Hi all just wondering if anybody can help me out with this please? It's really starting to drive me mad !! I've got a 2013 Vauxhall vivaro and my brake lights work fine during the day but at night when I've got my lights on one brake light works properly but the one on the driver's side doesn't come on but my light on that side goes out !! Very baffling ! I've checked for everything obvious but have run out of ideas ! Help 😬
100% its the bulb 'earthing' /chassis connection. ( 0 volt, batt neg)
maybe an insecure local earth, a rusty bulb holder, or even the bulb itself.
check both sides, but I think it will be the drivers side at fault.
[Edited on 25/9/22 by gremlin1234]
Bad earth. Invariable corrosion in the plug into the lamp/bulb holder, though can be bad bulb or bulb holder. Very rarely the loom earth to chassis.
Think they have it above. Remove and refit the bulbs a few times. Remove and refit connectors a few times. That usually cleans away any corrosion affecting the earth connections.
MY dad has an Astra with a horn that doesn't work until you switch the lights on.
There is spring clip I can fit somewhere in the steering wheel but luckily for us this Astra has automatic lights, so left in that position keeps the
horn working.
another vote for a bad earth
get yourself a can of contact cleaner like this: (the type meant for corroded contacts)
https://eshop.wurth.co.uk/Product-categories/Contact-spray-OL/31083009030302.cyid/3108.cgid/en/GB/GBP/?RecoId=box1%40productdetailpageA&CampaignNa
me=CS005
a small brass wire brush can help a lot too:
https://eshop.wurth.co.uk/Spark-plug-brush-SPRKPLGBRSH-BRSWRE-L145MM/071551%2058.sku/en/GB/GBP/?ReplacementProduct=false&CampaignName=SR007&Vi
sibleSearchTerm=contact+brush
If you're driving around and see a car with a light out - it's odds on that it's a Vauxhall.
I have no idea why... my wife had an Astra for a while, and it regularly popped bulbs. Voltage regulation was normal (I checked), earths were usually
secure and clean, the bulbs were held securely so not failing due to vibration, and I bought decent-quality bulbs... but still they failed.
Try it yourself - when you see a car with a bulb not working, check to see who made it. We've found it to be 60% - 70% Vauxhall. 
I've literally *never* had a (main, exterior) bulb fail in any car I've owned. I think that's actually pretty amazing in itself given that I buy used, and keep cars for 7+ years.
quote:we had a touring caravan, and regularly had to make the 7 pin cable work else the lights were like Christmas trees.
Originally posted by coyoteboy
I've literally *never* had a (main, exterior) bulb fail in any car I've owned. I think that's actually pretty amazing in itself given that I buy used, and keep cars for 7+ years.
Thanks everyone 👍found the fault ! It was the bulbholder on the driver's side. The metal strip which was for the earth just fell out of the bulbholder when touched with a screwdriver !8
Ha ignore all the random numbers in the last reply 😁no idea where they came from 😁
quote:
Originally posted by nick-york
Ha ignore all the random numbers in the last reply 😁no idea where they came from 😁
quote:
It was the bulbholder on the driver's side. The metal strip which was for the earth just fell out of the bulbholder