Brake / Side light issue...

poppydoodlesdad

Active Member
Feb 6, 2012
27
0
Hello Again!



Hoping someone might have some ideas with a brake / side light issue I'm having. As usual I have done a search of the forum and found some similar posts but want to just check on some specifics before getting cold and wet trying to fix it!



So, I've a 2008 Altea Reference Sport 1.6. The rear drivers side brake light has gone a couple of times in past couple of years but has always been cured by a simple bulb change. It did seem to go more often than seemed normal and always only on the drivers side, but I'd put it down to "one of those things".



Anyway, a couple of months ago the bulb out warning light came on and I lost the brake light, but the tail light was OK (not the bulb then?). Before I got round to changing the bulb the issue "self resolved" (love it when that happens!:D).



Since then the problem has been intermittent with long periods with no problem. This weekend I've lost both the brake light AND taillight, so today I changed the bulb, but it hasn't sorted the problem.



I've read on the forum you can get rusting or corrosion in the actual holder and I will check this again tomorrow but I have to say I didn't see any evidence of this when I changed the bulb. I also cleaned the contacts but no improvements. Tomorrow I'll try changing over the clusters to see if it is the bulb holders but I fear it will be something more problematic (because it always is when I've got no money :censored:).



I will add that it does seem to happen more when the weather has been wet (I guess it doesn't rain much in Spain?) but I wouldn't categorically link the fault with wet weather (this weekend we were in Devon where it was torrential and we had to go through several flooded roads).



So, any ideas? Is there anything I can check before having to take it to the garage? I'm assuming not fuse as this would presumably put all the lights out? I'm also hopeful it won't be a break in the loom as the indicator works fine and presumably the wires are bundled together? (Though I did read on here about the wiper motor on someone's Altea gradually cutting through the loom!).



Your thoughts and advice are most welcomed. Sorry it's a bit long!



Thanks



NICK
 
Last edited:

poppydoodlesdad

Active Member
Feb 6, 2012
27
0
What, not single reply? Helpful or otherwise?

Oh well, never mind.....

Went and had a look anyway. Couldn't honestly say there was any correction on the contacts, but I scrapped them with the end of a screwdriver and gently levered the connection up slightly to improve the contact and guess what....:D
 
Last edited:

robbo990

Active Member
Jan 6, 2016
47
0
Had a similar issue with the brake light on my Altea XL - managed to dig my finger in and prise up the bottom connection a bit - has worked fine since.
 

poppydoodlesdad

Active Member
Feb 6, 2012
27
0
I know it's bloody ridiculous. I'm sure the warning lights are there merely to scare people in to going to a dealer and getting skinned!


Sent from my BiPhone using Twitatwat
 
Adrian Flux insurance services - discount for forum members.