Rear & brake light issue

dicksog

New Member
Messages
11
Hi

Thought I'd ask before rushing blindly in.

Dashboard light came on indicating a bulb out, also comes on when pressing the brake pedal. When the lights are switched on right rear are ok, but the left do something weird. The rear bulbs for both rear light and and brake, illuminate briefly, the filament in the bulbs weakly glow then go out, this repeats about every ten seconds. All other bulbs in the cluster work normally.

Anybody encountered this before, got any ideas?

Thanks

dicksog
 

miket

Member
Messages
647
Remove all lamps and clean up all connections on lamps and holders, also unplug and re-connect the wiring to the cluster and try the lights again!
Does just sound like a poor earth on one of the circuits, best of luck!
 

dicksog

New Member
Messages
11
Ok have removed the cluster, easy once the boot lining was out. All bulbs ok, no corrosion on any of the contacts. No short circuits. Then checked continuity from the plug to each of the terminals in the cluster, all ok. Car side plug checked earth between black line to earth on the cd changer mount, that's fine. The only odd thing is, from black line to what looks like an earth point below the light cluster is open circuit, it's a bolt holding two black wires into a point on the chassis. Probably a red herring as the harness earth goes to earth. Given that the filaments glow briefly at regular intervals could it be a relay of some kind? Nothing in the handbook.
 

ANY

Junior Member
Messages
49
Is it an early model? It might be the wrong power on the on the bulbs (W). It happened on my car from 2002 and the result was regularly flashing rear lamps. I think the set up is different between different years. My car only has one bulb in each lamp as rear light, with a separate brake light bulb. I think the setup is different on later models, hence the confusion in my case.
 

dicksog

New Member
Messages
11
It's an '05 4200 cambiocorsa. The rear light and the brake light are the same bulbs but only the brake light socket has the second filament wired.
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,748
Could try swapping the cluster around with the good one to see if the fault moves to the opposite side...and kf course I know this would only be for testing purposes. After all with the boot lining out access shiuld be easier.

Good luck...I hate tracing electric problems.
 

dicksog

New Member
Messages
11
Could try swapping the cluster around with the good one to see if the fault moves to the opposite side...and kf course I know this would only be for testing purposes. After all with the boot lining out access shiuld be easier.

Good luck...I hate tracing electric problems.

That makes two of us!
 

spkennyuk

Member
Messages
5,931
Swap the bulb out with the side that is working and see if it cures it. It will either rule out a faulty / wrong bulb or prove it without moving the cluster.
 

dicksog

New Member
Messages
11
Ok, gave up and took it to a autoelectrical specialist, he found that it was the IGE Electronic control unit, part no 195742, located in the passenger footwell. Now off to find either another or a refurbisher.