Hi there. Can anyone please help.

I have an Audi A6 3Lt TDI Quadro 2005.

The problem I have is the offside reversing light is not working. When I checked it was only receiving 3 amps and not the 12 amps that it should.

Any suggestions what the problem might be will be really welcome.

Many thanks.

Chris.

Hello Chris,

Please confirm you are mixing up your amps and volts .

Regards,

Gareth.

12 amps? That would be double the power of a headlight. Even 3 amps (36 watts) would be a seriously bright reversing lamp.

As Gareth suggested, volts not amps would make more sense.

Hi all. Thanks for your messages. I am sorry I had a typo error. It was 3 volts and 12 volts not AMP’s. Any suggestions please . Thanks Chris.

Am I right in assuming it is a tungsten bulb, not an LED?

Car is old enough to suffer from fractured wires within the flexible harness section twixt body and tailgate.

Examining the cables in there would be my first port of call.

Please let us know how you get on.

Regards,

Gareth.

Thanks for your replies. It is a Tungsten bulb not an LED. Would this make a difference? Regards Chris

16 minutes ago, Shiny New said:

It is a Tungsten bulb not an LED. Would this make a difference?

The difference is that I know a little about tungsten lighting, but nothing about LED.

As Gareth mentioned, the most likely cause is damage to the wires in the rubber corrugated tube between frame and tailgate. Look there first.

Thankyou very much !!

Double exclamation marks Chris. Why?

Have you tried swapping the bulb for another or new one? It’s a lot easier, so worth trying.

Or, take the bulb out, check the solder contacts on the bottom, if their not bright & shiny, clean with a bit of high grade sandpaper or best, a fine emery cloth. If you don’t have any, use a sharp blade or screwdriver tip - gently!

The oxide build up can be enough to drop the voltage, although dropping it that much would be unusual. A broken wire woukd give you zero volts.

The fact that you have A voltage there inplies a high resistance contact, in in plug/socket or the bulb normally.

If it’s the plug/socket then just make & break them a dozen times to scrape the pins. Whatever you do, don’t use wd40, that’ll make things worse in the long run. (It leaves a sticky residue that dirt sticks to & it damages wiring insulation over time. It’s ok to use to c,Dan things, just wash it off afterwards).

Hello Chris,

Wondered what the latest was on this -?

Regards,

Gareth.

I had the same issue with a A4 b8 and it ended up I had to get a new plug (cheap pre wired on AliExpress) one of the pins was fractured and barely connecting.

Could you give us an update please Chris.

Hi. Thankyou for your reply. Fixed the issue of the reversing light but now my offside brake light is intermittent. Changed the bulbs but still intermittent brake light. Any ideas please. Regards Chris.

Use wd40 contact cleaner on all connections and bulb holders.

Thanks Chris, what was the solution with the reversing light?

Regards,

Gareth.

I used WD40… Twice nightly overnight leaving to dry thoroughly each night. Thankyou Gareth. Regards Chris.

That means it was just dirty contacts, WD 40 washes some of that off but it leaves a sticky residue that will collect & hold dust & dirt over time. Weeks, maybe months. So it’s best to get some contact cleaning fluid (any electrical or car parts supplier should carry it) to wash off the wd40. (Think of wd40 as a sticking plaster).

Thank you

That's what I mean....wd40 make other sprays.

Use their wd40 contact cleaner, leaves no residue. It's also really good for cleaning maf sensors

Edited April 22Apr 22 by 848phantom