How can I test the center brake neon beam??

[Scallywag]

was lurking thru forums and found this thread which matches my situation

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=41666

My 98 Mark Viii rear center light doesnt work. i checked into it and it actually was unplugged! so i thought, easy fix and plugged it in, then i noticed it wouldnt go into gear, because of the brake press. fuse being blown. i put a slightly bigger fuse in just to see if the light would come on to test it. but the light didnt come on and would blow up to a 20 amp fuse. ( it is supposed to be a 15a) .. Anyone else had this issue? What could it be ? a short inside the ballast? thanks

only my situation went a bit further as to my buddy was behind the car checking for the light when i pressed the brake, but instead he saw 0 light and smoke began coming out of the trunk. so of course i disconnected the plug and put in new fuse so i can put the car into gear etc

smoke!? yikes!!! i hope it's just the wires that got scorched and nothing else, though it did smell plasticky...

So anyways, now I want to test the neon beam, because if the beam itself is bad too, then i might as well get the entire housing unit as opposed to just the ballast Glitch offers, but since I'm not savvy with cars as i am with PCs, i need some advice.

hopefully the neon beam is ok

Thanks

 

[ford nut]

Take it apart and look at it.
You will see what you "smoked"
Odds are you smoked the ballast.

If its in the ballast get a glitch...info is on the link you posted.
I have one.....works great.
Its only a $100 bucks.

 

[Scallywag]

I think this is the advice I was looking for

you can test it with a car battery, put ground to the black wire on the plug of the ballast, and then use a power wire to test the green wire, and red wire, one is tail light, one is brake light, either one you dont have to test both, if it lights it lights!!

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=43837

Thanks a lot

 

[ford nut]

Is that just checkin the neon or the neon and the ballast???




good luck.

 

[marked8]

http://markviii.org/~glitch/inverter.html

 

[thaywood]

Its only a $100 bucks.

Only

Too rich for my blood right now.