Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[car-nut]

When I first got the Omega, the guy I got it from said it had an intermittent fault with the passenger side rear brake light which was a case of a dodgy connection and you had to jiggle it to get the brake light to work, But as a general rule I replace all rear bulbs as soon as I can after first getting a car, So I popped down to GSF in Hastings where I bought the new bulb, which of course didn't solve the problem, Luckily I am good friends with all the staff down there, they came out and fiddled with it, and in the end diagnosed the fault as being the bulb connectors not touching the bulb all the time, weird I know, but we got a pair of pliers while we were still at GSF and it resolved the issue straight away!

Then the car showed no signs of any problems from May 2011 until 3 weeks ago where it started to work on and off, and now it wont work at all but I have got side lights, I tried with a mate, swapping the bulbs over, still not resolved it but both filaments in both bulbs worked on the drivers side, so after lots of playing around my friend and I assumed it could only be 1 thing. The bulb holder!

So I bought a 2nd hand bulb holder from Omegaspares via ebay at a very reasonable price, It came in the post this morning, and it has not solved the problem.

Once my physio therapist has been I am going to try cutting the old plug off and fitting the one that came with the bulb holder and see if that works. But if it doesn't, please has anyone got any idea's? 

Cheers

[albitz]

They sometimes do strange things if you dont use GM bulbs. Something to do with different resistance iirc.

[Martian]

Had exactly the same issue with our Beemer, turned out to be the lampholder itself (slightly pitted contacts where the holder made contact with the tracks on the cluster).

I suspect yours will be the same, however you may also want to check where the multiplug connects to the cluster as well as the metal tracks on the cluster itself.

[Dave DND]

Check with a meter that you actually have some voltage there before you start ripping the socket apart, could be an intermittant / broken wire

 

[Martian]

Check with a meter that you actually have some voltage there before you start ripping the socket apart, could be an intermittant / broken wire

 

Good shout Dave, especially as a meter won't pull anywhere near enough current to cause a partially pitted/corroded connection to fail 

[car-nut]

Thanks everyone, I did have a multi meter but it was a cheap HK ebay jobby and the wires melted on the prongs just from testing the car battery last time, so have placed an order with screw fix for a multi meter that I am collecting tomorrow. I would get it today but it wont be available for collection until tomorrow 

I will start with the multi meter test then take it from there.

My brain just aint in the mood for working lately. Simple things like testing with a multi meter should have been the first thing that I should have thought of. What is wrong with me  Apart from the fact I am Blonde 

[Martian]

I did have a multi meter but it was a cheap HK ebay jobby and the wires melted on the prongs just from testing the car battery last time,

Doesn't matter how cheap it was, there is no way the meter should have pulled enough current to melt the leads unless there was user error.

[Kevin Wood]

I did have a multi meter but it was a cheap HK ebay jobby and the wires melted on the prongs just from testing the car battery last time,

Doesn't matter how cheap it was, there is no way the meter should have pulled enough current to melt the leads unless there was user error.

Hmm. Sounds like it was on the "Amps" range to me.

[Dave DND]

I did have a multi meter but it was a cheap HK ebay jobby and the wires melted on the prongs just from testing the car battery last time,

Doesn't matter how cheap it was, there is no way the meter should have pulled enough current to melt the leads unless there was user error.

Hmm. Sounds like it was on the "Amps" range to me.

Seconded   

[car-nut]

It wasn't me using them when they melted, it was my mate who was testing the battery on my Omega and while I was standing there the leads started to smoke. ODDLY out of habbit it went back in my tool box lol. I will have a look later and see what setting it was on as it hasn't been touched since.

I have now borrowed a good multi meter but will have to wait until the weekend until I can have a 2nd person with me to activate the brake lights to see what is what.

[Martian]

I have now borrowed a good multi meter but will have to wait until the weekend until I can have a 2nd person with me to activate the brake lights to see what is what.

Wedge a bit of wood (or whatever) between the driver seat & the brake pedal 

[Dave DND]

I have now borrowed a good multi meter but will have to wait until the weekend until I can have a 2nd person with me to activate the brake lights to see what is what.

Wedge a bit of wood (or whatever) between the driver seat & the brake pedal 

or unplug and link out the brake switch

[Agemo]

Just a thought. but the wires that supply all the back lights, are attached to the nearside boot hinge. (assuming it's a saloon). These wires tend to get a bit brittle and snap, sometimes making contact - sometimes not! Have you checked? 

[Andy B]

Don't forget that damaged wiring could result in you getting voltage to the lamp/bulb holder but not able to carry enough current to light the brake light.

[Andy B]

Just a thought. but the wires that supply all the back lights, are attached to the nearside boot hinge. (assuming it's a saloon). These wires tend to get a bit brittle and snap, sometimes making contact - sometimes not! Have you checked? 

that tends to affect rear fogs lights that are mounted on the boot lid, brake lights are in the rear wings so the loom is always stationary.