Help - My back lights resemble disco lights

[David_374357502]

Hope you can help, just recently, my indicator & rear lights seem to have developed a disco effect whilst in use. I know I never had the problem before I had the towbar fitted and am quite keen on resolving the problem myself. Question is, is this something someone can do at home? I would take it back to the grage that fitted the towbar but they don't seem to be there anymore. I guess the 2 sockets that are fitted to the car would wire up to the lights somehow but do they normally go to the back of the car of fusebox side. I have a 2003 Jeep Cherokee. Thanks in advance!

 

[rosies]

Hello David , most problems with disco electrics as you call them stem from poor earths , so please check the van 7 pin plug and clean all the pins , same with the 7 pin socket ( 12 n ) on your vehicle . 12n is the one with the black cap . If the problem is the same then its most likely the rear caravan light assembies with a bad earth . As far as :- I guess the 2 sockets that are fitted to the car would wire up to the lights somehow but do they normally go to the back of the car of fusebox side Then I have no idea as I dont understand what you are trying to say .---- good luck --- STEVE .

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi david

the problem you describe is most definitly a bad earth of some kind you do not say wether the fault is on the car or the van.

on the van it is probably down to the plugs 12N black one as steve suggests if the bar was recently fitted (within 6 mths) it could possibly be the plug on the van (water ingress)as a lot of vans dont have a seperate earth on the van body but rely on the cars earth via the white wire from plug to the lights.

if the fault is on the car it will still be a bad earth somewhere but might be harder to find try the light connections first to see if there is any corrosion on the terminals then try the wire (usually black or brown that goes from the light cluster to the body and clean them both sides as a fault in one will affect the other.

if that does not work clean a small section of the paintwork in the boot down to bare metal and connect a wire to this form the earthside of the light cluster and see if it cures the problem ,

let us know if this works as there is other things left to try befroe resorting to taking it to the garage.

colin

 

[mkej100]

Your local towbar supplier will probably have a tester that he would stick into the 12n and tell you instantly if it was working correctly.

Should be wired as follows

Pin 1 Yellow Left indicator

Pin 2 Blue Fog

Pin 3 White Earth

Pin 4 Green Right indicator

Pin 5 Brown Right side light

Pin 6 Red Brakelight

Pin 7 Black Left side light

If you have a cheap electrical tester in your tool box the type that uses a screwdriver with a lamp in it and a length of wire connected to a croc clip then clip the croc onto pin 3 and test each of the other pins in turn as each one is switched on in the vehicle.Pin 1 is at the top of the socket when viewed from the rear of the vehicle and continue round in a clockwise direction with pin 7 in the centre.

Might also be worth opening up the plug on the caravan and making sure that it's not corroded on the ends of eack wire.

Hope this is useful

Mike.