Ghostly reversing light

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satchmolips

Active Member
Posts
422
Location
Worcestershire
Changed the standard reversing light for an LED one about 2 years ago and has been fine. Now when I have any lights on there is a faint glow from some of the LED's in the reversing light, enough to notice. When I put into reverse full brightness from it. Any suggestions other than earth as to what might be happening and how I test it through please? Could become an MOT issue?
 
Not if it was a standard fitment on a vehicle of that year.

Got that from mot tester when mine went in, he'd just had his visit from the testing high heid yins too so assumed it was correct.
It goes down as an advisory.
Just saying what I was told, :oops:
 
Got that from mot tester when mine went in, he'd just had his visit from the testing high heid yins too so assumed it was correct.
It goes down as an advisory.
Just saying what I was told, :oops:

AFAIK, if the lamp was a legal requirement at the time of manufacture, it must be fitted, and work for an MOT.

Otherwise, you would be able to remove yer headlights if they didn't work, and still pass! ;):D
 
It is definitely NOT part of the MOT test. I checked this out before my last MOT as my reverse light has stopped working. Pass and no advisory. Still haven't got round to fixing it.
 
Sounds like a classic earthing fault.
Yes, that's very likely, especially as they're LEDs: unlike a normal light bulb, if just a tiny amount of current flows through it, as can happen with an earth fault, a LED will glow faintly – which is your symptom.
 
It is definitely NOT part of the MOT test. I checked this out before my last MOT as my reverse light has stopped working. Pass and no advisory. Still haven't got round to fixing it.

Would still be worth having it, though. Quite safety critical if you are reversing in the dark.

@satchmolips , it sounds to me like an earth or connections issue. LEDs draw very little current, so the connections tend to corrode.
Try cleaning them up, and maybe refitting a standard bulb.
 
Quite safety critical if you are reversing in the dark.
It's a bluddy nuisance reversing out of my drive in the dark, just a couple of inches clearance each side of me brick pillars. Fixing is on the list of jobs to do, I suspect a faulty switch on the cog box which is a pig to get at. Think it will be less hassle to knock the pillars down :D
 
Showing a white light at the rear unless in reverse will be a fail.
Auxilliary lights which includes reversing lights are not subject to MOT checks. Problem occurs if you drive on a public highway at night and show a white light at the rear - breach of construction and use regulations = your nicked collect your points and give us yer money.
 
Auxilliary lights which includes reversing lights are not subject to MOT checks. Problem occurs if you drive on a public highway at night and show a white light at the rear - breach of construction and use regulations = your nicked collect your points and give us yer money.

Yeah that's sounds about right
 
It's a bluddy nuisance reversing out of my drive in the dark, just a couple of inches clearance each side of me brick pillars. Fixing is on the list of jobs to do, I suspect a faulty switch on the cog box which is a pig to get at. Think it will be less hassle to knock the pillars down :D

I have reversed into a few things in Landrovers even in daylight. The rear vision is terrible, blind spots big enough to hide a tree, let alone something low down.
 
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