# 92 Jetta brake light turn signal problem



## im_n2_vws (Jul 25, 2007)

I thought I fixed this problem before with a simple bulb change. It only happens when its wet outside, after a snow or rain. My third brake light seems to not be working, and when I have my turnsignals on and hit the breaks the signal stops flashing. I think the brake lights in the tail lights are working.The weirdest thing is when I shut the car down with my foot on the brakes, the red lights in my dash light up with my foot on the brake pedal. When I push the pedal down after shutting it off, they come on and when I let off the brakes they go out? Usually clears up when it dries up outside. Any ideas? I was thinking maybe a bad ground ? Don't know weather to look under the hood ,trunk, or under the dash ? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.


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## im_n2_vws (Jul 25, 2007)

Pretty sure I found it. The ground wire in the trunk, in the middle was real loose.


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## vw_jetta97 (Jan 19, 2008)

having the same issue with my mkIII :banghead:
with mine the break lights go out and the ambers come on and my directional lights come on in my dash

where is the ground located in the trunk??
it might be a similar setup...


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

A loose/no ground situation is called an "open ground" and when no ground is present, the current tries other ways to ground via other bulbs not being used at the time, which is why you get the strange light show of things lighting up that shouldn't.

Mk2 and Mk3 should be similar. Look in the trunk behind the carpeting somewhere for wires grounded to the body...that should be it.


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## im_n2_vws (Jul 25, 2007)

Yea, just follow your tail light wires in the trunk. Like the guy before me said there will be a wire bolted to the body(or a place that it should be). Mine was in the middle, right under the trunk latch. My ground bolt was backed out about a quarter of an inch. I think there are 3 grounds just in the trunk alone on a mk2(according to my Bently). I honestly didn't find or bother looking for the other 2 once I saw how loose the middle one was. The other 2 may just be grounds to ground the trunk to the body, and a ground for the license plate light?


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## vw_jetta97 (Jan 19, 2008)

thanks guys! 

I got it figured out..nothing loose, but....

tried the whole, take it all apart and put back together method and now it works!


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