R56 Tail light upper half not working.
#1
R56 Tail light upper half not working.
Hey all,
on my 2013 R56 both of the rear lights are having issues. Just the bottom lights work when the brake pedal is pressed. The middle blinkers work fine as well. The upper bulb is not turning on when I press the brake. Im able to unscrew the carriers without issues, so they are not melted. I checked the prongs on the sockets and they're good. I already pulled everything out and tested with a meter. The bulbs are good, but no power is being given by the circuit. I checked up to the plug and there's no power for the wires that feed that bulb. What else can I check?
on my 2013 R56 both of the rear lights are having issues. Just the bottom lights work when the brake pedal is pressed. The middle blinkers work fine as well. The upper bulb is not turning on when I press the brake. Im able to unscrew the carriers without issues, so they are not melted. I checked the prongs on the sockets and they're good. I already pulled everything out and tested with a meter. The bulbs are good, but no power is being given by the circuit. I checked up to the plug and there's no power for the wires that feed that bulb. What else can I check?
#3
I dont know if the r56 with JCW is a different design or not, but the top and bottom bulbs are not connected to the same wire on the plug. The top bulb is connected to pin 3 and the bottom bulb is connected to pin 1. Why they are not running from the same wire I have no clue. What I do know is that they dont have a board on the unit, the only board there is for the LED tail lights. There's no power on pin 3 so the problem comes from somewhere else.
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930 Engineering (10-20-2021)
#4
The following users liked this post:
930 Engineering (10-20-2021)
#5
#6
If it's the same as the earlier R 53 cars, the top bulb is one of 3 things:
1 - installed but not working
2 - a brake light
3 - an optional rear fog light if you have the right switch panel & programming.
If you don't have the optional rear fog, you can add a jumper to make it a brake light. Photo hopefully attached. Wiring colors may differ.
There must be 20 different MINI rear light units & they are not all interchangeable - it depends on the year, model, options & country which one is correct for your car.
There are several other threads on this.
1 - installed but not working
2 - a brake light
3 - an optional rear fog light if you have the right switch panel & programming.
If you don't have the optional rear fog, you can add a jumper to make it a brake light. Photo hopefully attached. Wiring colors may differ.
There must be 20 different MINI rear light units & they are not all interchangeable - it depends on the year, model, options & country which one is correct for your car.
There are several other threads on this.
The following users liked this post:
930 Engineering (10-20-2021)
#7
This car got DLRs installed which require to tap into one of the leads in the footwell module. Im thinking that something might have happened that messed up something in the module. I will also check the configuration with the Carly app in case anything was coded and its now preventing those two lights from turning on. If I can't find anything I will jump the connections to run power from the bottom bulb to that top one. I will cut the cable going to pin 3 just to prevent any power going back to the module. I will also use LED bulbs to prevent extra current from being over drawn from the same wire :D
Again, thank you so much for your help, its really appreciated.
The following users liked this post:
930 Engineering (10-20-2021)
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#8
If it's the same as the earlier R 53 cars, the top bulb is one of 3 things:
1 - installed but not working
2 - a brake light
3 - an optional rear fog light if you have the right switch panel & programming.
If you don't have the optional rear fog, you can add a jumper to make it a brake light. Photo hopefully attached. Wiring colors may differ.
There must be 20 different MINI rear light units & they are not all interchangeable - it depends on the year, model, options & country which one is correct for your car.
There are several other threads on this.
1 - installed but not working
2 - a brake light
3 - an optional rear fog light if you have the right switch panel & programming.
If you don't have the optional rear fog, you can add a jumper to make it a brake light. Photo hopefully attached. Wiring colors may differ.
There must be 20 different MINI rear light units & they are not all interchangeable - it depends on the year, model, options & country which one is correct for your car.
There are several other threads on this.
#9
asainz320:
Thank you for the kind reply and not bashing me for implying you are making assumptions! Please know that my intent was only to help. After re-reading my above reply, you are correct that I should not have used the word "assume". In any case, good luck on your fix and let us know how you make out.
Thank you for the kind reply and not bashing me for implying you are making assumptions! Please know that my intent was only to help. After re-reading my above reply, you are correct that I should not have used the word "assume". In any case, good luck on your fix and let us know how you make out.
The following users liked this post:
930 Engineering (10-20-2021)
#10
asainz320:
Thank you for the kind reply and not bashing me for implying you are making assumptions! Please know that my intent was only to help. After re-reading my above reply, you are correct that I should not have used the word "assume". In any case, good luck on your fix and let us know how you make out.
Thank you for the kind reply and not bashing me for implying you are making assumptions! Please know that my intent was only to help. After re-reading my above reply, you are correct that I should not have used the word "assume". In any case, good luck on your fix and let us know how you make out.
#11
Just be sure to use canbus bulbs or they will flicker at startup. Use red behind red lenses, amber behind amber or you'll get pink & lemon!
