Rear running lights not working but brake lights do
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Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 1
Rear running lights not working but brake lights do
So our 2011 outlander started having a few problems. Among the outstanding issues is a problem with the rear running lights. (these are the red lights lit up at night when the head lights are on). These are red led lights, and they are also the same as the brake lights they just are dimmer when the brakes aren't pressed.
Well the problem is that the passanger side running light does not light up. the brake light works when the brakes are pressed so i would assume since they are the same leds that the leds aren't burned out or the light damaged. If i look really really close the leds are lit but basically at 1% brightness. you can just barely tell they are lit.
So the wierd thing is that both started having the issue so we took it to the dealer and they told us we were looking at a 1500$ etacs replacement. (seemed pretty steep). They called us about an hour later and told us they were wrong and that it was some sort of computer reset that had to be done and that now the driver side light is functioning again. They told us that the passanger side just needed to be replace. I figured i could save a bit of $ and replace the light myself.
I purchased a replacement off of ebay and installed it but it has the same problem (ebay seller insisted that it was tested and working). So at this point i'm guessing the problem isn't the light itself..... i still question how it could be the light when the same leds are used for braking and seem to work just fine when braking.
I haven't taken it back to the dealer yet but i'm afraid it might be the etacs and i'd like not to pay 1500 to replace something that is a single rear light issue.
From what i can find the rear light has 3 wires. 1 ground and the other 12/7v lines. when the brake light is pressed the lines go to 14V (or whatever the battery is) when the running light is on it is like 9-10 V so from what i can tell the only difference in the running light vs brake light is the voltage passing to the leds.
So here is my idea for a <1500$ fix. I figure both of the rear lights work the same way. So say it's something with the computer being able to control that light then why not just use the signal from the driver side on both sides. I could just splice and run wires from the driver side rear light over to the passanger side. Both should light the same way at the same times so the signal should be the same. I figure this would work but i can think of one reason it might not be the best idea.... Current. I worry that running both rear lights might be too much current for whatever is driving the driver side leds. What do you guys think? Would the worst thing i be risking by trying this is a blown fuse or do i risk damaging the etacs? Does anyone know of any other reason why this might be happening.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks for any help anyone can offer
oh and to clarify, yes i did check the fuses.
Well the problem is that the passanger side running light does not light up. the brake light works when the brakes are pressed so i would assume since they are the same leds that the leds aren't burned out or the light damaged. If i look really really close the leds are lit but basically at 1% brightness. you can just barely tell they are lit.
So the wierd thing is that both started having the issue so we took it to the dealer and they told us we were looking at a 1500$ etacs replacement. (seemed pretty steep). They called us about an hour later and told us they were wrong and that it was some sort of computer reset that had to be done and that now the driver side light is functioning again. They told us that the passanger side just needed to be replace. I figured i could save a bit of $ and replace the light myself.
I purchased a replacement off of ebay and installed it but it has the same problem (ebay seller insisted that it was tested and working). So at this point i'm guessing the problem isn't the light itself..... i still question how it could be the light when the same leds are used for braking and seem to work just fine when braking.
I haven't taken it back to the dealer yet but i'm afraid it might be the etacs and i'd like not to pay 1500 to replace something that is a single rear light issue.
From what i can find the rear light has 3 wires. 1 ground and the other 12/7v lines. when the brake light is pressed the lines go to 14V (or whatever the battery is) when the running light is on it is like 9-10 V so from what i can tell the only difference in the running light vs brake light is the voltage passing to the leds.
So here is my idea for a <1500$ fix. I figure both of the rear lights work the same way. So say it's something with the computer being able to control that light then why not just use the signal from the driver side on both sides. I could just splice and run wires from the driver side rear light over to the passanger side. Both should light the same way at the same times so the signal should be the same. I figure this would work but i can think of one reason it might not be the best idea.... Current. I worry that running both rear lights might be too much current for whatever is driving the driver side leds. What do you guys think? Would the worst thing i be risking by trying this is a blown fuse or do i risk damaging the etacs? Does anyone know of any other reason why this might be happening.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks for any help anyone can offer
oh and to clarify, yes i did check the fuses.
Junior Member
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3
Have a 2014 Outlander SE.
The LEFT tail light does not work in regular driving. It only works when I brake.
The RIGHT tail light works perfectly fine.
I have already replaced the bulbs. The fuses are OK.
What could be happening here?
The LEFT tail light does not work in regular driving. It only works when I brake.
The RIGHT tail light works perfectly fine.
I have already replaced the bulbs. The fuses are OK.
What could be happening here?
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 1
So our 2011 outlander started having a few problems. Among the outstanding issues is a problem with the rear running lights. (these are the red lights lit up at night when the head lights are on). These are red led lights, and they are also the same as the brake lights they just are dimmer when the brakes aren't pressed.
Well the problem is that the passanger side running light does not light up. the brake light works when the brakes are pressed so i would assume since they are the same leds that the leds aren't burned out or the light damaged. If i look really really close the leds are lit but basically at 1% brightness. you can just barely tell they are lit.
