Reverse lights not working... help!

[Duggie]

My reverse lights on the Fabia have stopped working, shift into reverse and nothing happens, if I rev the engine they flicker for a bit then go out as the engine returns to idle. It can't be the battery because the other lights are working fine, the fuse can't have gone because they flicker on and off. Dare i say, could it be the reverse sensor? If so how much are they fitted and not fitted?

-Duggie.

[vRSLen]

Sounds like the switch to me.

[Mike B]

Turn your fan on, Then select reverse.

Does the pitch change?

[Duggie]

The pitch doesn't change, no. Could it be the uprated dogbone bushes shaking the car to bits? lol.

[Mike B]

Hazard a guess at it being the switch then!

No rev lights and it's not throwing the recirc flap over!

[cjb]

On other VAG cars the wires to the switch are prone to breaking, so check that.

[Duggie]

Oh god don't be broken wires, that'll cost more to fix and Christmas is close! Fingers crossed! Could this also be why my speedo sensor is occationally going haywire? I'm taking it to Jewson's tomorrow, get them to look at both problems.

Thanks guys!

-Duggie.

[cjb]

Oh god don't be broken wires, that'll cost more to fix and Christmas is close! .

If it is, it's easy to fix.

[Duggie]

Ok, the car is booked into Jewsons for thursday to get the problem sorted... does £50 sound reasonable for the item fitted?

-Duggie.

[rum4mo]

I can't comment on £50 being okay, but round about here Jewsons is a large builder's merchant !!

[missp]

Well, I had my switch replaced with the service so I'll dig out the bill and let u know how much it was at the dealers.

[PetrolDave]

Had this on our 1.2HTP - tried replacing the switch (vagparts for less than £10) but the lights still didn't work so I suspected the wiring.

With the cold wet weather I didn't fancy tackling this while lying on the drive so I booked it in to the local dealer (Freeborn in Southampton). They spotted the faulty wiring and replaced it. But they didn't spot that the reversing lights were now on whenever the ignition was on!

On the way home I got flashed by a Transit and some d..k in a BMW drove behind with his headlights on full beam. When home it took less than 5 minutes to spot that the new switch needed adjusting (thicker washer) and everything was OK.

Dealer denies that the car left their workshop with the reversing lights permanently on - sorry I don't believe them.

[Duggie]

All sorted, £48.56 and it was faulty wiring. I must say, Jewsons was great, i got a cup of tea and a mars bar and when my lift failed to arrive to take me home i was even offered a lift back home with a delivery driver taking a Skoda to London, made me think that they really cared and were worried. On returning to pick up the car i was met with the usual friendlyness and the joy at seeing my car clean... hand washed too... not just taken through the local car wash... thank god.

-Duggie.

[Wardy]

Good resolution

Steve