Check first, but I think this is what you need:
Top bulb = 1156
Directional bulb = 7507
Stop/tail = 1157
Plenty available from China in a couple of weeks - get extras.
Please let us know if you find a way to turn the startup bulb check off unless there's an LED lighting option on the 2013 cars.
#12
Good!
Just be sure to use canbus bulbs or they will flicker at startup. Use red behind red lenses, amber behind amber or you'll get pink & lemon!
Check first, but I think this is what you need:
Top bulb = 1156
Directional bulb = 7507
Stop/tail = 1157
Plenty available from China in a couple of weeks - get extras.
Please let us know if you find a way to turn the startup bulb check off unless there's an LED lighting option on the 2013 cars.
Just be sure to use canbus bulbs or they will flicker at startup. Use red behind red lenses, amber behind amber or you'll get pink & lemon!
Check first, but I think this is what you need:
Top bulb = 1156
Directional bulb = 7507
Stop/tail = 1157
Plenty available from China in a couple of weeks - get extras.
Please let us know if you find a way to turn the startup bulb check off unless there's an LED lighting option on the 2013 cars.
One question, Why the the top bulb different from the bottom bulb. On my current setup they're the same, the bottom bulb socket doesn't support dual filament bulbs. Thats why I was saying that I dont know if the JCW lights are different than regular S.
#13
[QUOTE=asainz320;4517888]Great info! Thank you so much for sharing!
One question, Why is the top bulb different from the bottom bulb. On my current setup, they're the same, the bottom bulb socket doesn't support dual filament bulbs. That's why I was saying that I don't know if the JCW lights are different than regular S.[/QUOTE
... hence my comment about many different rear light units!
So where are your side lights? A photo of the rear of the car might help.
I suspect you may have the wrong bulb in there - it's possible to fit the single filament 1156 into a dual-filament 1157 socket, though not easy.
Please check again. If the single filament base shorts out the two dual-filament contacts, that may be why the top bulbs don't work.
One question, Why is the top bulb different from the bottom bulb. On my current setup, they're the same, the bottom bulb socket doesn't support dual filament bulbs. That's why I was saying that I don't know if the JCW lights are different than regular S.[/QUOTE
... hence my comment about many different rear light units!
So where are your side lights? A photo of the rear of the car might help.
I suspect you may have the wrong bulb in there - it's possible to fit the single filament 1156 into a dual-filament 1157 socket, though not easy.
Please check again. If the single filament base shorts out the two dual-filament contacts, that may be why the top bulbs don't work.
Last edited by MVPeters; 02-04-2020 at 03:52 PM.
#14
[QUOTE=MVPeters;4517889]
I will check again, but the socket would have more than two prongs making contact with the housing correct? Also the housing would have extra tracks leading to those extra prongs. On the picture I attached you can see that all three bulb carriers are the same, with the same two prongs. I will attach a pic of the car.
Great info! Thank you so much for sharing!
One question, Why is the top bulb different from the bottom bulb. On my current setup, they're the same, the bottom bulb socket doesn't support dual filament bulbs. That's why I was saying that I don't know if the JCW lights are different than regular S.[/QUOTE
... hence my comment about many different rear light units!
So where are your side lights? A photo of the rear of the car might help.
I suspect you may have the wrong bulb in there - it's possible to fit the single filament 1160 into a dual-filament 1157 socket, though not easy.
Please check again. If the single filament base shorts out the two dual-filament contacts, that may be why the top bulbs don't work.
One question, Why is the top bulb different from the bottom bulb. On my current setup, they're the same, the bottom bulb socket doesn't support dual filament bulbs. That's why I was saying that I don't know if the JCW lights are different than regular S.[/QUOTE
... hence my comment about many different rear light units!
So where are your side lights? A photo of the rear of the car might help.
I suspect you may have the wrong bulb in there - it's possible to fit the single filament 1160 into a dual-filament 1157 socket, though not easy.
Please check again. If the single filament base shorts out the two dual-filament contacts, that may be why the top bulbs don't work.
#15
Are you aware of the melting bulb socket issue of the R56? It was the reason the upper half break lights of my R56 LCI stopped working. Initially I thought that the bulbs had blown. In order to get them out I had to cut some of the melted plastic. However, more plastic had to be cut so that the bulbs could reach the socket's contacts. In the end, it turnded out that the old bulbs were still fine.
More info here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...il-lights.html
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-t-remove.html
More info here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...il-lights.html
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-t-remove.html
The following users liked this post:
930 Engineering (10-20-2021)
#17
Are you aware of the melting bulb socket issue of the R56? It was the reason the upper half break lights of my R56 LCI stopped working. Initially I thought that the bulbs had blown. In order to get them out I had to cut some of the melted plastic. However, more plastic had to be cut so that the bulbs could reach the socket's contacts. In the end, it turnded out that the old bulbs were still fine.
