Blowing brake light bulbs?

[888]

Hi,

Ive just found out that ive blown yet another brake light bulb, which makes it 4 since Jan, both sides are blowing?

Any idea what would cause this?

Cheers

Gav

[mark_sargeant19]

ive had this same problem so very interested in whats goin on, also been through both sidelight bulbs in the last coupla weeks

[KenONeill]

Check whether or not the bulbholders are properly seated in the plastic. If they're not, it leaves the bulbs loose, which makes them vibrate, which leads to the filaments breaking.

Mark, this won't apply to the front SLs, which are capless. If so, were the bulbs the original with the "black smoked" bulbs?

[soviet]

Hi,

Ive just found out that ive blown yet another brake light bulb, which makes it 4 since Jan, both sides are blowing?

Any idea what would cause this?

Cheers

Gav

Hi,

I would be checking the earthing conection here, if you have not already done this. This may be the cause of problems here.

Soviet:thumbup:

[Bill S.]

had the same problem, cured by replacing the switch under the brake pedal.

[888]

Err, just had a look at the lights, where is the earth lead? You have the 4 bulbs in the holder, and a load of leads off one side... which one is earth and where does it connect it?

[Banana-Man]

How much do you drive the car - are you stop starting like in a city all the time or drive in the country-side and break no more than needed now and then. Or do you drive fairly aggressively (breaking harder and more often) do you use the car for work and stop and start the engine frequently?

Living in a town or city you might expect to replace bulbs fairly often every couple of months?

Using it for work where you stop and start all the time (delivery / taxi etc) turning the ignition on/off sometimes sends a serge of electricity, which can blow headlights and break lights in my experience, especially if they are left on while you are away from the vehicle and switch the car on, while they are on.

Driving like a lunatic you would probably need to replace them about the same frequency?

If you drive less frequently and gently and they keep blowing I would check :

*Badly fitted bulbs

*Cheap bulbs

*Water and condensation

*Earth problems and worn wiring inside trunking from body through shielding on hinge into trunklid and to the bulb itself

*corrosion on holder and terminals

You might just have a gremlin your will never find, so will have to carry spares with you and just change bulbs as and when. When 1 bulb blows the amps increases to the other break bulb causing it to blow out sometimes.

There is an adjustment on the break light switch on the pedal, but it's probably not this.

Good luck

[Tech1e]

Where you getting the bulbs?

[888]

Hadnt thought of that. I drive in town all the time, so im always on the brakes, also, i buy them from Halfords, the cheaper ones, so thinking about it i guess thats normal considering....

[KenONeill]

Try looking in filling stations then. My local one sells Bosch bulbs for less than Halfrauds sell their own brand ones for.

[Taxi 219]

I changed to Osram bulbs and never had another problem after.

[888]

oooh, i will give the petol stations a look.. cheers.

[Banana-Man]

Honestly - driving styles do inhibit the life of everything on your car if you drive in a town or city. I drive taxis and used to be the night manager of 150 taxis in Portsmouth. Brake light bulbs can go regular on the same car, week after week in a city. There is no real fix to the problem. Brake light bulbs actually do use a lot of power and draw alot of current from the battery. When you sit in traffic how many of us actually pull the e-brake or sit with our foot welded down on the foot-brake. this kills the bulbs off quicker. not sure what the best bulbs are? but I suppose the more expensive ones promote quality? could be wrong. We are lucky the Octavias have single filament brake bulbs at the top of the cluster, not like most cars which use twin filament for brakes and sidelights.

[KenONeill]

Honestly - driving styles do inhibit the life of everything on your car if you drive in a town or city. I drive taxis and used to be the night manager of 150 taxis in Portsmouth. Brake light bulbs can go regular on the same car, week after week in a city. There is no real fix to the problem. Brake light bulbs actually do use a lot of power and draw alot of current from the battery. When you sit in traffic how many of us actually pull the e-brake or sit with our foot welded down on the foot-brake. this kills the bulbs off quicker. not sure what the best bulbs are? but I suppose the more expensive ones promote quality? could be wrong. We are lucky the Octavias have single filament brake bulbs at the top of the cluster, not like most cars which use twin filament for brakes and sidelights.

Em Octy A4 estates use stop/tail bulbs.

[888]

Yeah I know what you mean, everytime im stopped I sit with my foot on the brake, and I never use the hand brake, unless im doing a hill start or parked