Bad earth for tail light cluster

X300
1

I often get a Brake Light Fail message when I put the brakes on. I have tracked the fault to the plug and socket of the left rear light cluster.
In chronological order I have done this:

  1. The resistance of the left cluster to earth was 6.5 ohms. The right cluster was 0.0 ohms as it should be.
  2. I sanded the contacts with 2000 grit emery and sprayed it with circuit board cleaner. Result was 0.0 ohms and no messages
  3. Next day the messages appeared again. Sprayed with CRC. Resistance now 8.4 ohms.
  4. Cleaned it all again with circuit board cleaner. Resistance now 6.5 ohms.
    5.Do I give up and run my own wire from the cluster earth to somewhere on the body? The problem is definitely that plug and socket.
2

It would help greatly if you would put the MAKE,MODEL,YEAR in the post.

3

Looks like he has a '98 XJ8. :thinking:

4

Problem is that this forum covers sedans from 1995 to 2009 over 3 different iterations.

5

Yeah a long wire soldered to the cluster and then to earth would at least help short term and prove where the problem is.

Or maybe a new bulb holder cluster.

At least it’s not an Audi or vw. These had undersized earth pins which went high resistance and burnt out.

6

Put this information into your “signature”. Go to your profile, select ‘Preferences’ then scroll down to ‘My Cars’.

7

Same car, same problem.
No reasons.

8

I thought I had done that. How would AttyDallas know what car I had otherwise?

I have now discovered that the bulb is faulty.

9

I thought I had done that

It would seem that you have. Rather, it appears that the forum has stopped automatically including that information in our signatures. All this time and I hadn’t noticed even my own not appearing!