just want to know, I got a constant problem with my work truck the rear marker light’s keep blowing every few days… man dealer knows about this and so do my company its always defected and communicated to them, but they just keep putting new bulbs in, mean while I keep driving, is this legal to drive without these rear marker lights? I keep getting conflicted messages and wanted to know for sure… (they are an added extra)
Also I got a ecu fault today regarding the exhaust something do man have that thing where it reduces power over hours the fault is there? and can I drive with the fault?
sorry for sounding like a tool but the company are expecting me to drive with these problems…
First one on markers, IMO keep defecting it. There was a thread I saw not so long back on marker requirements but on phone so can’t really link it . Me , if they were working when I go out fine. Blow just keep defecting but refuse if blown before you go out.
The losing power is be more concerned about! I’d have parked up and said get someone out. Losing power at anytime in a truck is bad news!
Most faults like that let you drive but it’s a limp home mode same as a car. Not continue your deliveries.
If firm knows these they should , haha, have their maintenance fix them, not reset and hope go away.
Unfortunately you are in the middle so all you can do is keep reporting and not take vehicle out if faults are there at time of departure or report in if they occur when out.
They’re a legal requirement and you can be fined if they’re not working however as long as they’re working when you started the shift and you filled out a daily check to say they were you’ve covered yourself.
The exhaust. Sounds like its the ECU telling you it needs to do a DPF regen. If its not flashing then it usually means its doing one itself and you need to try and do a bit of motorway driving for a good hald hour. If its flashing then it usually means a manual regeneration which involves sitting there for an hour with the motor running. Do you do mostly short journeys or very little motorway? If so then you’re going to be sat there for an hour or so doing a clean. If it doesn’t get sorted and you don’t do one and it goes into limp home it’ll mean a new DPF. Where I work they said if you get to a stage 4 (so bad it can’t be cleaned by a manual regen) then don’t bother coming back to work so I guess they’re expensive.
If the markers are an added extra and not obligatory lights then I would just carry on defecting until they get sick of changing bulbs. If they are obligatory and you feel their absence is compromising the ability of other road users to identify the position of your vehicle then at some point you will have to draw a line and demand they’re properly sorted.
If there is a fault with the vehicle, that wouldn’t be subject to a prohibition, eg engine, by all means carry on but phone traffic and get their ok and tell the person there you’re making a not in your diary of their name date and time you spoke to them and that they instructed you to continue driving the vehicle in this condition.
the lights are an added extra to the truck helps notice the rear bar when turning ect… (class 2)
I do very little driving and normaly cover about 120km a day mostly short journeys stopping every 10 mins for 20-30 mins, today I drove from dover to maidstone and back, thats normaly at the furthest point I will go.
The ecu thing is a flashing orange icon when I looked it up on the manual it says about the exhaust, I wasnt told when I got the truck about it cleaning the system (like the Volvo articulated tipers?)
Just drive it and keep defecting it looks like the cat needs a regeneration as said if the lights are extras then just defect them they usually blow bulbs for fun as the may be wired poorly
Bulbs generally blow because: 1) Cheap poor quality bubs. 2) Excessive voltage ie vehicle is overcharging.
3) Vibration. 4) Poor electrical contact in the bulb holder or lamp unit.
If your dash display is flagging up blown bulb when they actually work it may also be that the bulb is incompatible ie wrong wattage. Some vehicle ECUs throw a hissy-fit if they sense extra lamps working and flag a fault.
You can probably rule out no 2 because there will likely be other symptoms as well if it is overcharging.
You can buy heavy-duty bulbs to deal with vibration better. If the vehicle is on an R &M contract this won’t include bulb replacement, which will be chargeable to your company, so the garage is onto a good thing keeping on renewing bulbs.
yeh I have asked for some bulbs for myself but they wont give them too me its all done via the garage on contact, so they keep paying through the nose,
