vjd3

I have an 06 997, got a warning that the right taillight is out.

On the left side, with the headlights on, all three of the taillight bulbs are lit. On the right side, all three are out.

The fuse is not blown, and the reverse, turn signal and brake lights are all working in the right taillight. I tried swapping each bulb with a new bulb but got nowhere.

What am I missing here? If one bulb goes bad does it take out all three of them?

Rocco07

Without a diagram and some theory of operation, we're at a disadvantage.
But, have you changed ALL the bulbs together? If so, I'd then try swapping the entire left tail light with the right.
Do we have a light control module? Is it in the PCM? Can it be reset?
Some circuits are monitoring current draw to detect faults. If the controller sensed low current, it may deactivate the power to the circuit shutting off all the bulbs. I'm brainstorming here, but some of the simplest circuits can be the hardest to troubleshoot. My Audi went through tail light bulbs all the time. Check the amount of solder on the bulb contacts. Choose the biggest tips/contacts to ensure a good connection. Even if the filament was good, the darn contacts would be the culprit, even on brand new bulbs. The monitoring systems can be sensitive. It may not be about a simple open or closed circuit.

eflight

I would check the ground line on that side

CORSASCHNELL

The fuse is not blown, and the reverse, turn signal and brake lights are all working in the right taillight. I tried swapping each bulb with a new bulb but got nowhere.
Vic

So you moved known working bulbs from left side to right side and they worked fine? If this is the case check for corrosion or a problem with where bulb inserts too. Also, fuses can sometimes be difficult to tell when blown. May need to check it or replace it to make sure.

Good luck!

vjd3

Hi guys:

I would think if the brake lights and reverse lights are working, the fuse would be okay. There doesn't seem to be two fuses per taillight, at any rate.

It seems unlikely that all three bulbs would go at once and it's hard to believe that if one of the three lamps blows the whole thing goes dead -- like a Christmas tree light string -- but who knows? I will try swapping the whole thing out. I don't think the PCM has control over whether they light or not.

Thanks for the ideas.

holden997

your light switch is at fault!

your reserve lights are working because it's controlled by the shifter.
your brake lights are working because it's activiated by the brake pedal.
your turn siganls are working because it's controlled by the turn signal lever.
your hazard lights should also operate when you select the emergency switch. Go have a look.

There is no blown fuse.
There is no ground issue.
The bulbs contacts are good.

It's your main light switch. No signal is send to the right.

vjd3

Could be ... I just swapped the right and left taillights and the good taillight became a dead taillight when I put it on that side.

Edgy01

Pulling out your light switch is easy. If you need help EM. Just push in and twist to the left.

vjd3

Thanks, Dan ... I'll give it a shot.

holden997

Dan, I believe you twist it to the right.

Here's the instruction:
http://www.macarbon.com/install_guid...structions.pdf

iBang

Hi VJD3, did you find the resolution with the light switch? I'm running into the same problem as well. The only difference is, my problem is intermittent. At first I though it was a lose wire or connection. That all checked out fine. I got all of the same symptoms. Suggestions needed.

markj911

I had the same issue. I removed the light switch from the dash and cycled it from off to headlights on about 60 times. I reinstalled and all working now. Not sure how long the fix will last but you are definitely right that it was the switch. Thanks to Holden997!!

Castro

So great that you found an easy fix .... 9 years later.