Puma Tail still light - how much to diagnose?

The message from "chas" contains these words:

No. That's what fuses are for, to protect the wiring.

I'm not familiar with the model but my immediate thought was this light might be on the tailgate and there was a problem with the connections, either wiring where it's jumps across from the body of the car or contacts like the Fiesta has but I admit it's all guesswork.

Andy

dont know where the light is or what type: corroded hinge pin? the 1 bulb inside blown? the led strip, the common resistor gone open circuit.

can you access the lamp to check for the type/ or voltage present?

n.

when you say high level tail light do you mean the high (eye) level brake light ? if so it has to work for an mot as its permantly wired.

I was under the impression the third brake light was not tested for MOT purposes, as long as the two outside lights worked, that was Ok. I may be wrong as I am not in the trade.

-- Stuart

Two thoughts on this-

1) The Fiesta (which the puma's based on) has 3 or 4 spring loaded pins in the tailgate bottom edge, and matching copper plates on the right hand side of the rear panel. These can get gunged up or covered up with luggage. I know for a fact that they power the rear wiper, but I'm not sure about the brakelight.

2) There's a flexible join between the tailgate and the body with the wiring for the rear light, and after many flexings, something's broken. Should twist off (assuming door looms are the same) and you should be able to check it with a multimeter without the aid of an autoelectrician.

unfortunately its tested & part of the test, if its wired up it has to work along with the other brake lights, if when it is being tested and its found not to be working we have to check if its permantly wired up which means checking for any wires going to the lamp if no wires are found going to it its deemed as a pass, as a few cars have them but not wired up.

Stuart Gray (me@home) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

It's fitted, it's got to work.

can you unfit it?

just remove any trace of wiring to it.

PC Paul ( snipped-for-privacy@home.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Oh, yes....

But as I understand it, if the usual multi-bulb type, only one bulb needs to illuminate for a pass!

Chris

aye your correct, things like that make my job so much easier...........

reg ( snipped-for-privacy@somewhere.fsten.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Probably - ooooh - 90% of cars with multi-bulb/multi-LED high level brake lights'd fail...

Thanks for that. The chap who did my old Volvo 740 Estate was being nice then. But then again, he has let me off with a lot of stuff over the years. ;-) Nothing I didn't fix after, I hasten to add. I have noticed a few cars up here, (Fife) which have hi-level LED brakelights that work, but the normal ones don't. Irritates the hell out of me. Mind you they usually have only one headlight on too. Usually Tigras driven by little women with their face two inches away from the airbag. (seat in fully upright position) :-)

-- Stuart

In news:iszwf.85628$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe5-win.ntli.net, chas scribed for want of a better word:

I was going to ask where abouts you were, but as you are with NTL then you would not be near me (Fife) Do you not have any friends with electronic knowledge with a multi meter Or buy a three quid multi meter yourself and narrow the fault down You have 12v to the other lights so is it present at the car end of your tailgate Yes/No Yes OK then meter the wiring up to the eye level unit No OK you have a break in the wire from your brake light to the tailgate connector If you have a break in the wire pull some new wiring through using the existing wiring If it is the unit, get a replacement from the Scrappy or even New, You can only save money and learn at the same time

If you were here I would offer help Maybe someone near you would do the same

Good luck and give it a go, it is not as difficult as it seems (electronics can be really difficult but a lamp problem you are quite able to do yourself IMHO)

which part is bollocks, the grammar ?

Assuming the correct fuse is still fitted and not a nail etc.

Dave

The message from Dave Stanton contains these words:

A good point, and well made.

I remember some gyppos camping at the end of a friend's lane years ago - they pulled the fuse out of a street light to power their caravan. Then they did the same to another one. What they didn't realise was they were on different phases - and with no fuses there was a big bang.