Long story short... Went camping this past weekend, and wife was following me. She said my third brake light wasn't working. Checked it out yesterday and today, and appears to maybe be intermittent? Also, when its working, it doesn't appear very bright.

Is this a sign that it is going out and needs to be replaced? Is there any troubleshooting that I can do, or should I just get a new one and call it a day?

 

I'd check the wiring to see if everything is properly connected. Also if the car wasn't purchased new someone might have installed a pulse device which might be going bad. Otherwise an aftermarket replacement is usually pretty cheap.

 

I did buy the car used, and never thought there might be a pulse unit back there... I guess I can pull it out over the weekend and see what I see.

 

Just a follow up....

Turns out, I had messed around with the coding for brake force pulsing, and it was causing the third brake light to appear dimmer, or off completely, under certain conditions. I removed the coding, and now the third brake light is bright under all braking conditions.

I feel a little stupid, but glad I checked it out before buy a new light that wasn’t needed.

 

So, I might have been hasty to blame my coding... Third brake light wasn't working again this morning.

Can anyone confirm if an intermittent brake light is a signal of a failing fixture, or if it might be a switch or control module issue?

 

To remove it does the light pop out of the rubber boot?

 

Yes, the light is separate from the black trim piece

 

 

There are 8 screws that need to be removed, and the whole rear black trim piece assembly comes out. Then, the brake light is just snapped out of the black trim piece.

Be careful as you remove the black trim piece from the car. Pull it slightly out, then disconnect the washer hose and the electrical connector.