So I think I may have figured out my tail light problems.

I have the dual tail lights (see pics) that came with the car when I purchased it a few months ago. It has always had the "Check Rear Light" error message. I've brought it to the shop a bunch of times (when all the rear lights went out) and finally replaced the SLM Module. I was running good for about two weeks (rear light warning still showing) and on Friday I noticed my right rear light was out! I began inspecting the tail lights and noticed the ground wire (I believe its the ground) was severely frayed (see pics). I went to Pep Boys and picked up a new socket that "appears" to be a match. I have a couple of problems:

1. The socket I bought in Pep Boys was for a light bulb 1157; our car calls for a 7528. Can I use the 7528 in the 1157?

2. Could the socket in my car be for a 1157? Could this be the reason why the SLM blew out in the first place?

3. How do I test the SLM to see the appropriate voltage or test the tail lights to gauge their voltage. What does Jag say?

Hopefully this is understandable and the genuises here can help me!!!!

See the attached pictures for more clarity.

Thanks,

Tim

 

Additional pics

 

This is a known XK8 problem,the ground wire is too small for all the current in the tailight and it actually burns out the fittings and wires. You need to add another ground wire to each grounding plate in the lamp and bolt it to the body. Check the harness for damage at the plugs. Many are melted.

 

Tim, with your aftermarket lights it appears like your repair is on the right track from what I can tell from the photos...I do not see any issues with what you are trying to do, just continue to use the factory recommended bulb.

 

Thanks guys! I'll check into that ground wire issue.

Tim

 

Last question:

Do I remove a fuse or disconnect the battery to do this work?

Thanks,

Tim

 

The pin orientation of the 7528 vs the 1157 are different. When I went LEDs in my tail lamps, I had to use 1157s, which basically forces one pin into the power track. It also makes removal of the bulb a little harder, and may eventually result in it being loose, making infrequent contact. Use the OEM bulbs for your car as WhiteXKR suggested for the best result.

Battery disconnect is always recommended in electrical repairs.

 

Thanks H20boy! So is it ok to use a 7548 bulb in the 1157 socket I purchased?

 

Update: I changed out the sockets and no change! The ground wires are fine, the new socket has been spliced right; I do see a potential issue with the previous hack that connected one of the black wires from the working socket and one of the black wires from the non-working socket. I didn't feel like peeling away the electrical tape tonight. I'm not sure what to do? I've spent at least a thousand dollars and I still have the same problems (check rear lights, non-working right tail light) that I've had since day one.............

 

Tim-
I sent you a PM.

 

I think I figured out why you still have the bulb failure warning, now that we resolved that surge current was likely blowing the fuses with non-OEM bilbs.

I am fairly sure your problem is the fact that you have a single bulb on the taillight circuits in your aftermarket lamps, vs. the two that are used in the stock configuration. An easy solution is to wire resistors in parallel with your tailight bulbs. 28 ohms is the correct value. I found these on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/28-Ohm-25-Wa...06466445194462. You will need two, one for the left and one for the right.

Being 25 watt rated, they will run relatively cool, since they only will be handling about 5 or 6 watts.