drivers side brake light out

[77vetteguy]

just bought a 1992 bmw 318i with a drivers side brake light out. i cant figure out why. it has aftermarket taillights i belive. i know there not original but they look stock. i tried switching the sockets to see if the contacts were the problem but that didnt help. so i know they arnt corroded or anything like that. and i dont think contact is the problem. although maby the metal contact point is messed up or somthing? the sockets that you plug in are fine. i have no idea but maby a fuse controlls that one brake light. any ideas?

 

[DSK]

If all the contacts etc appear to be ok visually, have you tried changing the brake light bulb when you swapped the sockets/bulb holders over? Alternatively I'd try to trace the fault using a multimeter device to see if that highlights anything.

(Strangely enough, quite a few folks in the UK here tend to suffer from blown bulbs on a regular basis but the problem has always been solved by using a high quality bulb, it doesn't have to be expensive, just a decent brand like 'philips' or 'ring' rather than the cheap 90pence ones. There is a significant difference in the fillament between the low and high quality bulbs too.)

 

[ebelizard]

I actually had the same problem. I took it to a BMW mechanic and he actually CLEANED the sockets(where the bulb sits, and screws into the light), and it solved the problem. Try that, if not i would replace the sockets themselves.