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passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2022 11:01 am
by shuttz
Hi Folks hope you can help.
our polo has a fault which is leaving me a bit baffled. The passenger rear brake light and indicator have stopped working which would suggest a common fuse. However when i look at the wiring diagram the common fuse 43 does both sides. Am I missing somthing is there seperate fuses for either side on the 1.2 petrol (2012).
I have checked the wiring and it seems ok.
This all stems from fitting a reversing camera to the reversing light which leads me to think i may have shorted something in the process checking for earths etc.
Any help would be appreciated thanks
Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:28 pm
by iichel
check the plug and the bulbs please
Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2022 2:23 pm
by shuttz
So after a bit more messing about got the brake lights back on at least and sorted some other rear bulbs that were gone!!
Indicators still an issue though on the passenger side. Front and rear bulb ok and connectors look in good order (not checked the mirror yet). Iight fault on dash so open circuit somewhere!! Also they dont work when the hazards are switched on either..
I take it its safe to assume the relay/flasher unit is ok as the drivers side works. So i think i need to look for a common connection (indicator stalk?) somewhere to check. Are the indicators in a parrallel circuit so if one bulb was out then the other should still flash rapidly. Wonder if its dash off?
Any thoughts?
Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2023 7:36 am
by Maarten
I thought that the indicators in the 6R/6C were controlled by the BCM, not by a relay.
When you have the working side on, try listening where the clicking sound comes from.
If you hear the same clicking on the not working side maybe a wiring issue?
Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2023 7:57 am
by giannis20vt
I think you have to check the plug from the rear light. Check for corrosion or something like that.
Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2023 9:04 pm
by shuttz
Thanks for the replies i have managed to to get a 12v feed to the rear indicator with all the switches in the off position which as i hoped lit up all that side indicators suggesting that its either the switch or the bcu. There is a clicking but this seems to come from the left/right indicator arrows in the clock unit (yep i have had this out too!!)
As the issue happens with both the hazard switch and indicator stem i wonder if its the bcu itself. Waiting on the wiring diagram / manual to see which order things are wired - Battery, bcu, switch, indicators for example. I am assuing that the hazard switch is in parrallel to the indicator stem switch. It getting a bit fustrating now!
Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2023 9:06 pm
by shuttz
Maarten wrote: Mon Jan 02, 2023 7:36 am
I thought that the indicators in the 6R/6C were controlled by the BCM, not by a relay.
When you have the working side on, try listening where the clicking sound comes from.
If you hear the same clicking on the not working side maybe a wiring issue?
Yest i think your correct that its a bcu and not a relay Unfortunately that fires the indicators

Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2023 11:14 pm
by CarbonChaos
You need to get a code reader and do some further diagnostic work now you have eliminated the basics
Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2023 11:22 pm
by shuttz
CarbonChaos wrote: Mon Jan 02, 2023 11:14 pm
You need to get a code reader and do some further diagnostic work now you have eliminated the basics
Yeah been looking at the vcds set up, will get one ordered i reackon.
Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2023 11:25 pm
by CarbonChaos
Obdeleven is my preferred choice, cheaper,uses your existing phone via an app and Bluetooth dongle
Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2023 1:47 pm
by Brian422
Rear light connector failure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoVrTD1XoDY
Hope this helps.
Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2023 6:43 pm
by ciclo
I seem to remember that once the fault in some lights has been solved/repaired, it is necessary to clear the DTCs with a diagnostic tool to make them work again...
Note: I prefer VCDS, VCP or VAS, but maybe I'll buy OBD11 ULTIMATE
to do a single coding... so they can freely access all the information on my damn smartphone, they may even know what color panties I buy for my wife...

Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2023 8:02 pm
by shuttz
Thanks for that, i have checked and all the earths and connectors are fine (brake light is working now just the indicators aren't)
Interesting about the reset after a fault - ordered the vcds so should get this before the weekend (hopefully money well spent) so will see if we can get to the bottom of this. Thanks for all the replies!
Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2023 11:09 am
by shuttz
Firstly, thanks for the replies. Everything is back working mow. So armed with the vcds there were a few faults to ground however this had been checked. Cleaned the indicator switch with contact cleaner just to be be safe. Reset the faults and hey presto sorted.


Re: passenger rear brake light and indicator not working - any ideas?
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2023 11:09 am
by shuttz
Firstly, thanks for the replies. Everything is back working mow. So armed with the vcds there were a few faults to ground however this had been checked. Cleaned the indicator switch with contact cleaner just to be be safe. Reset the faults and hey presto sorted.

