No reverse lights

[T62019]

Hello! So basically I installed an auxiliary 18W reversing light underneath the rear bumper and now have no reverse lights.

I connected the positive to the rear left tail light's reverse feed (pin 2 green/black if I recall correctly) and put the ground to a chassis bolt, not the tail light's ground as some have experienced problems doing it like that.

Ignition on, did not start the engine. Put it into reverse and everything worked. Both reverse lights and the aux light lit up. Adjusted the aux light and tightened the mounting bracket bolts etc, at this point it had been in reverse for maybe a couple of minutes with them working. Put it into P and ignition off and key out. Went to put my tools away and came back and started the engine, no reverse lights at all but tail lights, brake lights and indicators work. Haven't read codes with a VCDS yet but would anyone know what happened?

 

[david173]

could be a fuse? if the new light was drawing alot of power

 

[david173]

you could always try running a new 12v supply to the light and use the reverse light feed as a trigger with a relay. that way the light would only come on with the reverse lights but would have its own power source

 

[Sasquatch]

T6.1?

 

[T62019]

No, just T6 with led tail lights and both sides had reverse light. I've read about some installs here where they added two lights underneath which probably have more power usage than what I'm using so I would think it's good in that sense.

 

[T62019]

Ok I have done some diagnosing. Reverse lights and aux reverse light stop working only after starting the engine, putting it into reverse, taking parking brake off and starting to move. At the same time the reverse camera stops working (screen turns blue). If I switch the ignition off and back on it works again, but after starting to move they go out again.

Thought maybe I have a bad connection but nope seems good and have good voltage to the tail light connector and resistance of around 1.5 Ohms. No change when wiggling wires.

Vcds shows 1 code. Reverse light short to ground. Cant see any obvious breaks in the wires that I routed. Weird how it always works after turning it off and on again.

 

[Gavinda]

The Van's seeing the extra current draw as a possible fault and disabling the lights as a precaution. Use the reverse lights feed as a trigger for a relay and run a new fused 12v supply to run the lights and you should be good.

 

[T62019]

Yep, that seems most likely.

 

[T62019]

Removed the auxiliary reverse light from the circuit and now no problems, so yep need to add a relay and probably just add on-off switch in the dashboard. Thanks for the help!