Tail light electrical problems - burnt contacts

[mike944]

Anyone else have a problem with the electrical contacts on their tail lights?

The metal contact plate on the back of mine somehow looses a good connection right where the bulb socket attaches. It starts arcing, and ends up burning holes in the contact plate. Once it burns a hole, there's no longer any connection, and some of the brake lights don't work anymore. Both tail lights have this problem, on the brake light contacts. New replacement tail lights are expensive, anyone have a cheaper solution? Used tail lights are expensive in junkyards as well. Does anyone make aftermarket tail lights that look stock (i.e. no clear corners, no rice allowed on my car) Anyone parting out an E36 that has good tail lights (no burnt contacts)

Mike

[supertack]

I had a similar problem & just replaced the bulb receptacle that plugs into the back of the tail light assembly. I was told that those tail lights build up an abnormal amount of heat, which in turn will melt the plastic. If ya catch it soon enough (ie: as soon as you get the 'brake light fail' error in the check control), that should solve the problem.

[mike944]

I did not catch it early enough. It was already too late when i bought the car. I get brake light fail and brake circuit failure messages on a regular basis. Usually the fix is to go wiggle the bulb sockets. The permanent fix is to replace the burnt tail lights, but the pair is over $500, plus new sockets at a few bucks a piece.

I took one of the tail lights out, and soldered wires from the metal back plates to the bulb sockets. That seems to work, but it's a real "hack"

Mike

[supertack]

Have you tried new sockets at a few bucks a piece? Plus, why would you spend the 5 "honeybee's" for new stock OEM stuff, when you could just do aftermarket stuff that looks equally as good. Since your are 'quote, unquote' hack right now, it's probably a good time to upgrade to the white & red look anyway. Check out this link, you can buy a set, (that's both sides) new in the box for under a hundred bucks delivered. It's a no brainer.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2431467074&category=33716

[jamin325i]

yeah,
i have burned metal ring for 1 brakelight and have had all the messages and have done all the cheap fixes-temporary- short of buying the tail light assembly. occasionally a bulb filament goes out and have had to replace brake light switch a few times. but usually the burn spot in contact is main culprit.

the number 1 suggestion to reduce temperature and creation of a burn hole is dielectric grease. i love it for many uses.

as i recall, a new oem taillight assembly from bimmerparts.com is in neighborhood of $150.

i beleive the bulb sockets are not the problem, one can switch the 3 identical in each taillight assembly for fun. cleaning them might help.

thought i had problem solved by soldering burn hole, until solder fell out from fast and dirty solder glob.

my latest attempt is to not turn bulb holder all the way to stop where the burn hole is. so far so good for a few weeks.

good luck on common bimmer problem.

[EXtech]

the most common problem and cause with the tail light assemblies burning through and arcing away the contacts is aftermarket bulbs. Most all aftermarket light bulbs (usually resistance differences) are not tollerated by bmw's. It's weird but true. The other thing to look at is the brake light switch. As mentioned earlier, the bmw's tailights generate A LOT of heat. Add to that a change in resistance (from a failing brake light switch or different bulbs) and you reach melting point. There's a reason bmw recommends using only OE parts.. for reasons like this. The other thing to also look at is the seals on the light assembly. If any water gets in and around the contacts, that changes the total resistance too. Just face it, bmw's are just like high maintenance women. The slightest little thing sets them off and it's always expensive to make up.