One brake light playing funny buggers

**chilla** · 3rd February 2021, 09:15 PM

Hey all,

Got a strange electrical problem.

Driver's side tail and brake light work fine.

Passenger side brake light works fine when tail/parkers are off. But when I flick my lights on and then brake, the tail light drops out and the brake light doesn't come on either.
If i flick my lights back off and hit the brake pedal, brake light works again...

Swapped bulbs, no help.

Is there a common connection/plug I should check before going to far?
___________________________________
EDIT: Apparently it's an earth fault.

Does anyone know which wire is the earth wire for the passenger side brake/tail light and where it runs to?

Is there a nut or bolt somewhere close by?
If so, I might just cut the earth wire and run it to the nut or bolt, instead of spending the next few months trying to find the actual fault.

TIA. Chilla.

**Bohica** · 3rd February 2021, 09:47 PM

Earth issue. Jut a wild assed guess!!

**Tombie** · 3rd February 2021, 09:54 PM

Likely in the globe holder itself

**chilla** · 3rd February 2021, 10:38 PM

If it was the holder, Idon't think it would allow the brake light to work when the lights are off and not work when the lights are on.
It would either work, or not, regardless if lights are on, is my way of thinking anyway.

**Tombie** · 4th February 2021, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by chilla

If it was the holder, Idon't think it would allow the brake light to work when the lights are off and not work when the lights are on.
It would either work, or not, regardless if lights are on, is my way of thinking anyway.

I’ve seen them short internally and do exactly what you are seeing. And it’s because when the car is powered the other circuit becomes “primed”

**chilla** · 4th February 2021, 10:34 AM

Apparently it's an earth fault.

Does anyone know which wire is the earth wire for the passenger side brake/tail light and where it runs to?

Is there a nut or bolt somewhere close by?
If so, I might just cut the earth wire and run it to the nut or bolt, instead of spending the next few months trying to find the actual fault.

**Tins** · 4th February 2021, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Bohica

Earth issue. Jut a wild assed guess!!

An educated wag in my opinion..

**AndrewMilne** · 6th February 2021, 03:19 PM

Following Tombie's suggestion (post #3, above), it might pay to take out the LHS-side rear light cluster, clean and and closely examine the globe holder/s.
This just might reveal the actual fault in a few minutes?
Also: even though you say the globes both look OK, renewing them is worth a try, don't you think?

Originally Posted by chilla

Apparently it's an earth fault.

Does anyone know which wire is the earth wire for the passenger side brake/tail light and where it runs to?

Is there a nut or bolt somewhere close by?
If so, I might just cut the earth wire and run it to the nut or bolt, instead of spending the next few months trying to find the actual fault.

**Tombie** · 6th February 2021, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by AndrewMilne

Following Tombie's suggestion (post #3, above), it might pay to take out the LHS-side rear light cluster, clean and and closely examine the globe holder/s.
This just might reveal the actual fault in a few minutes?
Also: even though you say the globes both look OK, renewing them is worth a try, don't you think?

That’s also happened, where the filament has contacted the other one and hence an ‘earth’ type fault!

It amazes me how people insist the offered responses would be wrong and just plan the butcher / hack into their vehicle with no real idea what they’re doing.

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