Hi folks,

Seeking info/advice related to 997.1 rear brake light. The dash notified me last week that I needed to check my left brake light. Sure enough, the brake light was out, so I ordered a few OEM replacement bulbs off Suncoast's website. Replaced them both last night (super easy to do) and wife confirmed that both lights were coming on when I stepped on the brake pedal. The red warning exclamation disappeared and all was well.. until today. As I was driving, I was trying to figure out how to change the clock and started cycling through the dash display menu. As I was cycling through the menu, I noticed the check left brake warning came back on! Oh no!

Coincidence? I think not. I remember reading another rennlister's comment recently about how his 997 would eat through left brake light bulbs. Is this a known issue? It seems like it might be...

What is the root cause of the left brake bulb burning out?

 

Is the element burnt out on the new bulb?
If you can't tell, put the left bulb in the right unit and double check.
You should be able the switch the plastic housing for side to side, for testing if it the hire loom or the rear light assembly. Of course your not going to be able to drive on the road with your tail light lenses reversed and dangling. But that could be a cross check???

 

I'll have to confirm later today whether the filament burned out or not. Pretty sure it did though as that's what happened to the original bulb that went out.

 

Well unless there is an over-voltage going to just that break light - which I cannot see happening - then its bad bulbs or conditions in that brake-light housing being bad - moisture, vibration?

If it is a filament bulb - then if it gets vibrated excessively, especially after turned off when still hot, then it is likely to suffer filament failure... what does the left side live through the right side doesn't? Some bumps or pot holes or speed bumps/curbs you drive over regularly only affecting one side?

 

Update - it ended up being another burned out bulb. Just the brake light filament within the 2-filament bulb (tail light + brake light are the same bulb) is what's burning out. I bought the car used and put about 1k miles on it before the first bulb went. Then the OEM replacement from Suncoast goes out the same way the very next day after replacing? This is just too weird to be a coincidence.