So the wierd thing is that both started having the issue so we took it to the dealer and they told us we were looking at a 1500$ etacs replacement. (seemed pretty steep). They called us about an hour later and told us they were wrong and that it was some sort of computer reset that had to be done and that now the driver side light is functioning again. They told us that the passanger side just needed to be replace. I figured i could save a bit of $ and replace the light myself.
I purchased a replacement off of ebay and installed it but it has the same problem (ebay seller insisted that it was tested and working). So at this point i'm guessing the problem isn't the light itself..... i still question how it could be the light when the same leds are used for braking and seem to work just fine when braking.
I haven't taken it back to the dealer yet but i'm afraid it might be the etacs and i'd like not to pay 1500 to replace something that is a single rear light issue.
From what i can find the rear light has 3 wires. 1 ground and the other 12/7v lines. when the brake light is pressed the lines go to 14V (or whatever the battery is) when the running light is on it is like 9-10 V so from what i can tell the only difference in the running light vs brake light is the voltage passing to the leds.
So here is my idea for a <1500$ fix. I figure both of the rear lights work the same way. So say it's something with the computer being able to control that light then why not just use the signal from the driver side on both sides. I could just splice and run wires from the driver side rear light over to the passanger side. Both should light the same way at the same times so the signal should be the same. I figure this would work but i can think of one reason it might not be the best idea.... Current. I worry that running both rear lights might be too much current for whatever is driving the driver side leds. What do you guys think? Would the worst thing i be risking by trying this is a blown fuse or do i risk damaging the etacs? Does anyone know of any other reason why this might be happening.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks for any help anyone can offer
oh and to clarify, yes i did check the fuses.
Well the problem is that the passanger side running light does not light up. the brake light works when the brakes are pressed so i would assume since they are the same leds that the leds aren't burned out or the light damaged. If i look really really close the leds are lit but basically at 1% brightness. you can just barely tell they are lit.
So the wierd thing is that both started having the issue so we took it to the dealer and they told us we were looking at a 1500$ etacs replacement. (seemed pretty steep). They called us about an hour later and told us they were wrong and that it was some sort of computer reset that had to be done and that now the driver side light is functioning again. They told us that the passanger side just needed to be replace. I figured i could save a bit of $ and replace the light myself.
I purchased a replacement off of ebay and installed it but it has the same problem (ebay seller insisted that it was tested and working). So at this point i'm guessing the problem isn't the light itself..... i still question how it could be the light when the same leds are used for braking and seem to work just fine when braking.
I haven't taken it back to the dealer yet but i'm afraid it might be the etacs and i'd like not to pay 1500 to replace something that is a single rear light issue.
From what i can find the rear light has 3 wires. 1 ground and the other 12/7v lines. when the brake light is pressed the lines go to 14V (or whatever the battery is) when the running light is on it is like 9-10 V so from what i can tell the only difference in the running light vs brake light is the voltage passing to the leds.
So here is my idea for a <1500$ fix. I figure both of the rear lights work the same way. So say it's something with the computer being able to control that light then why not just use the signal from the driver side on both sides. I could just splice and run wires from the driver side rear light over to the passanger side. Both should light the same way at the same times so the signal should be the same. I figure this would work but i can think of one reason it might not be the best idea.... Current. I worry that running both rear lights might be too much current for whatever is driving the driver side leds. What do you guys think? Would the worst thing i be risking by trying this is a blown fuse or do i risk damaging the etacs? Does anyone know of any other reason why this might be happening.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks for any help anyone can offer
oh and to clarify, yes i did check the fuses.
It turned out to be a glove box bulb issue.
Hope this saves others and service centre staff some pain...
My drivers side running lights would flick on when I unlocked the car with remote entry then turn off.
Mitsubishi Service centre suspected an ETACS fault.
They disconnect the tail light and tried/tested but the problem still persisted.
They then checked the wiring diagram to trace the power flow and it all came back to ETACS.
Service guys found that the glove box bulb was on the same circuit. They removed the blown glove box bulb, fitted a new bulb, locked car and waited. They unlocked the vehicle and the issue was resolved!
Cost me $4.16 for a new bulb!
Last edited by Justine Plummer; Jun 11, 2019 at 02:14 AM.
Member
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 76
Just to add my 2 cents, I have a 2014, and the running lights weren't working on one side. It turned out to be a splice in the harness that corroded and disconnected. The splice was near the rear lights, just back a bit under a bunch of taper. A year later, the other side had the exact same problem.
Junior Member
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3
Fixed
Just to add my 2 cents, I have a 2014, and the running lights weren't working on one side. It turned out to be a splice in the harness that corroded and disconnected. The splice was near the rear lights, just back a bit under a bunch of taper. A year later, the other side had the exact same problem.
The dealership traced it to a corroded wire.
They cut and spliced the corroded wire. Everything works now.
