my 3rd brake light is really dim now? need help think its going out - Page 2 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Eddiefuzz · 01-04-2014, 03:44 AM

HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S NOT BRIGHT?!?!?! I have never seen mine. BTW Rallycamaro it looks your trunk black seal is sticking out of your trunk, I'd check that.

Jalberdi99 · 01-04-2014, 09:19 AM

At the dealer as I type, will post the result in about 2 hrs.

Jalberdi99 · 01-04-2014, 09:24 AM

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m9cz4tzyac...2001.06.00.mp4

Jalberdi99 · 01-04-2014, 10:56 AM

Just came back from the dealer and it needs a new part. Be back next Saturday to have it fix.

Eddiefuzz · 01-04-2014, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jalberdi99

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m9cz4tzyac...2001.06.00.mp4

Thanks!! I've never even noticed mine. I park in a brightly lit parking lot. Mine might not even work..LOL

Chevrolet Customer Svc · 01-04-2014, 10:31 PM

Happy to hear the dealership was able to assist so quickly with a resolution. Please let us know how the repair goes, and if you ever have any questions or concerns, we are here to help!

Jessica
Chevrolet Customer Care

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jalberdi99

Just came back from the dealer and it needs a new part. Be back next Saturday to have it fix.

MrSteve920 · 12-04-2018, 01:54 PM

I was able to repair my brake light and avoid having to buy a replacement. My middle brake light was doing the same thing as everyone else has mentioned (still working, but at about ~15% brightness). My car is a 2013 with just under 24k miles. For me it was a damaged diode on the light circuit board, which is relatively easy to replace once you get to the light assembly. As others have mentioned, getting to the light to replace or repair it is not that easy, but it needs to be done in most cases anyway. I was able to repair the board with a new diode that costs less than $0.50 versus paying for a new light at about $140, which I was all for. Here is what you need to do:

Disassemble most of the backseat and rear paneling to get the rear deck out.
Carefully remove the led diffuser and led circuit board from the rear deck once the deck is out of the vehicle. Be careful as the circuit board is a relatively cheap quality board and as such is more prone to snapping. Mine actually snapped in half which broke off the last led on the board, but I was able to reattach it and repair the broken traces later on.
Remove the diffuser from the circuit board at the clip locations.
Check the diode that is closest to the two wire connector with a multimeter. There are two diodes on the board, excluded the leds, but you want to check the one that is closest to the two wires for the connector; this is close to the center of the board. The other diode is close to the edge of the board lengthwise.
On the multimeter, read what the forward voltage is on the diode. The diode in question is a 1N4007 Silicon and Germanium diode. That type of diode should have a forward voltage of 0.5-0.8v. The one on my board had a forward voltage of about 1.2v which is way too high.
If you do not have a multimeter, you can still test to see if the diode is causing problems by plugging the light back into a power supply, either the car or some other 12v supply, and apply power to the circuit. If you use the car, pressing on the brakes should do this as long as the computer has not timed out and shut down the electronics; close and reopen all doors to reset this. When plugged in, the light should be exceptional dim. If you bridge the diode with a wire, bypassing it, the lights should return to full brightness. You still need to replace the diode as this is only a temporary bypass to determine if the diode is the problem component or not.
If the diode's forward voltage is out of spec or the lights returned to full brightness by bypassing the diode, then you should replace the diode with a new 1N4007 diode. You can get the diode at any online or retail electronics shop as it is relatively common. You could also use a 1N5408 diode instead. That diode is designed for 3A max output current. I doubt that the board is pulling more than 1A which is what the 1N4007 is designed for, let alone 3A, but you could use that diode instead.
Reassemble the light assembly, deck assembly, and put the entire back seat back together.

It's a pain to get the board out but the repair is super easy. I would assume almost all gen5 Camaro's are out of warranty at this point so this should at least save someone from potentially having to buy a new third brake light when a component that costs less than $0.50 is preventing an otherwise good part from working.

zlathim · 12-04-2018, 02:03 PM

Great write-up, MrSteve. Thanks for taking the time to detail it all for us.

