Camaro back from body shop... now tail lights don't work

[Darth Martel]

UGH!!!!!!!!!!

Got my car back from the body shop after work today. Not overly impressed with the job they did (there's some white specs stuck to the clear coat) but, I think they'll come off with some claybar. Anyhow, so I'm driving home and go to make a turn and my display tells me to check my turn signal and my turn relay is blinking fast. WTF?!?! I'm close to home and some guy yells from his car that my brake lights were out. WTF!?!?! I get home and put my hazards on and sure enough, I have no lights on my rear bumper working at all. No brakes, no turns, nothing. So, now I either have to take it back, which I don't want to do because I don't want to risk any paint chips in my gills before I install a clear bra or I have to find the issue and fix it on my own. This just royally pisses me off. I already checked the connectors to the lamps themselves and they are connected. Could be a relay or fuse but good grief, you'd figure if they messed with the wiring they would check to make sure EVERYTHING worked before they called me to pick up my car.

FAIL!!!!!!!!

[LittleMT]

sucks......... I'll make sure everything works on my Chantilly before I drive her home..

[Darth Martel]

good call... never assume everything is good to go

[LittleMT]

again I am sorry that you have to deal with this, it is probably a simple issue, yet for you a unneccessary hassle, if there is anything good to come from your thread, it is a reminder to myself and others, check everything.. I will as my car is in pieces, and already going back to gether kinda funny, there are these funny squigly things on the hood now... but the car is still dusty, maybe it's my eyes playing tricks on me..

[Darth Martel]

looks hot

[The Stig]

stupid question, but did you pop off the trunk drain covers and check that the taillights were plugged in?

[Darth Martel]

Yes I did. I thought somebody just forgot to plug them back in when they put it all back together but, they were plugged in. It doesn't mean there aren't connectors they forgot to plug in down the line but, the easy ones to get to aren't the ones unfortunately. I have a feeling there's a set of inline connectors along the inside of the quarter panels that's dangling there disconnected. I seem to remember a set when I had all the trim out installing new rear deck speakers. I've been hoping it's as easy as a relay or fuse but, it makes more sense that it's disconnected connectors. I think I'm just going to have to chance it and take it into the service center in the morning.

Originally Posted by stieger

stupid question, but did you pop off the trunk drain covers and check that the taillights were plugged in?

[2SSRS]

How bad was the hit in the rear? and last did you look to see if there are bulbs?

[Darth Martel]

I didn't get hit in the rear. The body shop repainted my side gills under warranty. To repaint, they totally removed the quarter panels from the vehicle. I'm thinking, when they removed the panels, they had to disconnect the inline connectors and forgot to reconnect them when they put it all back together. Of course, this is just my speculation. I didn't actually check to see if there were bulbs but, why would they remove my bulbs? I could see one burning out but, all of them? The only thing I do know, is that the connectors that go to the brake lights are definitely plugged in. Is there a fuse panel in the trunk? Is there a fuse for the brake lights? Come to think of it, I don't think the rear side markers were working either. Ugh... so annoying.

[2SSRS]

Did you see if the the to 8 pin connecters on both sides of the rear(under the trunk drain covers are plunged in to one another ) if not that is how the power to the rear bumper gets there.

[Darth Martel]

I just saw the 2 connectors that were in direct view connected to the lights. I didn't dig any deeper. I'll look again in the morning and see what else I can find in there. Hopefully, I just missed something.

[2SSRS]

Let me know, from there the wires go to the passenger side foot well and its behind the kick panel the last connecter the big one, closest to the front of the car.

[Darth Martel]

excellent info... when I looked earlier I just looked on the driver's side. I'm hoping I can find it and not have to take it in. This info may have saved that.

[2SSRS]

N.P. if you need the pin outs let me know.

By the way you have 5 fuse's in the side fuse box.

[Darth Martel]

Ofer, thanks for the help man. I opened up the passenger side and sure enough, the garage tech didn't plug the one connector back in. Was just sitting there. When I checked originally, I just checked the driver's side and those were plugged in. I didn't know the power actually came from the passenger side for both sets of lights. You're the man Ofer. If I hadn't of gotten that info I would have just brought the car in for them to mess with. I appreciate it.

[2SSRS]

N.P. glad you now what your doing, and don't have to wast the time to take it back, But that is BS call them and let them know.

[Darth Martel]

I actually went back this morning to rip their ass because I thought they had put a scratch on my roof. I noticed what looked like a splotch of dried soap on the roof when I picked it up. Figured they just did a shitty job of cleaning the car prior to me picking it up. Figured I'd hit it with detail spray this morning sometime. Well, when I got up I checked the passenger side area and found that disconnected connector. Plugged it back in and everything worked great again. After that I figured I'd get that splotch. The detail spray had no effect on it when I tried to wipe it off so, when I looked at it closer, I touched it and it felt rough. I freaked out because it appeared they had dragged something across my roof, scratched it all to hell and then just left it. It took me about 20 minutes to drive to the service department and I was just fuming the whole way. When I got there I almost had a meltdown on the service manager. I told him I was pissed because I just picked this thing up yesterday from the body shop because I had my side gills repainted and they put a scratch in my roof. He looked at it fairly closely and used his fingernail to see if he could get any of it up. He got it to flake off. Apparently, it was either some dried adhesive or tape residue. It shouldn't have been there regardless but, at least it wasn't a scratch. I drove it home and used some claybar on it and all the residue came off. I did let him know about the tail lights as well. I didn't mention it but, they also neglected to put my side louvres back on the window ports even though they told me several times they would. Overall, the paint job looks good but, there are a few spots where a piece of debris got painted over. Combine that with the issue with the tail lights, and the adhesive residue on my roof and I am far from a satisfied customer. I'm going to call the customer satisfaction rep on Tuesday and let her know of my displeasure. Maybe I can parley this into some free shit.

[baddmans]

YA,its what ofer said.