Dim tail/ Brake Lights

[Raymond]

Hi
my wife was behind my yesterday and let me know that my tail lights and brake light are very dim i know i have to rewire the car over the winter and i have cleaned all the connections i can find

any other ideas should i replace the bulbs? has anyone used the led bulbs that are out?





Help Please i dont want to drive the car with the lights in this condition

Ray

 

[GB1]

Just a guess, could it be a bad ground?

Patrick

 

[piman]

Hello raymond,

I agree with Patrick, and changing the type of lamp will not help. You need to locate and fix the poor connection to the body.

Alec

 

[Steve_S]

Start by measuring voltage at the rear. If you are getting good voltage then you may simply have one or more weak connections which aren't allowing enough current through. Clean the grounds, bullet connectors and lamp sockets.

 

[Nunyas]

I agree with everyone else. Check your wiring out back, make sure you have a good solid ground. Clean all connectors, INCLUDING the base of the light bulb and the socket they fit in.

I have red LED's installed for my tail/brake lights, and they seem to be plenty bright. However, the fit in that small reflector dish is a little tight.

Another thing to keep in mind, our tail/brake lights will ~never~ be as bright as the tail/brake lights that I've seen on some of these modern cars. Frankly, I think the tail lights on some the ~new~ cars is just too freaking bright. I find that I'm nearly blinded and definitely have my night vision impaired by the brake lights of some new cars; they're painful too look at when stopped at an intersection. Maybe that's just because I'm sitting eye level with them... still some of them really do ~hurt~ my eyes at night.

 

[1965_MGB]

I had the same problems, and found that dirty connections were the problem. I had to replace on of the connectors, and then everything brightened up.

I don't recommend the LED bulbs that you can find at local parts stores. I bought a couple to see how they would work in the B, and because the are directional (the LEDs point in one direction) there is a lot less light back there.

Just my $.02 of course.

 

[piman]

Hello Rob,

this is a pet hate of mine, :-"they're painful too look at when stopped at an intersection"

people who are too lazy or just plain inconsiderate who stop and keep their foot on the brake. It is not necessary and extremely distracting particularly now with these eye level brake lights.

Alec

 

[Steve_S]

How else do you keep your car at a stop? Remember that most cars on the road have automatic gearboxes.

 

[tony barnhill]

The majority of our electrical problems are in the connectors...take each one apart & clean it with electrical contact cleaner...check all the grounds & clean them....then clean up inside the sockets where the lights go....if you take the time once a quarter to clean all your connectors, your Lucas wiring problems will pretty much go away!

 

[Steve_S]

Do you really clean all the connectors in your car 4 times a year? Man, that's dedication! I doubt I clean mine 4 times a decade. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif

 

[tony barnhill]

For years & years, when I actually drove my MG daily - & was young - I did a section each quarter so the entire harness got done each year...but then I bought a 2nd MG, then a 3rd, etc, etc, etc.....now, I'm lucky to clean them when there's a problem!

 

[Steve_S]

I know the feeling. Almost makes you want to go back to one MG.

Almost.

 

[tony barnhill]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I know the feeling. Almost makes you want to go back to one MG.

Almost.[/QUOTE]

You don't know how many times I've thought that....then I go out in the garage & can't decide which ones to sell!

 

[tosoutherncars]

How else do you keep your car at a stop? Remember that most cars on the road have automatic gearboxes.

It's also a safety matter. Cars in neutral, brake off, can be pushed into an intersection (or the car in front of them) by a rear-end collision. Yes, you should have your foot on the brake when sitting at a red light.

 

[Steve_S]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]then I go out in the garage & can't decide which ones to sell![/QUOTE]

Anything without a metal bumper. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

(runs and hides)

 

[tony barnhill]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Anything without a metal bumper.[/QUOTE]

Nah, my '79 has rubber bumpers & I love it...& my ''74-1/2 GT has them & I love it...&......

 

[jlaird]

Man, I thought once every 10 years was good. Never had a problem with that schedule.

 

[piman]

Hello Duncan,

"It's also a safety matter. Cars in neutral, brake off, can be pushed into an intersection (or the car in front of them) by a rear-end collision. Yes, you should have your foot on the brake when sitting at a red light."

I strongly disagree, two points, rear view mirror, watch what is happening behind as well as in front, two, handbrake, or as you call it parking brake, Or put it into park.

It is a lazy and inconsiderate way to drive.

Alec

 

[David_DuBois]

Raymond - I notice the same thing on our 66 MGB, but I don't think that the problem is necessarily the light bulbs. In our case ithe problem appears to be the lenses - either they are much in need of being cleaned and polished on the outside, or they are just old and have lost a lot of their ability to transmit light (my fix, so far has just been a high mount, third brake light). I also noted on our daughter's 73 GT that the replacement lenses didn't transmit light nearly as well as the original lenses (one after market, replacement lens and one original side by side as a comparison).
Cheers,

 

[Nunyas]

oh yeah... cleaning the inside of the lenses helps too. Dust and such can get trapped inside them over the years, especially if the seals/gaskets aren't kept in good condition.