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[SMD]

My right brake light bulb needs replacing and I know stuff like this is a doddle but wanted to know if there was anything tricky about doing it. Do I just pull the connectors out and undo the screws/nuts to get to the bulb ?

[Andy B]

My right brake light bulb needs replacing and I know stuff like this is a doddle but wanted to know if there was anything tricky about doing it. Do I just pull the connectors out and undo the screws/nuts to get to the bulb ?

Open boot! 
On the back of the light unit, you'll see a black 'housing' that hold all the lamps/bulbs. Somewhere towards the top is a tab (can't remember exactly what it looks like & I'm not going outside to look  ) that you press which will allow the whole black bit to come out. Your brake light lamp/bulb is the one with twin filaments ie stop lamp & tail light. Make sure you fit the lamp in the correct way around. In theory the two pins on the side on the lamp which are at different heights should stop you from fitting it incorrectly but ..... you can fit it wrong if you force it.   

[SMD]

Thanks Andy

[SMD]

So I replaced my brake light bulb just now, how hard could it be, right? 2 mins down the road I got a message that read "headlamp tail light" and intermittent "brake light" message.

When I got home I got the boy to step on the brakes while I checked the lights. They work fine but when I turn the headlamps on the third brake light constantly stays on and acts as a tail light.

Whats going on here? I wonder how any OOFers it will take to fix a light bulb. 

[Andy B]

.... I got a message that read "headlamp tail light"  ....

That suggests that you now have a lamp out somewhere. You had 2 tail lights on each side? CAn't say why you now have a constant high level brake light though  :-/ Try taking your new lamp out & see what happens.  :-/

[Jimbob]

I had something vaguely silimar in an astra 15 years ago

new bulb fitted  brake / tail

whenever you braked, headlights came on.

iirc the fix was to turn the bulb around 

but it was a long time ago...

[SMD]

.... I got a message that read "headlamp tail light"  ....

That suggests that you now have a lamp out somewhere. You had 2 tail lights on each side? CAn't say why you now have a constant high level brake light though  :-/ Try taking your new lamp out & see what happens.  :-/

Andy - I checked all the lamps. They all work. 2 tails lights? I'll try taking the bulb out to see what that does.

Jim, turn the bulb around? Do you mean turn that buld 180 degrees and refit?

[Jimbob]

.... I got a message that read "headlamp tail light"  ....

That suggests that you now have a lamp out somewhere. You had 2 tail lights on each side? CAn't say why you now have a constant high level brake light though  :-/ Try taking your new lamp out & see what happens.  :-/

Andy - I checked all the lamps. They all work. 2 tails lights? I'll try taking the bulb out to see what that does.

Jim, turn the bulb around? Do you mean turn that buld 180 degrees and refit?

Yup, no guarantee's but worth a try

[SMD]

Turned the bulb as jimbob said, no change.

Took the new bulb out and the 3rd brake doesn't come on with the headlamps but put it back in and the 3rd brake light stay on as a tail light.

[SMD]

Another update

I just noticed when I press the brake pedal the front right headlamp also flashes.  :-?  This is probably what the "headlamp tail light" warning was about.

Whats going on?

[neilr]

I would think you have an earth issue. Check lamp holder for corrosion and  try a different bulb some cheap bulbs give problems try a good brand ie lucas phillips osram etc. I had probs with n/s/r stop lamp bulb worked intermittantly bulb change problem solved.

[GaryBC]

Back in "The Old Days" (ie when wires connected directly between switches and bulbs without any electronickery involved) a snag like this usually pointed towards a bad earth somewhere. 

As a result the return current found an alternate path to earth - through another bulb somewhere, thus causing it to light up.

[SMD]

Lamp holder is in good nick, no corrosion. The bulbs are from Halfrauds. Should I get some bulbs from VX?

Gary, how can I fix this earth issue?

[dbug]

Think you have 2 issues

1) Bad earth somewhere
2) Dont use Halfords bulbs - they will work ok but not clear MID fault message - use Vx or Ring bulbs.

[SMD]

I will buy GM bulbs tomorrow and hoping that should be enough to solve my issues.

How can I overcome a bad earth?