Rear drivers (right) side tail light assembly no power

[AussieRunningman]

Hi all,

Have looked thru most of the topics and haven't found this particular issue yet, but have found mention of a few related but doesn't answer my problems.

 

History: 2012-13 1.4 or 1.6L petrol, no issues to date. Recently in early Dec 2014, we got hit with massive hail storm and car got peppered, with two cracks in the plastic light cover (rear drivers side), as well as a crack to the black plastic on the rear pillar.

 

Soon after we got the bulb error on the dash, and we noticed no indicator flashing (never actually noticed if the brake and park or reverse lights were not working, but assuming yes they were, as the dash computer display warned about flasher only). All other indicators around the car working. A few weeks later (while waiting for hail damage repairs) the car was due a regular service (20,000kms) and the Dealer "fixed" the problem by replacing the indicator bulb, then the dash light disappeared.

 

Move forward to last week and we take the car to get the hail damage fixed. They used the paintless dent removal technique, where the use rods or similar to massage the dents out from the inside. The inside of the roof was removed, as well Im guessing the panelling inside the car to some degree. Car returned to us with hail damage fixed (surprisingly, no visible indications of the damage, so I was impressed after being sceptical of the technique) however the bulb light was now on again. The repairer told us, in not as many words, not his problem, but by this stage I had left my wife to drive her car home, so I wasn't given the opportunity of a retort. Insurance company has us taking the vehicle to the Dealer to rectify the problem, but that leaves us with an undrive-able car for 4 days (don't want to drive in Queensland without all the rear lights, as some drivers don't pay attention at the best of times,. and we are worried that Insurance wont pay out if we are driving an "un-roadworthy" vehicle and we know it).

 

Anyway, I have investigating the situation and all the globes work, as Ive tested each with another battery. The metal track wiring on the plastic light assembly works as Ive tested it with another battery, testing each track individually. The rear cargo compartment also has a cigarette plug, which doesn't have power, and I am assuming the light assembly plug that connects to the light doesn't have power either as the globes work, but not when plugged in to the harness. I don't have a working multimeter to test the plug, but Im sure the plug has no power, as the cigarette plug is dead also ( same side of car). Havent been able to find any wiring diagrams online for this car.

 

I am pretty confident that the hail damage repairers have disconnected a plug somewhere in the car that feeds the rear right side, but as panels take hours to remove, I don't want to waste my time searching for, possibly, a plug that does not exist. Other possibility is the hail repairers have damaged the wiring.

 

Can anyone shed light on the wiring harness? Is there a separate plug between main car and rear light assembly? If not, where would most likely place be for check the wiring. I have checked all the fuses in the engine bay and in the dash (next to drivers door) and all fuses are OK. Is the rear tail light wiring fed from the door wiring (Ive read here on this forum that the wiring between body and doors is prone to wear and tare damage and wires break) but Im doubtful that the rear wiring would go into the doors, then back out again.

 

All other electrical items work, ie. windows up and down, interior lights on and off, headlights on and off, all other blinkers work, radio works, no other warning lights (except ABS cos I inadvertently pulled the ABS fuse rather than the one I wanted), but this light has now gone after a short drive. The issue is only with the rear drivers side quarter of the car!

 

Thanks in advance.  (ps, I want to try to fix this myself than have the hassle of no car for 4 days, plus driving to dealer and waiting for them to sort it etc etc).

 

Karl

Edited 30 January, 2015 by AussieRunningman

[Ryeman]

To start with, get a multimeter and go from there as, if your handy with your hands, it's probably the most useful tool you can have in this high tech world.

[33q]

Good idea about the multimeter but to be fair I think the OP has reasonably established no power is getting to the rear. I suspect the loom runs up the right front screen pillar along the roof and down the D pillar. I think it is a reasonable theory the dent repairers have disturbed a connector block.

I can't say where but BossFox has posted loads of photos of his Yeti project car and you may be able to see from these where that connector may be.

Just a thought....hope it helps

[Ryeman]

At least a multimeter will determine exactly where the power is and you'll need it one day anyway if you're handy.

[Frenchtone]

I thought the feed to the rear was along the cills both sides, under the interior plastic cill trim(I seem to recall from 4 yrs ago when I fitted a towbar etc), cannot remember any connector locations though!

Edited 30 January, 2015 by Frenchtone

[Great Yeti]

Good Morning Karl,

I think you are right about a "plug" being disconnected. It sounds to me as if a plug behind the rear quarter panel has been disconected from the right rear lighting control unit etc.

If my memory is correct. The front and rear lamps are controled by individual fuses for each side (IE: Central Control unit, right main headlight, right rear light unit - Fuse number 16 - 30amp [Green] + Central Control unit, left main headlight, left rear light unit Fuse number 26 - 30amp [Green]) So if it were a fuse supply problem, your front lights would also be affected. (The fuse designations are from a pre-facelift Yeti, but are probably the same?)

