A few days ago I noticed the brake light in the rear window was on when I turned on the headlights/taillights. When I stepped on the brake pedal, the rear window brake light came on a bit brighter. I could also see reflected against the garage door that the left and right brake lights were also on with headlights/taillights and that they too became a bit brighter when I stepped on the brake pedal. A few days later, lighting returned to normal except the left taillights would not illuminate when I turned lights on. However, brake lights worked normally, as did reverse and turn signal. Light bulbs are all OK. With the light switch set to parking lights, I tried resetting the plug into the left rear light assembly and noticed that the brake lights again illuminated at one point, including rear window brake light. When fully reset, left taillights went out but brake, reverse, and turn lights all resumed normal operation. Any ideas?

I searched as best I could through other threads, couldn't find this problem... if I missed it, please point me in the right direction.

 

I'm no expert at electrical issues here but I would say it sounds like a short in the left tailight circuit or maybe corroded socket. My 81 is alot older and might be different but I noticed the taillight assemblies have an exposed circuit anything touching it thats metalic or conductive could contribute to the problem.

 

First remove the negative batt terminal
Remove each of the bulb holders one at a time and clean bulb holder and circuit board contacts.
After you have all the bulb holders clean and reinstalled,unplug the harness on the circuit boards,clean the contacts on the circuit boards and the wiring connector,and reinstall.
Next follow the wire that is attached to the circuit board(see pic)follow it to the grounding point,remove and clean,reinstall,this should take care of the problem.


Dan

 

Thank you both... I'll give it a try this weekend and let you know how it comes out.

 

Did this work?

 

Sort of... problem is the plugs have worked loose over the years. i'm sure cleaning the contacts helped... haven't quite solved how to consistently keep good contact all the time. looked to tighten it with a c-clamp or band of some sort but couldn't figure out how to make it work. Lights work fine right now... but something will bump the connection a bit loose I'm sure in the next day or 3. Age and stage of the car... it's only 20 years old with 190k + miles... things just loosen up, I think.

Thanks for checking back... I forgot to log back in and report out.

 

one thing that worked for me was only screwing the bulb holders only about halfway in. When they are all the way in, they are looser than when they are half way. Worth a shot, has worked for a few months for me.

 

Might have a bad integrity sensor...big red relay under drivers kick panel...they always go bad and will make WEIRD things happen

 

My '93 240 had similar issues with the tail lights. I had various problems with lights not working. I found that the ground wire in the hinge was causing most of the issues. Once I took off the hinge and replaced the ground (I just crimped a new wire to it) everything started working. I also replaced the wires through the hinge (the window brake light, wiper, and heated window).
Anyway, I bet your problem has to do with the wires going through the hinge.
The broken ground wire even caused my window brake light to stay on while the brake was disengaged and once I engaged the brake it would turn off. Once I fixed the ground everything was back to normal.

 

What hinge are you referring to? Unless he has a wagon which I don't think he does..there is no hinge...the hinge that the wires run through on a 245 is only for the 3rd brake light anyway...has nothing to do with the other 2...most of the problems with tailights not working or one working and one not etc...is either a loose or poor connection, bad circuit board, bad integrity sensor, or a bad fuse...but with trhe symptoms he's describing I would say it is a bad Integrity sensor...big red round relay under driver side kick panel...

 

I have a sedan, no hinge. The loose connection I experience is the piece that connects to the circuit card. The original problem was caused by the plug being slightly cocked, not on straight... now I have the plug on straight, but the plastic tab holding the plug in tight has loosened over the years, so it's not always completely snug.

 

you need new ciruit board paper....or if it is just the plug you can go to a junk yard cut the plug and then butt connect it into yours...you do not want to have to do a wire harness...PITA!!

 

No brake lights. With lights on and peddle pushed the fuse burns? No lights and good fuse no brake lites. Have not replaced red sensor or lite switch.