Brake Light.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 953
Likes: 0
From: Wesley Chapel FL
Brake Light.
Today I took my tail light covers off and cleaned in there and inspected the bulbs. One of them had some gook all over it so I replaced it. Now the tail light will work when I turn on the headlights but it wont work when I put on the brakes and when I use the turn signal. Any clue about what could be causing that? Thanks,
Brian.
Brian.
Last edited by Brian9; Jan 6, 2007 at 03:28 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Tail light lamps have two filaments in them. One for parking lights and another for brake and turn signal. Your lamp most likely has an open brake/turn filament. Also, whenever you post asking for help, always include the year.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
The junk that was in the socket is a factory-applied grease to keep the bulb and socket base contacts from corroding. If it was applied thick enough on the socket side, when you replaced the bulb some of that stuff may have been caught between the bulb and socket contacts. Because the bulb has two filaments and two contacts, it's possible that one side does not have a good connection.
The factory stuff gets hard over the years and while it works, replacing a bulb can be a royal PITA. When I replaced all the bulbs in my 87, every bulb broke off from the base and I had to use needle-nose pliers to get the base out of the socket because of that junk.
I would remove the bulb again and scrape off as much that factory stuff as possible, replace the bulb with a new one (get the Sylvania Long Life bulbs, they are labeled with "LL" at the end of the bulb number) and then use some dilectric grease to protect the connections.
The factory stuff gets hard over the years and while it works, replacing a bulb can be a royal PITA. When I replaced all the bulbs in my 87, every bulb broke off from the base and I had to use needle-nose pliers to get the base out of the socket because of that junk.
I would remove the bulb again and scrape off as much that factory stuff as possible, replace the bulb with a new one (get the Sylvania Long Life bulbs, they are labeled with "LL" at the end of the bulb number) and then use some dilectric grease to protect the connections.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 953
Likes: 0
From: Wesley Chapel FL
Thanks guys but I dont think its the bulb since i did replace it with the LL bulb one of you mentioned. Here is some more info i have after tinkering around. When i turn on the left turn signal the front turn signal will stay on (not blink) and the inner left tail light will not blink but stays illuminated and the bulb i replaced (outer tail light) will not light up at all and on the dash the turn signal will not blink it just stays lit. but when i turn on the right turn signal everything works as it should. Ugh all this because i wanted to change a tail light bulb lol... Any ideas? If it was the flasher module (dont know the name of it) wouldnt the other side not work as well? Oh and its a 95 btw.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,770
Likes: 175
From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
The symptoms you are describing are exactly what happens when you have a bad bulb, or at least one that isn’t making contact on the turn signal filament.
When a bulb burns out, your indicator light on the dash will not “blink”.
Have you tried another bulb?
When a bulb burns out, your indicator light on the dash will not “blink”.
Have you tried another bulb?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 953
Likes: 0
From: Wesley Chapel FL
The package came with 2 bulbs after i eat dinner I will run out there and swap it out and see how that goes. Also I will try the bulb that was in there originally since it worked fine it just had that stuff all over it. and see how that works... maybe the guy gave me the wrong bulbs .
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
The bulb should be an 1157. It's always possible that a new bulb is defective. You can also try swapping that bulb to another socket and see if the problem moves with the bulb.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 953
Likes: 0
From: Wesley Chapel FL
The junk that was in the socket is a factory-applied grease to keep the bulb and socket base contacts from corroding. If it was applied thick enough on the socket side, when you replaced the bulb some of that stuff may have been caught between the bulb and socket contacts. Because the bulb has two filaments and two contacts, it's possible that one side does not have a good connection.
The factory stuff gets hard over the years and while it works, replacing a bulb can be a royal PITA. When I replaced all the bulbs in my 87, every bulb broke off from the base and I had to use needle-nose pliers to get the base out of the socket because of that junk.
I would remove the bulb again and scrape off as much that factory stuff as possible, replace the bulb with a new one (get the Sylvania Long Life bulbs, they are labeled with "LL" at the end of the bulb number) and then use some dilectric grease to protect the connections.
The factory stuff gets hard over the years and while it works, replacing a bulb can be a royal PITA. When I replaced all the bulbs in my 87, every bulb broke off from the base and I had to use needle-nose pliers to get the base out of the socket because of that junk.
I would remove the bulb again and scrape off as much that factory stuff as possible, replace the bulb with a new one (get the Sylvania Long Life bulbs, they are labeled with "LL" at the end of the bulb number) and then use some dilectric grease to protect the connections.
What you said about the old gunk being in there was the problem! The gunk wasnt allowing the bulb to sit properly and i scraped it all out and it popped right in fine and works like a charm now. I dont feel like doing the other 3 anytime soon because I tried to get one of the other bulbs out and its in there solid and felt like it would break if i put just a little more pressure on it. thats a job for another day ....
Thanks to all of ya!Brian.
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