Brake Lights alternating out

[GrantLee123]

Hello all,

My 1978s right brake light is out. When I purchased the car, the left brake light was out, and the previous owner and I fiddled with the brake pedal switch, which was working, and then pulled the left brake bulb and cleaned it and the socket for corrosion, which got it so both lights were working, but now, the right brake light won’t come on, and there’s no corrosion on the bulb and the filament is good. Any ideas as to why this might be? All other lights work including the left brake light. Thanks

[DieselSpider]

Hello all,

My 1978s right brake light is out. When I purchased the car, the left brake light was out, and the previous owner and I fiddled with the brake pedal switch, which was working, and then pulled the left brake bulb and cleaned it and the socket for corrosion, which got it so both lights were working, but now, the right brake light won’t come on, and there’s no corrosion on the bulb and the filament is good. Any ideas as to why this might be? All other lights work including the left brake light. Thanks

Water gets into the riveted connections inside the sockets causing corrosion which prevents current from getting to the bulb contacts. Sometimes if its not too bad you can spray PBlaster in through where the spade lug connectors come out of the back of the socket and they may start working again for a while. Just be sure that there is power going in from the wire that comes across from the other stop light when you press on the brake pedal.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Water gets into the riveted connections inside the sockets causing corrosion which prevents current from getting to the bulb contacts.

Yes, good thought. The electrical connection between bulb socket and light assembly can get intermittent, so I've taken to soldering a wire from the outer surface of the socket to a good ground.

You can test this by having someone press the brake pedal while you ground the bulb socket with a piece of wire like a clip lead or the like.

-Bryan