Hi guys new mini owner here of a 1.4 Diesel model 2004.
When i bought the car the reverse light didn't work. So upon investigation i found that somebody had soldered the wiring onto the bulb DIRECTLY, as there was no bulb holder present. What a joke, this bulb holder part costs hardly anything to buy!. So i waited a couple weeks and picked one up. I connected everything up today, but the reverse light still doesn't work. So i began to investigate.
I've replaced the 5amp fuses in the passenger (UK) foot well for the R light (im guess R and a picture of a light is the reverse light). Still no joy.
I connected a multimeter to the wiring and im getting 0.05v. Is this normal or should i be getting 12v?. If its not normal, where do you think i should go from here? I have read stories about the reverse switch, but if i need to be seeing 12v then the switch cannot be the problem.
I am testing it at the bulb end, with and without the bulb holder housing attached.
Theres a guy on another forum who had the same problem, but with him he gets 12v at the bulb end. Mine doesn't get any power at all.. well 0.05v which is nothing.
Yeah, everywhere i read said remove the airbox then its visible. NOPE.. not on mine lol. Nothing is that easy with things i own and work on.
So i took the airbox off and looked around the gearbox for 15 minutes, couldn't find anything. Went under the car to check under the gearbox. Nothing.
Removed the ECU and FUSE box in the engine bay, then i could JUST about see the reverse switch under the mechanism that goes into the gearbox. So effectively this switch sits on the back of the gearbox. So anyway, put everything back together. Jacked the car up and removed the passenger wheel. The switch is now visible but its at arms length, bit of a pain still and DEFINITELY not a 5 minute job like i read on another mini forum. Oh and its no 22mm socket to get it off like i read on another forum.
Its 19mm and you cannot use a socket, not even a deep one as the mechanism going into the gearbox is in the way. Its a spanner job only. And its not easy to get a spanner in there and undo it. All in all i spent almost 2 hours fiddling with this.
Finally got the connector off and stuck a multimeter on it. Im absolutely useless at using multimeters, i can just about measure the battery voltage and do a Ohm test. So i stuck it on volts and put one probe into the connector and another on ground. It reads 0.05v. So i tried the other pin and it read 0.20v. This is with ignition on and the gear shifter in reverse. This just seems like a odd reading??? im sure it should be 12v?.
I then removed the reverse switch and cleaned it up, and connected the wiring to it with the switch out. I then stuck it in and out of reverse but the switch doesnt do anything? is the nipple at the bottom suppose to go in and out? its spring loaded and mine doesn't move electrically, i can physically depress it though in and out.
So after putting everything back together the reverse light still dont work and i still don't know if the switch is at fault or if i have a bad earth or a bad 12v(or power of some sort) going to it.
It does sound like you've had an awfy time of it lol but for the cost of a switch I'd just whack one in it anyway. When I done my switch it was 2 different sizes too. 22mm for the old one and probably 19mm for the new one!
Replaced the fuses..
.
Now replaced the reverse switch...
Still not working.
Looks like it can only now be a wiring issue? which will be expensive, so looks like i will be a brief mini owner, will put the car up for sale.
To be honest its my fault buying a old car and opting for bmw made vehicles. The last car i bought a bmw 116d 2009 the timing chain snapped after 3 weeks and i promised myself i wouldn't buy a bmw made vehicle ever again. Tried to convince myself mini is mini and not bmw lol. The car has other niggling faults too so i think nows the time to stick it for sale.
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