Brake light doesn't brighten with brake

Stevemata

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My passenger side rear brake light works, but when I press the brakes it doesn't get brighter. My dash says alerts me to the problem. I replaced the bulb anyway, still doesn't work, the fuse looks good, but I swapped it with another and the light still doesn't brighten with brake use. Is there a switch or something I need to check somewhere?
 
My passenger side rear brake light works, but when I press the brakes it doesn't get brighter. My dash says alerts me to the problem. I replaced the bulb anyway, still doesn't work, the fuse looks good, but I swapped it with another and the light still doesn't brighten with brake use. Is there a switch or something I need to check somewhere?

Are you sure you used the correct bulb? Because it sounds to me like you put in a single filament bulb instead of the dual filament like the 3157 that is suppose to be there. Taillights are a single filament and the brake lights are dual filament. Go check your bulbs again.
 
It's the bulb socket or the wiring to it. (Brake light bulbs are two bulbs in one. The parking light bulb is working, but the brake light bulb is not.)
Edit - I assumed that the correct bulb was used, the point above is a good one.
 
The sockets do corrode and arcing actually pits where eventually you will have to replace the socket. My 2k sockets actually have heat discoloration and eventually we'll have to replace them.
 
Okay Fixed.

My sockets also have heat discoloration.

I put in another new bulb, didn't work. I took a screw driver to the contacts and put the old bulb back in, didn't work, I put one of the new bulbs in and it works. Combination of the two... weird.

It's fixed now. I'm curious if anyone has any idea what could cause the bulb and the socket to corrode together? I recently moved near the ocean, could that be the cause?
 

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