[PaulG9LXY]

Hi all,

SWMBO has a 58 plate Corsa D 5 door with what I think to be a brake light fault, but need further info from other owners.

As I understand it (and how the owner's manual explains it) the rear side lights are the top bulb (single filament 5w) and the 2nd row outside bulb (twin filament 21/5w), with the 2nd row outside bulb also being the brake light.

When the brake pedal is pressed, the top side light bulb is illuminating as the brake light, not the double filament bulb. Lookers St Helens have advised that this should only happen as a fail safe when there is a problem with the primary brake light circuit (either bulb or wiring etc) and the top side light bulb should then act as the brake light so you don't have no brake lights.

The car has been back to the retailer today (Bristol Street Widnes) who have said that they can't find anything wrong and have just replaced all the bulbs as a courtesy (something I'd already done)

Can any other 5 door Corsa D owners tell me which bulb illuminates as their brake light as I'm a little confused as to whether there is an issue or not.

The handbook states that the 3 door Corsa D Brake light is the top bulb ... so I'm just wondering whether VX have fitted the wrong wiring loom/ECU control or if this is how it should work (but then why have a dual filament side/brake bulb fitted) or if there is an actual problem that just hasn't been addressed.

Thanks all and sorry to waffle on in my first post!

 

[mk14steve]

Same problem

I have a 2010 corsa D with exactly same problem. The top bulb is lit when brake is pushed and the twin filament bulb is below it and the manual says the twin filament bulb is the brake. The fact two corsa D have same problem (and mine is new) implies Vauxhall have made an error and wired the wrong bulb. I will see what my garage says.

 

[PaulG9LXY]

I actually contacted Vauxhall about this issue and after several emails between us, they came back with the following:

"Further to your query reference to the brake lights in your vehicle, I can confirm that our Technical Department have examined a like for like vehicle and can assure you that your vehicle is operating correctly.
The brake light is the top bulb and the one below, which is a twin filament is a side light only. The reason it has a twin filament bulb is because other markets or countries may use it; however, on a UK vehicle, there is only 1 set of terminals in the bulb holder so the second filament will never work.
I can appreciate that our owner's manual holds our old statement and I will ensure that this information is passed on to the relevant department for future ammendments."

Hope this helps

Paul

 

[JoeDaShmoe]

I actually contacted Vauxhall about this issue and after several emails between us, they came back with the following:

"Further to your query reference to the brake lights in your vehicle, I can confirm that our Technical Department have examined a like for like vehicle and can assure you that your vehicle is operating correctly.
The brake light is the top bulb and the one below, which is a twin filament is a side light only. The reason it has a twin filament bulb is because other markets or countries may use it; however, on a UK vehicle, there is only 1 set of terminals in the bulb holder so the second filament will never work.
I can appreciate that our owner's manual holds our old statement and I will ensure that this information is passed on to the relevant department for future ammendments."

Hope this helps

Paul

Hey Paul.. Thanks for your post so many years ago.. I scoured the internet for days before finding your post..
And OPEL Vauxhall really did everyone a disfavor with their brake light set up on the Corsa D..
When I see two brake lights lights that don't work I think fuse.. So I check every fuse in the car at least twice over the course of a week trying to figure out what is wrong.. I tested and replaced the 2 filament bulbs a few times and finally replaced the brake light switch... Replacing the brake light switch was a real torture to get it out and get it back in seated correctly..

Last night I disconnected the battery completely to let the car's computer module drain and reset..
So at 1 AM in the morning I read your post and knew right away that that was the problem.
I have a Vectra C and that car has no double filament bulbs for brake lights.. They are the standard 1 filament P21W bulbs, that when you turn on the head lights the bulb lights up like a running light but when you apply the brakes the same bulb lights up brighter..
So I changed the top single filament bulbs and everything works as expected..
OPEL screwed the community on this one in my opinion.
Joe..