DaveyGTi

Well-Known Member

• Aug 28, 2018

• #1

Have a problem with my brake lights, neither side is working and neither do the brake lights on the light bar on my bike rack that plugs in the towing socket (which is brand new.) Tail lights and rear flashers work, reverse light doesn't, but then it never has. So far I have:
Checked fuse- looks OK though I left my multimeter at work so can check continuity
Checked brake light switch- Bridged across the two terminals with a short bit of wire.
Lamps- Both filaments in the lights on the landy itself look ok and light board is brand new
I'll bring my multimeter home tomorrow to start checking voltage and continuity but is there anything else obvious that I've missed? Any relays or junctions to check or is it direct fusebox>switch>lights? I assume they share a ground with the tail lights so can't be a case of bad ground.

 

Wimblowdriver

Well-Known Member

Full Member

• Aug 28, 2018

• #2

DaveyGTi said:

bike rack that plugs in the towing socket (which is brand new.)

Click to expand...

I'd be looking there - new socket, wiring not connected properly or something got disturbed??

 

Paul D

Old, nackered 'n broke, but the Landy is fine . :)

Events Planner

• Aug 28, 2018

• #3

As @Wimblowdriver says, did the brake lights work before the addition of the towing socket, if so, check whatever's been spliced into or connected.

If the reverse light's never worked then I'd start by checking the bulb, then the earth, then the reverse light switch and connections to it.

I solved mine, again it had 'never' worked since I got it, with a cheap LED light from Alibaba or someother foreign crap site ..

 

DaveyGTi

Well-Known Member

• Aug 28, 2018

• #4

The towing socket is the one that was on the vehicle when I bought it, brake lights have worked up until recently so I don't think the towing socket is the issue, all I've done is plug in the hookup for the light board

 

Paul D

Old, nackered 'n broke, but the Landy is fine . :)

Events Planner

• Aug 28, 2018

• #5

OK, have you another vehicle you can test the light board on? Have the brake lights ever worked with this light board?

I'd also check the brake light switch for continuity and the earths at the bulbs.

It's often not a coincidence that when something is added to an existing, correctly working Landy circuit that the electrickery gods don't like it without a sacrifice ...

 

wireman

Well-Known Member

• Aug 28, 2018

• #6

I'd start by putting in 2 bulbs that you know definitely work, otherwise you might be chasing a fault that isn't there and then creating one.

 

DaveyGTi

Well-Known Member

• Aug 28, 2018

• #7

Thanks guys, I'll give those a go, I don't have anything to try the light board on but I can stick a battery across it.

 

Kwakerman

Well-Known Member

• Aug 28, 2018

• #8

If the rear sidelights are working (and stay on when the brakes are applied) then that is a fairly good indication that the earth to the bulb holder is ok and that the fault is a lack of power to it

 

DaveyGTi

Well-Known Member

• Aug 29, 2018

• #9

Well having been over it with the multimeter this eve I'm still slightly at a loss but it's all working now, I suspect maybe a loose/corroded connection somewhere or maybe a break in the feed between the switch and the rear of the vehicle, either way I've given all the connections a good blast of contact cleaner and a bit of a clean so I'll monitor it for now and see what happens.