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Right hand-side tail lights do not turn off
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Klabbe   
Mon Jul 24 2017, 03:02pm
Joined: Jul 07 2017
Member No: #3202
Location: Täby
 Hi everyone,
This is my first post at this forum, I have run in to a peculiar problem and now I hope that there is someone here who can help or advice me.
Some time ago, I noticed that the right hand side tail lights on my C6 (2007, Exclusive Hdi 2.7) kept on shining after I had been out driving and all other lights had swithced off automatically. There were no warnings or any other indication that anything should be out of the ordinary, the lights just did not, (and still don't) turn off. Since I had washed the car that same day, I wondered that perhaps some water could have caused a short cirquit, but after several days in dry weather nothing has changed. The lights just don't turn off.

Does anybody have any ideas about what could be causing this and how it could be resolved? Any advice? Please?
speedfix   
Mon Jul 24 2017, 04:49pm
Joined: Sep 28 2012
Member No: #1043
Location: south west
 Does your car have a tow bar with electrics if so could be damp in the socket.
It could as you state water in one of the rear light units.
Have you access to lexia?
Klabbe   
Mon Jul 24 2017, 08:24pm
Joined: Jul 07 2017
Member No: #3202
Location: Täby
 Thanks for the reply Speedfix,
-But no, I don't have any tow bar installed, that would have been the first thing I'd have checked, -got some experience of tricks that this can play with the electrics from my old CX.
Unfortunately I don't have access to lexia either, -haven't had any problems with the C6 that required diagnositc tools so far, but in this case it would probably be helpful. Would you reccommend I should buy a tool with software, or do you have any other tips what I could try while I'm waiting for it to be delivered?
speedfix   
Tue Jul 25 2017, 06:50am
Joined: Sep 28 2012
Member No: #1043
Location: south west
 Check the boot spare wheel well for any signs of water leakage or condensation in the light clusters.
e3steve   
Tue Jul 25 2017, 07:38am
Joined: Jan 21 2013
Member No: #1163
Location: Warsash, Hants & Palma de Mallorca, Spain
 There's a warning label attached to the wiring to each rear light cluster, found near their 4-way connectors in either side of the boot. It states that "no load exceeding 10mA should be connected to the wiring, otherwise fatal fault could occur" (words similar); I wonder if a previous owner has attempted such action...(?)
e3steve   
Tue Jul 25 2017, 07:47am
Joined: Jan 21 2013
Member No: #1163
Location: Warsash, Hants & Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Klabbe wrote ...
...

Does anybody have any ideas about what could be causing this and how it could be resolved? Any advice? Please?

A simple workaround (perhaps temporary) fix would be to cut the negative (ground) wire to that light cluster and insert a switch. The wire is the green/yellow.

You could just let the switch dangle from one of the access flaps above the netted storage shelf in the boot, which would mean opening the boot and throwing the switch each time you need to drive or leave the car; or, preferably, route a pair of wires to said location and have the 'temporary' switch next to the driver's seat...
Klabbe   
Wed Jul 26 2017, 10:44am
Joined: Jul 07 2017
Member No: #3202
Location: Täby
 Thanks for all the advice given so far!
So far, my temparary solution has been to simply open the light cluster and remove the light bulbs when I don't expect to use the car for some time. -It's easy enough as long as you don't drop the nuts that hold the cluster in place... There is some condensation inside the cluster, but not much, and the light bulbs as well as the sockets and wiring looks dry and in as-new condition. Still, there is much more condensation on the right hand side where the light don't turn off than on the left, were everything is normal. The car has been parked in dry conditions, and have not seen water for a couple of weeks now, but still the light don't turn off.

I doubt that the previuos ownvers have done much tinkering with the car by themselves. I can't see any signs of such activities, and the car came with full maintenance books.

Haven't checked the boot spare wheel well yet, will do that as soon as I get around to it, but is it possible that the condensation on the light cluster is a symptom of a depostit of moisture somewhere else that is causing the problem?

Thaks again!
e3steve   
Wed Jul 26 2017, 05:50pm
Joined: Jan 21 2013
Member No: #1163
Location: Warsash, Hants & Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Klabbe wrote ...

Thanks for all the advice given so far!
So far, my temparary solution has been to simply open the light cluster and remove the light bulbs when I don't expect to use the car for some time. -It's easy enough as long as you don't drop the nuts that hold the cluster in place... There is some condensation inside the cluster, but not much, and the light bulbs as well as the sockets and wiring looks dry and in as-new condition. Still, there is much more condensation on the right hand side where the light don't turn off than on the left, were everything is normal. The car has been parked in dry conditions, and have not seen water for a couple of weeks now, but still the light don't turn off.

I doubt that the previuos ownvers have done much tinkering with the car by themselves. I can't see any signs of such activities, and the car came with full maintenance books.

Haven't checked the boot spare wheel well yet, will do that as soon as I get around to it, but is it possible that the condensation on the light cluster is a symptom of a depostit of moisture somewhere else that is causing the problem?

Thaks again!
You should check the condition of the 4-way connector, found behind the boot liner.
  • Prise out the 12V accessory socket and disconnect it; note that it's keyed, so doesn't rotate or twist. Use a flat-blade screwdriver, getting right behind the plastic body and its attached cap's tether.
  • Lift out the boot floor liner; don't forget to remove the two retainers, deep in the forward corners.
  • Remove the retainers from the r/h side liner and the one from the r/h end of the upper liner -- you don't need to remove the upper liner part completely; you can just jiggle the side liner around it.
  • Lift the side liner clear of the threaded pegs down the r/h/s of the seat backrest 'wall', then jiggle the liner out completely.

From here you can retrieve any mislaid rearlight thumb-nuts!

Check for moisture in the connector. This could cause excess current-draw and, thus, cause a CANbus problem. Also, have you attempted a BSI-reset? Follow this brief:

BSI reboot
Put the driver's window down, open the boot and ensure all equipment is switched off.
Ensure all doors are closed and remove key from the ignition.
Wait for 3 minutes, disconnect the vehicle battery and wait 15 seconds.
Reconnect the vehicle battery, wait a further 10 seconds (do not open doors.).
Close the boot.
Switch on the side lights through the driver's window.
Switch on the ignition and check system's functionality.
Hold lock button on key down for 10 seconds.
Remove key, open & close door test central locking system.
Start the engine and complete the system's check.
Failure to follow this procedure could result in incorrect BSI operation.
 

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