Blown Bulbs

Is there a known problem (amoung your 850s) with the rear lamp clusters. I keep getting a bulb blown warning light on the dash so I check which one is out (it's in the rear lower cluster - passenger side) so I take all the paneling off to replace the bulb. Only to find that the bulb isn't blown and that it just takes a bit of wiggleing of wires etc. to get it to come back on. I stick it all back together and it's fine for a few miles and then the blown bulb light comes back on. Is there a common spot for loose connections and what has anyone done about it? I'll be out with the multimeter this weekend checking as much as I can (one of the rear fogs doesn't work for a similar reason I thing - the bulbs are all fine).

Regards

Rhod

Snap! I have exactly the same problem with my '92 850. It's the brake light on the drivers side. It comes and goes. I am so busy lately I just haven't got the chance to track down the fault. It must be a loose wire though or loose connections that hold the bulb in position. This sat. should tell a lot when I finally get a chance to work on the car!

Rgds,

Colm

[judgeman]

Thought I had a similar problem - but I think it was just down to a front headlight on the way out!

It is unlikely that you have one blown rear fog light - there is only one! You should have one offside (drivers side) rear fog light. You will find that there is a 'bar' of plastic accross the lens part of the nearside (passenger side) cluster on right hand drive cars to stop you putting a bulb in. However, the circuit board where all the bulbs sit is ready wired for a fog light on the nearside (all cars set up the same in this respect, regardless of whether destined for lhd or rhd spec).

I can never understand why this should be. And to be honest I prefer to have two rear fog lights (my old 340 had two as standard). I think the reasoning is there is only one so that people don't confuse them with brake lights. Yeah, right. So you're driving along behind this car for mile after mile, the weather is kinda, well, foggy, and the car in front has two red lights showing. Could this be he's been driving all these miles with one foot on the brakes, and forgotten to put his fog lights on???!!! I think the reason for confusing fog lights with brake lights is pretty lame. Especially if you think that most cars now have a third brake light (all post '98 must have). For my money, two fog lights means twice the likelyhood that someone will see you, that and if one does blow, then there's a 'back-up'. But still, manufacturers obviously want to save 2p per car on a bulb. God, I sound like Jeremy Clarkson!

Anyway, fog lights. On my '96 T5 Saloon I have two rear fog lights. I have repatriated the nearside fog light by removing the little bit of plastic in the lens part of the cluster, and put a bulb in the holder. 60 seconds work, and TWO rear fog lights. Perfect symmetry.

As far as your bulb warning light, I'm not sure. Are there actually bulbs blown when the light warning lamp is lit? One possible cause would be that the bulb integrity 'brain' is faulty. This is a little box (situated near the rear nearside light cluster I believe), which checks the voltage draw between both sides of the car light circuits. If a bulb has blown, then clearly there will be less draw, and so the light comes on warning of a bulb failure. This could be worth checking out.

Only one fog well that explains it then. I'll do the mod to get the pair of fogs (is not against the lighting regs AFAIK).

All the bulbs are fine when I get a bulb blown warning light and it's very intamittent (a bit like when I go over one bump the tail light works and then when I go over the next it goes out again) - looks like a dodgy connection to me (but I haven't had a chance to check it out). 850 Estate has 4 tail lights normally anyway though so one off (down to 3) isn't a major problem legally (unlike the 206 I was following down the M4 yesterday where the brake lights came on when she pressed the fog light button - or it's just that she couldn't drive without riding the brake).

Regards

Rhod

Hi all,

I checked all my bulbs at the weekend and nothing showed up. I get an intermittent problem with my brake bulbs. I have taken everything out, checked that all connections and put them all back together again. So far my warning light hasn't come on but then again I won't know for certain until I go two weeks without the warning light coming on the dash!

Rgds,

Colm