Orange lights on side-length offside + near side.

[Richard Pearson]

Just obtained a MOT failure because of the 3 orange body lights on either side of my Kontiki 649 were not lit when turning on the dipped headlights.
After lots of investigation and checking of electrical wiring and fuses it turns out that you have to activate the black push button to power up the living part of the motorhome so then these six orang lights come on. Can only presume they are supplied by the leisure battery and not the engine battery.
Hopefully this may assist someone else too avoid expensive labour costs investigating the ‘wiring problem’. No mention of this in the manual guides to look out for.

 

[Boringfrog]

 

[Speve]

Hello and welcome to the forum enjoy the FUN
really useful info I think if I was in your position I would retire so that the came from main lighting loom

 

[Figaro]

Just obtained a MOT failure because of the 3 orange body lights on either side of my Kontiki 649 were not lit when turning on the dipped headlights.
After lots of investigation and checking of electrical wiring and fuses it turns out that you have to activate the black push button to power up the living part of the motorhome so then these six orang lights come on. Can only presume they are supplied by the leisure battery and not the engine battery.
Hopefully this may assist someone else too avoid expensive labour costs investigating the ‘wiring problem’. No mention of this in the manual guides to look out for.

There is something not right there
The marker lights should come on when you turn on the side lights and be completely independant of the leisure battery and habitation electrics.
I fear you have more investigating to do

 

[Jev88]

Worth checking. They should be powered along with side lights.

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[TDub49]

Just obtained a MOT failure because of the 3 orange body lights on either side of my Kontiki 649 were not lit when turning on the dipped headlights.
After lots of investigation and checking of electrical wiring and fuses it turns out that you have to activate the black push button to power up the living part of the motorhome so then these six orang lights come on. Can only presume they are supplied by the leisure battery and not the engine battery.
Hopefully this may assist someone else too avoid expensive labour costs investigating the ‘wiring problem’. No mention of this in the manual guides to look out for.

Interesting - may be some other fault as the orange lights on mine are independent of any interior switching except the headlight switch.

 

[gus-lopez]

The marker lights should come on when you turn on the side lights and be completely independant of the leisure battery and habitation electrics.

What they all said^^^^^^^^^^

 

[The Wino]

It might be worth looking into it does sound really strange I would check on one of the side lights when the hab battery is off to see if there's any power to the positive side I wonder if it's some sort of dodgy earth?

 

[Badknee]

Just obtained a MOT failure because of the 3 orange body lights on either side of my Kontiki 649 were not lit when turning on the dipped headlights.

Nothing to do with dipped headlights. They should be lit with side lights and any other lights, dipped and main.
Oh and welcome.

 

[Northernraider]

Just obtained a MOT failure because of the 3 orange body lights on either side of my Kontiki 649 were not lit when turning on the dipped headlights.
After lots of investigation and checking of electrical wiring and fuses it turns out that you have to activate the black push button to power up the living part of the motorhome so then these six orang lights come on. Can only presume they are supplied by the leisure battery and not the engine battery.
Hopefully this may assist someone else too avoid expensive labour costs investigating the ‘wiring problem’. No mention of this in the manual guides to look out for.

That's no right.

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[Pausim]

It might still fail if they don’t come on with the side lights.

 

[Dunslow]

Welcome to the fun.

 

[Reallyretired]

My side marker are connected to the sidelight circuit. The upper rear ones to the number plate light circuit. They all come on with the sidelights.

 

[TaylorSwift]

It’s a Swift,say no more.

 

[Podney]

That’s wonky……technical term used by real experts . Mine come on with sidelights/ headlights,which is how they should be wired.

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[busbuddy]

Is it its first mot?
Are they factory fit?
Does starting the engine cut off the habitation power turning those lights off?

 

[ElliesBoss]

Same on our Autocruise. If you look at the wiring diagram for your Sargent unit you'll find they are indeed wired through the unit hence you have to have it switched on.

 

[Northernraider]

Same on our Autocruise. If you look at the wiring diagram for your Sargent unit you'll find they are indeed wired through the unit hence you have to have it switched on.

