Searched the forum and couldnt find an answer. Apologies if this has been covered before...

My driver-side brake light wont light up. Bulb is fine. The other lights in both tail assembly all work (running light, blinker and the brake on passenger side). Any ideas how to fix?

 

Did you check the fuses?

 

I checked fuse in the main box under the steering column. It was fine. Is there a fuse in the tail assembly itself?

 

Years ago I had a brake light or turn signal not working with symptoms like you describe. I don't recall which it was. It turned out there was corrosion in the socket where the bulb was installed, so check for corrosion in the socket and behind it where the harness connector plugs into the assembly. Sometimes the act of unplugging and reattaching a connector can provide just enought "scrape" to get a circuit working again.

 

Agreed with MLN01 - I had a similar issue where the brakes would light up the running lights and all sorts of other weird lighting issues in one of the taillights. Ended up being a corroded ground on one of the bulb sockets that was causing the light to ground through another light circuit. Bending the tab out a little after hitting it with some sandpaper fixed that issue.

 

ok ill try this and report back. Im out of town, away from car for a few days, so will respond this weekend.

 

The mystery deepens.

Both sockets look new. No corrosion.
both bulbs work.
all fuses are good.

1) when applying brake, bottom bulb lights.
2) when headlights on, bottom bulb lights very bright but applying brake has no impact.
3) when use left blinker, top bulb lights.

So, the issue is that when my headlights are on and i apply brakes, theres no brake light.

 

Sounds like you have the brake bulbs rotated by 180 degrees so the wrong filament is lighting for the tail lights. The bulbs should have offset bayonet lugs to prevent this, but on my '99 it was very easy to put them bulbs in the wrong way around.

 

no, thats not it.

 

Corrosion in a plug somewhere along the way can do strange things.