Deferred my inspection for rego for the Fasty today because I can't get the bloody reverse lights to work.

Have power at the switch on the shifter (is Auto) but no power down back at the globe end. Globes have all been replaced and all contacts cleaned up and refitted.

Is there anything between the switch and globes that I should be checking - junction box or the like?????

Your help would be much appreciated.

the power comes of the coil on the type 3 reversing lights and from memory theres a in line fuse no thats for the kick down switch

have you checked if theres any light bulbs in the tailights and that the wires are fitted

As stated

Have power at the switch on the shifter (is Auto) but no power down back at the globe end. Globes have all been replaced and all contacts cleaned up and refitted.

Is there anything between the switch and globes that I should be checking - junction box or the like?????

Because it is an auto box power for reversing lights does not come off the coil this is only true of manuals. Instead it has a switch at the base of gear selector!

[ Edited on 18-9-2007 by kombimatt ]

VW54 is right Matt. The power for the reversing lights comes off the coil then into an inline fuse then to that switch at the shifter you are talking about and then to the reversing light globes.
And this applies to autos as i have one.

Cheers
Dave

[ Edited on 18-9-2007 by bigdave ]

Yeah apologies vw54. I have been pissed off by this all day and you caught me at a bad moment.

I suspected that in-line fuse was the problem but a mate of mine said it had nothing to do with the problem. Should have trusted my own judgement as it is a similar set up on the kombi.

Thanks Big Dave for setting me straight. Must pick a new fuse and all should be OK - fingers crossed.

Buy yourself a cheap multi meter and use the Buzz setting to check for power and connections in wiring there real easy to use

Yeah thanks it is on the list of things to purchase.

Replaced the inline fuse and still no luck. Losing power somewhere between the reversing switch and the inline fuse holder.

Will keep searching.

Matt, the fuse is inline to the switch so if there is power there, the fuse is ok. You need to locate the single wire that comes from the switch. It splits into two wires and from there goes to each side reversing light. That connector could be the problem.

Cheers
dave

OK Dave here is my story so far!

Wire from contacts on reverse switch below the shift lever goes back along the RHS of the tunnel and under the back seat. Here it exits the inside of the car through the floor. Under car it exits and a red wire splits in two and is connected to a cylindrical looking thing. Looks kinda like a coil but it isn't and this also has an earth wire attached. The black wire that exited the inside of the car at the same place (which is the one that ran from the contact points at the shifter) then goes up into the engine bay. It is in here that the inline fuse is. After the fuse the wire continues on the the coil.

I am lost as to where the two wires are that you are talking about. And is the switch you are talking about the same one I have described at the base of the shifter or is there another switch I need to look for and at??????????

[ Edited on 18-9-2007 by kombimatt ]

[ Edited on 18-9-2007 by kombimatt ]

try holding the shifter lever to the right to make contact with the terminals theres a bit of movement in the lever and it might not be contacting the terminals

Matt Give me a call on 07 41514278 or 0401710397 tomorrow.

Dave

Will do Dave.

Got posted this excellent diagram from someone on Kombi Club. It clearly shows me what I need to see but I just have to find the bits on the car

http://home.clara.net/hallvw/wire71t3.htm 

Hey matt
I had the same problem with my car.. turned out to be a connection in the wire in the engine bay (not from the coil, i'm guessing the wire back from the gearbox to the light?) had disconnected. When we pulled the engine we found it and connected it again..
So just have a good search around your engine bay if you haven't already..

Check what Jo tas says Matt. Thats how i found mine. That diagram is only true for manuals. May have led you astray before, I checked mine out and the power does not come from the coil.
You are on the right track here:
Under car it exits and a red wire splits in two and is connected to a cylindrical looking thing. (This is the starter solenoid and I think where it gets power from).
The black wire that exited the inside of the car at the same place (which is the one that ran from the contact points at the shifter) then goes up into the engine bay. It is in here that the inline fuse is. (sometimes it is a fuse but can also be a connector)
(From the fuse it should split into two wires and go into the big loom and then to the left and right reversing lights via their respective smaller looms)

The wire from the coil(with the fuse) should only go to the kickdown switch for the auto and if yours is FI this is mounted on the side of the air intake distributor.

Sometimes when the engine is removed these inline fuses get mixed up. When i got mine the rev. lights were on all of the time. Someone had plugged the lights fuse directly into the coil fuse. Have a good look in behind your intake pipes there may be another fuse dangling around.

Anyways, let me know what you find.

Happy Trails
Dave

Was i right ???