Tail light problem

Hi guys just a general question About my series 2 tin top really and checking any of you guys have had it because I took the car out last night and found my drivers rear tail light not working. Brake light works, indicators etc all work just not my tail, checked bulb fine but it shares with brakes. Earth is fine because all others work. Got no 12v at the plug for it and I don't think they're individually fused on so had to bridge a wire from passenger side to bring them on. Any usual place the wire breaks?

Hi Harrison, mines a 90 cabby so might be different to yours but I can tell you the tail lights are individually fused. On mine it would fuse 8. It controls right tail light and right front side light. Is your side light out as well? Worth checking fuses first before looking any further.

Knowing the year helps as well.

Oh and obviously check if the side light is out with that bridging wire disconnected.

Cheers for the help guys, it's a 83 model so ce1 and checked the fuses all okay and my front right side light works. I can only presume it's broken wire as everything else seems okay, it was working before I installed my air ride a few weeks ago but stoped since then but I only bridge off a ignition fuse for the air ride which isn't related to the tail lights and I've disconnected that air ride wire and still doesn't work 

If you hinge you fuse box down, on the back you'll see the rear harness plug. I think it's the black one if I remember right. Find the same colour wire as your tail light and test for voltage by back probing it. Give everything a wiggle as it may be a bad connection. If you have voltage there then you have a break in the wire somewhere that you'll have to trace.

You could also have a worn fuse/ spade...wrap a bit of foil on the spades see if makes connection work as before moisture seems to settle on fuse box

if the front sidelight is ok then the fuse is ok, assuming its not been bodged anyway.

wire colours for front & rear sidelights are grey/black and grey/red. most common places for damage is where people can get at it for bodgery, so at the fusebox and in the boot. usually the runs under the carpet will be ok

Thanks for all the advise guys, this weekend I'll drop the fuse box and check for 12v there then trace it back if there's voltage at the fuse box 

From my experience with 80's Rabbits (US Westy/ Euro Cabriolets)…Don't discount the sockets on the bulbs….

The Seals on the lenses can distort and leak water which can fill the lenses with H2O and they can corrode and make crrrrrappy connections…. It was so bad after one of my in-laws replaced it with the wrong wattage, and the wifes 700+ mile drive back home, the lense cracked and melted a wee bit….

If it does share the Brake as it is dual filament, then I would ask if the Brake part of the bulb works, and if it doesn't then you may look at the ground first.

I have also seen where you can force a dual element bulb backwards in the socket and it doesn't work either.
 

found The issue! Pulled the plug for the rear loom from the back of the fuse box off to find terminals gone green from water ingress. sprayed up with electrical cleaner and cleaned the terminals and it's now working! Now to replaced my windscreen seal. cheers again guys 

Glad you got it sorted mate and did a proper job. A lot of people would have left that bridging wire in and be done with it.

Harrison93 said

found The issue! Pulled the plug for the rear loom from the back of the fuse box off to find terminals gone green from water ingress. sprayed up with electrical cleaner and cleaned the terminals and it's now working! Now to replaced my windscreen seal. cheers again guys 

If it isn't one thing, it's another . so goes the  mk1 ownership blues.