TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:03 pm

I have a 1984 Rabbit diesel with no tail lights or reverse lights. Brake lights work, turn signals work. As far as I can tell tail lights and reverse lights both run off the #6 terminal(wire) from headlight switch which should be a gray wire. When I first got the car the tail lights/reverse lights worked when the dimmer switch was turn to the highest setting (dimmer switch links to I think #3 terminal(wire) on headlight switch). Any one ever experience this, have any advice as to where to start? Thank you

Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:09 pm

Did you ever get your Bentley Rabbit Diesel Manual? That will help when troubleshooting electrical system.

You are correct about terminal 6 supplying the current for the tail lights, also for the rear side marker lights and the license plate light.

However, the tail lights are a separate system from the reverse lights. When the reverse lights are bad, usually it's the switch in the transmission, which is expensive to replace. You'll have to look at your owner's manual or Bentley to find the right fuse for your reverse (backup) lights, it is a different fuse than the parking lights.

I don't have a copy of the Diesel book, and I don't know how much is the same between the gasoline model book I do have. I'd guess that much would be the same. Do your front parking lights work then? Did you check to see if you are getting 12V out of the H/L switch terminal 6 when the lights are turned on? If not, and you are getting 12V at terminal 5, then the switch is bad. If you get voltage at terminal 6, well then you have wiring problems between there and the back.

those are the first things I'd check.
-Andy

Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:29 am

First thing is look at your windshield seal, then look at the thin plastic cover under the hood, up close to the windshield, make sure it's not ripped up on the drivers side, then you pull the fuse box out and inspect it, if it's fried, replace it and your problems are over. They leak right on top of the fuse box.........

Thu Jan 12, 2006 2:15 pm

I didn't mention the fusebox because.......This is a US made Rabbit - they have different fusebox design than the Mexican and German models - and they rarely suffer from the "fried fusebox from windshield leak" syndrome. This is the exact reason I chose an 85 Golf for my beater/commuter car - much better electrical system reliability.

-Andy