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  1. #1
    Renato Piereck
    Spreading the Saab virus rpiereck's Avatar
    Join Date
    24 Jul 2011
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    Ansbach, Germany
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    1,520
    Saab(s)
    '00 9-5 Aero SC, 87 900i 8v

    Dim brake lights

    It was brought up to me yesterday that both my brake lights are rather dim. I checked it, and indeed they are. When I press on the brake pedal the filament for the brakes lights up on both left and right side, but it isn't much brighter than the tail light that shares the bulb.

    I imagine it could be one of two thing: bad ground, or incorrect light bulb. The ground would have to be somewhere where both left and right side brake light bulbs ground meet. Is there such a place? What about bulbs, I have Sylvania 1157 bulbs installed, perhaps they have the wrong wattage...?
    Now: '00 Saab 9-5 Aero Combi - '89 Peugeot 205 CTI - '91 Peugeot 309 GTI
    Gone: '87 Saab 900i - '95 Saab 900 SE Turbo

  2. #2
    Renato Piereck
    Spreading the Saab virus rpiereck's Avatar
    Join Date
    24 Jul 2011
    Location
    Ansbach, Germany
    Posts
    1,520
    Saab(s)
    '00 9-5 Aero SC, 87 900i 8v
    Adding to the dim brake light problems, I found a new fault that goes along with it: when the car is turned off and I press the brake pedal, if my headlight switch is off my parking lights on the head lights go on. If the headlight switch is on the headlight position they go on... could it be a headlight switch problem? Anyone got any knowledge on this? Does the wires for brakes and headlights meet anywhere else in the car but the switch?
    Now: '00 Saab 9-5 Aero Combi - '89 Peugeot 205 CTI - '91 Peugeot 309 GTI
    Gone: '87 Saab 900i - '95 Saab 900 SE Turbo

  3. #3
    Saab Nut
    Join Date
    06 Mar 2011
    Location
    Westport, Pennsylvania, United States
    Posts
    410
    Saab(s)
    93 9000 CSE, 85 900T
    I think you have a bad ground.

    I had similar weirdness and the ground point under the radiator was really bad. I cut all the wires back installed new high quality lugs with heat shrink and sealer in them and cleaned the post really well and the phantom issues went away.

  4. #4
    Renato Piereck
    Spreading the Saab virus rpiereck's Avatar
    Join Date
    24 Jul 2011
    Location
    Ansbach, Germany
    Posts
    1,520
    Saab(s)
    '00 9-5 Aero SC, 87 900i 8v
    Well, I got it fixed, and I realize now it was a byproduct of extreme sleep deprivation. The week I last replaced the bulb I had perhaps 15 hours of sleep in five days. By Friday I was pooped, and that was the day I replaced the bulb.

    Yesterday I pulled my right side rear light cover, and I immediately found what the problem was: instead of a double filament bulb as it should have been, there was a single filament light in there! The single filament light is a 5 Watt light, while the double light is 5 Watt/21 Watt, the 21 Watt part being the brake light. So when I pressed the brakes all I got was a bit extra light on the 5 Watt light as it got more voltage applied to it. The left side was getting low voltage because the right side was sending its energy towards the taillight/headlight circuit!

    Once I put a correct double filament bulb all lights were working correctly: all brakes were bright, and the headlight and parking lights did not illuminate when I pressed the brakes with the car turned off.

    Goes to show you should not work on your car when extremely tired...
    Now: '00 Saab 9-5 Aero Combi - '89 Peugeot 205 CTI - '91 Peugeot 309 GTI
    Gone: '87 Saab 900i - '95 Saab 900 SE Turbo

  5. #5
    Saab Nut
    Join Date
    06 Mar 2011
    Location
    Westport, Pennsylvania, United States
    Posts
    410
    Saab(s)
    93 9000 CSE, 85 900T
    Beats fixing wires!

  6. #6
    Renato Piereck
    Spreading the Saab virus rpiereck's Avatar
    Join Date
    24 Jul 2011
    Location
    Ansbach, Germany
    Posts
    1,520
    Saab(s)
    '00 9-5 Aero SC, 87 900i 8v
    Yes it does!
    Now: '00 Saab 9-5 Aero Combi - '89 Peugeot 205 CTI - '91 Peugeot 309 GTI
    Gone: '87 Saab 900i - '95 Saab 900 SE Turbo

 

 

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