87 5kCSTQ Mysterious Brake Light

[Paul Meyers]

Sorry, Rob. The US stop light is a single filament. Thanks anyway.
Paul

-----Original Message-----
From: rob hod [mailto:rob3 at hod3.fsnet.co.uk]
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 12:34 PM
To: quattro at audifans.com
Subject: Re: 87 5kCSTQ Mysterious Brake Light 





    Are US tail lights the same as UK? if so then the rear brake light is
surely a twin filament stop/tail light, in addition there is a 5w safety
tail light.

    If this is not the case then read no further.

    If so then the filament for the brake circuit may well have failed,
leaving only the tail filament working.

   If the bulb is 'brake light' brightness, then the bulb must be in the
wrong way round.

    When one filament in a twin filament bulb fails, results may be peculiar
especially if the broken part comes into contact with the undamaged one.

    I'd try swapping bulbs side to side.

    The only time my autocheck reported a blown brake light it was right on
the money. Immediately.

    Cheers



rob

----- Original Message ----- >
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 16
> From: Paul Meyers <paul.meyers at citrix.com>
> To: "'quattro at audifans.com'" <quattro at audifans.com>
> Subject: 87 5kCSTQ Mysterious Brake Light
> Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 11:28:36 -0400
>
> So, during the year storage in the back yard, I bashed a quarter-sized
hole
> in the right rear taillight assembly on the Gray 87. Chris Semple sends me
a
> new taillight (thanks, Chris). I install it last night. Easy to do with
deep
> 8mm socket. Hardest job is reworking the sticky black goo used to keep
water
> out. I go for a test drive and on comes the warning light telling me my
> brake lamp is kaput. I go around to the rear of the car, having son press
> brake pedal. Sure enough, the brake light no longer lights. I know it
> worked, since the car just passed the state safety inspection. So I figure
> the light bulb must have coincidentally burnt out. No, filament still
good.
> I check all the fuses, Nope.
>
> Then I turn on the headlights. Now the mysterious behavior. The brake
light
> now comes on with the taillight! Other brake lights work normally, but
this
> one now only comes on with taillight and fails to work as a brake light.
>
> No connectors were removed or reattached in the lens replacement process.
> The bulb carrier just snaps out then snaps back into the new lens
assembly.
> There is no electrical contact between the bulb carrier and the lens
> assembly, so it can't be a ground problem.
>
> What gives?
>
> Paul Meyers
> Gray 87 5KCSTQ 1.8bar eurolights fuchs 147 kM
> Pearl 88 5KCSTQ 1.8bar eurolights fuchs bilsteins 128 kM 2pc-em k24 turbo
> Repainted Pearl 87 5KTQA 1.8bar eurolights TT wheels bilsteins 203 kM
daily
> driver
> Blue 86 5KCSTQ parts car
>
>