Thanks for all the advice with the alternator brushes on my last post, it really saved me a lot of frustration. I have a new question about my rear lights. They were behaving strangly so I took the advice of some posts I read and cleaned all the contacts, replaced the bulbs and most importantly cleaned the grounds. Everything is now working except my left side brake light (lower left) The light works as a marker, but no brake action. The white bulb holder is in the passenger side and the black is on the left. The light was replaced a few years ago, but I'm not sure its the right one. Could I have gotten a pre-'86 assembly? Does it look the same as a '90? The reason I ask is there is no copper strip for the third contact on the bulb holder. I read about the evolution of the assembly and noticed that that was a marker only on pre-86 models. Can I just replace the circuit board and use the existing assembly, or do I have to buy another assembly? Also, what number is the correct assembly and circuit board for a '90 sedan? Thanks for any suggestions! Cheers,Mate.

If the circuit board has no copper place for the third contact, it's likely from a pre-1985 car. The board p/n should begin with a 6, not a 3.

The LH unit can be changed to a post-85 with the new circuit board. You will have to carve off two of the pointy circuit board locator pins near the lower outer bulb holder. Try a recycle yard first, they usually have busted up tail lights, but the board may be OK. Offer $5.00, after all who else is going to buy it? See how the bulb holder fits in, you'll see which pins to cut off.

Have a close look at the lenses on your LH light. There is a date stamp on all but the clear lens. Inner circle is the year, marks in the outer ring show the month. It is the date of manufacture of that part, not the model year of the car, so a late 1984 date could be OK.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

I've done this, and it works. I grabbed an almost new circuit board and a good taillight with the pre-85 setup on it. There were a couple little pins or ridges to shave off. The board stuck on and lines up fine, and works right. In fact at the moment it's the only one (of 4) that has no "bulb out" light.

The taillight is indistinguishable other than finding one with a chrome or black trim strip to match your other one. For whatever reason the left ones seem to have more failures- I think the spare tire whacks the brake light socket. Also, if you ever change a bulb and it's all white and cloudy, you have a problem with water getting in the housing. Some small holes drilled in from the bottom corner will drain that out and prolong the useful life of your lights.

Good luck!
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: 86 244DL, 87 244DL, 88 744GLE, 91 244: 808K total