Well that's a very lazy approach on the converters behalf. The side marker lights come with the chassis and should be wired to the vehicle electrics not the habitation box.

 

[Pausim]

Same on our Autocruise. If you look at the wiring diagram for your Sargent unit you'll find they are indeed wired through the unit hence you have to have it switched on.

Ridiculous arrangement, could easily be forgotten when driving off. Perhaps they think you should have the ability to turn them on when parked on a road at night but this could be easily arranged using a changeover relay without compromising the driving use of them.

 

[Oldrat]

As has been said, should switch on with the obligatory lamps.

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[jollyrodger]

As has already been said
Someone at some stage has been bodging and not found the real problem.

Side and top markers on with sidelights.
Or as you have found out
An mot fail.
Good luck.

And
.

 

[Guigsy]

I thought wisdom was that the hab side electrics should be off while the engine is on?

Ours has an annoying feature. The bed is over the cab. There are no cab lights when you open the cab door. There are overhead lights on the underside of the bed that are touch activated, but the power is from the hab electrics. So no good when you climb into the van after dark.

 

[Pausim]

I thought wisdom was that the hab side electrics should be off while the engine is on?

I think this is just a British hang over from building caravans. My continental motorhomes have all left the hab power on when driving.

 

[Northernraider]

I thought wisdom was that the hab side electrics should be off while the engine is on?

Ours has an annoying feature. The bed is over the cab. There are no cab lights when you open the cab door. There are overhead lights on the underside of the bed that are touch activated, but the power is from the hab electrics. So no good when you climb into the van after dark.

Mine too has lights under the drop down bed fed from the hab battery but they come on when you open the front doors or activated by a switch on the dashboard. The stereo also works with ignition but can be switched on from the rear lounge or the front dinette also.

I think it's just the difference between European vans and British builds.

 

[Guigsy]

Mine too has lights under the drop down bed fed from the hab battery but they come on when you open the front doors or activated by a switch on the dashboard. The stereo also works with ignition but can be switched on from the rear lounge or the front dinette also.

I think it's just the difference between European vans and British builds.

It's got a €0.10 switch drilled though a random bit of dash panelling near the gearstick for the radio power toggle. Nothing useful for the lights though.

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[Gellyneck]

As has been said, should switch on with the obligatory lamps.

and the side marker lights are obligatory as seen by the MOT failure.

 

[Northernraider]

and the side marker lights are obligatory as seen by the MOT failure.

Actually I'm not sure if that's entirely correct. I think if they are there they have to work but if not there they aren't a fail.

Because the merc vario I have at the minute doesn't have any and it should but its passed the last few mot tests and no mention of them.

That said I've not had it tested myself yet so might have been a tame mot tester

I plan to refitt them anyway

 

[GAVLAD]

By orange marker lights, I’m presuming that you mean the external side marker lights on the bodywork?
If so, these should be wired to your side lights and to your engine battery.
They should be independent to your internal lights or leisure battery.
If one is not lit, it is an MOT failure.
My first port of call would be to take the lens off and clean out the terminals and the bulb holders and spray some wd40. I once had a side of lights out and it was due to a faulty connection which was rectified by giving it a good clean.
Next would be to trace the wiring as they need to be connected to your side lights and not any after market switch.

 

[GeoffnDee]

Richard Pearson Your marker lights will still be powered from the starter battery but if you have the PSU shutdown button off the relay that allows the marker lights to operate at the same time as the other lights with the engine running/ignition on cannot work (your fridge will also not work on any setting with the shutdown button off). The shutdown button is normally only used when in storage to avoid the PSU having a slight drain on the leisure battery over a long period.

 

[Gellyneck]

Actually I'm not sure if that's entirely correct. I think if they are there they have to work but if not there they aren't a fail.

Because the merc vario I have at the minute doesn't have any and it should but its passed the last few mot tests and no mention of them.

That said I've not had it tested myself yet so might have been a tame mot tester View attachment 664609

I plan to refitt them anyway

Legislation here -

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989

www.legislation.gov.uk

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989

www.legislation.gov.uk

Think your Vario may have to have them fitted but ................?

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