A customer recently brought their Volkswagen in for service. While doing preliminary checks I noticed two of the lights in the front bumper were out: the DRL and the fog lamp.

I checked the bulbs and they were both intact. I then used a test light to check the circuit at the lamp, and found there was no power.

I looked at the loom and could see some discoloration just out of sight behind the bumper. Taking a closer look, I could see that two wires were broken. I cut the loom and temporarily put the wires together, and the lights started to work.

This shows that it’s not always a bulb when lights are out. Sometimes, it takes a little bit of extra work to do the simple things.

Here are some tips for troubleshooting lights that are not working:

• Check the bulbs first.
• Use a test light to check the power at the lamp.
• Look for discoloration or damage to the wiring.
• If you are not comfortable working with electrical wiring, you should take your car to a qualified mechanic.

I hope this blog post helps you if you ever have a problem with your car’s lights.