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98 Silverado K1500 Tail Light Issues

brandon.russell

By brandon.russell
in Ask A GM Technician

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brandon.russell New Member

brandon.russell

Posted
Posted

So I have a problem that I just can not seem to figure out with my truck. For some reason my right brake light seems to want to go out every now and then. I know for a fact it is not the bulbs, one because I checked them and also because if it were the bulbs then my brake light would stay out. So I recently replaced the boards and the plugs for my tail lights hoping that would fix the problem. However, coming into work this morning my right brake light went out again. I also upgraded the ground that runs to my tail lights. I am going nuts trying to figure out what the problem is. Only other thing I could think it would be is a short somewhere in the wiring. If anyone has had a similar problem and could give me any advice I would greatly appreciate it. Again my brake light DOES NOT stay out it just goes out every now and then. To temporarily fix it I have to take the tail light off, unplug the harness from the tail light then plug it back it. Thanks in advanced.

Doug_Scott Senior Enthusiast

Doug_Scott

Posted
Posted

First off, one of those pet peeves, a short is when the power wire is connected to a ground, or another circuit. What you are describing is called an open circuit. A circuit that has a short in it, will blow fuses.

 

A bulb can be broken and still work intermitently. If the element burns out, the bulb goes out permantly, but, if the element just breaks, it can reconnect itself if you shake or tap the bulb. Ever have a headlight go out, so you get out and rap on the lens, the headlight comes back on. Next time you use the headlights, it is out again, so you smack it, and it comes back on. That happens when the element has broken, and when you hit it, the element touches the spot it broke off of and "re-welds" itself back together. After you turn off the headlights, the element shrinks and breaks off again.

 

You do not actually say you have replaced the bulb. I would think that even if it looked good you would still have at least tried a new bulb If you have not replaced the bulb yet, swap the bulb with the one on the left side. See if the left side now becomes the issue.

 

When you unplug the harness and reconnect it, you are doing a few things. You are moving the connectors inside the plug that will help clean any corrosion, you are flexing the wire harness that will effect any broken wires inside the harness at that point, and you are moving the wire where it goes inside the actual metal connector at the end of the wire. If there is any loose terminal connector inside the plug, that will cause the issue you are having.

 

On yopur truck, is the brake light the same bulb as the turn signal? Does the signal also stop working when the brake light goes out?

brandon.russell New Member

brandon.russell

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Posted

Thank you very much for the info Doug. Ill try it later on today after I get off and let you know what happens. I figured it would not work at all if the bulb was bad. I was totally unaware that it could still work if an element was bad. I will try and swap it to the drivers side later on today and see what happens. Thanks again for your advice.

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