No reverse lights is300h

[shine668555]

Hi there everybody!

Just bought a second hand is300h 63 plate premier trim model. Well happy with the car, absolutely faultless apart from one weird issue.

Ive read on many forums and everyones reporting they have one reversing light nearside and one rear fog light offside.

Mine however when i turn on rear fog both clear lenses turn on red, but when i put car in reverse no reverse lights come on. Anybody ever seen or heard anything like this? Thanks in advance for any input. 

[Andrew888]

That's strange passenger side rear is the reverse light and there's no LED tomfoolery there. Just a capless bulb! So effectively when turning on rear fogs only the offside should illuminate. Got any pics? 

[sorcerer]

The reasoning of Occam's Razor would say that the previous owner took out the white bulb/LED and replaced it with a red one, disconnected the reversing light feed and wired it up as a second foglight. Maybe.

[Ala Larj]

Or Quantum physics?

 

[shine668555]

Hey there, thanks for responses. I took off the trim to access light unit, it doesnt looks like anybody ever has fiddled with it, both sides look identical with identical wires coming to the bulbs. From the outside both light look the same.

[ColinBarber]

The two look different so you should be able to tell if they now match indicating a light cluster has been replaced. The reversing light uses a standard bulb and lens however the fog light is a LED array.

The reversing light, and I presume the fog light too, is controlled by a relay so a wiring modification could have been done there rather than at the lights.

[capese21]

Slide the cluster out I bet some wires have been changed. It must be unit from a LHD to give two fogs but no reverse lights.

It was a mod i was considering on my previous IS but never actually did it. I was going to have two reversing lights & move the fogs to the reflectors in the bumper.

 

[rayaans]

Someone's definitely been fiddling with that. Not safe imo

[Andrew888]

Mot failure isn't it? 

[NemesisUK]

Pretty sure reversing lamps are not an MoT check.

Rear fog lamp is, centre or offside must function.

[rayaans]

1 hour ago, Andrew888 said:

Mot failure isn't it? 

No don't think its an MOT failure but was just thinking in general terms

If you're backing up out of a parking space, nobody knows!

[wharfhouse]

Reversing lights not working are not an MOT failure - they had stopped working on an old campervan I had and I couldn't work out how to fix them (I think it was something to do with the switch when going into reverse) but it never failed an MOT on that.

[shine668555]

Thanks for all the input guys, ill take the light assembly out tonight to see any trace of modded witing or anything. Regards ColinBarber post, had a look and yes mine look identical, both are LED lights inside the clear lens so ,ust have been replaced for whatever reason. anyone got any diagrams regards reverse lights or relays where are they located? Ill check both footwells for anyh clues. 

Thanks

[Andrew888]

Any chance of asking the previous keeper whether they knew? I doubt it will be complicated to fix. Just need to know where it was rewired (normally in the boot) and work backwards.

[ColinBarber]

Fog lights:

 

 

Reversing light:

[shine668555]

I bought the car from a random dealer and apparently they dont have details of previous keeper. And thanks for the diagrams, ill see what i can do. Thanks a lot guys, will update if find where its messed up.

[Andrew888]

Next challenge is sourcing the correct cluster!

[sorcerer]

15 hours ago, shine668555 said:

I bought the car from a random dealer and apparently they dont have details of previous keeper.

3

Previous keeper details will be on the V5C (log book) when you get it. I always contact the previous keeper to see if they were having any problems with it etc.

[shine668555]

My v5 hasnt arrived yet but ill check it when i get it, will leave it for now, hopefully previous keeper has done it and will be able to tell me what needs doing. For now ill shop around for LED reflectors to make them as rear fogs and will fit reverse lights in both clusters, kinda like the idea of capese21.

Thanks a lot boys for help, appreciate much. I knew there will be a day when ill start messing about with this car lol

Anybody knows a good, bright LED bulbs for reverse or should i go with standard filament bulbs?

[Mr Vlad]

What an interesting thread as I was unaware that there' only 1 reverse light and only 1 rear high intensity light.

A pet hate of mine as I hate cars with only 1 of each.

As for the MOT status of reversing lights. They are Not part of the test.

I' like to know how the reversing light was changed to a high intensity light as it' so.thing I'd do.

Someone' stated they' change the rear reflectors to be high intensity lights. Sorry pal but that'd be a MOT failure and illegal.  Cars Must have rear refectors.

 

[shine668555]

2 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

What an interesting thread as I was unaware that there' only 1 reverse light and only 1 rear high intensity light.

A pet hate of mine as I hate cars with only 1 of each.

As for the MOT status of reversing lights. They are Not part of the test.

I' like to know how the reversing light was changed to a high intensity light as it' so.thing I'd do.

Someone' stated they' change the rear reflectors to be high intensity lights. Sorry pal but that'd be a MOT failure and illegal.  Cars Must have rear refectors.

 

I had a deeper look today, and i believe ive got a light assembly from lhd car or something and it has the LED fog light inside the clear lens, and i see a very careful wiring going from the front end of the car to the light assembly, whoevers done it did a decent job at least in wiring. And because light units cant be easily taken apart ill try to source unit with reverse light for both sides to have proper light at the back. 

[capese21]

3 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Someone' stated they' change the rear reflectors to be high intensity lights. Sorry pal but that'd be a MOT failure and illegal.  Cars Must have rear refectors.

 

I looked into this & can tell you that the LED lights that replace them also have a reflector so would pass an MOT.  I never did it as I figured fogs & reversing lights are not used very much!!   The cost of a LHD lamp for the extra reversing light was also costly.  Thanks Pal!! 

[capese21]

54 minutes ago, shine668555 said:

And because light units cant be easily taken apart ill try to source unit with reverse light for both sides to have proper light at the back. 

At least one fog is required though as that is an MOT check.

[capese21]

On 13/01/2018 at 2:54 PM, Mr Vlad said:

As for the MOT status of reversing lights. They are Not part of the test.

Later this year they will be if if the proposed changes happen.

[Mr Vlad]

I'm suprised they're not already part of the test. After all reverse lights have been on cars for decades and is a light after all.