During the last year, I've had to replace the bulb on one of my brake lights at least 5 times. One would assume there's a short-circuit somewhere but i really don't know how to diagnose it precisely. Is there an accurate way to diagnose this? I'd hate to take it to a shop where they do "trial & error", normally breaking something else that ends up being more expensive.

Is it possible that I'm using low quality bulbs? I would eventually like to switch to LEDs but I'd hate to keep burning them if the problem is actually a short-circuit.

has anyone experienced this before?

 

Is your housing cracked?

 

Negative.

 

Can you notice one brake light brighter than the other?

 

Not really...

 

Somebody just told me that a short would have affected the fuse and not the bulb, seems accurate.

Could it really be that I'm using crappy bulbs?

 

Try a more expensive bulb? I usually use whatever they sell at canadian tire, nothing special. Also, try swapping the left and right bulbs, and see what burns out first. If you are a very gung ho type person, hook an ammeter up to each bulb, and see if they are pulling the same amount of current. Or the easier way of measuring the resistance of each bulb.

 

Short? No.
Higher voltage? Yes.. Check the voltage at the bulb with the brake light on. Probably not the problem as there is no way you could favor that bulb as opposed to the other unless there is a common line between the lights. If that were the case, and you had a poor connection on the other lamp, it would could be dim and the one in question is getting a higher voltage than expected. If the brake brightness the same for both sides, then that is not happening.. could also check the wiring diagram to verify.

Intermittent (poor contact)... possible. This would amount to a stress on the bulb. You should verfiy good contact inside the socket. Visual inspection for rust, loose connector. If in doubt measure ohms from lead input to inside the socket. Both ground and voltage in.

Poor quality... chances are zero to none.

Brake light is on for extended period... could cause early failure. Its meant for higher brightness for short periods. Stuck on would cause early failure.

Wrong bulb: Maybe.. but I assume you have the right bulb in that position.

So the first thing to look for is a poor connection, maybe rust related. Also, convince yourself the light doesn't come on for extended periods. Socket problems etc.