Why aren't the reversing lamps on?
During the operation of the car, many owners are faced with the fact that the reverse gear does not light up. This problem occurs unexpectedly and requires immediate elimination. Driving with such a malfunction is forbidden and dangerous, because it can cause an accident due to misinterpretation of the maneuver by other motorists or pedestrians. In this article, we will talk about the main causes of failure and ways to fix them.
Principle of operation of reversing lamps and causes of their breakdowns
The reverse lights are lit on the car when you turn in reverse gear and maneuver backwards. A sensor located in the gearbox on the crankcase or in the mechanism that allows you to select the speed is responsible for their operation. When reverse gear is engaged, the lights are energized by the metal plates being shorted by the stem. When the position of the selector is changed, the circuit opens and the rod is pushed out by a spring. The bulbs will then stop illuminating.
In some malfunctions, the lights do not come on when the selector is reversed. Many of these problems can be diagnosed and repaired with your own hands. You may need to go to the service station only in the most complicated cases.
Blown bulb
A blown bulb is the simplest and most common reason why the reversing lights do not work. Usually the car has two of these lights, and one bulb usually burns out. But sometimes two can fail at once.
To understand that the lamp has burned out, a visual inspection is sufficient. The faulty element must be replaced. Replacement takes a few minutes and can be done with your own hands. But some models of cars may have some difficulties with the installation of lamps due to the peculiarities of design. After replacement, the lights should work. If the bulbs often fail, it is recommended to clean their contacts, check the tightness of the optics and the voltage in the onboard network. Perhaps the burnout is not due to poor quality elements, but to the above-mentioned problems.
Read also: Types and purpose of car lamps
Fuse blown
Failure of the fuse responsible for this electrical circuit is also one of the frequent causes of malfunction. The fuse is located in the assembly block under the hood of the car or in the passenger compartment. Knowing its location will help you quickly find the faulty part and replace it.
Identify a blown reverse lamp fuse is usually possible by its appearance. If this does not help, you should put a known faulty part instead and check the operation of the lights. Replacement of the fuse element takes a couple of minutes. Even a novice motorist is able to do it. If the procedure turned out to be ineffective, you should look for another reason.
Frog" malfunction
The frog is called a reverse sensor or switch. It is quite durable, but despite that, it can still fail. This is inherent in many cars with high mileage or cars that have been in an accident with a blow to the rear of the body.
It is not always possible to identify a faulty controller by its appearance. You can check its functionality with a multimeter. If independent checking and replacement of the element causes difficulties, it is better to apply to a service station or resort to the help of a more experienced motorist. Replacement of the sensor is easy. To do this, you need to buy a new part and know its location in a particular car model.
Video: Troubleshooting the reverse frog on VAZ cars.
Circuit continuity failure
Breakage of the wiring that goes to the reversing lights can happen at any part of it. It occurs for the following reasons:
- Natural wear and tear.
- Mechanical damage.
- The ingress of various chemicals.
To determine the damaged area, you need to wire the entire wiring with a multimeter. This work takes some time and requires experience. Sometimes it takes several hours to find and fix the breakage. If such work seems difficult, it is better to contact an auto electrician.
Contacts oxidized
The cause of the inoperability of the reversing lights can be oxidation of the contacts of the pad or other connections of this circuit. Usually contamination and corrosion is visible when you inspect the parts. To fix the problem, it is enough to clean the contact connections of dirt and rust. Such malfunctions are common not only on heavily used cars, but also on nearly new cars. Keeping the under-hood clean will help you encounter this kind of trouble less often.
Reverse gear sensor adjustment required
On some models of vehicles with manual gearboxes, the position of the sensor on the gearbox may be confused. Therefore, when a reverse gear is engaged, the electronics do not detect that it is engaged. Consequently, the light signal does not go off.
It is not recommended to adjust the position of the controller without experience. When adjusting, you should check if the sensor itself is in good working order. If it is out of order, replace it. The problem is typical for domestic models and some inexpensive foreign cars with mileage. Only experienced car owners, who are engaged in the repair and maintenance of the car, may solve it on their own. Beginning drivers are advised to contact a car service center, where the adjustment and diagnosis will be performed quickly and efficiently.
Sometimes reverse lights stop lighting for other, rarer reasons as well. Some of them are specific to certain car models. The elimination of such malfunctions often requires a professional approach. Therefore, if you yourself determine and eliminate the cause of the problem was not possible, you need to immediately contact a car service. Driving with faulty reverse lights is not only forbidden, but also very dangerous. Operate the car with such a malfunction should not be even in daylight hours. It may lead to very unfortunate consequences. The most serious of them is hitting a pedestrian.
The reverse sensor on the Renault Logan does not press down.
It is often not easy to notice the malfunction of reversing lights on their own. Therefore, it is recommended to periodically check their functionality, enlisting the help of third parties. Sometimes you can notice the problem in the dark by the lack of reflection on the walls and other objects.
Most often the cause is a minor and easily fixable failure. Usually you can solve the problem yourself. It is necessary to go to the service station only in complicated cases, if the cause of the malfunction is unclear or you need to restore the wiring, adjust the sensor on the gearbox.