Degs Posted May 31, 2009 Report Posted May 31, 2009 Great Forum. Found most fixes for the problems I've had on my 2000 Galaxy 2.3 Ghia. Wipers.... Anti roll bar knocking... etc etc and it goes on. Brake lights....!!!! The high level light works but no main brake lights. Reading through the posts leads me to think that I may have a wiring fault. There is a mention that the high level light is piggy backed off the main brake lights. Does anyone know where from, it may help tracking it down easier. I can't see any obvious wire damage in the usual places. Could it be a bad earth..?? Would appreciate any help before I start ripping anything else to bits. Tried several new bulbs, no joy. Back to hair pulling now.....!!!! Quote
Degs Posted May 31, 2009 Author Report Posted May 31, 2009 Now stripped all the sticky loom tape off...... I'm colour blind.... bad..... find it hard to follow wires. Found perished insulation, in the usual place, cracked, but the cores are intact. Found where one wire for the high level brake light is piggy backed from. I think this is a common for all the light cluster. The other disappears inside the body shell.... I presume this is the live..? Anyone help me with a continuity test, where to test from etc. Oh! the dash indicators for dead bulbs are on for the rear. Cheers Degs Quote
gregers Posted May 31, 2009 Report Posted May 31, 2009 just a thought,before you attually start ripping your car apart you have checked to make sure both brake light bulbs work!!!! Quote
Degs Posted May 31, 2009 Author Report Posted May 31, 2009 Yep... cheers Gregers, Tried several bulbs, no joy. Checked the brake switch, that's ok. Seem to have lost the high level light now...!!!!...????? All my b*gg*ring about. Must be a wire fault, just working out where...??? Degs Quote
gregers Posted May 31, 2009 Report Posted May 31, 2009 well i bet its in the door boot of the hatch,top right when you open hatch up,always goes there,plenty of peeps have posted about this. Quote
Degs Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Posted June 1, 2009 Thanks Gregers. I have all the loom tape stripped back to the rubber boot on the hatch. There's some perished insulation (cracked) but the core looks OK. If there's a break, it must be down inside the door pillar of the body shell. Going to be damn fiddly to strip the loom tape in there. Cheers Degs Quote
gaznlou Posted June 1, 2009 Report Posted June 1, 2009 DegsI had a brake light problem a few weeks ago, finally found out it was down to a doggy bulb holder, changed this perfect. Not saying this is your problem, but if you can borrow one try this first. Quote
Degs Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Posted June 1, 2009 Thanks gaznlou. When the high level light WAS working I patched wires from there to the brake light bulb holders and got them to work. If I run a temporary wire from the brake switch to the bulb to test whether or not there's a break somewhere inbetween, does anyone know if I'm likely to fry anything. Suppose the worst I could do is blow a fuse....?? Cheers Degs Quote
Degs Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Posted June 1, 2009 Update. Got the high level brake lamp working again, I'd upset the brake switch reset when I removed it for testing, re-adjusted. Patched a wire from high level live to brake bulb live, hey presto brake lights. So..... pulled trim from inside door pillar and stripped a bit of live feed insulation from the main bulb wire to test for voltage.... nothing, so the break isn't in the usual hatch hinge point. Does anyone know if both these live feeds go all the way back to the fuse box..??? Suppose there's always the option to leave the patch from the high level to get by..... MOT is due. Cheers Degs Quote
Degs Posted June 2, 2009 Author Report Posted June 2, 2009 Does anyone know if there's a relay involved in the brake light system...?? Cheers Degs Quote
Degs Posted June 2, 2009 Author Report Posted June 2, 2009 Feel like Billy no mates here.... :blink: answering my own posts..... :angry: Still no joy. Found the connector inside the right hand side storage (jack etc) Thought I may have found the point where the high level live feed piggy backs from and hopefully the fault.... nope. Traced the live feed to the main brake lights to under the dash then I loose it. I'm sure the fault is at the end of this wire. I'm still waiting for my TIS CD to turn up. Hopefully it'll shine some light. Cheers Degs Quote
seatkid Posted June 2, 2009 Report Posted June 2, 2009 I'm still waiting for my TIS CD to turn up. Hopefully it'll shine some light. ^_^ The TIS has full schematics (if somewhat cryptically presented). There are many variations, model/engine/year/options. I would look for you but I dont have the time to dedicate the next 3 days on a step by step handholding exercise. Quote
Degs Posted June 3, 2009 Author Report Posted June 3, 2009 Thanks Seatkid. I find all schematics somewhat criptic, but I should be able to work out where this wire terminates. I think it'll meet up with it's pal somewhere, the feed from the switch. Been trying to workout how the dash fault lights are controlled....... ^_^ The poor Galaxy looks as though it's been attacked by vandals at the moment...... :o Cheers Degs Quote
big_kev Posted June 3, 2009 Report Posted June 3, 2009 Thanks Gregers. I have all the loom tape stripped back to the rubber boot on the hatch. There's some perished insulation (cracked) but the core looks OK. If there's a break, it must be down inside the door pillar of the body shell. Going to be damn fiddly to strip the loom tape in there. Cheers Degs It is most likely that the core will have broken as well they usually go before the insulation. If your high level brake light works then it is not a fuse, relay or switch problem. Double check the wiring in the tail gate loom.....you should be able to completely disconnect the loom at a multi-connector and gain access to all the wiring inside the right hand rear storage compartment. I think the wires for the brake lights are black/red and black/white ( may vary on models ). p.s. if you are colour blind you will need assistance. Quote
Degs Posted June 3, 2009 Author Report Posted June 3, 2009 Thanks Big Kev. I think I've ruled out a break in the tail gate loom. I stripped back a small section of insulation down inside the jack storage compartment and tested for volts.... nothing.... stuck a live feed on it and I had brake lights. The wires are grey and white, changing to grey from the connector back through to under the dash....?? I'll be splicing in new wires as they look as they'll cause me more grief if I leave it. Cheers Degs Quote
big_kev Posted June 3, 2009 Report Posted June 3, 2009 (edited) . The wires are grey and white, Sounds like Fog Lamps to me ? I think you need to check ! Edited June 3, 2009 by big_kev Quote
Degs Posted June 3, 2009 Author Report Posted June 3, 2009 ^_^ ...... :o ............. :o Yep... You're right....... Talk about being embarrassed......!!!! We live and learn hey....... I think it's now sorted. What a prat I am...........Right...... which bit went where.......!!!!! Thanks Big Kev. I owe you a pint or three!!! Cheers Degs Quote
PED7 Posted September 7, 2009 Report Posted September 7, 2009 sorry to piggyback this topic but im having problems with my brake light, when they are pressed im getting power to them maybe 5 out of 10 times, its justed failed its taxi test due to this and bushes split and track rod end worn Quote
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