Number plate bulbs

[KayG]

Anyone else having problems with their number plate bulbs not staying lit ?

Every day at least one of the bulbs is not illuminated, a gentle tap on the tailgate and it will come back on - then stay lit for  the rest of the night, then it will be fine for maybe anything from 1 day to a week ! This happens to both bulbs, and has occured since the car was new.

Suspecting corrosion on the contacts I used a thin piece of sandpaper in the bulb holder and afterwards a quick squirt of wd40. This seemed to work fine...for about a week then the problem came back.

It's not the bulbs, like I say a gentle tap brings them back on(although it does seem to blow plate bulbs more than on other cars I've owned). No matter how much cleaning of the contacts or reseating the bulbs the issue always returns within a few days. And it's not just my car, speaking to other Auris taxi drivers they ALL have the same problem, and often when I'm following other Auris TS I'll notice they have one or both number plate lights out.

Applies to Auris hybrid TS but I suspect other Toyotas use the same number plate bulb holders, is it a known issue, is there a solution? Will mention it to my dealer next time I'm in and see if they've had similar reports.

[Countrylad]

The trouble with WD40 is that it's a insulator, not a contact improver. Which might not be quite what you want?

The same goes for Vaseline.  Motorcyclists say that they swear by something called dielectric grease, which improves connectivity rather than hampering it. I've never had the misfortune to need it, but it might be worth googling?

OTOH, this shouldn't be happening with a three year old car. Yes, take it up with the dealer if you can't get any joy.

[KayG]

To be honest I thought there'd be more replies to this thread. Speaking to other taxi drivers they all have issues with plate bulbs, surely it can't be a problem isolated to just my area !

So I guess no-one else has problems with their number plate bulbs and they're all working fine !!!

[hubrad]

Mine are working fine. (You watch: Sod's Law, an'all!)

Any time I've had problems it's been either a ropey old bulb or, more commonly, mucky bulb holder.  Do as you've done a couple of times, then a smear of vaseline  (it's an insulator if it forms a layer *between* the contact and bulb, but it's a very useful waterproofing device) before reassembly.

If the problem has reoccurred, I'd go for new bulbs as well.

Number plate bulbs are usually in an ideal place for water or condensation to cause problems.