3rd Brakes Light bar '96 Golf

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Andy - 10 Feb 2008 16:13 GMT

My 3rd brake light bar is not working at all, noticed it while
following my wife driving each other's cars. I checked fuses, I assume
it is a wiring harness issue where it goes into the hatchback. Any
BTDT?
TIA
Andy

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tonyw - 10 Feb 2008 18:10 GMT

> My 3rd brake light bar is not working at all, noticed it while

Hi,
Can you describe what you've tested and the results?

-Tony

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Jim Behning - 10 Feb 2008 19:33 GMT

>> My 3rd brake light bar is not working at all, noticed it while
>
>Hi,
> Can you describe what you've tested and the results?
>
>-Tony

I spent all day trying to figure out why my rear brake lights did not
work but the third brake light did work. I replaced the brake light
switch, checked fuses and just about everything. I then checked out
the actual bulbs and they were broken on both sides. I think I have
had that happen to me twice on different cars. So to expound on Tony's
question, what happened when you applied a known good 12 volts to the
third light bar?

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dave AKA vwdoc1 - 11 Feb 2008 00:14 GMT

Since the wiring bends near the hatch hinges, that would be one of the
places I would feel/look for wiring problems.
I think the 3rd brake light gets fed from the left brake light but maybe it
is the right side brake light. <:-o
Test the wiring at the 3rd brake light and see if it has continuity to the
other brake lights.

I was recently sold running light bulbs and AFTER I installed them I
realized they were 6V bulbs. lol
They did not last but a week. :-)

Have fun!

>>> My 3rd brake light bar is not working at all, noticed it while
>>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> question, what happened when you applied a known good 12 volts to the
> third light bar?

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Jeff - 20 Feb 2008 02:22 GMT

> My 3rd brake light bar is not working at all, noticed it while
> following my wife driving each other's cars. I checked fuses, I assume
> it is a wiring harness issue where it goes into the hatchback. Any
> BTDT?
> TIA
> Andy

This happened recently on my 96 Golf also. The problem was the wiring
in the spongy tube thing at the top right of the hatch back (the
million openings and closings had pinched the wire to the point where
it was contacting the metal in the hatchback). Continuity checks are
the way to chase down your wiring problem.

Jeff

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