Tail Light Problem

[hgray14]

1993 850

My tail lights keep coming and going. All the bulbs are fine but at times they simple don't come on when I break.

I am thinking that it is likely the light switch on the dash (I think I have had this problem with another car a while ago) but wanted to see what else it might be.

Would anything in or on the steering column effect the tail lights?

thanks in advance.

[BEJinFBK]

1993 850

My tail lights keep coming and going. All the bulbs are fine but at times they simple don't come on when I break.

I am thinking that it is likely the light switch on the dash (I think I have had this problem with another car a while ago) but wanted to see what else it might be.

Would anything in or on the steering column effect the tail lights?

thanks in advance.

9 times outta 10, it's the pedal switch or it's adjustment.

[831t5r]

Have u tried new bulbs. Alot of times at work i can be like.fonzie and pound position bulbs or license ublbs back on. Usually just loose filaments.

[hgray14]

9 times outta 10, it's the pedal switch or it's adjustment.

Awesome! Thanks. I have never encounter a problem with, or worked on a pedal switch so this is oddly exciting. Are there instructions on here somewhere or is this an easy thing to figure out?

Thanks again for your help.

[the commissar!]

EDIT: This response is for a different tail light Problem...not the Brake light problem described by the OP. I got confused by the title but what follows may be useful to someone anyway...

I know you have a sedan but on my wagon, ONE of my 4 tail lights does that...in the bulb carrier, if you pull the offending bulb, you can see the "tab" that provides current to the bulb. On mine, this metal tab vibrates till it is not properly aligned with the bulb contact point- the bulb goes out - the dash bulb out light comes on...Next stop, I tap the light from the outside a couple of times, it comes back on till the next trip down my rough gravel driveway when it vibrates out of alignment again...I have not taken the time to fix but suspect a dab of silicone or other adhesive in the proper spot will cure mine...maybe that will help you too.

To diagnose that this IS your problem, you can pull the carrier and bulb, and with a probe see if your tab moves back and forth.

[Ben850]

EDIT: This response is for a different tail light Problem...not the Brake light problem described by the OP. I got confused by the title but what follows may be useful to someone anyway...

I too thought this was a different tail light issue so maybe there is something else I could add.

While backing out of the garage, a neighbor let me know that when I applied the brakes when in reverse, my left tail light cluster would flash all lamps simultaneously. When my foot was off the brake, reverse lights were normal.

I recalled grabbing a blue box from the pick and pull that I thought might come in handy some day. It is the tail light control module attached inside the trunk, drivers side under the tail light assembly.

I figured it's worth a try since my car is a '93 and stuff goes bad over time. The spare module I had was from a '96 850, and about an inch and a half smaller but after looking at the pin configuration and part numbers, they were the same.

So after swapping that module out, everything was fine. I would'nt have known anything was acting up if I did'nt have an observant neighbor. It's also a good thing that little blue box in the trunk caught my eye at the pick and pull.