grrrrr why do i have so much trouble with the check box

E28 technical advice asked and given! Troubleshooting, modifications and more.
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foamy
Posts: 1534
Joined: May 29, 2007
Location: east haddam Connecticut

grrrrr why do i have so much trouble with the check box

Post by foamy »

well another check control box (the one in the trunk) seems it has died on me. it told me i had a tail light out witch i did so i changed the bulb it fixed the issue for about a minute. then the tail light brake light and license light failures lit up. i pulled over to check the lights again and found every light was working fine but its tripping the failure check lights in the panel. Ive checked for broken solder joints and found none i don't see anything out of the ordinary it looks normal no burnt tracks no cracked solder joints i even tested the panel(the one above the mirror) i have a spare and the lights still tripped. whats next?
ahab
Posts: 6224
Joined: Jun 11, 2006
Location: Chalfont, PA

Post by ahab »

Make sure all the lamps you have installed are stainless steel base, the brass lamps will cause errors. You also may need to clean the contacts where the fingers on the lamp holder sockets contact the metal tracing on the tail lamp assembly. That can get rusty and cause a poor connection.
foamy
Posts: 1534
Joined: May 29, 2007
Location: east haddam Connecticut

Post by foamy »

yep i have the bulbs with the stainless steel bases the contacts are not an issue on my car i did the wire trick on all my bulbs so my lights will keep working even if they were not in the tail light housing.

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the system was working fine until i replaced the tail light bulb that was out then within a minute 3 faults tripped at once and no lights are out.
Paul in N FL
Posts: 2069
Joined: Sep 30, 2008
Location: Jax, FL

Post by Paul in N FL »

Mine used to light up all the time. I originally thought is was the relay in the trunk, but it turned out to be the panel above the rear view.
foamy
Posts: 1534
Joined: May 29, 2007
Location: east haddam Connecticut

Post by foamy »

i ruled that out when i tried using the spare panel i have for above the mirror. im not sure whats wrong with it right now. all the lights are still working. im almost about to just put some tape over the lights so they don't annoy me anymore. this is the 4rth check box the car has eaten.
foamy
Posts: 1534
Joined: May 29, 2007
Location: east haddam Connecticut

Post by foamy »

ok so what is the list of things i should go through to diagnose this? all 3 failure lights came on at the same time.
foamy
Posts: 1534
Joined: May 29, 2007
Location: east haddam Connecticut

Post by foamy »

should i take this silence as a tip that i should just bypass the whole system and tape over the lights?
foamy
Posts: 1534
Joined: May 29, 2007
Location: east haddam Connecticut

Post by foamy »

well i taped over the lights for now. if anyone in Connecticut would happen to not mind plugging my check box into their car just to see if its the box that failed please let me know.
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