Top brake light works, side don't, VAG error 16955

[davidbrownuk]

My wife's Fabia 1.4 16v 2002 has just come up with a warning light. Plugged in a monitor and the error is 16955. This looks like brake light error.

The top brake light works with the pedal, the side lights don't. Fuses are OK and the side brake bulbs are OK.

When you turn the ignition on some of the multiple lights come on dimly on the top brake light, the ones on both ends.

Never seen this before.

Checked forums and they say it could be brake pedal switch, which seems to be working as the top brake light comes on, or brake relay.

Any ideas of any other causes? Could the brake pedal switch still be faulty, ie has it got two outputs, one to the main brake relay and one to the top brake light and ECU?

If it is the switch or relay how do you tell which and how do you get the dashboard bottom off to change them?

Don't know if it makes any difference but we don't have cruise control.

thanks,

David

[JulieD]

The top brake light works with the pedal, the side lights don't. Fuses are OK and the side brake bulbs are OK.

When you turn the ignition on some of the multiple lights come on dimly on the top brake light, the ones on both ends.

Never seen this before.

Checked forums and they say it could be brake pedal switch, which seems to be working as the top brake light comes on, or brake relay.

This is exactly what happened on my old furby. Dealer replaced the brake pedal switch and all was well again

[davidbrownuk]

This is exactly what happened on my old furby. Dealer replaced the brake pedal switch and all was well again

Thanks. Did your top brake light continue to work with the faulty brake switch?

Edited 15 December, 2010 by davidbrownuk

[JulieD]

Thanks. Did your top brake light continue to work with the faulty brake switch?

Yes. And the outer segments lit dimly with the ignition on just as yours is doing.

[mogwye]

The same thing happened with me, it turned out that both rear bulbs had blacked over and blown exactly at the same time.

DB.

[CFB]

the reason for the high level brake light working and the main brake lights not working,

with a faulty brake light switch, is that the high level light uses LED's which draw much less current.

if the switch is faulty there may be just enough current for it to work but not enough for the main lights

[Mike B]

Go spend £3 on new 21w brake light bulbs as they'll both be blown!

Brake light switch would affect all 3 lights not just the the two side mounted ones!

[Mike B]

The brake light bulbs are the single filament ones at the top of the holder, Just incase!

[davidbrownuk]

The brake light bulbs are the single filament ones at the top of the holder, Just incase!

Brilliant, I've been checking the bottom red ones. Just checked the top red ones and both are blown. Had some spares for the indicators which are the same size (21W) and now they all work.

Can't believe

1. Both bulbs went together

2. That I was checking the wrong bulbs.

Thanks Mike.

It's worth noting that if both brake bulbs blow that the side lights on the top brake light glow dimly when the ignition is on.

That's a neat way of showing the state of the brake bulbs if there is only one person checking.

Anyway just a note on the VAG-COM error 16955. If anyone else gets this, check your brake bulbs FIRST before getting brake pedal switches or relays changed.

Thanks to everyone that fedback info.

David

[Tech1e]

Id bet both bulbs didnt blow at the same time, one probably went a while ago but now you notice as the second one goes and logs a fault.

To the person who a brake light switch fixed it no it didnt. What happened is they changed the switch, it didnt clear the fault so then they checked the bulbs, realised the mistake and charged you for the switch anyway.

Edited 15 December, 2010 by Tech1e

[rum4mo]

Id bet both bulbs didnt blow at the same time, one probably went a while ago but now you notice as the second one goes and logs a fault.

To the person who a brake light switch fixed it no it didnt. What happened is they changed the switch, it didnt clear the fault so then they checked the bulbs, realised the mistake and charged you for the switch anyway.

+1 on both counts!!

[davidbrownuk]

Id bet both bulbs didnt blow at the same time, one probably went a while ago but now you notice as the second one goes and logs a fault.

To the person who a brake light switch fixed it no it didnt. What happened is they changed the switch, it didnt clear the fault so then they checked the bulbs, realised the mistake and charged you for the switch anyway.

You're right. Just asked my wife and she said she thought the brake lights were dimmer than normal last week but didn't say anything.

[rum4mo]

You're right. Just asked my wife and she said she thought the brake lights were dimmer than normal last week but didn't say anything.

Mind you, this fix is cheaper and easier to solve that the Polo top light failure that gets caused by a poor design that leaves the high probability that the light unit to body weather seal fails and lets water in to rust away the bus bars and then the copper wire! (been there done that!)

[DRJ]

Just a thought - wasn't the blown bulb warning light on too?

[Tech1e]

Just a thought - wasn't the blown bulb warning light on too?

Probably doesnt have one, not all of them do.

[davidbrownuk]

Just a thought - wasn't the blown bulb warning light on too?

Don't have one. It will be interesting to see if my Fabia II Level 2 has an indicator.

[Mike B]

Don't have one. It will be interesting to see if my Fabia II Level 2 has an indicator.

East to check! Pop one of the blown ones in your car and turn on ignition!

[Sizey1980]

I am getting the hump now! Got the annoying implausable brake error still after changing switch, checking bulbs, fuses. Cleared the error code but it keeps coming back? Any help would be good, need to MOT her soon!

[Sizey1980]

Oh should have mentioned the glow light is on!