Hello,

On my 1992 240 my brake lights all work except when I have my parking lights on too.
Specifically, the passenger side brake/parking light turns off when I press the brake pedal. When off the brakes, the parking lights work fine too.
I have put in a new circuit board in the tail light assembly, a new socket and a new dual filament bulb. I also checked the fuse box and it is ok. But I still have the same problem.

any ideas what to check next?
thanks

 

The parking light bulbs ( a #67 or the 5 watt filament in a 1157) are obviously dimmer ( 5 watt versus 21 watt) than the 21 watt brake light filaments. But many get confused trying to figure this out.

Confusion happens whether it's a 5 or a 21 watt filament illuminating. With a "replacement" circuit board - who knows what the f is happening. Many have moved the right white socket to the left or used a black socket in the wrong place. -

Make sure the ground connection is good also - Just use logic - (hey the parking light goes off with the brake applied - maybe there's a bad connection or a bad ground, or the wrong socket/bulb/circuit board)

 

Thanks. I do have a circuit board from a reputable company (seemingly) and I have a white socket on passenger side and black on driver side.

today I messed with the grounds. Now the pass rear parking light is always brighter, as if I had brakes on. It doesn’t get dimmer with brakes off. However if no lights are on at all, then all 3 brake lights are fine and function correctly.

could this be a brake switch problem? Or what else should I check? I dont know much about multimeters and what to prove for testing or anything, so can anyone explain in layman’s terms what I should test and how? Thanks!

 

If the right outer lower brake/park bulb is too bright with the parking lights on - your choices would be -
wrong socket (even though it's white)
single filament bulb jammed into correct socket, or 1157 jammed in backwards
wrong circuit board
bad ground/connection at bulb holder to circuit board.

An Easy fix for your brake light woes -
prior to 1986 the brake lights were in the upper inner lenses. Where the rear fog lights are now.

Move the wire in the multiconnector (at the taillamp) for the brake light on both sides - to the rear fog lamp position. (I think the rear fog lamp wire is white or is that the reverse wire?, it's been a few years).
Cut the wires to the rear fog lights (do you use them?)

Then you will have many years of trouble free brake lights - because the taillamp assembly/circuit board is not melted under the 2 prong bulb holders for the rear fog lights - like it is for the 3 prong brake/parking holders..

 

Thanks for suggesting the easy fix- about that, do I pull the brake light and fog light cables out of the white/clear colored connector and swap them? I am finding it difficult to just pull them out .

 

Yes - or don't reconnect the rear fog wire, just cut it - do you use your rear fog lights? Are the taillamp assemblies not melted/deformed near the brake light sockets?

takes a few seconds for each side - the right angle "forked" connector is latched into the white/clear connector but they come right out.