Tail Lights NOT working

[Ogg]

Firstly apologies if this isn’t posted in the correct section :doh & if it is then I’m amazed as not very good at this forum stuff, normally have to pin the kids down to ask them! but I’m the only one stupid enough in our house that has to get up at this time of morning! :stupid

My question is :question
Does anyone have any ideas as to why my tail lights have stopped working please?? Everything worked as it should then my ‘darling horse’ (& Yes was also my stupid fault for parking in the middle of the yard!) decided to have a fit & kicked out & kicked my poor Tellullha! (My Nissan Terrano II) Yes I nearly cried! he did only catch the spare wheel but managed to slightly pushback in the dent that hubby had pushed out not even 2 weeks before hand as a ‘very nice person’ (polite description as not allowed to swear) obviously didn’t see a big Silver 4x4 when she was reversing in her BMW X5 & reversed into me :doh while I was parked in a parking space in Tesco’s!:banghead
Then about a week llater (I know 5 days after horse incident they still worked as followed hubby home while he was driving her & where fine then) my son noticed they where ya working when I was leaving early one morning & haven’t worked since!
Brake lights, fog lights, front lights etc etc all work as they should but the rear lights now don’t! Hubby has done the ‘simple bits’ (his words not mine ) like check fuses, bulbs & had a quick look at the wiring when he pushed the dent out AGAIN! But couldn’t see anything obvious wrong!
I’ve done a little research online & most people are suggesting wiring if not bulbs & fuses etc but I would of thought (baring in mind I know NOTHING about anything to do with cars/4x4’s/trucks/electrics etc) that if it was wiring that was at fault it would of been an issue pretty much instantly????? As I go up & down a really really bumpy farm track that’s about 1 mike long at least twice a day (so approximately 4 miles a day on the track) so if it was wiring that had become lose or damaged it would of stopped the lights working pretty much straight away?????? As I say Just my opinion
And he keeps saying ‘I’ll see what people say on the internet later, check the owners manual etc etc just take my van! & I’ll sort it later! I HATE driving his van & miss my Terrano so decided if I can find out from you lovely lot some potential faults I’m hoping he may take a look sooner rather than later! :thumbs

Any advice greatly received please & thank you in advance xxx

 

[jims-terrano]

Morning and looks like you’re a new member so welcome aboard too and I can understand why you’d rather drive your truck.

Right a few checks listed below.

Have the bulbs been changed or just looked at, a bulb can visibly look ok but be faulty.

Do the number plate lights work

Do the rest of the rear lights in the clusters work like indicators reverse light and fog light.

I’m guessing that you’ll have a towbar fitted. So is the black socket damaged?

Often towbar fitters use plastic clips called scotch locks, these clip over wires and have a blade inside that make the contacts between the insides of the wires, these are mostly blue plastic but can be other colours. These are not water proof, so if these have been fitted to the wiring behind the bumper so water can get to these and cause corrosion to both the wiring and connectors.

Plug a trailer in and see if the lights work on the trailer.

So someone reversed into you, have they caused any damage to the bumper. The wiring runs behind the bumper.

Back of the bumper light clusters wiring and bulb holders can corrode. Also on the back of the light clusters there is a plug which again can cause problems.


Sorry a list of checks to try but could poont you in the right direction. Roughly where abouts are you, just a rough area no need to know exactly but we may have a kind hearted member nearby. We may also be able to point you in the right direction for parts. I’m sure others will be along too soon.

Good luck

 

[macabethiel]

Multi-meter might come in handy!

I agree with Jim's list.
Might also be worth checking with a volt meter for power a multi-meter is not expensive less than a tenner and if looked after they last for years!

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

As Jim says, but I would add that all the wires for the rear bumper lights run down the nearside of the car and just behind the plastic trim of the side of the boot. It then passes out of a hole behind the bumper in the panel below the the NS fog light. The point it passes through it had a hard bend and on one of my T2's there was a connector there that corroded away.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[panelbeater]

welcome,not adding as all been said,good luck.

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

Hello and welcome, has your hubby checked the fuses under the bonnet?, and do the clocks, odometer and the centre console illuminate when you turn the lights on?

I very recently had the same problem and it was the wiring on a bulb holder in one of the back light clusters, it kept blowing a 10amp fuse located in the engine bay though!

I can take pictures of where the fuse is and where the problem was if you like!

 

[zippy656]

Wiring loom for back lights fail

Check and clean connections ,

 

[solarman216]

I cannot add any more to what has been said other than pay me a visit and we will see what we can do, Rick

 

[zippy656]

I cannot add any more to what has been said other than pay me a visit and we will see what we can do, Rick

Ah yes, east sussex should have said from the start.. rick will have the spares needed too. Somewhere

 

[Terrano Steve]

Don't know if this has been sorted yet but I agree with checking the 10amp fuse in the engine bay. I had this problem when I bought a brand new trailer which the manufacture managed to trap the wire feeding the number plate light behind a bolt & it would blow a fuse every time.