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Brake lights/ Tail light blowing
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electronictofu
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 1:35 pm    Post subject: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

I have new tail light/ brake light buckets on my 65' and I have two issues, I'd assume is maybe a bad ground somewhere. But my brake lights only work sometimes, my rear driving lights always work, however the rear driver side driving light blows out like every 2 weeks. Just that one side, any hints what it could be? Ground wire?

Thats dudes.
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Eric&Barb
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 1:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Hopefully you have installed ground wires from each TL to the battery grounding point. Without that the brake/turn signal lights can be spotty.

As for the short you could switch TL bulb holders and see if the problem switches to that side. If so then you have a bulb holder problem.
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electronictofu
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PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2016 12:42 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

I guess there isn't too many things that it could be. I've added new ground wires, super strong and clean grounds. I blew out my driver side again, it always lasts about 2 weeks. And when it does work it's just my driving lights, my actual brake lights have only come on one of two nights when driving, I was super excited, but then they stopped again with no change to my system. Dual Circuit MC is brand new so is the brake light switch.

Both lights are blown now, it's usually just one side, but this may be might bad, I did a few spot welds when my exhaust was mocked up, so that may have done it. But in general it seems to have a mind of it's own.

Any ideas peeps?
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Eric&Barb
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PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2016 12:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

By "Blew Out" do you mean the filament in the bulb is burnt out?
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electronictofu
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PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2016 2:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Yeah the inside of the bulb, filament keeps burning.
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PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2016 2:52 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Mine did that on the passenger side. Battery wasn't that tight, ground out the bulb every once in a while LOL
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PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2016 3:07 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

electronictofu wrote:
Yeah the inside of the bulb, filament keeps burning.


Can only think of three things that will do that.

1. Really cheap bulbs.

2. 6 volt bulb in a 12 volt system.

3. Regulator is putting out way too much voltage. Connect up a voltage meter to the wiring up front and have a passenger hold the meter and keep an eye on it while you drive around.

4. You have been welding and not grounding as close and solid to your work area, so back feeding high voltage thru the wiring.
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PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2016 5:00 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Where are you on the diagnostics ideas listed in your previous post?

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=638420&highlight=

Switch back to OG taillight assemblies, the plastic ones are junk.

My guess, bad signal switch and non OG tail light assemblies.
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electronictofu
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2016 9:19 am    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Thanks guys. I'll get a voltage meter and find out how much power is going through (alternator). I agree original buckets would be better, these aftermarket ones are metal though, not plastic. I have a spare package of what bulb I was using Im going to check after work, I'm nearly positive it's 12v.
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electronictofu
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2016 11:30 am    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

I have an extra brake light switch, popping that off the master cyl. (Dual Circuit) would require bleeding brakes again? That's a good thing to check too. Maybe I'll swap that out.
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2016 12:07 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

If you have the reservoir filled and do the change quickly, you should not need to bleed it.

Brake switch is not going to have anything to do with causing bulbs burning out.
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2016 12:25 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Eric&Barb wrote:


Can only think of three things that will do that.

1. ...

2. ...

3. ...

4. ...



Was that deliberate? Smile
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2016 1:16 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Who.Me? wrote:
Eric&Barb wrote:


Can only think of three things that will do that.

1. ...

2. ...

3. ...

4. ...



Was that deliberate? Smile


Ha! No just too busy here...
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2016 2:55 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Put one of the spare bulbs and see if both L & R are the same brightness. If the new bulb is a lot brighter then its 6V.
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electronictofu
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2016 3:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Im definitely rolling it out tonight so I'll find out what bulb PN is in there. I should probably find out why before considering these, I certainly dont know the tech side, but wouldn't these LED's handle the load or if any at all, spikes in power?

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/tail-brak...ower/1166/

Found them on an older thread.
Im not really looking to "GO LED" but LED's are clean and last a long long time.

Or better yet, would these "drop in" It looks like they are dual function for brake light and driving light.

http://www.amazon.com/JDM-ASTAR-AX-2835-Chipsets-B...7+led+bulb
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2016 4:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

LEDs will burn out just as fast if you have an over voltage problem. Plus you will fry other electrical items like the battery slowly, but surely.
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2016 4:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Cool good to know, I'll check my voltage and make sure that's all good first, and plop in another stock set of stock parts store bulbs and see what happens from there. And since I have that extra brake light switch I'll just throw it on, couldn't hurt.

Thanks for the tips. I'll update soon! And I'd still be interested in these amazon LED's, pretty cheap and clean looking little lights.
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 10:36 am    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Well I found one of my issues, aside from a crumby ground previously. My driving tail lights stay on when I turn my headlight switch to the off position. If I switch it on and off a few times they turn off, I just have to play with it and make sure they go off. So I may just need to clean some terminals and the inside of the switch. Or replace it.

Could this be a part of the issue of my brake lights not working? Ive replaced my brakelight switch twice (both brand new) at the DCMC. Driving rear lights work, but Ive only seen my brakelights work once, it was a miracle and random, then they stopped.
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 11:49 am    Post subject: Re: Brake lights/ Tail light blowing Reply with quote

Headlight switch will have nothing to do with brake lights if wired properly.

Sounds like a piece of metal came loose inside the switch...

If you are running the stock bell shaped headlight switch and not something later or after market.

http://type2.com/library/electris/vw-hauptlicht-schalter.html

Fixed a fellows headlight switch and turned out one of the brass arms inside was loose on its rivet. Swedged back down the rivet and soldered up all the riveted connections inside to fix it.
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