Tail Lights

[KRISTLEE]

Hi All,

I've just drove from Hartlepool to South Shields so it was dark when I left the house. I had a couple of cars behind me on the A19 and just thought it was a couple of impatient Audi drivers trying to force their way past but as I was driving through South Shields and was stopped at some traffic lights the taxi driver that was pulled up next to me wound his window down and told me my tail lights are out but my brake lights and indicators are still ok.

I don't have any bulb out warnings on my ipk so I assume it's an electric fault...any ideas what I should check?

I'm just about to start my refresher course so I apologise if I can't reply sooner.

[wullie480]

Would be worth checking the bulbs first & connections are the regular or LED bulbs?

[KRISTLEE]

Cheers mate,

I was thinking to check the bulbs but thought I would get a bulb out warning come up. They are LEDs though so could be tricking the Canbus I guess.

Hopefully it is just a case of swapping the bulbs out.

[wullie480]

Originally Posted by KRISTLEE

Cheers mate,

I was thinking to check the bulbs but thought I would get a bulb out warning come up. They are LEDs though so could be tricking the Canbus I guess.

Hopefully it is just a case of swapping the bulbs out.

Sounds like that's your problem. Stick some regular bulbs in & im sure normal service will be resumed.

[T-Cut]

Originally Posted by KRISTLEE

They are LEDs though so could be tricking the Canbus I guess.

Exactly so. As far as the CANbus goes, there's still a load ('bulb') in the circuit. You've discovered the weakness of the 75/ZT CANbus system with LEDs.

TC

[stevestrat]

Yep, I had it with LED sidelights. If they fail the inbuilt resistor tricks the system into thinking they are still working.

[KRISTLEE]

Just about to pop out and change my tail lights bulbs, I have seen the diagram but which holder is specifically for the tail lights so it's on when switched from the LSM?

Had a quick look and when my lights are turned on and the automatic gear lever is in park I have lights illuminated. These are brake lights I assume. Are they only on as I'm in park with my handbrake on and as soon as I engage drive and release the handbrake they will turn off.

I'm confused now which bulbs I need to change so they are permanently on when the lights are switched lol

[TomRS]

Originally Posted by KRISTLEE

Just about to pop out and change my tail lights bulbs, I have seen the diagram but which holder is specifically for the tail lights so it's on when switched from the LSM?

Had a quick look and when my lights are turned on and the automatic gear lever is in park I have lights illuminated. These are brake lights I assume. Are they only on as I'm in park with my handbrake on and as soon as I engage drive and release the handbrake they will turn off.

I'm confused now which bulbs I need to change so they are permanently on when the lights are switched lol

If your stuck mate im over my unit Friday/Saturday! we can investigate... you can swap a tail light over from mine if its not bulbs and check the wiring.

[stevestrat]

The tail light bulb is easy to identify, they are the small, dumpy little bulbs,



What I don't get though, why would the brake lights be on if the system isn't detecting that the tail light bulbs have failed

[KRISTLEE]

Originally Posted by TomRS

If your stuck mate im over my unit Friday/Saturday! we can investigate... you can swap a tail light over from mine if its not bulbs and check the wiring.

Thanks for the offer mate, I'm back to sea though first thing Friday morning lol. If push comes to shove I'll just leave it until I get back as my car is just going to be standing unused until the end of January so there's no rush anymore lol

Originally Posted by stevestrat

The tail light bulb is easy to identify, they are the small, dumpy little bulbs,



What I don't get though, why would the brake lights be on if the system isn't detecting that the tail light bulbs have failed

All of my bulbs look the same mate so I can only tell which one needs changing by the position on the cluster, my indicators, fogs and reverse are ok as I know their positions but it's the other two remaining holders that I don't know which is which whether brake light or side light.

I have just checked though and the small 5W lights up when the sidelights are turned on so I assume that's the tail light? If that's the case then I think the darkened lenses on my rear clusters aren't letting enough light through (I meant to get them checked out the other week in the garage but forgot )...I'm waiting on whether they are going ahead with new rear tourer clusters and will change them but if not I'll get standard smoked 75 ones.