Problem with rear lights - Please help

My near side rear light cluster works but for some reason the lights are really dull. The lense was cracked and the bulb holder was starting to corrode from the moisture so we replaced the whole light unit and all the bulbs thinking this would resolve the issue, but it hasn't.

I have been told it may be a dodgy earth but I have no idea where I would find the earth so I can resolve the problem. Can anyone help.

Also the centre brake light has stopped working. I assumed it would be a fuse but cannot see that it is on a separate fuse. Can anyone help me resolve this issue.

Finally my rear wiper doesn't work either so could someone tell me how to get the rear door card off without braking all the clips so I can try and get this sorted too.

I apologise if the solutions are really easy and I am being stupid but my other half works long hours so I am doing my best to get the issues resolved myself. God forbid an accident is caused just because my brake lights are visible enough.

Many thanks in advance.

The door card just needs a bit of care and a warm day, the clips are fragile in the cold, try a pair of scissors opened up to a 'V' behind the panel to give a straight pull.

The earth points for the rear lights are inside the car behind the trim on the rear body post, it will be a communal earth, a plastic header with more than one black cable going to it. There is one each side.

The wiper earth is down there as well if I remember correctly, C0706 is the circuit reference for the motor earth. C0706 is RH Rear Lights, No Plate and Wiper Motor, C0707 is the LH Rear Lights.

C0706 is on the driver's side, C0707 is on the passenger side.

If you remove the slotted covers on the rear pillar trim, you may be able to see the earth connectors, but probably need the trim off to do anything with them.





They are my two, driver's side followed by passenger side. I have the trim out after the sunroof got damaged the other week and leaked onto the carpet. You could get a spanner in there to reach the M6 nut, but I'd suggest if it is tight then it may be corroded.

Peter

Thank you very much for your response. I will see if I can get to it and get it sorted.

Any insight as to the high level break light not working. The bulb is fine. I will try testing the power to it to make sure it is getting some but are there any common problems that might be causing it to not work?

Many thanks

Try plugging the unit to the other side, if all works you knw its not the fixture... just becouse you just brought it don't mean its working right!

Hustler said:

Thank you very much for your response. I will see if I can get to it and get it sorted.

Any insight as to the high level break light not working. The bulb is fine. I will try testing the power to it to make sure it is getting some but are there any common problems that might be causing it to not work?

Many thanks

Click to expand...

High-Level brake light is also on C0706, so you may catch all the faults in one go.

Peter

Brake lights are fused, but I guess you mean the brake lights at the sides are working ok?

I would meter the resistance or check for continuity between the earth point on the bulb case and the body of the car/earth header to see if there's a bad connection. I found afew dry corroded wires round the earth headers on mine.

phil540uk said:

Brake lights are fused, but I guess you mean the brake lights at the sides are working ok?

I would meter the resistance or check for continuity between the earth point on the bulb case and the body of the car/earth header to see if there's a bad connection. I found afew dry corroded wires round the earth headers on mine.

Click to expand...

With three things not working, all on the same earth, I'd hope it is a simple job of looking at that earth point.

Peter

listerdiesel said:

High-Level brake light is also on C0706, so you may catch all the faults in one go.

Peter

Click to expand...

+1, i'd go for that too, as due to a bad earth there the upper brake and wiper are not working at all and both tail lamps are working dimmed cos both sides are shareing the LH side earth(C0707) in serial through the RH bulb's filament as there the earth is missing so there's half voltage on each lamp

@Hustler... go for C0706 (RH side earth point) as 99.9% the problem is there

It's covered up again now as we are off to Fort William in the morning, lucky we were able to get those shots, although I think RAVE has shots of most connectors in the Electrical Library.

Peter

It is the ns lights that are dim though so a separate earth surely?

Also the wipers issue was a gradual thing. Its more of a stiff/seized reason for not working. It got to a point where it would only move an inch or so and then packed in all together. I have got the cover off now so thats my job for tomorrow.

Got the high level light working.

As for the dim lights I checked the earth which all seems ok. No dirt or corrosion. There is however a bare wire exposed which I assumed was the problem but looking at the above photos its the same so I'm still confused on that one. I guess my problem is further down the line maybe?

Thank you all for your help.