Tail Light Problems
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 6:21 pm
My rear turn signals are not working correctly. Selecting left results in a very high speed blinking. Stepping on the brake pedal with left selected results in the signal going out completely. Selecting right brings a correct flash rate that is uneffected by the brakes. The emergency flashers work correctly.
I removed the circuit board and cleaned the connectors, the board, the bulbs and the sockets with a small file and/or a wire brush on my Dremel tool and then applied dielectric grease with no improvement (well the bulbs might be a little brighter).
Next I removed the board and cleaned all the rivets and soldered them and checked for shorts. I reinstalled the board and found the flasher not working when selecting left but OK when selecting right. I removed the flasher, recalled that it had buzzed a couple of times earlier in the year, tapped it, reinstalled it and got it to work a little bit, but the brake pedal still killed a left signal.
I have now installed a new flasher and am back to where I started. Unplugging the connector that goes to the right light (the one that is on the right side of the left taillight assembly) has no effect on the flash rate or the fact that flashing stops when the brake pedal is depressed. I can sometimes get the stop lights to flash dimly if I wiggle the left connector. Unplugging the connector to the left assembly (which is on its left side) causes the flash rate to remain fast but depressing the brake does not interrupt the flashing.
My next move will be to wash the connecters with detergent and water and then tackle things with a voltmeter.
Could I have a wrong bulb in the wrong socket? It is possible that I changed a bulb during my January "winterizing" service, something I would not write in my service log and don't remember. All the bulbs look OK and are clean now. Hey, maybe one of them is shorting? How do I verify that I have the correct bulbs in the correct socket? Also, could the board be damp and causing this problem? I did not detect any shorts with my VOM after soldering the board. Oh, it was very damp the last few weeks here but the car is in an air conditioned garage. Any advice on how to proceed?
I removed the circuit board and cleaned the connectors, the board, the bulbs and the sockets with a small file and/or a wire brush on my Dremel tool and then applied dielectric grease with no improvement (well the bulbs might be a little brighter).
Next I removed the board and cleaned all the rivets and soldered them and checked for shorts. I reinstalled the board and found the flasher not working when selecting left but OK when selecting right. I removed the flasher, recalled that it had buzzed a couple of times earlier in the year, tapped it, reinstalled it and got it to work a little bit, but the brake pedal still killed a left signal.
I have now installed a new flasher and am back to where I started. Unplugging the connector that goes to the right light (the one that is on the right side of the left taillight assembly) has no effect on the flash rate or the fact that flashing stops when the brake pedal is depressed. I can sometimes get the stop lights to flash dimly if I wiggle the left connector. Unplugging the connector to the left assembly (which is on its left side) causes the flash rate to remain fast but depressing the brake does not interrupt the flashing.
My next move will be to wash the connecters with detergent and water and then tackle things with a voltmeter.
Could I have a wrong bulb in the wrong socket? It is possible that I changed a bulb during my January "winterizing" service, something I would not write in my service log and don't remember. All the bulbs look OK and are clean now. Hey, maybe one of them is shorting? How do I verify that I have the correct bulbs in the correct socket? Also, could the board be damp and causing this problem? I did not detect any shorts with my VOM after soldering the board. Oh, it was very damp the last few weeks here but the car is in an air conditioned garage. Any advice on how to proceed?