don What you’re saying about the cross-threading makes sense. I’m just glad simple lug nuts are all I need! The new rims do look better, though I wasn’t particularly going for an upgrade. These were cheaper than steel wheels. The new chrome lugs should improve the look, too. Now all I need are some 63mm center caps. Top photo is with stock steel wheels. Bottom shows the alloys off a 2003 Windstar.

I think I was barking up the wrong tree. I went to the local parts store, they said they didn't show any wheel studs...not even original. They said to try a big wheel / tire shop about 15 miles away and see if they had any lug nuts that might drive in deeper. This turned out to be a great suggestion. The local Ford dealer said the wheel studs are built into the hub assembly; the only way to order new ones is to get the whole assembly and he only showed one option. So, that wasn't much help, either, but on reflection maybe saved me a lot of effort trying to replace the wheel studs. I took a closer look at my current open-ended lug nuts from the factory and realized the the tapered end spins freely and has no thread engagement for ⅜"! I've found several possible replacement acorn lugs with threads all the way to the end (for example: https://www.amazon.com/DPAccessories-LCB3B6HC-CH04020-Chrome-12x1-5-Closed/dp/B00JNEBAVW/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=lug%2Bnut%2Bdpaccessories%2B12%2B1.5&qid=1584275847&sr=8-4&th=1) so I'm going to give one of those a try.

The garage used a torque wrench but still came up short. I’m hoping that replacing the studs is something I can do easily myself. I’ve done the brakes a few times, but it always takes a lot longer than I expect. The garage said they could do all 4 wheels in 1 hour so I’m hoping I can do it in 2-3 hours.

@G B L I measured too hastily last time! The end of the stud comes within ⅜" of the end of the open lug nut. To answer your question, the lug nuts are 1" long and the stud is threaded ⅝" of the way into the lug nut. Put another way, the lug nut goes just over 5 turns before I have to put the wrench on it. I've read that generally, 7 ½ turns or better is recommended. It looks like I need to go get longer wheel studs!

That’s good to know, thanks @G B L! I was trying to save a few $$ by getting used rims for my non-winter tires, and these were cheaper than the steel ones I could find. I figured I’d need closed acorn nuts and center caps, but never thought about the wheel stud length! @Fifty150 I measured last night and the difference in lug nut travel is about ¼”. The stud protrudes from the end of the nut with the steel wheel, but is hidden about 3/16” ⅜" from the end of the lug nut when mounted on the alloy rim.