Brake/Reverse light shorting
Brake/Reverse light shorting
Author
Discussion

rpa.janwell

Original Poster:

1,653 posts

259 months

Saturday 8th April 2006
quotequote all
Very frustrating, bad weather and delays messed up a decent run, and also.....
Brake/Reverse lights not working.
Changed out fuse, blown again. Any ideas / how to access to change bulbs?

Mr John

574 posts

271 months

Monday 10th April 2006
quotequote all
I have just been told at the traffic lights that I have got a brake light out.
Got home to check them and both were working perfect !
This has happened before about 3 weeks back, with one of the lights working intermittently, before final giving up the ghost altogether.
Not sure if it's the same light yet and will have to get the meter out and check them, there's obviously something wrong somewhere.
Changing the bulbs is simple enough, involves removing the velcro'd inspection hatches in the boot and unscrewing some trim to aid access.

rpa.janwell

Original Poster:

1,653 posts

259 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
Yes, managed that eventually.
Those raw fibreglass edges are painful!!
But appears that the bulbs are not the problem in my case.
Apparently there has been a fault occasionally with the reverse gear microswitch - which causes a short - worth checking with your dealer/service centre.
YHM.
(Which centre are you with?)

rpa.janwell

Original Poster:

1,653 posts

259 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
Sorted. Reverse light switch cabling isolated - time consuming but OK - brake lights now working.

steve11

522 posts

267 months

Friday 14th April 2006
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rpa.janwell said:
Sorted. Reverse light switch cabling isolated - time consuming but OK - brake lights now working.


Hello mate

My fuse has blown twice now, can you explain to a simpleton exactly what you did to resolve it (I presume it will be the same on a T350c).

GreenV8S

30,997 posts

306 months

Friday 14th April 2006
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If the wire to the brake light switch has worn through or all off so it can short against the chassis/gearbox, it will blow the fuse and take out any other lights that share the same fuse - from the sound of it, that's the brake lights in your case.

rpa.janwell

Original Poster:

1,653 posts

259 months

Friday 14th April 2006
quotequote all
Steve, the reverse light is activated by a switch set-up on the gear stick, underneath the central tunnel.
There is a wrap/heat protection around the switch cable where it leads through the fibreglass into the "void" under the tunnel to the side of the gear stick arrangement.
On the 'Gris, there was some self-amalgamating tape which had not taken/set properly, and the cable appeared to have heated and melted together at the point where it entered the fibreglass, giving rise to the short.
I located the cable connector for this, tucked up by the relays behind the "ashtray" area, and disconnected it.
Brake lights now OK, but obviously reverse light out.
I'd advise getting your dealer/service centre to sort it out, above is the short term fix: but it does mean removing the central cover etc etc.
YHM.