Brake light problem - PLEASE HELP!!

tashacox

Hi,

I am a complete newbie to this and am no expert (that is an understatement!) but have a problem with my Vectra 2.2.

It failed the MOT due to a faulty NSR brake light - we have checked the power to it and that is fine and the bulb is fine but it won't come on. We took it along to our local VX garage who started to take the thing apart but I couldn't afford to give them free reign with my bank account so had to tell them to stop.

Does anyone have any ideas as we are desperate and I'm really worried that it might be the ECU.

PLEASE HELP - I will be eternally grateful if anyone can help us x

Natasha

astra22bertoneauto

It could just be the plastic that all the bulbs fit into, sometime they go rusty and then they cant make contact. Try getting another plastic tray for the bulbs and check to make sure there no rust etc.

tashacox

Thanks but we have tried that and that is fine - have used a voltage meter to check that that is getting through and it is.....just need to get it through the MOT.

Can only be a computer problem,can't it?

Really concerned...

astra22bertoneauto

tashacox said:
Thanks but we have tried that and that is fine - have used a voltage meter to check that that is getting through and it is.....just need to get it through the MOT.

Can only be a computer problem,can't it?

Really concerned...

So let me get this straight; when you press the brake pedal you can see the voltage on the meter at the contacts for the bulb???

Computer doesnt run brake lights. You have a switch on your brake pedal and wires to the rear bulbs.

tashacox

astra22bertoneauto said:

tashacox said:
Thanks but we have tried that and that is fine - have used a voltage meter to check that that is getting through and it is.....just need to get it through the MOT.

Can only be a computer problem,can't it?

Really concerned...

So let me get this straight; when you press the brake pedal you can see the voltage on the meter at the contacts for the bulb???

Computer doesnt run brake lights. You have a switch on your brake pedal and wires to the rear bulbs.

Yes - the voltage at the contacts for the bulb is fine - it's all really odd. We thought it might have something to do with the towbar electrics (?) as we just couldn't think what else it could be. I have to be honest, if I was reading this, I would think that I didn't have a clue what I was talking about as it just doesn't make sense!

Bulb is fine and voltage at bulb contacts is fine - just bloody fed up with it now!! :thumbdown:

astra22bertoneauto

In that case I would say that the contacts are not making "contact" with the bulb, especially if you have tested the bulb. Try bending the contacts so it makes the bulb a tighter fit or take the bulb from the other side and try that.

tashacox

Have tried all of that - do you mean take the bulb from the other side so that the brake lights both default to the next light down or try the other bulb?

Would the car pass the MOT if both sides were defaulting to the next light down (does that make sense?!)?

astra22bertoneauto

tashacox said:
Have tried all of that - do you mean take the bulb from the other side so that the brake lights both default to the next light down or try the other bulb?

Would the car pass the MOT if both sides were defaulting to the next light down (does that make sense?!)?

I mean try the brake light bulb from the other side just to see if that makes a difference. The lights will not default to the next one down, i dont know of any car that does that unless they are wired wrong.

If you have a voltage at the contacts for the bulb then it must be either bad contact with the bulb or a wrong/faulty bulb.

tashacox

I do appreciate your help but it's definitely not the bulb and we have had the VX garage take the whole thing apart and they can't find the fault - I meant that the tail light takes over the brake light function:

"If brake light is defective, the relevant tail light takes over the brake light function." - Users manual.

I understand that it does't make sense but we really have checked all you say and we have also had a couple of the engineers I work with check it out - they can't work it out either - thanks for your help, though.
dunno..

astra22bertoneauto

I have got 1 solution - get a sledge hammer and have some fun! 😃

tashacox

Sounds like a great idea!! I might try it! cheers..

si_c1978

right, the way to test if it is the towhitch assembly causing the problem (this is how i found some of my power drains)

is to remove the modification and see how it then behaves (hopefully they havent hardwired anything) so remove the wiring from the light cluster to the tow hitch and leave dangling, if it is that causing your problem the breaklight should then work.

Daz

I'm taking this as being a vec c....

If this is the case then the bulb is a single filament ,single contact bulb....

karl_hodder

have you tried running an earth from chasis to the earth on the bulb? some light clusters will have more than one earth so the other bulbs will function alright, if an earth wire is deteriorating it will still show up voltage on a meter but won't be strong enough to power the bulb. i had this problem on an audi coupe and spent days trying to correct.

Matt

Daz said:
I'm taking this as being a vec c....

If this is the case then the bulb is a single filament ,single contact bulb....

Yeah, sounds Vectra C to me, as mine went to the next bulb down when the brake light failed.

Daz

In that case, the lighting is can, and uses a single filament bulb and just alters the voltage to operate side or brake lights. It may well just be a dodgy bulb ure trying. Had a similar issue with one the other week.

danielmartin

Basically, there is the problem of the connection of the break light. First you should check the bulb of the light then check the wired connection of it. Another thing is that there is also required to check out as the push back time of the break light.