I am sure "Frenchtone" is correct about the cable being run down at cill level. and that these cables terminate in a "plug" arrangement behind the rear quarter panels [both left and right sides] before going on to feed the rear lighting controller and power socket etc.

To get at these plugs, you will need to remove or ease those panels out to give you access. A search of these forums will provide you with the necessary information on how to do so. Also check out the Yeti Technical Guides section. But, in the mean time check out this LINK (http://www.partscats.info/skoda/en/?i=cat_vag_models&brand=sk&number=155&set=156&ein=2010&f=666&hauptgr=1234567890&hg=5&grf=050130460&bf=50130&hgug=501&ug=01&parent_id=232060) it takes you to an online parts catalogue that when you delve into it, shows you exploded diagrams of all parts and how the internal panels etc are fixed - it may help. I hope so!

Best of luck.......Tony

[AussieRunningman]

Hi Guys,

thanks very much for the replies.

Yes, a new multimeter has been on the cards lately, as my two old ones dies on me, although I have put off buying a new one as I was 100% SURE (lol) that I did buy a new one, but now cant find it. My shed was in the process of being replaced, so I had to empty it into various storage locations throughout the house and do you think I can find the new multimeter???  LOL, did I in fact ever buy a new one??  Anyway, off today to buy one, as I do need one for all my other tinkering.

 

Yes Great yeti, your fuse designations are pretty spot on, hence why I assumed that if the fuse for the right hand side was intact, and we had a working right headlight, then it must be a faulty something or broken joint somewhere on the right hand side towards the rear wiring loom. Process of elimination.

 

I will download the docs in your link and investigate today, and advise on what I have found. Hopefully the process of removing the panels will show up the issue, I don't want to waste the wifes whole day taking the car to dealer and waiting around for them.

 

Hopefully a simple fix!

Cheers again, for all replies.

[AussieRunningman]

30mins later, after having removed the rear quarter panel and C pillar panels, and thanks to the "Partscats" link above, I can confirm that the rear lights loom has no separate inline plug, separating it from the rest of the loom on that side of the car. It is simply just another leg of the loom. 

 

The loom for the rear light runs up the right hand rear wheel arch, from the sill. (Right hand side being for drivers side).

 

The wiring was all intact, however I did find that there we two EARTH wires that had not been put back onto an earth bolt. Found it by accident as I removed the side boot panel, I heard this metallic "ti-shink" like a washer or nut falling off, so I invetigated further and found these wires with washers on the ends just dangling inside the panel cavity. These two earth wires are different, one coming from the rear lights wiring loom, the other coming from the top of the tailgate door, so perhaps the rear wiper works now as the tail light in the door already worked. The nut that should have been on this earth bolt was nowhere to be seen, so I put a suitable locknut on, started the car, and tried all the lights and all worked. So it was simply an earth continuity problem.

 

Also found that the hail repairers had not put back to interior panel screws, and had replaced another screw on the top of the V pillar cover with a screw rather than a bolt The bolt has a fixed threaded nut-sert fixed to the body, while the screws screw into plastic inserts pushed into holes in the metal. Off to local car parts shop to find replacements, as I will not be taking the car back to the hail repairers to do it, who knows what they will bugger this time.

 

So all sorted, no need for the wife to waste her entire day going to the Dealership and the Insurance company wont get a bill from the Dealer either. Maybe I should send my Insurance co. an invoice for my time? LOL

 

Thanks for your help, and keep up the great work on this forum.

Karl

[AussieRunningman]

Images at    

 

http://s581.photobucket.com/user/Thorgils_Karlsson/media/Skoda/20150201_105630.jpg.html

[Great Yeti]

Well done Karl! - Glad you got it sorted!!!!......Tony

[Banjobach]

Karl, this problem must have been very anoying and frustrating for you, but you must be pleased to have finally located the reason for the problem and fixed it yourself, as well as replacing screws and bolts that should have been done by the dent repairer. We might now be in the 21st century with bucket loads advancement in technology, but is the human atitude to a job well done going backwards? 

[AussieRunningman]

Karl, this problem must have been very anoying and frustrating for you, but you must be pleased to have finally located the reason for the problem and fixed it yourself, as well as replacing screws and bolts that should have been done by the dent repairer. We might now be in the 21st century with bucket loads advancement in technology, but is the human atitude to a job well done going backwards? 

Hi Banjo, I think in all honesty, considering the number of cars the hail repairers had to fix over a 2-3 month period, I suppose a few small screws or a lost wire is a very good success rate, albeit a very very small failure rate.

 

But yeah, in a lot of cases, the will to provide "good" service can sometimes be lost or misplaced, as we are after all humans, and everybody has good and bad days, and when dealing with customers, some are a lot harsher than others. Having said that, nobody likes to be on the receiving end of bad service. Arent we a fickle race!! ;-)

[Ryeman]

It looks like we need an Auskoda .