Just a quick post re; brake lights not working I30 wagon. Both brake lights were not working. The bulbs were tested & found to be ok. The fuses & brake light switch were tested & found to be ok. Tracing the fault to a possible open circuit back to the brake lights. The workshop service manual identified a relay in circuit designed to provide a signal to a dash light when the brake lights failed, not sure why this was needed? Anyway the manual identified the relay location as being within the right (o/s) rear drivers C pillar. With the trim removed, guess what...it wasn’t there. However on further inspection it is on the other side of the vehicle (n/s), but hidden down well down towards the wheel arch; see photos. Found the relay was working, but power in, no power out. Removed & dismantled the relay & found debris between the contactor solenoid coil. Cleaned with wet & dry paper and now worked. I was half tempted dispatch the relay & jump the wires permanently, but didn’t. Tested; stop lights now working. Also found found, strangely the bank of 3 tail light bulbs each side were the normal off-set 6/21 watt stop & tail (with the said bulbs in the bayonet), but the the positive stop side is (for some unknown reason) not connected (wires cut & taped up), I.e the stop light circuit of the 6/21w is not used? So I added a wire length (with diode) in series off the existing stop lights to both sides, and now have a fairly luminous stop light cluster with the existing lower level stop lights & the centre high mounted tail gate LED. 😉
