Brake Light Wiring Mystery

So, after taking out the trailer socket wiring bodge I now have all my lights working now, except Two

Driver Side Brake Light (Bothered)
Reversing Light (Less Bothered)

Totally baffled - pic attached, anything obviously wrong / Could be changed on the Brake light wiring?

Have followed (I think) the accepted wisdom but no joy.

Time for lunch….

Checked with a meter??
Don’t trust bulbs

If one side brake light is working then the issue is either light itself/bulb or more likely wiring, dont just check for power also check for an earth, people always forget the earth.

Two new bulbs - no joy.
O/S Sidelight works so there’s an earth
N/S light working fine on side/brake

Head scratching

Well as the n/s light is working then the problem has to be somewhere in your pic, wiggle all connections. What lamp unit do you have ? does not look like standard Land Rover.

Is there a wire broke inside? I lost my rear light on just the left. Pulled everything out, tested all the wiring and couldn't find a cause as there was no voltage. Pal of mine works in auto electrics and he felt along the wire (which looked intact to me) and at one point very easily pulled it apart. It was broken inside and there was no way of telling without checking the whole length of the wire

tottot said:

Well as the n/s light is working then the problem has to be somewhere in your pic, wiggle all connections. What lamp unit do you have ? does not look like standard Land Rover.

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They look like 300tdi/td5 lights

slomofo said:

Two new bulbs - no joy.
O/S Sidelight works so there’s an earth
N/S light working fine on side/brake

Head scratching

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Get your volt meter out.check the solid purple cable for voltage.
If this is 12v I have used this to to touch the terminals to check the bulbs/fittings.
If all is good check your connections

can’t remember if brake lights are individual fused or is it just the side lights?

Thanks for the input folks. Yup - it’s a late 300tdi ‘90 with minimal butchering.

I have no power out of the grey/purple when brake applied - so will have to trace back to somewhere.

Will rejoin the battle tomorrow evening - I cut the lawn and got distracted by Gin, game over

Easy way is to just run a new wire from the working brake light.

the right hand feed for the brake lights goes to the trailer socket first unlike the left hand,as you said you have worked on the trailer socket so have you cut the link to righthand side like inadvertently

mystery said:

the right hand feed for the brake lights goes to the trailer socket first unlike the left hand, as you said you have worked on the trailer socket so have you cut the link to righthand side like inadvertentlyView attachment 247915

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That's got me wondering, although I've removed the trailer socket and wiring as it was part disconnected - so its all been binned. All I have left now are the original harness connections, a red/orange wire that's not connected to anything (as per pic) which belongs to the L/H side light and under the crossmember there is a yellow cable spliced out of the main loom (and wrapped up with tape) that I think might have been originally running to the trailer pick up. I'm wondering if that might be involved.......

Just a thought as I can't remember but is the red and black the sidelight?

Indeed - Red/Black is OK (now it’s in the right hole!) Sidelights are working, Brakelight on N/S OK, got no juice to the green/purple on o/s…..still trying witchcraft!

on earlier models the righthand side light feed was red/orange

slomofo said:

Indeed - Red/Black is OK (now it’s in the right hole!) Sidelights are working, Brakelight on N/S OK, got no juice to the green/purple on o/s…..still trying witchcraft!

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Do you have a solid purple?

slomofo said:

Indeed - Red/Black is OK (now it’s in the right hole!) Sidelights are working, Brakelight on N/S OK, got no juice to the green/purple on o/s…..still trying witchcraft!

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Green and purple is your LH brake light, which you said was working?

FOUND IT - FOUND IT! Bastards…..

Thought I’d just jury rig a wire to the stray yellow floating about under the xMember-BINGO!

I’m guessing a break in the loom somewhere and this was a fly lead bodge - but chopped off before I got it, so never had a full compliment of lights on the back until18:06 on 13/9/21!

Will now tidy it up and have a brew…..

the_wolf said:

Green and purple is your LH brake light, which you said was working?

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Yes left hand is N/S?

slomofo said:

Yes left hand is N/S?

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Yup