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Re: [TR] Dim Brake Light - 72 TR 6

To: tom.wags@gmail.com, triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [TR] Dim Brake Light - 72 TR 6
From: Dave1massey@cs.com
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 08:19:52 EDT
In a message dated 6/14/2006 8:16:58 PM Central Standard Time, 
tom.wags@gmail.com writes: 
> To This Great List:
> 
> Can someone tell why a brake light would be dimmer
> on one side of the car and not the other when I was
> under the impression that they use a  common ground??
> 
There are several reasons why the brake lights would be of a different 
brightness.  1) Different bulbs.  2) Dirty contacts in the wire harness.  But 
the 
most probably cause is: 3) bad ground connection.  The two lights do use a 
common ground in that they are on the same car but the connection to ground is 
via 
the bulb socket and each bulb has its own socket.  The bad connection is 
usually where the bulb socket contacts the lamp frame.  The reason the bulb 
lights 
at all is due to a sneak circuit.  Current will flow through the brake 
filament.  At this point the intended destination is the car chassis but since 
this 
connection is open the current will then flow through the parking light 
filament and onto the red wire.  At that point the current will divide up 
amongst all 
the other bulbs on that circuit meaning the rear parking light on the other 
side as well as the two in front (and all the dash lights) But the current is 
so low you probably won't see them light unless you look really close and in 
dim light.

Dave


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