Notices
2005-2014 Mustangs Discussions on the latest S197 model Mustangs from Ford.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Reverse light issue

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 02-15-2011, 07:33 PM
  #1  
ejanderson05gt
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
 
ejanderson05gt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 378
Default Reverse light issue

I realized the other week that one of my reverse lights was out, so I ordered some LED's from HIDguy.net. They came in today and I went to put them in, and, come to find out, the socket that held the original bad bulb won't work with the LED's or the other working stock bulb. Once I tried to put the LED's in the other socket, they didn't work, either. I put the working stock bulb back in its original socket and it didn't work.

Moral of the story: My reverse lights won't work with LED's or with the stock bulbs, even after trying every combination.

Could a fuse be blown? Is there even a fuse specifically for the Reverse lights, or is it controlled by the SJB? I had the dreaded water leak a few weeks ago, could this be one of the electrical gremlins caused by the leak?
ejanderson05gt is offline  
Old 02-15-2011, 08:15 PM
  #2  
onederful100
6th Gear Member
 
onederful100's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Honolulu, HI
Posts: 6,130
Default

did you try turning the bulb around and put it in the other way.
there is a polarity on the bulb, it just doesn't say which is + or -.
i just did my dads reverse lights with LED's it didn't work at first, but i turned the bulb 180° and inserted it and it worked.
onederful100 is offline  
Old 02-15-2011, 08:23 PM
  #3  
ejanderson05gt
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
 
ejanderson05gt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 378
Default

Yep, I sure did. I bought some other LED's from them and I had to actually bend the two contacts to the other side of the plastic plug to make them work. I did that with both LED's, as well as turning them around. I literally tried every combination of bulbs/directions/sockets I could imagine.
ejanderson05gt is offline  
Old 02-15-2011, 08:37 PM
  #4  
Art161
4th Gear Member
 
Art161's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: California
Posts: 1,495
Default

Yes, the reversing lamps are controlled by the PCM through the SJB. Sorry to be the messenger of this bit of information. Good luck.
Art161 is offline  
Old 02-15-2011, 08:38 PM
  #5  
onederful100
6th Gear Member
 
onederful100's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Honolulu, HI
Posts: 6,130
Default

ok, idk then.
but i dont think they have a separate fuse just for the reverse lights.
onederful100 is offline  
Old 02-15-2011, 08:47 PM
  #6  
AzPete
4th Gear Member
 
AzPete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Panama City, FL
Posts: 1,214
Default

Rater than playing with bulbs to see if things work, use a simply Volt/Ohm Meter and know what is happening.
AzPete is offline  
Old 02-15-2011, 08:54 PM
  #7  
ejanderson05gt
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
 
ejanderson05gt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 378
Default

Pete, that's on the list of stuff to do at work tomorrow, trust me. Just didn't know if you guys knew of an easier solution. I finally found what I was looking for in the Owner's Manual, and, as I feared, there's no fuse specifically for the backup lights. Looking more and more like a SJB issue.
ejanderson05gt is offline  
Old 02-15-2011, 10:01 PM
  #8  
wayne613
4th Gear Member
 
wayne613's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Gallifrey
Posts: 1,596
Default

BEC Fuse 62(F62), 20amp fuse.

Itīs controlled by the PCM with can-bus signals to the SJB, but not powered by it. Tough to control if it canīt be powered.

Tough to imagine you toasting that though without a short condition present.

Last edited by wayne613; 02-16-2011 at 01:58 AM.
wayne613 is offline  
Old 02-16-2011, 03:44 PM
  #9  
ejanderson05gt
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
 
ejanderson05gt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 378
Default

Thanks, Wayne. I'll try my best to decipher that schematic, it's been a year or so since my last circuits class..

I didn't get a chance to check the voltage today, but I'll get to that this weekend and go from there, I guess.
ejanderson05gt is offline  
Old 02-16-2011, 05:42 PM
  #10  
wayne613
4th Gear Member
 
wayne613's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Gallifrey
Posts: 1,596
Default

Nothing to decipher really. Just check Fuse 62 in the engine bay compartment, this is what feeds power to the lights.

If the PCM doesnīt sense the right load it may cut power from that [fuse]/section, was really what I was getting at. Taking a voltmeter reading may not cut it, unless youīre fast, if this is the problem. Iīd put one of the bulbs in and have a friend look at it as your put it in reverse. If the fuse is still good, as is the bulb, itīs quite possible itīs just coming on very briefly, not detecting the right load, then cutting power to it making you think your SJB is fubarian. All the exterior lights are using the low current ĻsmartĻ boards to control if they even try to give power, hence all the issues with hyper-flashing for LED turn-signals, HIDs, etc..
Really, not a big deal to fix, but it can freak you out, and make you think the problem is far worse than it actually is.

Good luck, hope itīs just that fuse.

Iīd still like for an engineer that designs any of these types of setups to explain to me the logic of disabling passing current to a lower threshold load by can-bus switching. If it was returning a diagnostic, that would be fine, but in these cases it just cuts power, and tells you jack-squat. I could see killing power to a sensed increased load, beyond what it was limited for, but less? My WTF-face comes up.

Last edited by wayne613; 02-16-2011 at 06:39 PM.
wayne613 is offline  


Quick Reply: Reverse light issue



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:16 AM.