Rear lights not working.

[locost1]

Mk 1989 transit.

My back lights have just failed MOT. They all work until i put the nearside indicates on. Not sure about hazards.

When they are on the lights flash on and off. Like normal but when indicator flashes off, the side light flashes on. LIKE FLASHING BEACONS.

I thought this is the earth so i tested it, slight drop in volts so i moved it to a clean spot. Still no luck.

someone said change the bulbs. but do i change every one. It only faulty one side and when indicators on?? it also looks like the side and brake has been taken from the other side!!
Please help MOT retest Friday

[KH_Towbars]

Hi, Definately sound like an earth fault, take the light clusters out take the plugs off and clean the terminals, some contact cleaner woulnd'nt hurt or water dispersant spray wd40 isnt ideal but might make a better connection. obviously earth contact has to be directly to the body, did you scratch off the paint when you moved the earth?, if none of this works there could be a break in the earth wire so in this case I would put a new wire as close to the plug as possible then to earth using a ring terminal.
let me know if any of this helps

[locost1]

i grind down the area and put a new bolt in with a ring terminal. Do i put a new earth in as well as the original earth? everything works ok until i put the indicator on. could it be "backfeeding" through a bulb and how would that work??

[AndyG]

Try a seperate earth from the side of the bulb

or

Look for evidence of repair to the lamp holder that may be short or open circuit

[locost1]

Thanks i will try this tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

[mutus]

Hi i had a similar problem on a car make sure u have the correct bulbs in,thats what was causing the fault on mine hope this helps

[KH_Towbars]

Hi i had a similar problem on a car make sure u have the correct bulbs in,thats what was causing the fault on mine hope this helps

yes definataley take the clusters out and inspect them, the fault is there is no earth so its trying to find 1 through the other bulbs. maybe 1 of the pins is not making contact in the plug. maybe you can bend the pins a little so that you get a good connection but dont snap them