Brake Light

[raceboy]

Anyone got any ideas, the passenger side rear brake light has decided that lighting up is beneath it, and has gone on strike for more pay and better working conditions, I've tried coaxing it in to life with a new bulb, but thats not worked, but the rear light contained in the same bulb is quite happy it's only a matter of time before I get pulled over for this failure (and quite rightly) so how am I going to fix it
Whats likely to have broke somewhere, is there something obvious I can check first before I start rewireing the car

[raceboy]

I can't beleive this is a first but then again knowing my luck it probably is
The only thing I can think of to bodge it back into life is to figure out which wire on the drivers side is the brake light and run a wire across the boot to the passenger side, would this work

[spend]

Probably the bulb holder corroded. I will pass Nottingham on M1 this evening, mail me if you want to try a spare and I can lend you one. (I have a spare set of rear lights and the bulb holders). If that doesnt work check the wiring at the connector block.

Dave

[tobeee]

I've got exactly the same problem Raceboy! I've replaced the bulb, but the brake light is still not showing. What was the cause of failure on yours?

[spend]

IIRC, his replacement bulb had a short knob on the end, pattern parts skimping on solder costs?. The contacts were a little tired, so I think Steve was planning on acquiring a spare set of receptacles as well, bt the aforementioned bulb was the original stumbling block.

Dave

[raceboy]

spend said:

had a short knob on the end

Thats always a problem
1st thing to try is take the buld holder out, but leave it wired in, get someone to press the brake pedal and while they do that wiggle the bulb in the holder, if you can get it to light the problem is the same as mine, the connection in the holder, if it is this, try bending the strip that makes the connection so it's a bit better

[tobeee]

I don't think the problem's in the bulb holder, as the rear sidelights, powered by the same bulb, work fine. Do the brakelights each run off a separate fuse? If so, is that fuse shared with anything else? I must admit, I've looked at the fuses before, but any failures there fill me with dread as it's almost impossible to get far enough down in the footwell to check/change them!

[spend]

Both rear lights are on the same circuit (in fact you can swap the fog/reverse light sides if you have LHD light fittings - ooops! ((does that qualify for the modified meeeting I wonder))).

If the other segment of the bulb works, the earth is OK, its just the contact for the brake segment, checking with a DVM is the quickest check. You can also check at the conector to the housing, the wire is Green/Purple. Harness comes down passnger rear wing to lights then across back of car to drivers side light housing.

So probably the housing connector to the bulb, or housing to the wiring plug (less probable), or the wiring/plug (even less probable).

Dave

>> Edited by spend on Monday 21st February 10:46

[tobeee]

Thanks Dave. I'll have a poke around tonight.

[Size Nine Elm]

spend said:

... or housing to the wiring plug (less probable

I had that - the connector to the whole rear light assembly wasn't connecting properly and needed a poke with a sharp stick. (Old-style Fiesta light cluster - pre-96?)

[jtong]

In my case, I found that the lamp holder wasn't keyed. Put the light the "wrong" way round, and only the tail light worked. Rotate the bulb through 180 degrees and re-insert, both lights now work!

[tobeee]

Thanks everyone. The prize for the simplest solution goes to jtong! Twist the bulb 180 degrees! Can't believe I didn't try that before, and I'm embarrassed to have ever started this post!