"Check brake light/check tail lights" error

[gsj87]

Hi guys, for the past week, I've been getting a warning on the dash saying 'CHECK BRAKE LIGHTS', 'CHECK TAIL LIGHTS'. So I had a look at them and I noticed that the two lower red tail lights on both sides of the car appear to be very loose which is causing the lights to flicker on and off.

To keep them on, I have to keep turning the bulb holders ever so slightly until they actually light the bulb up. Seems like some sort of loose connection, maybe the bulb holder itself or the light cluster?

What should I be doing or checking first to find the problem? Shall I replace the bulb holder first or is it a whole cluster/light replacement job?

[Beamer]

would get the same message at times. Its a quarter turn to remove the bulb holder. Take it out and give it a clean. Then put it back in. Could be corrosion could be just loose.

[Horizon]

[quote="gsj87"]
Hi guys, for the past week, I've been getting a warning on the dash saying 'CHECK BRAKE LIGHTS', 'CHECK TAIL LIGHTS'. So I had a look at them and I noticed that the two lower red tail lights on both sides of the car appear to be very loose which is causing the lights to flicker on and off.

To keep them on, I have to keep turning the bulb holders ever so slightly until they actually light the bulb up. Seems like some sort of loose connection, maybe the bulb holder itself or the light cluster?

What should I be doing or checking first to find the problem? Shall I replace the bulb holder first or is it a whole cluster/light replacement job?
[/quote]
Very, very common problem with the E53, emery paper all the bulb / bulbholder connections.

[Upex]

Had this several other cars, especially mercy, in addition to the emery paper as per horizons comment, I also had joy with bending bulb holder contacts out a bit more to make more positive contact.

[gsj87]

Thanks guys, I'll try this tomorrow, hopefully it works!

[grumpywurzel]

[quote="Upex"]
Had this several other cars, especially mercy, in addition to the emery paper as per horizons comment, I also had joy with bending bulb holder contacts out a bit more to make more positive contact.
[/quote]

+1 for this. You will have this and/or a bit of corrosion going on. Should take you no more than five mins to sort it..... Unless you are ham fisted and you break a plastic bit 

[jason32]

I got that same error coming back from Manchester....got home checked the light it was kind of flickering...so took the bulb out and cleaned the connectors and error is gone and three light is working fine now.

[lezmtaylor]

Put some Vaseline on the connections and the bulb contact points.
This is an old trick from years ago, Vaseline is a good electrical conductor and corrosive inhibitor, it will stop all the corrosion in the bulb holders.

Lez