01-04-2014, 09:19 AM	#16
Jalberdi99 Drives: 2014 Summit White 2SS/RS M6 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: @ ur moms house in VA Posts: 1,405	At the dealer as I type, will post the result in about 2 hrs. __________________

01-04-2014, 09:24 AM	#17
Jalberdi99 Drives: 2014 Summit White 2SS/RS M6 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: @ ur moms house in VA Posts: 1,405	https://www.dropbox.com/s/m9cz4tzyac...2001.06.00.mp4 __________________

01-04-2014, 10:56 AM	#18
Jalberdi99 Drives: 2014 Summit White 2SS/RS M6 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: @ ur moms house in VA Posts: 1,405	Just came back from the dealer and it needs a new part. Be back next Saturday to have it fix. __________________

12-04-2018, 01:54 PM	#21
MrSteve920 Drives: 2013 LT2 RS. White w/Orange stripe Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1	Possible solution I was able to repair my brake light and avoid having to buy a replacement. My middle brake light was doing the same thing as everyone else has mentioned (still working, but at about ~15% brightness). My car is a 2013 with just under 24k miles. For me it was a damaged diode on the light circuit board, which is relatively easy to replace once you get to the light assembly. As others have mentioned, getting to the light to replace or repair it is not that easy, but it needs to be done in most cases anyway. I was able to repair the board with a new diode that costs less than $0.50 versus paying for a new light at about $140, which I was all for. Here is what you need to do: Disassemble most of the backseat and rear paneling to get the rear deck out. Carefully remove the led diffuser and led circuit board from the rear deck once the deck is out of the vehicle. Be careful as the circuit board is a relatively cheap quality board and as such is more prone to snapping. Mine actually snapped in half which broke off the last led on the board, but I was able to reattach it and repair the broken traces later on. Remove the diffuser from the circuit board at the clip locations. Check the diode that is closest to the two wire connector with a multimeter. There are two diodes on the board, excluded the leds, but you want to check the one that is closest to the two wires for the connector; this is close to the center of the board. The other diode is close to the edge of the board lengthwise. On the multimeter, read what the forward voltage is on the diode. The diode in question is a 1N4007 Silicon and Germanium diode. That type of diode should have a forward voltage of 0.5-0.8v. The one on my board had a forward voltage of about 1.2v which is way too high. If you do not have a multimeter, you can still test to see if the diode is causing problems by plugging the light back into a power supply, either the car or some other 12v supply, and apply power to the circuit. If you use the car, pressing on the brakes should do this as long as the computer has not timed out and shut down the electronics; close and reopen all doors to reset this. When plugged in, the light should be exceptional dim. If you bridge the diode with a wire, bypassing it, the lights should return to full brightness. You still need to replace the diode as this is only a temporary bypass to determine if the diode is the problem component or not. If the diode's forward voltage is out of spec or the lights returned to full brightness by bypassing the diode, then you should replace the diode with a new 1N4007 diode. You can get the diode at any online or retail electronics shop as it is relatively common. You could also use a 1N5408 diode instead. That diode is designed for 3A max output current. I doubt that the board is pulling more than 1A which is what the 1N4007 is designed for, let alone 3A, but you could use that diode instead. Reassemble the light assembly, deck assembly, and put the entire back seat back together. It's a pain to get the board out but the repair is super easy. I would assume almost all gen5 Camaro's are out of warranty at this point so this should at least save someone from potentially having to buy a new third brake light when a component that costs less than $0.50 is preventing an otherwise good part from working.

12-04-2018, 02:03 PM	#22
zlathim Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS M6 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Idaho Posts: 726	Great write-up, MrSteve. Thanks for taking the time to detail it all for us. __________________ GPI SS2; EE E2 catch can; SP 1 7/8" LT Headers w/ hfc; FM AT 3" cat-back; CAI Cold Air Intake; AEM Wideband Tuned by GPI McCleod RXT; MGW flat stick; Ram Clutch slave cylinder & hydraulic adjuster BMR cradle & diff bushings, trailing arms, toe rods & upper control arm bushings Hotchkis sub-frame brace Stop Tech Z-23 brakes 4.10 gears, Eaton Truetrac, LPW diff cover Best 1/4 mile 12.073 @ 115.68 mph 3,300 ft DA

01-04-2014, 03:44 AM	#15
Eddiefuzz Drives: 2011 RS Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Florence New Jersey Posts: 1,125	HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S NOT BRIGHT?!?!?! I have never seen mine. BTW Rallycamaro it looks your trunk black seal is sticking out of your trunk, I'd check that.