More info here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...il-lights.html
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-t-remove.html
More info here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...il-lights.html
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-t-remove.html
Yes I am aware of the melting issue, thats why I mentioned in the op that mine were not melted lol. Also the bulbs are fine since I tested them with the multi meter and placing them in other sockets makes them light up as well.
Im leaning more towards a programming issue or just a bad footwell module.
#19
#20
Thanks for the photo.
I would say the lights 'should' be:
Bottom left - reflector or rear fog if you have that option & bottom right = reversing
Then side & brake light
Then yellow directional
Then, top - maybe - additional brake light.
When you refer to contacts, do you mean the 'pins' that stick out of the side of the bulbs or the contacts on the back of the circuit board?
See if this diagram helps: I believe there should be three different bulbs.
Edit - minor correction - if your directionals are red, then the bulb is a clear 1156, not the yellow 7507.
I would say the lights 'should' be:
Bottom left - reflector or rear fog if you have that option & bottom right = reversing
Then side & brake light
Then yellow directional
Then, top - maybe - additional brake light.
When you refer to contacts, do you mean the 'pins' that stick out of the side of the bulbs or the contacts on the back of the circuit board?
See if this diagram helps: I believe there should be three different bulbs.
Edit - minor correction - if your directionals are red, then the bulb is a clear 1156, not the yellow 7507.
The following users liked this post:
930 Engineering (10-20-2021)
#21
Thanks for the photo.
I would say the lights 'should' be:
Bottom left - reflector or rear fog if you have that option & bottom right = reversing
Then side & brake light
Then yellow directional
Then, top - maybe - additional brake light.
When you refer to contacts, do you mean the 'pins' that stick out of the side of the bulbs or the contacts on the back of the circuit board?
See if this diagram helps: I believe there should be three different bulbs.
Edit - minor correction - if your directionals are red, then the bulb is a clear 1156, not the yellow 7507.
I would say the lights 'should' be:
Bottom left - reflector or rear fog if you have that option & bottom right = reversing
Then side & brake light
Then yellow directional
Then, top - maybe - additional brake light.
When you refer to contacts, do you mean the 'pins' that stick out of the side of the bulbs or the contacts on the back of the circuit board?
See if this diagram helps: I believe there should be three different bulbs.
Edit - minor correction - if your directionals are red, then the bulb is a clear 1156, not the yellow 7507.
The following users liked this post:
930 Engineering (10-20-2021)
#22
For your reading pleasure, I found another thread on this topic! It's getting complicated!
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/
Caution - it's an old & rather confusing thread, but - it seems that some cars do indeed have 3 identical bulbs in the rear units.
It seems that reduced voltage, or 'pulsing', provides the 5W sidelight function in the single filament 21W bulb. Braking provides the full 21W brightness.
Note that the car referenced apparently has the sidelights at the top & yellow directionals.
I also think the reference to 5W rear fog lights down in the bumper is incorrect, they would be too dim for that purpose. So I'm not so sure that the .PDF is entirely accurate.
This doesn't resolve your initial problem, but it might explain why all 3 bulbs are the same.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/
Caution - it's an old & rather confusing thread, but - it seems that some cars do indeed have 3 identical bulbs in the rear units.
It seems that reduced voltage, or 'pulsing', provides the 5W sidelight function in the single filament 21W bulb. Braking provides the full 21W brightness.
Note that the car referenced apparently has the sidelights at the top & yellow directionals.
I also think the reference to 5W rear fog lights down in the bumper is incorrect, they would be too dim for that purpose. So I'm not so sure that the .PDF is entirely accurate.
This doesn't resolve your initial problem, but it might explain why all 3 bulbs are the same.
The following users liked this post:
930 Engineering (10-20-2021)
#23
For your reading pleasure, I found another thread on this topic! It's getting complicated!
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/
Caution - it's an old & rather confusing thread, but - it seems that some cars do indeed have 3 identical bulbs in the rear units.
It seems that reduced voltage, or 'pulsing', provides the 5W sidelight function in the single filament 21W bulb. Braking provides the full 21W brightness.
Note that the car referenced apparently has the sidelights at the top & yellow directionals.
I also think the reference to 5W rear fog lights down in the bumper is incorrect, they would be too dim for that purpose. So I'm not so sure that the .PDF is entirely accurate.
This doesn't resolve your initial problem, but it might explain why all 3 bulbs are the same.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/
Caution - it's an old & rather confusing thread, but - it seems that some cars do indeed have 3 identical bulbs in the rear units.
It seems that reduced voltage, or 'pulsing', provides the 5W sidelight function in the single filament 21W bulb. Braking provides the full 21W brightness.
Note that the car referenced apparently has the sidelights at the top & yellow directionals.
I also think the reference to 5W rear fog lights down in the bumper is incorrect, they would be too dim for that purpose. So I'm not so sure that the .PDF is entirely accurate.
This doesn't resolve your initial problem, but it might explain why all 3 bulbs are the same.
Thank you for the continued searching of this issue, its much appreciated.
#25
The following users liked this post:
930 Engineering (10-20-2021)