Got stopped by the police because I had no number plate light when I looked its just one of the 2 that wasnt working however when I popped the boot open the light came on...so i thought broken wire or connector problem.After removing the connector block and opting to solder the cables together (without going into the block) it is still giving me greif in this following sense...Open and shut boot with the lights on everything fine bothe number plate lights are on when you turn the lights off then back on, walk to the back of the car the same one light is out again, I have put all new wire in from the bulb holders to where they wires go into a brown connection block but its still the same.When i notice the light is out I have noticed that when i pop the boot handle even without lifting the boot the light comes back on again arrrrghhhh its doing my nut in. Even when its out all I have to do is bang the back of the boot for it to come back on but yet when i have all the wiring in my hand and wiggle everything like crazy they stay on!I dont want to keep being stopped for this and also want to ask is it classed as illegal to have one number plate light out when there are 2 on the actavia as some cars only have one, I was told to get it sorted as soon as.Bloody wiring again now i am stuck what to check - I know these octavias have some strange complex circuits when it comes to wiring but this has stumped me for now.

Unfortunately as it's on the MOT test I think you're going to struggle arguing the legality. I know there's two lights and some cars only have one but of course there will be some rule about it.

iirc if its fitted to the car it must be working, ie your car has two so two must be working whereas if a only a singular one i fitted then that fills the requirement also, and this would be centred so you could read all the plate

Sounds like a bad earth somewhere!

Strip the boot panel down and trace the wires

Is it a festoon or a 501 on the Octy?

All I know is its doing my head in lol, I can have all the wiring in my hands and move them and they stay on dam thing.

tell the police to go jump..!!!!

It's a festoon on the octy I IIRC.

I'd make the obvious statement of have you changed the bulb and checked the connector in the housing?

Worth taking the bulb out and trying another or swapping them over to see if the fault follows the bulb.

Both number plate lamps must work. If you were to submit your car for an MOT test with only one working, it will fail the MOT as they must BOTH work. The reason being, each bulb only light half the plate, so if your car were completely in the dark only half the plate would be visible.

Remove the bulb then gently open the wire connectors on the bulb out the way slightly, then refit

I had the same problem on my Kia this sorted it, if the connectors are not tight they will work intermittently

Could be the filament inside the bulb being intermittant, so change it for a new one for starters and then check the wiring as it must be the local wire between the bulbs or the bulb holder ? I wouldn't have thought they were on differant circuits. cheers - Stuart.

tell the police to go jump..!!!!

LOL Yeah but with one light they are going to love me over the festive period, I have changed the bulb but things still the same so going to dig deeper tomorrow.Cheers. [X] (Thumb Up

as said above, swap the bulbs, if the problem moves replace the bulb. if not it looks like it could be the holder.

bulbs are the 501 capless not festoon, i know because i had one out the other day because it worked when it wanted, so took it out cleaned the terminals on the plug and all seems well touch wood!

Over the years I have had this problem twice with festoon bulbs. One was a faulty bulb (intermittent internally) and the other was the rivet that held the phosphor bronze bulb spring contact to the circuit board. Worth a look.

As others they're capless, and my thoughts turn to a faulty bulb. I mean, for 50 pence...

Well I got it sorted it was a faulty bulb holder, when I removed it there was a very very tiny crack at the top of the metal prongs inside the holder.Luckily managed to get another from local scrapyard and its perfect not,Isnt it amazing how things like that just break when all they do is sit in a hole and dont move.Glad I got it sorted - Thanks for the help everyone

I got stopped last weekend & was told i had a brake light out,no probs officer,i will put one in now.he replied " i will have to give you a ticket & you will have to get the bulb replaced at a garage then checked by a mot tester" WTF!!!!!!!! I informed him i am a mechanic,i will put a bulb in now,& you know what you can do with your paperwork & by the way you have a headlight out on your van!! he replied "put a bulb in & go on your way & we will take no further action" bloody jobsworth....he was a right little hitler too!

I got stopped last weekend & was told i had a brake light out,no probs officer,i will put one in now.he replied " i will have to give you a ticket & you will have to get the bulb replaced at a garage then checked by a mot tester" WTF!!!!!!!! I informed him i am a mechanic,i will put a bulb in now,& you know what you can do with your paperwork & by the way you have a headlight out on your van!! he replied "put a bulb in & go on your way & we will take no further action" bloody jobsworth....he was a right little hitler too!

I hate it when they are like that...it seems you were lucky his van had a headlight out. I have heard that some police are ok and surley it isnt a problem if you have the bulbs in the car to replace there and then.Most cars I think should tell you if there is a back brake light out as most people only find out at an MOT or when pulled by the police

Bl00dy woodentops just don't do themselves any favours sometimes do they