Technical Rear brake bulb question
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Technical Rear brake bulb question
A long time since I had Punto, so this will be a general answer.
Firstly, the new bulbs should be the same as the old ones you took out.
Some vehicles will use a single filament bulb for each lamp, others will use the twin filament for stop/tail, with 5w for tail lamp and 21w for stop lamp.
The single filament bulb has a centre contact, and the two bayonet pins that locate it are directly opposite each other.
The twin filament bulb will have two contacts on its base, and the two locating pins are at different heights, so should not be able to be fitted incorrectly. On a lot of poorly made or worn bulb holders it may be possible to fit the bulb the wrong way, giving 21w tail and 5w stop lamps. Many people seem to be able to force them in anyway, and if done once, the bulb holder can be damaged making it easy to do again.
If you manage to fit single filament bulbs in a twin holder, the centre contact may connect to both, just one, or neither. The bayonet pins will not have fitted properly, so the bulb might pop out sometime.
With the bulb out, look into the holder. If there are two contacts, you need the '380' bulb, 5w/21w, but if only one contact, you'd use the '382' P21w for brakes, and probably a '207' 5w for a tail lamp. The front sidelamps are also 5w, but tend to use smaller bulbs, '233' 5w, or a '501' 5w if it is just the glass bulb without the metal cap.
(Isn't it sad that I can remember bulb numbers without looking any of it up. I need to get out more.)
Hopefully you have a handbook, and all the bulbs will be listed near the back.
Firstly, the new bulbs should be the same as the old ones you took out.
Some vehicles will use a single filament bulb for each lamp, others will use the twin filament for stop/tail, with 5w for tail lamp and 21w for stop lamp.
The single filament bulb has a centre contact, and the two bayonet pins that locate it are directly opposite each other.
The twin filament bulb will have two contacts on its base, and the two locating pins are at different heights, so should not be able to be fitted incorrectly. On a lot of poorly made or worn bulb holders it may be possible to fit the bulb the wrong way, giving 21w tail and 5w stop lamps. Many people seem to be able to force them in anyway, and if done once, the bulb holder can be damaged making it easy to do again.
If you manage to fit single filament bulbs in a twin holder, the centre contact may connect to both, just one, or neither. The bayonet pins will not have fitted properly, so the bulb might pop out sometime.
With the bulb out, look into the holder. If there are two contacts, you need the '380' bulb, 5w/21w, but if only one contact, you'd use the '382' P21w for brakes, and probably a '207' 5w for a tail lamp. The front sidelamps are also 5w, but tend to use smaller bulbs, '233' 5w, or a '501' 5w if it is just the glass bulb without the metal cap.
(Isn't it sad that I can remember bulb numbers without looking any of it up. I need to get out more.)
Hopefully you have a handbook, and all the bulbs will be listed near the back.
No, they are independant of each other.
Both bulbs are single filament, as brake and tail lights are separate lights within the cluster, each with it's own bulb..
PS, the tail lights are 10W, NOT 5W as stated in the Haynes manual...fitting 5W bulbs upsets the canbus system, and throws up a warning light on the dash, even though the bulb will work OK.
Both bulbs are single filament, as brake and tail lights are separate lights within the cluster, each with it's own bulb..
PS, the tail lights are 10W, NOT 5W as stated in the Haynes manual...fitting 5W bulbs upsets the canbus system, and throws up a warning light on the dash, even though the bulb will work OK.
Yes.. 
all individual bulbs and they are
UNUSUAL WATTAGE...!!
So yellow bulb symbol will light even if Everthing Appears working
what Halfruads sell are wrong
Again ..20 years since a 188..
But thats what this forum is for
all individual bulbs and they are
UNUSUAL WATTAGE...!!
So yellow bulb symbol will light even if Everthing Appears working
what Halfruads sell are wrong
Again ..20 years since a 188..
But thats what this forum is for
But thats what this forum is for
https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-mk2-2b-guides/344168-basics-bulb-malfunction-light.html?p=4210624
https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-mk2-2b-guides/344168-basics-bulb-malfunction-light.html?p=4210624
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Fialfa
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Thanks all , the punto was for his test , I just never really studied the rear lights at night properly and thought, shouldn’t the top tail light and the brake light section illuminate together as tail lights and then brake light section illuminate brighter when the brake is pressed but no I was overthinking it as you all said their all individual bulbs , good tip on wattage , noted , thanks all and he passed with only 2 new tyres needed, front callipers playing up a little since I put new pads in but there’s alway something I suppose
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Just want to say a big thank you to the above posters, and the various other Punto/GP brake/tail light gremlin-related threads!
I’ve an 09 GP and noticed the offside tail light was out, and then the nearside went a couple weeks later. All other lights were working, and no dashboard errors. The filaments in both bulbs were fine, fuses all good. Swapped the bulbs round, tried them alone/with just the brake lamps/with just the indicators and nothing. Checked all the wiring looms, cleaned all the connections, checked for short circuits, checked all the earths, couldn’t find anything wrong so just gave up on them for a while because still got the dual brake/tail lights so not the end of the world…
But MOT coming up so had another bash at sorting the fault…
Re-read all the threads for some more pointers and turns out I’m just an idiot - I never actually had a good look at the bulbs themselves (they were not right at all, and I’m surprised they were ever working… wrong connection type and 5W instead of 10 (one was also clearly an indicator bulb as it had remnants of an orangey tint) can’t believe I didn’t even look properly at the bulbs themselves any point previously!
Anyway, long story short, thanks to this thread I now have the correct bulbs in and all in working order!
I’ve an 09 GP and noticed the offside tail light was out, and then the nearside went a couple weeks later. All other lights were working, and no dashboard errors. The filaments in both bulbs were fine, fuses all good. Swapped the bulbs round, tried them alone/with just the brake lamps/with just the indicators and nothing. Checked all the wiring looms, cleaned all the connections, checked for short circuits, checked all the earths, couldn’t find anything wrong so just gave up on them for a while because still got the dual brake/tail lights so not the end of the world…
But MOT coming up so had another bash at sorting the fault…
Re-read all the threads for some more pointers and turns out I’m just an idiot - I never actually had a good look at the bulbs themselves (they were not right at all, and I’m surprised they were ever working… wrong connection type and 5W instead of 10 (one was also clearly an indicator bulb as it had remnants of an orangey tint) can’t believe I didn’t even look properly at the bulbs themselves any point previously!
Anyway, long story short, thanks to this thread I now have the correct bulbs in and all in working order!
