Upper reverse lights don't work?

[nola mike]

Trying to get this thing to pass inspection (they failed me for a serpentine belt, c''mon!) and noticed that the reverse lights above the cab don't work. In the tail lights work fine. No voltage at the plug, though the brake light works ok. The wiring disappears behind the headliner. Wondering where the next plug is upstream so that I can troubleshoot. Guessing corrosion at a plug somewhere, as the tail lights wouldn't (shouldn't?) work if it were a fuse or reverse switch.

 

[Dirtman]

the lights on the cab are not reverse lights, they are cargo lights. They just help you see the bed at night and serve no safety function nore should they matter in an inspection. they should only function when the interior dome light comes on.

If they dont come on when you turn the dome light on pop the cover off the dome light and check there, the cargo light ties into the dome light so if the dome works and the cargo lights dont your problem is within that connection.

 

[nola mike]

Huh. Assholes failed me for that as well. The dome light works, let me check and see if the lights come on. Thanks!

 

[Dirtman]

I would have raised hell about that. Alot of rangers don't even have the cargo lights, just the brake light. Does VA have state run inspections or private only? If it was private you know never to use that place again!!!

 

[adsm08]

Huh. Assholes failed me for that as well. The dome light works, let me check and see if the lights come on. Thanks!

Technically they might fail if they don't work, but they still aren't reverse lights.

I'd call the inspection referee in on this one.

 

[nola mike]

Technically they might fail if they don't work, but they still aren't reverse lights.

I'd call the inspection referee in on this one.

Yeah, private. The inspections are basically loss leaders for these scammers (wanted $160 to replace the "defective" serpentine belt). Any light has to work, even if it's optional equipment (had to replace fog lights on a mazda6 last time around, huge PITA, optional equipment, never use them). In all fairness though, I've had the truck for 10 years and never knew about this. STILL took me a while to figure out how to turn them on. Via the instrument dimmer switch? really? Going to drop it off somewhere different now. Have also failed for windshield wiper blades.

 

[adsm08]

Most inspection stations don't really want to be in the business of state inspections. There isn't any money to make on them, and so a lot of places do use them as a loss leader. At my last job we did roughly 10,000 state inspections a year. By law we had to sell the stickers at cost + tax, so the state makes all the money on the stickers. After 10,000 units, we still lost money on have a station license in a year, if you just look at the cost of the labor for the inspection.

I personally didn't mess around with certain things that were in the book. Seatbelts I would make sure were not damaged, but didn't look farther, because if someone actually used their seat belt they weren't waiting for someone to fail the car at inspection to get it fixed. Same with parking brakes. What does it matter if it doesn't work if the owner (90% of them) doesn't use it? They will just get mad at you for failing it. The people who do use it won't wait to be told it doesn't work before getting it fixed.


The place I go now I know I am paying 2-3X what I would pay at some other places for my annual SI/EI checks (price never seems to be the same twice there) but I also know they aren't screwing with me. I know the guy who owns the place, and his head tech. Every time I drop a vehicle off for SI the conversation goes something like this...

Owner: How are you today, dropping off for SI?
Me: I'm good, how about you?
Owner: So is there anything wrong with it?
Me: Nope.


Two hours later on the phone:

Owner: Come pick it up.