# Brake lights! **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** corolla, toyota\ **Created:** [April 12, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-lights/102918 "2017-04-12T22:44:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rleej24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/50afbb/32.png) [@rleej24](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rleej24)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-lights/102918/1 "2017-04-12T22:44:51Z")
Hey car talk community. My brakes lights went out yesterday because of a blown fuse which I ended up replacing earlier today. After replacing the fuse noticed that only one side of my brake lights were working. I then went on to replace the side that was not working and ended up blowing my fuse again. The fuse will not blow if I have one good bulb installed but will blow if I have two good bulbs installed. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks 2008 Toyota Corolla CE ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-lights/102918/2 "2017-04-12T22:50:51Z")
Aren’t you perky! Only, you left out the year of your of Corolla. Makes a difference. Tester ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-lights/102918/3 "2017-04-12T22:54:17Z")
Closely inspect the “bad” socket for any corrosion, then blast it out with WD40. ---
**Author:** ![rleej24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/50afbb/32.png) [@rleej24](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rleej24)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-lights/102918/4 "2017-04-12T23:09:40Z")
Each socket is still able to transmit light if only one good bulb is being used at a time ---
**Author:** ![rleej24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/50afbb/32.png) [@rleej24](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rleej24)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-lights/102918/5 "2017-04-12T23:12:04Z")
It’s a 2008 Toyota Corolla CE ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-lights/102918/6 "2017-04-12T23:30:58Z")
Make sure you are using the correct bulbs and the correct fuse. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-lights/102918/7 "2017-04-13T00:20:39Z")
Presuming the fuse and bulbs are the correct ones for the car, and they aren’t defective, there must be an unwanted current path somewhere that is overloading the circuit. It must not be a dead short, but just enough of a short that it allows one bulb to light, but not the other. I think what I’d do first is remove both bulbs and use an ohm meter to measure the resistance at the bulb socket to chassis ground. I expect OP will find one of the sockets measures a much lower resistance than the other. That’s the one that has the problem. ---
**Author:** ![kurtwm1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/13edae/32.png) [@kurtwm1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kurtwm1)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 5:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-lights/102918/8 "2017-04-13T05:07:08Z")
A fuse blows when the amps drawn on that circuit exceed the value of the fuse. Could be a short, but I doubt it based on your description. Is it possible that you are installing incorrect bulbs? Just because they fit into the socket does not mean they are the correct bulbs. By the way a corroded wire can also result in an overload and blow the fuse. ---
**Author:** ![kurtwm1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/13edae/32.png) [@kurtwm1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kurtwm1)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 5:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-lights/102918/9 "2017-04-13T05:18:44Z")
> [@GeorgeSanJose](#): > > It must not be a dead short, but just enough of a short that it allows one bulb to light A short is a short and blows the fuse…or starts the wire to melt and potentially start a fire. ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-lights/102918/10 "2017-04-13T14:54:31Z")
It is extremely unlikely that using the wrong bulbs would cause the fuse to blow. There isn’t a tremendous difference in current draw among the bulbs that will fit that socket. I would look for a corroded connection, including in the fuse socket.