Myrdhyn

iTrader: (3)

Ok, my passenger tail light assembly has me completely stumped. Here's the symptoms:

Works:
-Turning on parking/head lights turns on the full rear passenger assembly as normal

Doesn't work:
-Braking
-Turn signal
-Emergency flashers

Under no circumstances will the rear passenger tail light assembly do anything other than light up normal at night. The blinker won't work with the parking/head lights on, off, or with the brake pedal down. The brake pedal doesn't increase the brightness when the parking/headlights are on nor does it make any of the lights come on when those are off. The emergency flashers flash every other light on the car but nothing in the rear passenger assembly.

I've looked at each bulb and none of them have blown filaments (I'm not opposed to just replacing them anyway, but looking for other ideas first). The rear DRIVER side assembly works just fine and as expected under all circumstances(braking/parking/turning/emergency/any combination thereof). The third brakelight also functions just fine, as do all other lights on the car under all other circumstances.

I know it can't be a fuse, cut wiring, or blown bulb because they do turn on and get power if i turn on the parking lights.

ws6outlaw

blinker fuse relay? i had mine do something similar and it was that. its inside of that plastic cover under the steering wheel assembly. just takes a few bolts to replace. it looks like a silver cylinder with 2 metal tabs on top. also check all your fuses

TEXASCOASTIE

iTrader: (2)

You do know the bulb has 2 fillaments right... just making sure.

great421

iTrader: (1)

If every other lamp functions properly (as, if I read your post correctly, they do), then the issue is either power or ground to that taillamp assy.

Given the same ground wire / ground point is used for both driving / parking lamps and the turn signals and hazzards, the ground is probably NOT at fault. However, there are different fuses and feeds for the 1) driving / parking lamps and 2) the turn signals and hazzards - but they are the same fuses for LH and RH, but different feeds - I would trace the feed wires and check with a DVOM - I think that is where your problem is.

Again - if the FRONT pass side turn signals and hazzards function, but ONLY the rears do not, then that eliminates the turn signal stalk switch as well - so, use that info, a service manual and a DVOM and find the open in the wire.

Myrdhyn

iTrader: (3)

To answer questions in order:

1) I haven't checked fuses yet. I assumed it was a lower chance of being that because I figured they woudl be on the same fuse as the driver side.

2) Yes i know the bulbs have 2 filaments, both are fine (visibly) in every bulb in the assembly.

3) Yes the front pass turns and hazzards function and ONLY the rears do not. Yes the lamps in the rear pass assembly do turn on as parking /driving lamps but the passenger only does not function as a hazzard/turn/brake light under any circumstances. There are no other lighting oddities that I'm aware of.

TEXASCOASTIE

iTrader: (2)

There is a break in the + wire for the turn signal/ brake light then. Do like great said get a volt meter and follow the wire and keep testing it till you get power and look for any chaffing or breaks.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

You only have one filament turning on in the bulbs.
- Swap the bulbs from right side to left to isolate them as the cause. Its not unheard of all the bulbs in one area going out at the same time. (It may also not be a burned out bulb. Other things can go wrong with the bulbs that could cause a short in the circuit.)
- If you still have the problem, test the electrical at the connector just inside the hatch where the rear harness plugs in. That will isolate the issue to the wires in the tail or further up front in the car. (There is one wire, colored the same at the ones going in to your pigtails, that controls the blinking filament on each side.)
- If power is not getting to that harness, you could have a bad turn signal switch in the steering column.

Myrdhyn

iTrader: (3)

So with the meter, just test each wire to the body and look for X volts?

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Look at the sockets on the left and right side. I forget the colors, but you'll see three wires going in to most of the sockets: Black will be ground, and one color (brown I think) will be also common to all. That common color is your filament that is working currently.

The left wires will have another color and the right wires will have a different color. Those are the left and right wires for the other filament in the bulbs. Those colors continue back to the connector just inside the car behind the material lining the hatch. If you probe the two left and right wires there, you should see 12-14 Volts pulsing with the turn signals. BTW - If you have a thermal flasher, you'll need to test with everything plugged in, otherwise the circuit won't pulse.

But you should put that on hold right now and do the bulbs. 85% chance your problem is there and there is probably a 0.05% chance your problem is in the wiring. Unless you are in an accident, wire up aftermarket equipment, submerge the car in a lake, or have a psycho ex-significant other who is also an electrician, there aren't many things that will damage the wiring.

great421

iTrader: (1)

OP, the last 10% of your issue could be in the sockets themselves.

If there is indeed 12 volts at your sockets and the resistance from your ground wire (at the sockets) to ground is less than 5 Ohms, then the issue could be the sockets themselves - I've replaced one on the DR side of my taillamps; internally, the socket itself had an open, so even though 12 volts was going to the light socket, and the ground seemed to be good, the socket itself caused the problem.

So, after getting 3 replacement units at 2 different junkyards (which ALL had the same issue, BTW) - I got a new one online, soldered it in and (Ta-Da!) problem solved. If both bulbs are indeed good, then I still suspect you have an open in your feed circuit.

Get your DVOM out and get to testing.