Tracy Gilbert

I keep getting a lamp defective warning for my left brake light..replaced bulbs and then replaced the entire tail light assembly to no avail. Maybe a bad ground ?? Ideas ?? Thanks for any help!!

raymond g-

How did you interpret "bulb malfunction" warning message to mean the left brake light?

Tracy Gilbert

By having someone hit the brake pedal while I was at the rear of the car same as I did before replacing the left light assembly with a new one...

raymond g-

Okay, thanks. I was having a weird reading moment or something. Did you verify that you are using the correct filament bulb (model number?) yet? Are you using an LED bulb...and if so, what model/part #?

Exactly when is it that the brake light bulb is a dual filament design, when does the BULB MALFUNCTION light come on....that is, what action is done by you that triggers the warning?

Tracy Gilbert

Not an LED nor was the one in the light assy. I replaced. New assy. came equipped with bulbs. Dash light malfunction illuminates as soon as I hit the brake when I leave for work BUT on rare occasions it may take 2- 3 brake applications for it to come up which is why I suspected a bad ground. I guess I could jump an additional ground to a different location (which I just thought of!) The other 2 brake lights work perfectly. Any ideas would be appreciated !!!

ilove190evo

You said you replaced the entire housing. Is it new housing or used? If it's brand new unit, you got to find other cause.

But if used, look at where the light socket meet the housing. Pictures is my old housing but where the Alum. tape is, there was a burnt mark. If you do have this burnt mark, only way to repair this is to get a new housing or repair the burnt area like I did. I have another used unit install in my E320 now, and before I installed this unit on my car, I have repaired the burnt area with JB weld, smooth it out and put the same Alum. tape. The one in my pictures is my old unit before I got the unit I have on my car. Burnt mark will come back, how soon I don't know is the reason why I got myself another unit.

I'm about to repair this unit in the pictures as well. I did this before I got myself the JB weld (the one I had was beyond use, so had to get another one) but since I have one now, I'll remove the tape and make the same repair.