6500rpm
Quality Always Shoots Straight
So I take my 13 for it's first state inspection since I've owned it, and it's a perfect car right, so I just drive it to the shop and have the inspection done without looking at it. FAILED-third brake light inoperative. I take it home and pop it off (easy task, two clips and a connector to the glass that resembles a 9v battery connector except 2 male on the glass, 2 female on the light harness). Take my jumper box to the light, and it shines nice and bright one way, not at all the other (led's so its normal and good and now I know what terminal is positive + now). Lights good, so I take my power probe to the glass terminals-ground on the terminal closest to center, and a good B+ on the other when the brake is pushed. So I snap it back on thinking it was a poor connection or something from when the windows were tinted-with it hanging down I hit the pedal and they work fine...Yea! Nope, I went to snap the cover back in place and the damn retainers won't make it to the slots because the harness is too short. I'm like WTF. Luckily I have Taurus in the fleet and it's a 30 second deal to drop the light and verify the glass terminal closest to the center is ground, and terminal to the left of it is B+ w/ brake applied just like mine. This car is 6 years old, I've had it for three and the 3rd brake light has never worked since day 1 and I never had a clue. They soldered the two wires to the led board in reverse orientation. Quick hit with the soldering iron to un-solder, reverse the wires and re-solder to the board and all is well! Just thought I'd throw this out there because it's $100 part. A new light would have fixed it too, but the issue in my case was that the board was made wrong. Can't help but wonder how many are out there, mine was a very early 13 production.
