Inner right Rear/Tail running light not working properly
08-20-2016, 04:47 AM
#1
Inner right Rear/Tail running light not working properly
Hello!
I have a C4 -95 and have some challenges with my taillight.
The right inner running light is not working from time to time. It can go on and off while driving. The turn signal on that one works. It is led bulbs on the inner and old school bulbs on the outer lights.
Checked things:
- connectors in light housing and first part of cables
- changed bulbs with left and right side
- Turn signals work properly.
- Brake lights work properly
- All other running lights work properly.
Things I've discovered:
- When the taillight is not working and I turn off all lights on the switch and turn it back on the running light starts working again all the times.
- While testdriving with a friend behind me the light goes on and off. sometimes it can be off for some minutes then it can be running for long time to again stop working. Sometimes it stops working after I've used the turn signal but the turn signal always works.
Question:
How is the grounding routed on the back? I havent checked the ground to the car since all other electrical functions are working and assume that they are all connected to the same ground and that the issue most be somewhere else.
Really appreciate all help!
I have a C4 -95 and have some challenges with my taillight.
The right inner running light is not working from time to time. It can go on and off while driving. The turn signal on that one works. It is led bulbs on the inner and old school bulbs on the outer lights.
Checked things:
- connectors in light housing and first part of cables
- changed bulbs with left and right side
- Turn signals work properly.
- Brake lights work properly
- All other running lights work properly.
Things I've discovered:
- When the taillight is not working and I turn off all lights on the switch and turn it back on the running light starts working again all the times.
- While testdriving with a friend behind me the light goes on and off. sometimes it can be off for some minutes then it can be running for long time to again stop working. Sometimes it stops working after I've used the turn signal but the turn signal always works.
Question:
How is the grounding routed on the back? I havent checked the ground to the car since all other electrical functions are working and assume that they are all connected to the same ground and that the issue most be somewhere else.
Really appreciate all help!
08-20-2016, 06:55 AM
#2
Clean the old grease out of the socket.
08-20-2016, 10:23 AM
#3
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Aug 1999
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
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kDid this problem exist before you installed the LED for the inner bulb?
The Brake/Blinker use the same LEDs which you say always work.
That rules out a ground problem since the Park and Brake/Blinker LEDs use the same ground.
The only difference is the Power source. The Brown wire is 12 volts from the headlight switch to power the Park LEDs or the Park incandescent bulb filament.
The Schematic shows the Brown wires go to a splice.
1)The problem must be the Brown wire from the socket to the splice.
2)The bulb socket is bad. (Reinstall the incandescent bulb and see if the problem goes away).
3)The base of the LED bulb is out of spec. and intermittently doesn't make contact with the bulb socket.
The Brake/Blinker use the same LEDs which you say always work.
That rules out a ground problem since the Park and Brake/Blinker LEDs use the same ground.
The only difference is the Power source. The Brown wire is 12 volts from the headlight switch to power the Park LEDs or the Park incandescent bulb filament.
The Schematic shows the Brown wires go to a splice.
1)The problem must be the Brown wire from the socket to the splice.
2)The bulb socket is bad. (Reinstall the incandescent bulb and see if the problem goes away).
3)The base of the LED bulb is out of spec. and intermittently doesn't make contact with the bulb socket.
Last edited by Hooked on Vettes; 08-20-2016 at 01:05 PM.
08-20-2016, 10:47 AM
#4
Race Director
I had a similar problem and mine was the contacts on the base of the bulb. One was higher than the other and preventing both from touching the contacts in the socket. I fired up my soldering iron and put more solder on the low side and then filed them both to be level with each other so they both made contact with the inside of the socket and that fixed it.
PS: The diagram above is an excellent wiring visual to see exactly how the voltage makes it through each branch.
PS: The diagram above is an excellent wiring visual to see exactly how the voltage makes it through each branch.
