Both tail lights not working

[TheRivieraKid]

Hi all,  this evening this appeared on the dash....

 

On inspection my tail lights aren’t working.  Brake lights are fine, indicators are fine etc.  The bulbs for the tail lights look fine from what I can tell.

 

Either I’m blind or can I hell as like find a fuse for the tail lights.  I can find one for the brake lights (and it’s fine), but not one for the tail lights.

Help! 😂

 

 

[UrbanPanzer]

Are the DRL'S still working ?

[TheRivieraKid]

Just now, UrbanPanzer said:

Are the DRL'S still working ?

Yep they are.

 

And from what I can tell (although I didn't walk round the front of the car, just judged from the light being cast on the house), sidelights and headlights are working fine too.

[UrbanPanzer]

if the front side lights are working, then it must be bulbs as they are fed from the same connection in the wiring harness.

[RicardoM]

2 hours ago, TheRivieraKid said:

The bulbs for the tail lights look fine from what I can tell.

Based on what test?

[TheRivieraKid]

8 hours ago, RicardoM said:

Based on what test?

No test, just a visual.  They look fine from what I can tell.  I’ll be swappIng them out later today if I can, that’ll be the test 🙂

[TheRivieraKid]

8 hours ago, UrbanPanzer said:

if the front side lights are working, then it must be bulbs as they are fed from the same connection in the wiring harness.

I think we might be onto something here.

 

the DRLs on mine are in the front fog lights, and according to the manual on a separate fuse.  They’re fine....but....

 

.....I see the sidelights are on the same fuse (23) as the interior light....and what was I fiddling with yesterday? The interior light to fit the microphone for the hands free.  Odd how there’s no mention of the tail lights being on this fuse in the manual.

 

Anyway, I recall yesterday not long after I had done my best Homer Simpson impression and broken the switch off the interior light (doh), the reading lights (is that what they’re called?) went dimmed for a while, then went back to full brightness. I’ve had a look today, and they’re dimmed again, checked the sidelights again and lo and behold they’re now not working.  Checked fuse 23 and it’s slightly charred looking, it doesn’t look broken, but it doesn’t look too healthy.  I’m going to hazard a guess that’s the culprit.

 

I’m off to my local car parts shop to pick up a couple of spare fuses and see what happens.

 

Cheers @UrbanPanzer I would never have known they were both on the same fuse if you hadn’t mentioned it.  Wish me luck.

[TheRivieraKid]

Yep, fuse 23 it was.  Cheers @UrbanPanzer

[UrbanPanzer]

glad its sorted 👍

 

Out of interest...............how did you come to pull the switch of the interior light ?

 

 

[chimaera]

6 minutes ago, UrbanPanzer said:

glad its sorted 👍

 

Out of interest...............how did you come to pull the switch of the interior light ?

 

 

If it's anything like I did, probably prising off the cover of the switch module instead of prising the module itself out of the housing when removing it to fit the microphone.

Edited 26 July, 2020 by chimaera

[mrgf]

I was gonna say sounds unlikely to be a bulb as, if its the same bulb layout as my car, there are FOUR taillight bulbs, two per side! Its a bit weird though, to use the same fuse for both left and right hand side of the vehicle as this will leave you totally un-illuminated in one go!

 

As an aside and obviously it won't matter in this case but as RicardoM asked, "Based on what test"? Bulbs can and often do look perfectly fine but still be blown. Particularly if they are small bulbs, which are difficult to see the filament through. Don't rely on a visual inspection but use a tester or at least try swapping a good one for the one you think may be gone as it will then either light or not. You can even get intermittent bulb failure but it is less likely. Tends to happen more with LED bulbs, due to the circuitry involved.

 

I also believe that symbol comes on when the brake light switch fails but it may be a different one. Cant remember. My car doesn't have the bulb blown warnings as some variants do or at least, not if its a single bulb.

[TheRivieraKid]

1 hour ago, chimaera said:

If it's anything like I did, probably prising off the cover of the switch module instead of prising the module itself out of the housing when removing it to fit the microphone.

Bingo 😂

[TheRivieraKid]

1 hour ago, UrbanPanzer said:

glad its sorted 👍

 

Out of interest...............how did you come to pull the switch of the interior light ?

 

 

Impatience and clumsiness 😂  I’ll know for next time 

[TheRivieraKid]

30 minutes ago, mrgf said:

I was gonna say sounds unlikely to be a bulb as, if its the same bulb layout as my car, there are FOUR taillight bulbs, two per side! Its a bit weird though, to use the same fuse for both left and right hand side of the vehicle as this will leave you totally un-illuminated in one go!

 

As an aside and obviously it won't matter in this case but as RicardoM asked, "Based on what test"? Bulbs can and often do look perfectly fine but still be blown. Particularly if they are small bulbs, which are difficult to see the filament through. Don't rely on a visual inspection but use a tester or at least try swapping a good one for the one you think may be gone as it will then either light or not. You can even get intermittent bulb failure but it is less likely. Tends to happen more with LED bulbs, due to the circuitry involved.

 

I also believe that symbol comes on when the brake light switch fails but it may be a different one. Cant remember. My car doesn't have the bulb blown warnings as some variants do or at least, not if its a single bulb.

Yeah, like I say it was a quick visual inspection rather than a full on test.  Bulbs would have been the next thing to swap had the fuse not done the trick.  
 

luckily all is well now....I can go out at night again 😂

[mrgf]

2 minutes ago, TheRivieraKid said:

 

luckily all is well now....I can go out at night again 😂

Ill let the other motorists in the area know that, then!

😱

[TheRivieraKid]

10 minutes ago, mrgf said:

Ill let the other motorists in the area know that, then!

😱

Cheeky monkey 😂

[Madvlad65]

4 hours ago, mrgf said:

I was gonna say sounds unlikely to be a bulb as, if its the same bulb layout as my car, there are FOUR taillight bulbs, two per side! Its a bit weird though, to use the same fuse for both left and right hand side of the vehicle as this will leave you totally un-illuminated in one go!

 

As an aside and obviously it won't matter in this case but as RicardoM asked, "Based on what test"? Bulbs can and often do look perfectly fine but still be blown. Particularly if they are small bulbs, which are difficult to see the filament through. Don't rely on a visual inspection but use a tester or at least try swapping a good one for the one you think may be gone as it will then either light or not. You can even get intermittent bulb failure but it is less likely. Tends to happen more with LED bulbs, due to the circuitry involved.

 

I also believe that symbol comes on when the brake light switch fails but it may be a different one. Cant remember. My car doesn't have the bulb blown warnings as some variants do or at least, not if its a single bulb.

I got that warning light when my number plate lights went

😀

[RicardoM]

The lesson that should be learned from this event is "FIRST remove negative battery cable when you work on the electrical system of the car".

[UrbanPanzer]

2 hours ago, RicardoM said:

The lesson that should be learned from this event is "FIRST remove negative battery cable when you work on the electrical system of the car".

 

Thats what the Haynes manual ALWAYS says!!