Drivers tail light & side light not working

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EightyFive
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Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by EightyFive »

Hey guys,

Come across a problem with my 2.0l where my drivers tail light and from sidelight isn’t working.

For the tail light the plastic around the earth was cracked, so I tried a new Cluster unit and it still didn’t work, I also tried running a wire from the earth bar to the tail light catch and that also gave me nothing, my sidelight on the same side also isn’t working. Just wondering if these problems could be related? Or if anyone has any ideas?

Thanks.

P.S. bulbs seem okay but I put a new tail bulb in just in case so it’s not that.
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D366Y
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by D366Y »

I recently had an issue with one of my tail lights not working, and one of the number plate lights. I unscrewed the number plate light holder and it fixed the tail light problem - don't ask me how though

Might be worth trying?

Cheers
Danny
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Bug
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by Bug »

Are these two on the same fuse? I can't remember.
I assume however, that you will already have checked the fuse, and it's connections?
Paul G
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by Paul G »

EightyFive wrote: Mon Sep 07, 2020 7:22 am Hey guys,

Come across a problem with my 2.0l where my drivers tail light and from sidelight isn’t working.

For the tail light the plastic around the earth was cracked, so I tried a new Cluster unit and it still didn’t work, I also tried running a wire from the earth bar to the tail light catch and that also gave me nothing, my sidelight on the same side also isn’t working. Just wondering if these problems could be related? Or if anyone has any ideas?

Thanks.

P.S. bulbs seem okay but I put a new tail bulb in just in case so it’s not that.
Could it be the fuse? Fuse no3 does rear right side lamp and front right side lamp. Check the fuse contact ends are sound and indeed the connector in the fuse box.
STEVEW
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by STEVEW »

Hi EightyFive

First of all thanks for your post, I’ve learnt something about our car.
It’s a Mk 3 2.3 – left-hand-drive car: I mention this although I can’t see what difference that would make.
After reading your post I started to play around operating the light switches.

The right-hand light stalk (the one behind the wash/wipe stalk) operated the lights as you would think:
- First position: all side lights left/right; front/rear plus number plate lights came "on".
- Second position: nothing happened further until the ignition was switched "on" then, the headlights came "on" (side lights & number plate
lamps remained "on")
- This stalk was pulled down until all the lights were "off". (No problems here.)

With the ignition still "on" I operated the indicator stalk to indicate “right & left” and this also functioned correctly however, when I switched the ignition "off" and moved the indicator to “left” obviously the indicator lights didn’t work but the front and rear side lights illuminated on the left-hand-side of the car and when this stalk was used to indicate “right” the side lights on the right illuminated. In both cases the number plate lights were not "on".
A “parking light” system I was unaware of.

Maybe you don’t have a problem: just inadvertently used the wrong stalk like I did at first?

All the best,
Steve
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by STEVEW »

Bug wrote: Mon Sep 07, 2020 8:36 am Are these two on the same fuse? I can't remember.
Hi Bug,
I thought they were linked but they're not.
Fuse 4 is for the left and Fuse 3 is the right.
Regards,
Steve
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Bug
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by Bug »

STEVEW wrote: Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:36 am
Bug wrote: Mon Sep 07, 2020 8:36 am Are these two on the same fuse? I can't remember.
Hi Bug,
I thought they were linked but they're not.
Fuse 4 is for the left and Fuse 3 is the right.
Regards,
Steve
Thanks Steve, been a while and I gave away all my Haynes manuals years back.

So anyway, armed with that info...............

................have you checked Fuses 3 and 4? :D

EDIT: Hang on though, didn't he say both on the same side?
EightyFive
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by EightyFive »

I’ll have a mess around with it tomorrow and report back as it’s getting late now, also none of my speakers work on the drivers side either, surely it can’t be related but it is odd that all my problems are cropping up on the same side!
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by Mc Tool »

Sounds like an exorcism might be needed.

(Might get this one for a bargain Danny :lol: )
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by Bug »

You're not just deaf and blind on one side are you?? :xd:
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D366Y
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by D366Y »

Mc Tool wrote: Mon Sep 07, 2020 6:48 pm Sounds like an exorcism might be needed.

(Might get this one for a bargain Danny :lol: )
I'm definitely not lurking and waiting for a price :whistle:
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EightyFive
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by EightyFive »

Update!

It turns out it was fuse no. 3 :banghead:

Now I know what you're thinking and yes it was the first thing I checked, however it was broken in such a way that it wasn't obvious whilst it was in the holder, when I took it out to have a closer look I realised it was badly oxidised/ corroded and basically crumbled away when I prodded it.

If you're checking your fuses take them out and have a proper look! It will save you a lot of headaches and cleaning random earthing points/ screws.

Hope someone can learn from my blunder haha.
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by Lord Flasheart »

Good result in the end & a good learning point to remove the fuses & check them thoroughly ;)
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by Paul G »

EightyFive wrote: Tue Sep 15, 2020 8:54 pm Update!

It turns out it was fuse no. 3 :banghead:

Now I know what you're thinking and yes it was the first thing I checked, however it was broken in such a way that it wasn't obvious whilst it was in the holder, when I took it out to have a closer look I realised it was badly oxidised/ corroded and basically crumbled away when I prodded it.

If you're checking your fuses take them out and have a proper look! It will save you a lot of headaches and cleaning random earthing points/ screws.

Hope someone can learn from my blunder haha.
Not wanting to blow my own trumpet but what did i tell you!
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Re: Drivers tail light & side light not working

Post by Bug »

Paul G wrote: Tue Sep 15, 2020 10:32 pm
EightyFive wrote: Tue Sep 15, 2020 8:54 pm Update!

It turns out it was fuse no. 3 :banghead:

Now I know what you're thinking and yes it was the first thing I checked, however it was broken in such a way that it wasn't obvious whilst it was in the holder, when I took it out to have a closer look I realised it was badly oxidised/ corroded and basically crumbled away when I prodded it.

If you're checking your fuses take them out and have a proper look! It will save you a lot of headaches and cleaning random earthing points/ screws.

Hope someone can learn from my blunder haha.
Not wanting to blow my own trumpet but what did i tell you!
Happy to have a little tootle on my own brass instrument and point out I started that ball rolling :poke: :D
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