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Reverse Lights – grounding issue


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Hi all

I fired up the power to my electrical system today during my TR5 restoration. All successful except my reverse lights:

·         My Left hand reverse light comes on, but is very dim.

·         My Right hand reverse light does not come on, and the Green/Brown (GN) cable gets very warm, and the Ammeter registers a huge current drop!

 

I disconnected the Right hand light from the cable loom. – The Left hand light then illuminates brightly, with normal current drop on the ammeter.

I disconnected the Left hand light from the cable loom – The Right hand light still does not illuminate, and the ammeter registers a huge current draw.

If I connect the Right Hand Reverse Light directly to a 12v battery, it illuminates brightly. The Green/Brown (GN) cable does not become warm.

 

Soooo, I unscrewed the Right hand reverse light, and voila the light comes on. Both lights are working and normal current draw! BUT…

When I re-attach the Right hand light with the screws it grounds the lights against the vehicle body, and the same problem persists.

How can I fix this grounding issue?

 

Thanks

Dave

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Suggest not an earth problem, but a short.   The supply to the RH light is shorting somewhere, depriving the LH of volts and allowing a large current through the wire.

Edited by john.r.davies
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Thanks John, my electrical vocab is limited :unsure:

  • I've inspected the wiring from the reverse lamps, through to the reverse switch, then to the voltage regulator, and finally to the fuse box - couldn't find any continuity issues with a test light and multimeter.

Scratching my head...:blink:

Dave

  

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As John says, that sounds as though you have a short circuit to earth somewhere within the RH light unit, from the supply wire to the body of the lamp. It may even be something odd with the bulb itself. 

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