tail lights

Stempy · Post by **Stempy** » 16 Jul 2004, 04:55

Does any chap know whether the tail lights, both inner and outer, are the same fitting for pre and post face lift? Mine are the later clear lens type but I fancy fitting some of the earlier smoked style as I think they look better.

Dave Burns · Post by **Dave Burns** » 16 Jul 2004, 05:01

Hmmm... don't know for sure but would imagine they are the same, one strange thing is the offset pins on the orange indicator bulb (same for both types), not come accross that type of offset before.
Dave

davek-uk · Post by **davek-uk** » 16 Jul 2004, 14:24

It's a shame we're not closer - I fancy a change to the newer type!

davek-uk · Post by **davek-uk** » 16 Jul 2004, 14:37

On the subject of tail lights, I have a nasty intermittent failure of my offside rear indicator (not the usual on, off, on, off…[;)]) I seem to have voltage to the unit and it is earthed ok – all the other lights work in the unit – but the indicator sometimes fails to light. I’ve checked the plug to the unit and even swapped the unit over with the other side and the right indicator still won’t work. It can work and then not during a journey. I spent over an hour testing it and swapping the unit over without success the other weekend; when I went out sometime later it worked straight away! Does anyone have any ideas?

Robin · Post by **Robin** » 16 Jul 2004, 15:47

Davek. I know this will seem obvious but have you simply changed the bulb? Internal circuit failures with bulbs can cause allsorts of hiccups. R.

davek-uk · Post by **davek-uk** » 16 Jul 2004, 16:27

Yep. I've changed everything, Robin. The first thing I tried was a string of about four bulbs and then the working one from the other side. It's damn strange, usually you can trace wiring faults down to no power or no earth in the simplest terms but the unit appeared to have both - and still didn't work...

pumbaah · Post by **pumbaah** » 16 Jul 2004, 16:46

Hi,
It could be an open circuit which is intermittent due to the cable somewhere along the line.
Perhaps you can try piggyback another +ve cable direct to the fuse box in the front and see if still happens..
Otherwise, have a look at the output at the relay and trace it ...
Hope that helps.

Robin · Post by **Robin** » 16 Jul 2004, 18:04

Dave, Pumbaah's comments are valid. As a passing thought, has the car ever had a tow bar or accessory plug fitted for a cycle rack or similar? Thinking that it may have had one of those awful ScotchLok fittings on the cable at some point.
The other possibilty may be the socket itself for the lamp. Could it be sticking and only making an intermittent contact with the bulb?
Whatever the answer is it will be interesting to hear the result. These little but significant faults I am sure led to the increasing vocabularly we all utilise! R

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 16 Jul 2004, 21:54

If the bulb holder circuit is the type with punched out metal strips, which are point welded here & there, you may simply have a failing point weld.
I tried that in my BX rear lamp cluster, after endless bulb replacements and 2 extra pilot lamps fitted on the rear seat to see what's going on during drive. It almost drove me nuts.
This is if the fault stays within the same lamp unit of course.

pumbaah · Post by **pumbaah** » 19 Jul 2004, 09:36

Hmm, a failing weld point.
Perhaps, you can try some soldering work, get some sandpaper to sand down and add solder to it , get a higher wattage one (not 25W)....
do becareful, the metal piece can get real hot.
I've done before to a circuit in the heater blower due to similar issues and after that, no problems...
Otherwise, change the whole thing

Post by **philhoward** » 21 Jul 2004, 01:41

The older and newer ones are different connectors, looking at the back of some. Looks like you'd need the wiring plug to be able to do it. The later cables are a ribbon-type cable; dunno about the early ones, though.

Stempy · Post by **Stempy** » 21 Jul 2004, 01:47

Cheers for the info.

davek-uk · Post by **davek-uk** » 27 Jul 2004, 14:15

Well, I'm still playing with my rear offside indicator. When it fails to light I get double speed flashing of the whole right hand circuit like the bulb has gone. It comes and goes at will, often working and then not during the same journey.
I've had a look at the Haynes but it isn't much help. I know the flasher relay is working but what causes it to double speed flash when a bulb goes? Is there another component in the system that detects bulb failures? If so this may be at fault. The flasher relay is in the fuse box compartment and I have unplugged it and put it back in - sometimes this cures the fault and sometimes not; which indicates the fault lies elsewhere. There is another relay further forward near the accelerator pedal that I unplugged and put back in and this made the bulb work again. But on the next journey it failed again!
On the back light unit itself, I shorted the positive feed to the side-lights (they were on) and this lit the indicator bulb (so the earth is ok) and then it all went back to normal and worked again!!
Does anyone know what detects a bulb failure and produces the fast flashing? If it is a component then I'd bet it's failing. If it is detected by the resistance of the circuitry (ie going open circuit) then I have a failing wire or a dirty connector. I haven’t run a dedicated wire from the front yet...
I have unplugged the connectors in the rear of the car but these seen to be connections to the tailgate lights - no sign of bodged wiring or anything - no towbar (but I'd like one) or scotchlocks.
Any ideas?

Panjandrum · Post by **Panjandrum** » 27 Jul 2004, 15:44

Dave,
Nothing detects bulb failure. The faster flashing is a result of reduced load on the flasher. Which only confirms that somewhere between flasher and a working bulb there is a faulty connection. If poking around the fuse area sometimes makes it work right, that suggests the faulty connection is in that area either on the board or the connections to it. So...? Sorry out of ideas here.

derekjl57 · Post by **derekjl57** » 27 Jul 2004, 18:39

The flasher unit is designed to go faster if there is a bulb failure - its a cheap way of warning the driver that somethings wrong.
I had a dodgy weld on the rear lamp assembly on a Maestro (now, now). I tried to re-solder it and melted most of the plastic instead! So, make sure the metal you are going to solder up is well supported first - I put everthing in a bench vice eventually.