I have tried everything. I have a 96 with a bad brake light. It's on the left side and every now and then it works and then it doesn't. I've tried taking of the old "grease" off the light socket, but, that has not helped. It still works when it wants. I even checked the wires all the way into the body, no shorts. Any ideas?

 

I had a similar problem in a car a month or so ago. Turned out to be a bad turn signal switch.

 

I just encountered a new finding. When I bump the light fixture with my hand, the light comes on. Weird. I am no electrician, but is sounds like a short. Can that still be the turn signal switch. If so, how in the world do you change that?

 

may be a bad plug or ground, you just have to take it apart and check it

 

I have had that problem and just changing the bulb fixed it for me. Sometimes they are ready to go and the filiment makes contact then it doesn't (after I changed mine I whacked mine and the filiment finally broke fully) Also the two metal contacts can get loose either on the bulb side or the socket side.... so if changing the bulb doesn't work, check the socket and you might have to bend some metal tabs back if it has them or change the socket. One last thing if the contacts on the socket are dirty, take a pencil eraser and rub them... it will clean it. Hope this helps