Rear light cluster no power?

[Shaggy B]

Hi all. Im scratching my head a bit with this one (even though i am a kind of novice electrically speaking).
I have a Citroen Dispatch van 2007. All has been fine until recently the indicator icon on dashboard started flashing faster than normal (which indicates a bulb gone normally?). I changed the bulb on the rear cluster, but indicator is still flashing fast. I then asked someone to check which lights were working on the whole cluster, and to my suprise the whole lot are not working? (on OSR). Ive looked through handbook and it doesnt look like there is a specific fuse for the feed? I wondered if someone with experience with this stuff may be able to put me in the right direction so i can try to fix myself instead of shelling out unnecessarily.
Thanks in advance.
Shaggy B

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[rsgaz]

Multiple fuses supply the rear cluster. That won't be the problem (the nearside reverse, fog & brake would have also stopped working otherwise.)

The negative connection to the cluster is common to all the bulbs, so that's what you need to check for first.

Do you have a multimeter?

 

[telectrix]

what he said ^^^^^. check the PCB on the cluster. see if the tracks are corroded, or the plug-in connector is not faulty. it will probably be the connection and track that is common to all the bulbs ( lamps for the pedants out there).

 

[Shaggy B]

Hi chaps. Many thanks for your responses. I do have a multimeter (not great with it tbh). If you guide me im sure we can bring this plane into land!?.

 

[PEG]

Hi,before you start jamming the probes everywhere,is that lighting on CanBus? It will affect the test procedure and the damage which could occur.
The owners forum would be the place to start,for common issues,such as French comedy wiring...

 

[rsgaz]

Firstly, look inside the van, near the offside rear cluster, you should find where the negative connection is to the vehicle's body. It should look something like this...



Check it for any visible damage. If you've had anything heavy sliding around in the back, this could be totally torn apart.

If all looks good, then it's time to pull out the multimeter. I take it your lamps are in a holder like this?...

You can see how the bit of metal on the left goes to each lamp. This is the negative connection. You need to put the meter on 'Ohms', poke one probe onto this track, while the other probe is connected to the battery negative terminal. There are other ways of doing this, but I prefer going straight to the battery, you know where you stand then, without second guessing a different negative connection. For this reason I keep a 5 metre long piece of wire with my main multimeter, crocodile clip on one end for the battery, banana plug on the other end to go into the meter.

Tell us the reading and get some photos of the holder, the connector, the loom, etc.

 

[Squid]

Remove cluster plug in on the working side to confirm it works.

 

[telectrix]

Remove cluster plug in on the working side to confirm it works.

but it's french. one side will have a french plug, the other side will be a german one. probably won't fit without running a Panzer over it.

 

[Shaggy B]

Hi. rsgaz. Ive been looking for an earth strap, but can find nothing as obvious as the picture you included. I have taken out the bulb holder and it looks like one of the connectors inside is broken? In the meantime i have contacted Citroen to ask for help in locating the earth strap. Apparently they are going to contact me?

 

[Squid]

Its French at least the reversing lights will always work............