Intermittent Rear Light Failure Warning Light Intercation

[uncledee]

I had this problem for about a year and a half. Has I drove I would notice that I had a rear light failure warning indicator. This is item number 12 on page xii of the pictorial index in my owner's manual or the little yellow indicator at the bottom of my instrument cluster display far right. Has time went on it happened more often. The indicator would come on and I would look for a rear light to be out but found nothing. Finally, every time I used my SUV the light was on. I began to believe I had a bad sensor until one day I noticed that when I first started the vehicle the light was out. The minute I put my foot on the brake to place the machine in drive the light came on. I went back and looked at my rear lights again and noticed that the center top brake light was out. You must have someone to step on the brake wile you look to see this or use the reflection in a large store glass window. When I finally prided off the inside upper hatch trim to gain access the the lamp assembly I found that the light was burnt out. Not only that but the bulb was loose in it's socket. If you held the socket so the bulb was facing down it would fall out. I took a small screwdriver and pried the two ends of the contact points closer together so the bulb would fit snugly. I put it all back together and its been working like it should. Does everyone understand that the bulb being lose acted like it was burnt out but I only got the error when I stepped on the brake. So sometimes I would get the failure but most of the time I wouldn't. It wasn't until the bulb burnt out that I could tell what was happening. Vic :D