Ok, it is fixed. Thanks for your help. Today, I cleaned contacts on holders and switched holders so white one was on the right. When I bought car last month the PO said that the orange warning light on dash had been on for a long time and was no big deal. When I check the bulbs they were similiar to but not the right part number. After changing all bulbs the indicator light on dash went out but still both filaments were lit. I think it was changing white holder that finally did it. Thanks everyone. Bob

When you solve this one, I'd appreciate it if you post the solution, because this one sounds unusual.

Typically, if you loose the ground to a tail light housing, the brake light current flows through the brake light filiment, to the bulb base, back through the running light filiment, and from there up to the front of the car where it finds a ground in a front running light or in the headlight relay. The brake lights are dim because of all the resistance of the multiple bulb filiments that the current has to flow through. When you turn on the headlights, you loose the ground in the headlight relay so you may have no lights at all in the back.

Your problem is different, and I am not coming up with any good theories as to exactly what is going on.

As was said, check and clean up all the grounds. This means using a pencil eraser on the copper places where the bulb holder connectors fit on. Also you might bend those connectors downward just a teeny bit, so the exert just a little more pressure on the circuit board.

Check also the color of the brake light bulb holders. White on the right. If they are reversed, they might still fit in but weird electrical things happen.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

sounds like a ground problem. check,test,clean