Boot light issues

[RustyHill]

Hello all,

 

Apologies if this has been covered somewhere before, I've searched but nothing has come back with quite the same issues I'm getting.

 

So the car is an Mk2 Octavia FL 2009 VRS.

 

Problem:

Bulb failure light came on today

Neither the 3rd brake light nor the number plate down lights are working. (Both MOT failures which is coming up in 15 days)

When I unlock the car the boot electronic button/handle works, once I've turned on lights the electronic button handle does not work and I can no longer open the boot from there.. However it does still work if I hold down the button on the key fob!

Both sets of rear cluster lights are all working correctly

 

Things I've tried:

Checked all the fuses in box next to the driver. (None blown)

Taken the rear panel off the boot lining and checked the connector for corrosion but there doesn't seem to be any.

 

 

I'm not sure where to go from here. Has anyone got any other ideas on where to check/common issues? Or does anyone has a detailed wiring diagram for the boot?

 

Cheers all

 

Edited 3 October, 2020 by RustyHill

[MikeTheThinker]

My first instinct would be to check for the quality of your earth connections.

 

If you have one, try checking the resistance from the earth connection from the boot lock to a good chassis contact.  It should be zero or thereabouts but if not check the earthing points where the wiring harness is earthed at the rear of the vehicle. IIRC this is below the CD mulltiplayer deck behind the cover on the left of the boot area.

 

[RustyHill]

13 minutes ago, StickyMicky said:

My first instinct would be to check for the quality of your earth connections.

 

If you have one, try checking the resistance from the earth connection from the boot lock to a good chassis contact.  It should be zero or thereabouts but if not check the earthing points where the wiring harness is earthed at the rear of the vehicle. IIRC this is below the CD mulltiplayer deck behind the cover on the left of the boot area.

 

Thank you Micky, I'll get the multimeter out tomorrow!

I don't have the CD changer in the back but I'm guessing the earth point should still be there even without the changer.

[J.R.]

Earths plus check the wires physically under the grommet where they enter the tailgate/hatch.

[RustyHill]

56 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Earths plus check the wires physically under the grommet where they enter the tailgate/hatch.

 

I did look at those today but couldn't see any easy way to pull back the rubber, but I did only have a quick look at them so will look again tomorrow more closely.

[RustyHill]

Thank you to all the people who have posted, I've finally got round to looking at the earth points today and found one very corroded contact and wire, looks like some water has got in at some point. Cut that out and replaced and everything is working well. I would say the rear wiper has more power now too. 

 

Thank you all!

[J.R.]

That is not corrosion but a bad contact that has overheated and melted the insulation, someone has bodged the connector in the past as it should not have the wire cores sticking out under the ring part.

[langers2k]

The solder is a giveaway that someone has messed with that previously

 

Glad you figured it though!

[RustyHill]

On 12/10/2020 at 11:45, J.R. said:

That is not corrosion but a bad contact that has overheated and melted the insulation, someone has bodged the connector in the past as it should not have the wire cores sticking out under the ring part.

 

On 12/10/2020 at 11:50, langers2k said:

The solder is a giveaway that someone has messed with that previously

 

Glad you figured it though!

 

 

The car is an ex air ambulance rapid response car so could well have been where lights/kit had been wired in. (google EJ59 ZKT for some pics)

 

Over the years I’ve owned it I’ve found a few random switches and button which now unfortunately do nothing!

[Tilt]

I've got a switch on mine just to the right of the steering wheel on the dash panel.

 

Only took me about seven or eight years to suss out what it did, Lol.......

 

Switches the 12v socket in the boot on or off....... Its possibly in all of the estates, maybe a certain spec...