Hello all,

 

Looking for some advice.

 

I've recently been plagued with my reverse lights staying on after putting the car into reverse and taking it out of reverse.

 

I took out the sensor, cleaned and installed it again and the issue is still there.

 

I then discovered that when the the reverse lights are on, if I move the wire attached to the reverse switch they turn off which would indicate to me that either the wire or connector has a loose connection.

 

I was going to buy a new connector and snip the old connector but just wanted to double check that this is the issue just to be on the safe side.

 

All replies are greatly appreciated.

Edited 20 January20 Jan by JH98

Yes, it's quite common for the wires near that connector to degrade, possibly due to the transitions between relatively stiff plastic convoluted trunking and the free bits of wire just before the connector entry. Vibration and engine movement can cause the insulation to crack thereabouts, then water can get in and turn the copper conductors within into green and black dust over time.

It's probably best to remove that section of convoluted sleeving completely, buy a connector with tails of wire prefitted, and keep cutting back the insulation of the existing loom until clean bright copper is found. Then splice the wires together from new connector and loom.

Part number is just visible in your photo, 1J0973702, I think.

 

Having said all that, a bad connection would tend to make the light(s) not work, rather than stay on when they shouldn't be on, unless the two wires are shorting together somewhere near that same area.  Cutting that short section of trunking off may reveal something. Could also be that the switch contacts are sticking, but probably best to improve the wiring situation first, if any damage is found.

Edited 20 January20 Jan by Breezy_Pete

@Breezy_Pete thanis for the reply!

 

Yeah I found some of the connectors on Ebay for cheap with the part number so I can just order one.

 

Yeah it's a weird one. When I push the wire and shield toward the connector I can hear what I assume to be the switch engage/disengage and the reverse lights turning off.

 

Maybe the plastic body of the switch has become loose relative to the metal casing?, leading to unpredictable switch mechanics.  I can look up switch part number for you if you supply reg number or VIN.

@Breezy_Pete Yeah I took the actual switch out and I couldn't see anything off about it.

 

It didn't seem to get stuck or anything which is making me think it's the wire/connector.

 

I'm based in Ireland so I'm not sure if you'd be able to look up the reg but the VIN is TMBCT21Z1C2019064.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

02K 945 415G, superseded by  02K 945 415K, apparently. But do rule out wiring issues first, I have a Fabia switch that I bought several years back, only to find that it was just bad wiring when I went to change it.

 

@Breezy_Pete Great, thanks for that.

 

I'll investigate the wiring loom and work from there. Its a bit of a pain to get in at. I now that this wire is attached to another set of wires that's attached at a sprt of T junction, ill peel back the shielding until there.

 

ill keep the thread updated with my findings.

 

Thanks again for the help.

Edited 20 January20 Jan by JH98

Hey all,

A little update on this.

So the wiring loom seems fine.

I replaced the switch and the reverse lights doesnt work now when the car is in reverse.

I added the old switch back and pressed the switch by hand and the reverse lights would get stuck on after releasing the swicth so I'm labeling that one as faulty.

I placed the new one back into the connector and pressed it down by hand and the reverse lights would turn on and off as they should but when I place the switch back into the engine and put the car into reverse it doesn't work very strange.

Anyone have any suggestions? @Breezy_Pete

13 minutes ago, JH98 said:

Hey all,

A little update on this.

So the wiring loom seems fine.

I replaced the switch and the reverse lights doesnt work now when the car is in reverse.

I added the old switch back and pressed the switch by hand and the reverse lights would get stuck on after releasing the swicth so I'm labeling that one as faulty.

I placed the new one back into the connector and pressed it down by hand and the reverse lights would turn on and off as they should but when I place the switch back into the engine and put the car into reverse it doesn't work very strange.

Anyone have any suggestions? @Breezy_Pete

This is the switch I am using https://www.micksgarage.com/g/reverse-light-switches/products/139b1499455/standard-reverse-light-switch.

I didn't notice that the switches mechanisms are slightly different, the new one is more of a tactile button while the original one is a spring loaded button that presses down a lot further. Maybe that's causing the issue.

Is there maybe a washer left behind stuck to the gearbox from the old switch, which is making the distance wrong for the new switch?

If that isn't the probIem, I would get a genuine new switch, personally.

Welcome to the world of aftermarket (and sometimes genuine original manufacturer) quality. Intermotor used to be a good reliable brand but that was long ago and far away, if the part looks and feels different to original then it's probably not made the same as the original no matter what the part manufacturer/supplier or seller tells you.

25 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Is there maybe a washer left behind stuck to the gearbox from the old switch, which is making the distance wrong for the new switch?

If that isn't the probIem, I would get a genuine new switch, personally.

Perfect, I'll check that at some point during the week if not ill grab a genuine one from somewhere.

Thanks again for your help.

18 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Welcome to the world of aftermarket (and sometimes genuine original manufacturer) quality. Intermotor used to be a good reliable brand but that was long ago and far away, if the part looks and feels different to original then it's probably not made the same as the original no matter what the part manufacturer/supplier or seller tells you.

Yeah I think I was just being optimistic makes sense if the two switches behaving slightly different.

29 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Is there maybe a washer left behind stuck to the gearbox from the old switch, which is making the distance wrong for the new switch?

If that isn't the probIem, I would get a genuine new switch, personally.

Do you recommend looking for this part number 02K 945 415K or the original one?

Either should be fine. May not find new ones of the old part number though.