Brake lights !

[TDI ste]

Hi everyone,

I own a 52 plate seat ibiza tdi sport pd 130. I have owned the car for just over 12 months and had no trouble....Infact the car has been geat and very nippy considering its now done 137k miles.
Last tuesday night I got pulled over by the police and the officer informed me that my brake lights were not working, apart from the high level one. He gave me a form which gives me 14 days to get them sorted and get the car to an MOT station for there approval and then Ive got to send the form back to the police.
As I didnt have time to sort it in the week due to working away from wednesday onwards, I decided to change the bulbs on saturday....After changing the bulbs I thought all would be fine but they still dont work.
I thought this could be the brake light switch but the high level brake light still works.

Does anybody know what the problem could be....I need to move fast now as I only have a week to get it sorted and get the form sent stamped from an MOT tester and then get it sent back to the police.

Any advice would be much appreciated, Thanks in advance.

Steve

 

[FR_MATT]

fuse?

 

[Blanco92]

I would have said brake light switch, but then you should be getting other warning messages from the car about that. As mentioned, check the fuse first.

A VCDS/VAG-COM scan would confirm a faulty brake light switch. They cost ~£10 from the dealer.

 

[TDI ste]

Cheers for the replies guys.

I feel a right plonker for not checking the fuses !!!
Just been out to check them and I cannot for the life of me work out which fuse it is....This seat ibiza manual is crap and the key card doesnt make sense to me.

On the dash the coil/glow plug light is flashing !
After a little rumaging on here through the forums, It appears that this is likely to be the brake light switch.

I hope this is correct,

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

[RUM4MO]

I don't want to appear insulting, but really really make sure that you are fitting the correct bulbs as I seem to remember that the Halford's for example, bulb application list are wrong for some of the Polo 9N rear bulbs so will be the same for Ibiza 6L ones. Having said that, it does seem that the switch OR the bulbs are sending out a "help me" message via the glow plug indicator.

 

[TDI ste]

I don't want to appear insulting, but really really make sure that you are fitting the correct bulbs as I seem to remember that the Halford's for example, bulb application list are wrong for some of the Polo 9N rear bulbs so will be the same for Ibiza 6L ones. Having said that, it does seem that the switch OR the bulbs are sending out a "help me" message via the glow plug indicator.

Im not insulted mate....Im a total muppet when it comes to anything to do with car maintenance etc.
They are halfords bulbs so I'll have a check tomorrow.

Thanks for the input

 

[Blanco92]

With the glow plug light flashing, I'd put money on it being the brake light switch.

 

[techie]

If your high level brake light is working the switch is fine, it gets the same signal. Both blown bulbs is very common and can also log a fault. I'd re check them bulbs.

 

[Si_TDi_FR]

Put your sidelights on and if they aren't lighting up either it's deffo a fuse!

 

[TDI ste]

Went down to my local Seat deler today and asked for a brake light switch and also explained the problem and the guy said that its the Brake light switch....I even told him that the high level works and he still said the same. I ordered a switch and it will be in on wednesday.

Thanks for all the replies guys.

 

[techie]

lol, fair enough.

 

[RUM4MO]

Went down to my local Seat deler today and asked for a brake light switch and also explained the problem and the guy said that its the Brake light switch....I even told him that the high level works and he still said the same. I ordered a switch and it will be in on wednesday.

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Wow, they must be flying off the shelves - that is normally a stocked item and covers quite a few cars!

But, remember it was probably a parts person you were talking to, "techie" is probably not a parts person! I'd still have a look at the bulb fitting in the car just to make sure that the bulbs that you have bought have the "lugs" on the same places as the fitting has slots. The wrong bulbs will (can be made to) fit but not normally work.

Maybe check some on-line bulb sites to see if they all agree with each other and agree with the bulbs that you have bought. Typically there will be a graphical representation of the bulb - the differances will be obvious once you know what you are looking for - even try the Philips website.

 

[techie]

Or double filament bulbs wedged in single holder or visa versa.

And no I dont work in parts

 

[TDI ste]

Nah guys, the parts dude asked a technician.....I just couldnt be arsed typing that before lol....Id never buy something on just the advice of someone in the parts department.

 

[techie]

Well do what you must. But there is one brake switch, if one light is working it cant be the switch.

 

[TDI ste]

Thats what thought, He said it works on different levels though mate.

 

[techie]

Four pins on the switch, two for the engine ECU, two for the brake lights feed in and out. Single wire to the rear brake lights and it splits off to the high level from that one wire IIRC, but always like being proved wrong so go for the switch, ill grab a copy of the wiring diagram to double check tomorrow.

 

[TDI ste]

might aswell try it for the £9.55 its costing....If that doesnt work I'll have to get it booked into a garage because Im going to be in trouble with the law if it not sorted by next tuesday.

 

[techie]

Yeah might aswell, they do cause issues.

Did you get the rear clusters out ok? They can be fairly tricky to remove and the little phillips screws that hold in the bulb holers always seem to get away from me..lol

 

[TDI ste]

yes they were'nt too bad tbh, the most fiddly part was getting the plastic panel on the boot lid on and off lol.