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Thread: Driver side taillight out, not bulb or holder...

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Ann Arbor, MI
    Posts
    46
    My Cars
    2009 BMW 128i

    Driver side taillight out, not bulb or holder...

    Hey gang, was hoping one of you might have a good idea how to trouble shoot this problem or point me in the right direction. My driver's side taillight is not working. The brake lights work, turn signals, etc, all work. The bulb is not burned out... I've swapped it to the other side, and I've also swapped the bulb holder. I've tried testing the wires, but I am not super proficient at that part of things. I did test that there is voltage coming through the wires, but not sure how to test any of the other potential culprits.

    I suppose it has to be either an issue with the wiring in the taillight assembly (there are two wires that run into a block that connect the circular connector for the inner light element on the bulb that is the taillight, whereas the larger bulb element is for the brake light). I couldn't get a good reading for resistance, but that was true for both sides, so presumably there is a resistor or something else inline on the assembly side of the circuit. I think I've seen somewhere else that it could be an issue with the grounding/earth line on the input wires. Any suggestions on testing that?

    I got a text from a friend when leaving a restaurant the other evening that my taillight was out, and wouldn't you know it, I got pulled over for it before I made it home. Luckily I got a warning, but I haven't been able to fix it, and it's a real obnoxious pain in the butt. Trying to tell people that not all German cars have weird electrical issues. Haha.

    Thanks for any help!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Ann Arbor, MI
    Posts
    46
    My Cars
    2009 BMW 128i
    So... no help here, but I figured it out. Have to replace the whole taillight assembly. There is no way to fix the LEDs that are internal to the assembly. I took the whole thing off, which is not too challenging at all, but there's nothing to be done but get a new one.

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