a couple months back, my tail light was being funny, so I tried to fix it. in the process of putting one of the bulbs back in, it sparked and blew the fuse. I put a fuse in, but it was a 16A (didn't pay attention at the time). well, the bulb stayed off because the metal/plastic wiring thing had melted from the spark and was torn in a few places.

so last week, I get on ebay and buy a replacement. it gets here and I put it in, put the bulb back into place and viola! brake light works fine. I drive it for two days and then yesterday, I start the car, turn the headlights on and on comes the dash light telling me there's a light issue. same bulb is out. I open the cover and the plastic wiring is melted again...same spot. :/



close up:



that's when I remember putting that fuse back in months ago, so I check the diagram and sure enough, the fuse was wrong (along with a few others). so I put the right fuse back in, but it's too late. I'll have to get another new plastic wiring thing (what are they called, anyways??).

my question is: was the fuse being too big the cause of the melted wiring? or is there something else amiss?

J.

 

I should note that the only bulb that melted was the brake light...the reverse, blinker & fog/tail lights are all fine. only the brake bulb has the melting.

also, there is melting right at the bulb too...

J.

 

too big of a fuse would only have mattered if there was a short so that there was too much current. an 8A fuse might have blown before that little wire, and a 16A might decide to let that wire be the fuse.

is that a real Volvo tail light assembly, or is it a Depo or Uro or something ? I've had generally good luck with more recent Depo stuff, most others I wouldn't touch.

 

I don't think this tail light assembly is stock. this corner of the car has a little damage to it, and the plastic tail light cover looks much newer than the passenger side. so I'm guessing it was aftermarket/replacement.

the plastic wiring was just one that I found on ebay...so again, I have no idea what brand it was.

if the ground wire wasn't grounded enough, would that cause something like this? or the bulb somehow? the bulb is brand new. I bought new bulbs and installed them a few months back when it initially went out...then I found out about the fuse & the melted old wiring.

J.

 

bulbs usually don't short, they blow open.

bad ground would just mean dim and/or erratic bulbs.

the light would have VOLVO or CIBIE on it on the outside of the lenses if it was factory, and maybe something else impressed, or maybe not.

 

haha...ok, so this morning, I drive to work w/out my lights on and notice that the brake light is working just fine. if I turn on my lights, the tail-light portion of that bulb won't work, but the hitting the brakes makes it turn on...

this is with the melted plastic still. ha. I'm so confused...

J.