Rear lights earth problem

[David Lawrence]

I started to see a few spurious warning lights on my message centre today, one was the brake pad warning symbol, but ut went out again which it doesnt normally do, then bulb failure messages.

The drivers rear light cluster seems to have a problem. When the indicator flashes i see the tail light dim and glow in time with it. Seems likely to be an earth problem but all the connection goes through a single plug and this looks fine.

Any ideas? And any ideas why it might make the pad warning message appear? Pads and sensors look fine.

[stevestrat]

There is a multi earth point in the boot, RHS behind the trim panel. Not sure what all connects to it (six earth wires) but "might" be the cause.

[COLVERT]

Get a length of wire and use it as an earth between the body of the car and the rear light cluster..

If the lamp then works correctly you have found the problem.

[David Lawrence]

Originally Posted by COLVERT

Get a length of wire and use it as an earth between the body of the car and the rear light cluster..

If the lamp then works correctly you have found the problem.

Excellent tip there. One of those I wish I had thought of it first.

Definitely has a problem with that sides chassis connection, will have to trace it back to source now.

Found that this car must have had a trailer electrics system at some time in its life as all the wires have been hacked in to and taped up, so i expect somewhere in there i will find the trouble once it stops raining.

Otherwise i will have the swimming pool in the boot problem due to Boot open in the rain......


(Have now confirmed the multi point black wire chassis connection was loose. Presumably one of the many black wires there is connected with the pad wear circuit as well as the lights, explaining why turning the lights on might trigger the pad wear warning message. I have now tightened it up, and also added a secondary chassis wire to the light cluster as a belt and braces)