Hi Level braking light - 07 hardtop

common problem as is rear wiper failure ........ very brittle single core wires passing through the rubber sheath into the rear door where it's hinged.

there'll be a wire break .... pull the sheath out and check all wires



see here

Thanks Halford,

That pic is handy to see where the panelling is fitted to the door. It's a nightmare to pull off. Just hope I don't break the fittings.

OK,

I took the panel off and traced the wire back as far as I could, to the door frame. There were no signs of damage to the wiring, so it looks like I'm going to have to go a bit further. I have one question for you gents. When you pull the fuse for your rear brake lights, does the hi level brake light stop working also? Just want to confirm I'm not chasing something as simple as a fuse change before ripping out interiors.

On the plus side, I've found out why my rear window washer isn't working. Turns out that it's full of gunk because some cheapskate :whistle: wasn't using an additive in the washer fluid.

Have you checked the multi connectors in the pic with a meter to see if you have power?
If not the next check is the rubber hose between the door /body as in pic as this is the most likely place any break would occur?
Bit unusual on an 07 though? Has it had any work done that may affect the brake lights??
Not quite sure how the wiring runs from there does it run across under the plastic sill cover as I believe the main loom runs along inside the n/s side panel.
to remove fixings that hold the panels on press the centre pin in gently with a small pointy object until it clicks. DON'T push it all the way through. You will then find they just pop out.
Before replacing push the centre back through until it stands proud of the head of the plug. Insert plug and push centre pin down until flush.

I'd check all these :huh:

Hi Gilburton,

Yes, I checked the connectors for power, nothing there. Also peeled away the rubber for the door connection, no damage to the wires there. I find it unusual for a reasonably new motor too. I've only had this one for 1 year, so not sure if any work has been done which would affect the wiring to the brake light, although, judging by the succession of scratches on the driver side windshield, I'm guessing that a short married woman was the last owner tho and could only manage to demist the windscreen with the back of her hand scratching the screen with her ring, so I'm doubtful of any DIY work being carried out.

The brake lights on the bumper work fine, which is what makes me think it's wiring somewhere down the line.

Hi Halford,

Thanks for the diagrams. I have the 'small' fusebox on my 07.

The more I think about this, the more I think that there's a bad earth on the wiring. Going to see if I can bypass the bulbs' socket and connect the wiring directly to the bulb and check that the bulb socket isn't faulty. If that's not the problem, then I'll tear out some paneling this weekend and have a look for an earth or a short somewhere.