My 2012 Kia forte the brake light and tail light keep popping the bulbs getting too hot .safety issues and getting tired of having to replace when it just keeps happening
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Ask shop to check the battery and alternator voltage. Before first start of day battery should measure about 12.6 volts; then immediately after starting engine, 13.5 to 15.5 volts.
If voltages ok, next time buy replacement bulbs from different vendor. Sometimes a vendor will get an entire batch of defective bulbs and not realize it.
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Are you touching the glass of the bulb with your skin? If so, you’re not supposed to do that.
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By “popping” do you mean the glass breaks, or just filament burns out?
Are yu sure the filament is actually burned out?
It could be a problem with the bulb socket contacts (I had this issue with my Tucson).
If they look tarnished, polish them with a pencil eraser and bend to make firm contact.
You might want to monitor battery voltage.
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Yeah you can get similar from Walmart. I have one in each car to check voltage once in a while. If the running voltage is to high, it might mean a problem with the regulator that may be internal to the alternator or that sensor by the battery. As said though you can’t touch halogen bulbs, or maybe try a different brand.
Brake light/tail light bulb.
The bulb isn’t a halogen light bulb.
So touching it doesn’t matter.
There might be a problem with the IGPM. Integrated Gateway Power Module.
Tester
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While unlikely to cause your issues, there is a recall on these for the brake light switch causing the brake lights to stay on. Not related to the recalI, but I have seen a bad connection at the bulb or wire connector cause the bulb to overheat and shorten the lifespan of the bulb.
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I think some Hyundai’s had an issue/defect with melting brake light connectors, and people bought a replacement wiring harness for their brake lights to fix a defective brake wiring harness/bulb sockets like TX dealer said. I’ve swear that I’ve even heard of the melting catching the plastic on fire, though that is probably very rare if I’d guess. Since Kia is related to Hyundai, you may have a similar fix if other possibilities check out fine. 2014 Hyundai Sonata Tail light faulty wiring harness issue. - YouTube
Here is another claim that the Hyundai - suggested bulbs are too hot and a different bulb can be used to prevent overheating: Burnt Through Brake Light 2013 Sonata | Hyundai Forums
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My 2017 Tucson specs 2357 brake bulbs.
However, I measured one of the original bulbs (which was marked neither 2357 nor 1157!), and it matched the lower wattage 1157.
So sometime after the melting sockets in 2014 Sonata etc. they apparently made a quiet change.
If it is socket failure you can splice in new sockets for far less than a whole harness.
(That’s what I did after polishing contacts as I posted above and the issue returned 2 years later.)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/164493848604
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