Rear lights problem

[samir]

Hi, Hope your all well. I was driving in serious rain and soon noticed my rear lights had stopped working, I got home and remembered I hadn't put my boot seal on ( dam ). So there was a small puddle of water and the light wires had got wet. Iv soaked up all the water with microfibres, going to wait until tomorrow and was thinking of spraying some wd40 everywhere, but I hope Things arnt really damaged but I'm no expert, if anyone can offer some advice it will be much appreciated.

[dp]

It's more likely to be one of the joins than the actual wire. Though if the insulation has gone hard and cracked it could be that I suppose.

Trace back from each set of wires from the rear clusters and pull apart the connectors in turn, clean, dry and put back together. Check lights, repeat. I can't remember the exact wiring sequence but if both lights have failed it'll probably be the connector that feeds both clusters rather than the left and right hand ones. There's something called contact cleaner that you can get from Halfords to clean up corroded contacts or you could use a bit of fine wet and dry paper to remove corrosion before putting back together.

[bmcecosse]

More likely to be failed switch - than any water intrusion. Just to check the fuse is ok - Are the wipers and heater still working?

[samir]

Everything else was fine I had front lights and wipers working. When I opened the boot when I got home the wires in the boot were soaked. They were working before the heavy rain hit me on the a38.

[alexmcguffie]

As dp says, check all the bullet connectors in the boot for corrosion, clean them up and put some silicone grease or similar on the bullets before re-connecting to help prevent any future corrosion. Over the years, water can wick up inside the insulation causiong corrosion too. The boot is a good place for this as it nevr gets any real head during the winter months to dry things out.

Alex

[bmcecosse]

I thought it was the brake lights that had failed - my mistake for speed-reading the post! If rear marker lights and number plate light (?) and brake lights are not working - then worth checking the earth connection.

[samir]

Not a problem BMC. However the brake lights do work, just normal lights when I flick the light switch on the rears don't light up, I get front lights though. Do rear lights have there own fuse and if so where is it located?

Cheers

[bmcecosse]

No - it's just the one fuse (and then only on later models) for all the sidelights. Nothing for it - you will need to check all the connections and the earth connection, just as others have suggested.

[samir]

Right, so if the fronts are working fuse should be fine. Il take all connections off and use some wet and dry, you think some wd40 on the removals before I connect them back would be good? Also do you think the water might have blown the bulbs?

[alexmcguffie]

Try to use something thicker than WD40, silicone grease is ideal as it will act longer as a preventative.

[Dean]

I use vaseline on the connections or something to inhibit water getting in. Unfortunately whatever you use will attract dust and dirt.

[bmcecosse]

I would spray with WD40 (it is after all designed as a Water Dispersant).... but I agree once all working - a run round the connectors with silicon grease or vaseline is a good idea to keep future moisture out !

[alexmcguffie]

Make sure the bullets are completely dry of WD40 if you use that or silicone grease won't adhere very well. For full on waterproofing, coat the bulb connectors in it too before putting them back in the holder.

[samir]

Thanks guys, just been out and noticed my side lights don't work and the rear lights, but do light up when the brake is pressed, I was reading about an inline fuse that comes on later models mine being a 67, that monitors rear lights would that be worth checking and if so where is it?

Regards

[alexmcguffie]

That would be your best option. It 'hangs out' of the chassis loom under the black fuse box on the left hand side looking back from the radiator. Its a bayonet twist and pull type holder. It should be obvious if the fuse has blown due to a fault. It may have fractured due to age also. If it has blown, you may have a genuine fault that caused it to blow....

[samir]

Thanks will check it out tomorrow. If it's blown it must have blown because of the little flood I had in the boot lol

[samir]

Hi a little update, I changed the inline fuse which was broken. The left rear light came on but the right side didn't, so I went to inspect and saw that the red wire was not connected, I sprayed some wd40 on it and connected it and it blew the fuse again. I then took it out and dried it put another fuse in and it blew it again ( 10 amp fuse). What am I doing wrong guys?

[bmcecosse]

Must be a 'short' in that rear light. I suggest you take it out completely and clean/inspect it to see what has gone wrong. If your front lights can still work when the fuse is blown (you told us they did work) then they must be wired in before the fuse. Do the number plate lights work ok?

[samir]

They do work it's the in line fuse that is the problem. Ok will try that thanks

[samir]

An update, took all the terminals off, cleaned and sanded, bullet connectors sanded aswell and a hair dryer left in there for an hour. Put a new fuse in and vwoalah.. The lights shone bright. Thanks for all the help.