Rear lights not working on CSX 618 - 6-28331

First try a reset/restore on page 23 of the manual.   Here is a link:  https://www.lionelsupport.com/...s/57636728298250.pdf

This is the reverse light board with LEDs. 

The part is no longer available from Lionel.

If you remove the wire harness from the connector you can measure the wire for voltage.  It should read 5 VDC between wires when shifted to reverse.  That will help you locate if the problem is in the radio/receiver board or the lighting board.

I'm assuming VDC means volts direct current? How can I check that reading - by using a volt meter? Assume I connect the volt meter to the plug that goes into the light board? 

Yes, volts direct current.  Put your test leads directly on the metal pins on the harness connector when loco toggled to reverse.  

Thanks. So if the voltage is going to the reverse light board, that means that the board is bad. Yes? You say that the part is no longer made by Lionel. Do you know of somewhere else I might be able to purchase it?

Board is bad or the actual LEDs (bulbs) are bad.  You could check with Trainz (sponsor) for that part.  

one other question - metal pins on the harness connector? Are those pins in the white plug that plugs into the reverse light board? If not, where would they be?

Yes.  Pins/sockets are inside the wire connector.  If you see 5 VDC there that tells you that your radio board, motherboard, and wire are all good to that point.  

Try the simple first. Put the loco in reverse and hit aux 2. It’s happened to me several times thinking something is broken.

holy cow - that fixed the problem!! Thanks Rod.  Is that "hack" documented somewhere? I cannot seem to find it in the user guide for the locomotive. I'm wondering what other goodies I may be missing. I just sent one of my other locomotives off for repair - it was acting really goofy. I'm wondering if there was some other "hack" that would have fixed those issues.

I’m so glad it worked. I simply went with the fact that aux2 turns lights on and off.

Is that a standard option on the legacy locomotives, or other Lionel locomotives? Where is that documented? It's not in the locomotive manual.

Since I know about the aux2 I would say I read it in the Legacy manual. It’s standard.