so I've been having some trouble getting the right side brake/tail lights working properly.

the car was rear-ended a while back, it's totaled but still runs and I'm trying to get a few more miles out of it before I replace it.

at first I was constantly loosing the fuse to the right side lights, but I got that worked out.

now the problem is just the brake/tail light. each work seperately. however, when the lights are on and you hit the brakes, instead of getting brighter it turns off the right side tail light. it comes back on when you release the brake pedal.

the brake lights work fine without head/tail lights on. and the tail lights work fine until you hit the brakes.

any ideas, it's got me ripping my hair out and I'm getting too old for that as it grows back a lot slower.

The first thing I would check is do the lights both have a good clean ground ? When they act like that it usualy can be traced to a bad connection and or a bad ground.
Dennis

Is this a Sedan or a Wagon?

wagon

The ground is very important as the other post say's, the tail lights are hooked into each other, where as the drivers side connects over to the pass side on some of the wire's. You should also try switch the wire's on the brake porition, the ground is located on the other side of the antenna mast tube, it has a bolt holding the gounds on and you may need to remove the interior plastic to get to it.

that was it. when my son put the new assembly he just twisted the broken ground wire back together instead of soldering or replacing it. i found the brake behind the plastic and soldered it. problem solved.

thanks

I had the same problem ,most likely the ground .
squeeze the ends on the ground clip ( on the tail light assy )for a solid connection and that should take care of it