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1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Bob - -
Your word that it does go out sometimes, but other times comes back on, makes this harder to diagnose.
But you should try to free up and remove the circuit board for the third brake light and clean the contacts all thoroughly, as well as the bulbs, and make sure all the bulbs are the same age and same maker and current draw, to eliminate that as a possible cause.
And you might also want to flip back the felt panels and unplug the multiplug connectors on each of the rear light clusters, and unclip at each side and remove the clusters. Then look at the brake light bulb bases:
On these, lots of times if brakes have been applied for long stretches, either by you or some prior owner, the bulbs draw so much current that the bases overheat. Then, partly also because it's a two-contact bulb and has twice the upward spring pressure on things, it pulls free of the heat-softened plastic prongs that hold the little tin shell down in correct position. With the tin shell risen up from where it belongs, that lessens the contact pressure on the two contacts on bulb bottoms, making bulbs intermittent or not work at all.
A cure was posted on here, drilling two holes out back of the plastic, and making a U of electrical wire, but using it in a mechanical, non-electrical way, solder one end to the tin shell, pass it out the hole in the back, in the other hole, push tin shell down to where it belongs and solder the other end of the U of wire to the other side of the shell. This keeps it down where it should be, and keeps the proper pressure on the bulb base contacts.
Do a search and you might turn this up, it offers a specific wire gauge, not too skinny. I think the words "crappy tin shells" or something like that is part of it.
This only happens to the brake lights, the only dual-filament bulbs on the cluster, with twice the pressure, and also the only ones with such high amperage bulbs.
As to your e-codes problem I plead ignorance. Seems odd they'd share a rear light circuit fuse. Regular 9000 headlights also have a small third bulb.
posted by 71.173.70...
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