Lamp Failure




You will know which bulb to change soon. Once the light is out, the warning light won't go away until you replace the defective bulb....
I think the filament in the bulb is on its way to brake, so when its short-circuit that's when U get the warning lamp.....
cheers!
About 6 months after buying my '96, I too got the dreaded "Lamp Failure" warning. Being a Simpleton, I thought I would easily locate the problem when I found the offending bulb. Ah, the brake light on the LH side. One bulb installed. Problem solved. Well, not really. "Lamp Failure" returned the next day with absolutely no regard for the new bulb.
Over the next few weeks, we became best friends. I took "Lamp Failure" with me everywhere. When I started up, it greeted me welcome, and never failed to say goodbye right as I exited.
Eventually I had the Stealership take a look at it while in for an oil change. The official diagnosis was the connection where the bulb snaps in was corroded. And, while the very knowledgeable and professional looking technician was able to "repair" the seat where the bulb rest, he did warn that another "repair" would be impossible and the entire tail light unit would need to be replaced, if it failed again.
He quoted me some price, but I am sure that by then the glaze had come over my eyes and I cannot recall what it was -- stunned and wondering when this might come up again.I was not held in suspense for too long. 3 days to be exact. My buddy was back... "Greetings", Lamp Failure flashed cheerfully.
One week, $55, a bid war on E-bay, and it was over. The drama came to an end with the 5 minute install of a used tail light unit. My friend was gone, at least for now, and I returned happily to driving secure and confident that MB technology was watching over me every mile.
Suffice it to say, there is more than one way to get the "Lamp Failure" warning. It may be a bad bulb, or it may be the beginning of an adventure.
Good luck!
Last edited by Top Jimmy; Apr 26, 2005 at 11:37 AM.
The weird part about it is that my center brake light hadn't worked since I bought the car...even with new bulbs. When I took the car in for my last service, they fixed the center light. A week later, the lamp failure warning kept coming on. Initially, I thought it was the center, but then figured out that it was the right brake light that was out and causing the warning. With the new bulb, I now have all three brakes lights working...first time in 2 years!
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I put a dab of silicone caulk behind the connector to hold it in the proper position and restore the springiness, and haven't had a problem since.
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I put a dab of silicone caulk behind the connector to hold it in the proper position and restore the springiness, and haven't had a problem since.
Any other suggestions would be appreciated! My car has been to three local independent repair shops and none have been able to fix this problem.



