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xk8 bulb failure message - help!

theoutlaw

Freshman Member
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My xk8 convert. just started giving a message 'bulb failure'. HOWEVER, its only when you do TWO of the following: right signal and brake, right signal and lights on, lights on and brake. Does not have a problem if I only do ONE of these things. No fuses blown and no bulbs blown. Is it a relay? fuse? bulbs, taillight assembly? Help please...
 

R6MGS

Yoda
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Sound like a bad ground somewhere....My Caddy did something similar and I spent the better part of Christmas day one year trying to sort it out...Remove the entire assembly(start with the right one as thats what appears to have the problem), clean all the connections to it, and all the connections on it. Also clean all the sockets and make sure each bulb is sitting in the socket nice a tightly. I've never been into the rear lamps on my Jag but I believe they use a printed circuit board? So make sure it's not cracked(or cracking).
 
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theoutlaw

Freshman Member
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Thanks for the help. I thought of a ground as well and cleaned all the male ends on the connector set, and did all the bulbs, but no help. Seems exactly like a ground, since it never had the problem until immediately after I took it through a drive-through carwash. Water must have gotten into something, but all connections are dry, and no rust to indicate they were ever wet. All the bulbs dim a lot when I put on the brake and signal at the same time -- any thoughts?
 

R6MGS

Yoda
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See if you can find the main connection to the wiring harness...check the ground there. I am sure someone else will pipe in soon enough, but for now all I am thinking is grounds, this is the exact same problem I had in the 'mean green machine'...My neighbor had the same problem with his old Chevy Beretta and I fixed it for him the same way.
 
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theoutlaw

Freshman Member
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I think I have the problem solved, but perhaps only temporarily. The main connector to the right rear taillight assembly was the problem: The male end of one of the spade connectors melted the female end, and melted plastic was preventing it from making metal to metal contact. Not sure why this occurred since the fuse didn't blow, or even why there was a short there in the first place. The lights work fine now, but who knows for how long. Anybody with a suggestion? Thanks again for being so helpful.
 

R6MGS

Yoda
Offline
Glad to hear You've at least got them working again..Strange that it would do that, but I am definatly not an electrics guy, took me a month to sort out my TR6 short so lets hear from some of you automotive electricians!
 
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