right rear backup light keeps blowing out!

dubStrom

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Location
Kansas City Missouri
TDI
2003 A4 Jetta (sold), 2010 JSW (sold), 2013 Passat 6MT traded for 2014 JSW with 6MT-TOTALED in November 2016, 2003 ALH 5MT conversion (sold), wheezing 2015 GSW/DSG and a new 2021 Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 p'up
Searched for burned out backup lights blown out, etc. But can't find a thread.

My 2015 Golf wagon keeps blowing out right rear back up light.
Any clues about what might cause this?
The left rear backup light never blows out.
I tried L.E.D. and it blew out that one too!
HELP!
 

hooville

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2003
Location
Marietta, GA
TDI
2000 Golf GLS, 2016 GTI, 2015 TDI Sportwagen S
Could be water leaking into the hatch: do you ever see (or hear) signs of water in the hatch? Check the wiring harness & plug for cross contact: IIRC you can change the reverse bulb without removing the carrier piece but you can see more if you remove it and poke around a little.
 

ProfBrown

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2019
Location
So Cal
TDI
2015 GSW SE DSG
I had an issue with an entire outer taillight housing frying. Ended up being bad wiring further up the wiring loom. See if you can back trace the wires a little farther to see if there is an issue further back. Or take it to the dealer and tell them the issue if you have a CPO warranty. That’s how I fixed mine, yelled at the dealer enough and they fixed it.


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740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
I swapped reverse lights out for LED and one kept popping out of the holder, eventually was able to zip tie it to the holder.

Couldn't hurt to verify a lose connection vs blown bulbs.
 

dubStrom

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Location
Kansas City Missouri
TDI
2003 A4 Jetta (sold), 2010 JSW (sold), 2013 Passat 6MT traded for 2014 JSW with 6MT-TOTALED in November 2016, 2003 ALH 5MT conversion (sold), wheezing 2015 GSW/DSG and a new 2021 Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 p'up
All good ideas.
So here is what I didn't mention... The right rear quarter panel was replaced. The job was done right. Even the color is a good match. But the 115V receptacle was not reinstalled in the retainer quite snugly. I managed to plug an extension cord into it and it works fine, just not secured well. BUT, I am skeptical that this is the issue though.

Another issue that happened was that the electrical bundle under the left front drain (pano) was drenched on more than one occasion, sending the electrical system into fits. I took it to the dealer and got charge about NINE HUNDRED dollars for new end connectors. Now the drain is under a recall and I need to take it to be fixed. I will make a claim for the $900 repair bill.

The OEM filament bosch bulb actually blew up (shattered) last time I replaced it. But there is NO water inside the tail light assembly. When it blew the L.E.D. (Philips) replacement, it took out my auto-up/auto-down windows along with the all windows up and down with remote, BUT that fixed itself after a couple of start/stop cycles. Now I just have the bulb out, warning light on.

The reason I did not mention all of this was not to distract from your first instincts. Thank you. There must be a voltage surge happening periodically on that circuit. It may be due to a bad ground. Unfortunately, the amount of work involved in tracking it down seems over the top. I have one very bright left L.E.D. back up light. Maybe I just live with the dash warning for now. Gee.
 

ProfBrown

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2019
Location
So Cal
TDI
2015 GSW SE DSG
All good ideas.
So here is what I didn't mention... The right rear quarter panel was replaced. The job was done right. Even the color is a good match. But the 115V receptacle was not reinstalled in the retainer quite snugly. I managed to plug an extension cord into it and it works fine, just not secured well. BUT, I am skeptical that this is the issue though.

Another issue that happened was that the electrical bundle under the left front drain (pano) was drenched on more than one occasion, sending the electrical system into fits. I took it to the dealer and got charge about NINE HUNDRED dollars for new end connectors. Now the drain is under a recall and I need to take it to be fixed. I will make a claim for the $900 repair bill.

The OEM filament bosch bulb actually blew up (shattered) last time I replaced it. But there is NO water inside the tail light assembly. When it blew the L.E.D. (Philips) replacement, it took out my auto-up/auto-down windows along with the all windows up and down with remote, BUT that fixed itself after a couple of start/stop cycles. Now I just have the bulb out, warning light on.

The reason I did not mention all of this was not to distract from your first instincts. Thank you. There must be a voltage surge happening periodically on that circuit. It may be due to a bad ground. Unfortunately, the amount of work involved in tracking it down seems over the top. I have one very bright left L.E.D. back up light. Maybe I just live with the dash warning for now. Gee.

Seeing as you were stuck with a $900 repair bill, I am assuming you are outside of any warranty or do not have one?


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dubStrom

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Location
Kansas City Missouri
TDI
2003 A4 Jetta (sold), 2010 JSW (sold), 2013 Passat 6MT traded for 2014 JSW with 6MT-TOTALED in November 2016, 2003 ALH 5MT conversion (sold), wheezing 2015 GSW/DSG and a new 2021 Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 p'up
Seeing as you were stuck with a $900 repair bill, I am assuming you are outside of any warranty or do not have one?


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The work was done while the car was under warranty, but it wasn't considered covered. Now that the recall is in place for the sunroof drain problem, I can make the argument that it was in fact a defect, and I will make a claim for a refund. If it is turned down, I will tell them I will just hand it to a lawyer if they don't clearly understand the situation! Even after they "fixed" it, I still have to park on a hill with the front of the car higher than the back to avoid the problem (it did happen again!). There is nothing plugging up the drain(s). They are simply faulty.
 

dubStrom

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Location
Kansas City Missouri
TDI
2003 A4 Jetta (sold), 2010 JSW (sold), 2013 Passat 6MT traded for 2014 JSW with 6MT-TOTALED in November 2016, 2003 ALH 5MT conversion (sold), wheezing 2015 GSW/DSG and a new 2021 Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 p'up
I contacted VW via email a few months ago and sent the invoice for the work done from the sunroof leaking at my expense- drying out the floor, the wiring, replacing connectors they claimed had to be replaced. As I mentioned, I paid close to 900 dollars. VW ignored my request for reimbursement, even though the drains had a subsequent recall, and I had the recall work done (I have THAT receipt too -free, of course). I am thinking of sending a letter to VW North America by registered mail. In the letter, I will include the invoice-payment receipt for the work done, and the subsequent recall work on the drains. In the letter, I will mention that this should be reimbursed. AND, I will mention that my original email request for reimbursement was probably not delivered due to an attachment or something.

In the letter I will ALSO mention that my wife's CRV needs replacement soon, and that we were looking at the Tiguan, but concerned about VW taking responsibility for their products. And, that she had a Subaru Legacy wagon with TWO sunroofs that never leaked, and the CRV she needs to replace has a sunroof as well... never leaked.
 

JM Popaleetus

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Location
Connecticut
TDI
Signature.
The sunroof “recall” isn’t a “recall”. It’s a “mandatory service action”.

They will not pay for issues caused by the sunroof frame cracks, hence the class action.
 

BuckeyeMan71

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Location
Ohio
TDI
03 Jetta wagon
One thing I would do is remove bulb turn ignition on set parking brake and use a vom put it in reverse and see what kind of voltage your getting
 
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