No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights - SORTED

An alchemy of sparks, copper wire and earth

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Dueller
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No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights - SORTED

Post by Dueller »

Getting through things and now this

Got a spare earth wire, no idea where it goes

Did have a loose earth on the hazard switch that I repaired

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Have tail lights but no indicators or hazards, and no brake lights

Front indicators and hazards work

Looked through the loom as the relay 21 works, checked rear 7 pin plug and nothing there, no 12v on any pin so thinking there a break somewhere

Checked rear of fusebox but looks connected, nothings popped loose

Any ideas as can't find this fault listed previously

The Haynes manual doesn't offer any clarity either on this

Hopefully an easy fix
Last edited by Dueller on 11 May 2025, 17:54, edited 1 time in total.
1989 Crewcab 1600TD JX - Gone to Romania
1989 Caravelle 1.9 AutoBox

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Smiffo
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Re: No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights

Post by Smiffo »

I think that all goes through a round 7 pin connector in the black box in the engine bay, to clusters, and the circuits you say aren’t working share an earth.

Hayes says earth point 15, which should be under the coil, but that would mean tail lights not working too I think.

Certainly something to check though.
 
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Dueller
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Re: No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights

Post by Dueller »

Smiffo wrote: 06 May 2025, 23:05 I think that all goes through a round 7 pin connector in the black box in the engine bay, to clusters, and the circuits you say aren’t working share an earth.

Hayes says earth point 15, which should be under the coil, but that would mean tail lights not working too I think.

Certainly something to check though.
 

Will check thanks
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Smiffo
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Re: No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights

Post by Smiffo »

Here is another few pages of diagrams...

https://club8090.co.uk/pages/downloads/ ... eneral.pdf

That might indicate 4 pin connector at fuse panel?
Labeled T4a.

Indicators and brake lights seem to go via that on 97.20 and 97.21

Maybe just disconnected, or earth for it off?
'89 1.9 DG

“Some people die at 25 years old, and are buried at 75 yrs old” ~ Benjamin Franklin.

Dueller
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Re: No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights

Post by Dueller »

Will have another look today, thanks Smiffo

Seems ok but then it always does

Thinking it may be the fusebox dying an untimely death 🤔
1989 Crewcab 1600TD JX - Gone to Romania
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Smiffo
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Re: No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights

Post by Smiffo »

Hopefully either 4 way connector has pulled apart, or the shared earth in it faulty.

If nothing obvious, you’ll need a meter


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'89 1.9 DG

“Some people die at 25 years old, and are buried at 75 yrs old” ~ Benjamin Franklin.

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Re: No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights

Post by Dueller »

Changed the fusebox and it didnt fix the problem

Checked the 7 pin plug again too, still nothing there either

Never been good at later electrics, beetles I can figure out as years at it and very simple to trace

Can anyone guide me on this please or share a link to another site to help

Feeling desperate after everything else I've done to the van to get her going

Thanks in advance
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1989 Caravelle 1.9 AutoBox

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Smiffo
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Re: No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights

Post by Smiffo »

Yep, electrics can be very frustrating for sure.

If there is nothing obvious in respect to disconnected connectors, dig out a multimeter. 
Going to have to work through it methodically now I think.

If you don't have one to hand, a very basic model from Halfords will do: 
https://www.halfords.com/tools/hand-too ... 10273.html


Start with one circuit and see whether it is lack of earth, or lack of voltage, then work your way back towards fuse box. You will get there dude. You just need a meter to really break it down into manageable sections.
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Re: No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights

Post by Mocki »

The common denominator here is its constant live feed you are missing , both the brake lights and the hazards are always live , you must have a neg to the tail light cluster because you have tail lights , but you don’t mention reversing lights or fog ?

If the front hazards and indicators are working it can only be the hazzard switch or the loom from the switch to rear cluster
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Dueller
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Re: No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights - SORTED

Post by Dueller »

Had a big day on the van today

Started off sorting out the engine bay black box by removing Relay 1 and all it's wires, also cut out the BOD yellow wire too

Checked my buld holders again and both indicators were blown, big clue there

Problems persisted until the wife brought me a cuppa and I asked her to press the brake pedal and the LH light came on!

So went through the fusebox again, checked all plugs and fuse on the meter, all still fine.

Still no bloody indicators

So lifted the van and went under again, ran my hand along the loom working forward, big lump of dirt where the chassis kicks up fell out and there the problem was.

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It was facing away from me and I'd been over it before but must have got the angle right this time to dislodge the dirt. It was very old damage, rusted and everything, thought at first maybe I'd shorted a wire doing the engine swap but I've done less than 200 road miles on not so not guilty.

Cut and bridged the damaged wires and even the dash works properly too thankfully

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And again my workbench was a a disaster 👍

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Ironically only 3 wires hadn't been damaged, one being the reverse lights i had to cut into and wire into the gearbox reverse switch from the auto to manual conversion

Thanks to all that posted and kept me going with ideas
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Smiffo
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Re: No Rear Indicators or Brake Lights - SORTED

Post by Smiffo »

Well done


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'89 1.9 DG

“Some people die at 25 years old, and are buried at 75 yrs old” ~ Benjamin Franklin.

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