Check Left brake Light ? But nothing wrong

[[email protected]]

I am facing a weird issue today. On my way back from work suddenly the "failure of light bulb" light went on. In the MFD the message was please check rear left brake light. Stopped the vehicle got out and checked and found all lights to be working fine. 

 

When i restarted the engine the error light /message was no longer there. But then again after about 15 minutes of driving the light came back on with the same error message. Again  stopped the vehicle got out and checked and found all lights to be working fine. On restarting the vehicle again error light and message is gone.

 

Any idea whats wrong ?? Saw some similar errors on the forum with solutions ranging from replacing the rear light cluster to replacing the ECU.

Edited 11 July, 2013 by [email protected]

[stevehg]

Might be loose connector. You could start by checking these and that bulbs are properly mounted.

Cheers

Steve

[markmoran87]

Sounds likely to be the same problem I had with broken wires. See my post in this topic: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/248844-bulb-failure-reports-wrong-side/#entry3335296

[silver1011]

Blown bulbs can often fix themselves and blow again repeatedly. When the filament breaks the bulb fails and on comes the warning light.

Bumps in the road, slamming the boot lid and heat from an adjacent filament inside the same bulb can temporarily fix the broken filament.

The easiest and cheapest way of fixing the fault will be to start by replacing the bulb.

Just out of curiosity, how were you able to check the operation of the brake lights at the road side? Did you have a willing passenger to press the brake peddle!?

[Supurbia]

What silver says happens but also you may want to check one hasn't just come slightly loose, a simple turn one way and back again sorts it, if any are silver or blackened these would be the main suspects of a bulb thats semi blown or about to.

[United 11]

I was sitting in tescos today and another driver in a 61 plate Octavia reversed in beside me while he birrlied round to revers ini noticed his left brake light was out I jumped out and said to him so he went to the back of his car and I pushed the brake pedal for him he jiggled some of the cables and it was coming on, must be a bad earth and it was common on the sierra's too

Edited 11 July, 2013 by United 11

[[email protected]]

Update on this. The bulb failed sign is permanently on and does not disappear. So finally got down to opening the rear tail light to see if the bulb was kaput, but found the bulb to be fine with the filament intact. Feared the worst that there was some problem with the wiring or worse the ECU. So then just pulled the bulb out and then  put it back in and bingo the lights back on. So still not very sure if this is a wiring issue or the bulb just came loose. Find it difficult to to belive that the bulb came loose, because i had to literally fight with the bulb to pull it out. For a few moments there i thought the bulb's glass jacket would break before the bulb came loose. Anyways will keep it under observation for some more time before i replace it. Thanks for all your suggestions folks.

 

But this brings me to a couple of question. 

 - Is there something i can spray/apply into this so that i dont have to fight with the bulbs to remove them.. something like WD40 or similar

 - How do we identify the bulbs. I did not see any marking on it, how do i know its W16W or W5W

[CombatWombat]

I have had both of the factory installed rear brake light bulbs in my Superb  fail in this unusual manner.

The filament detaches internally as the bulb heats up with use, only to spark/weld itself shut a few moments later, when they work correctly for hours. But by then the bulb failure is logged and is not reset until the ignition is turned off/on.

For me, this went on for days. I eventually saw this happen with the bulb in my hand. The new bulbs supplied from a Skoda dealer were a different brand (Hitachi £4 IIRC), the problem has never returned in the 10 months since these were fitted. I tried reseating the bulb, applying WD40 etc. before replacement, but to no benefit.

 

Depending on the brand, these bulbs are 16w or 18w. They run at a reduced brightness when the lights are on  (to appear as a 5w would - dimmed by the controller) and then work at full power as a brake light. So the single filament bulb performs as the function of both filaments in an old 5w/21w stop/tail bulb (type 382 IIRC?).

HTH, Mike

Edited 13 July, 2013 by CombatWombat

[Danny 57]

I had the same problem last year (car only two months old at the time) but only on hot days when the rear of the car was in the sun first one side then the other and also both but all the time the lamps were fine. Having done most of the "trys" above I put it down to the fact that the lamp holders metal parts were moving/expanding because of the heat. In the end the only fix by the dealer that worked was to replace the lamp holders. Have had no repeat of this since then even with the current hot weather. Of course it will happen now I've said that.

Edited 13 July, 2013 by Danny 57

[silver1011]

I had the same problem last year (car only two months old at the time)...

 

Doesn't the L&K get LED brake and tail lights with only the fog, reverse and indicator functions using traditional incandescent bulbs... or is your L&K the estate?

[Danny 57]

Doesn't the L&K get LED brake and tail lights with only the fog, reverse and indicator functions using traditional incandescent bulbs... or is your L&K the estate?

 You are quite correct and now I remember it was the fog lights that gave the false problem.

Edited 14 July, 2013 by Danny 57

[winmoz]

My rear left brake light has been playing this game for a while now.  It used to be fixable by reseating the bulb (L&K estate).

On Monday the light failed and stayed failed.  Have jiggled everything but to no avail.  Last night, I had the car in cruise control and the EPC came on, knocking off the cc and going into limp home.  

Stopped the car and restarted.  EPC went out, brake light still on.  

Will replace the bulb and see what happens.

[winmoz]

Nope, not the bulb.  Will have to go to the dealership.

[Guest]

I had a similar issue with my Superb. Changed all the bulbs and used contact cleaner spray on the holders and the plug as well. For the past few months, no problems at all.

[winmoz]

Thanks Kebab.  On the way back from a panic bread buying trip (well it is snowing) I accelerate to join a dual carriage way and the car went back in to limp home mode.  When I stopped and and restarted, the EPC light went out.

 

think I have picked up an electrical gremlin somewhere.  Will try the contact cleaner, but worry that the issue is an earthing one.

[jafo]

@winmoz

 

Can't see on mobile if you have diesel or petrol - but if diesel - "fixed" ?

Edited 18 March, 2018 by jafo

[winmoz]

Petrol 2.0 Tsi .  No, not fixed.  EPC keeps coming on and brake light refuses to illuminate.

[winmoz]

So, trip to the dealer.  Rear brake light holder had become splayed, so an easy fix.

 

EPC has loads of fault codes stored.  High fuel rail pressure, gearbox gear selection conflict, road speed sensor error.  

Car misfires under load and trips limp home mode.

 

I suspect the fact that I got stuck on a snowy hill in Cumbria and had to be towed out may have something to do with the gearbox/roadspeed falut codes.  But the fuel rail is the one that I am concerned about.