Brake Lights

[Mothman]

Hey everyone,

My brake lights stop working; after search all the manuels it they stated it would be the Brake Light Switch. So today i switched them out and still no joy.

I checked the light bulbs on both sides and they work just fine, and I can not get the brake lights on the hatch to come on at all.

Any ideas on what else I can check?

Thanks,
Mothman

[marleymon]

fuse good?

[Mothman]

Yes I check the fuse it was good.

[John Firestone]

Does your car have cruise control, and if it does, does it still work and switch off when you tap the brake pedal?

[Mothman]

No, Cruise control. is there maybe another fuse in the fuse box that may be out other than that one little fuse. is there like a bigger switch or something that i am over looking?

I replace the one on the brake pedal itself. I was thinking it was the taillights but all three are out at the same time. so it not them, it has to be somewhere up front. The blinkers and praking lights all still work so it rare that it a bad wire line because they are all bundle together. Sorry thinking on paper trying figure this think out before tomorrow.

Originally Posted by John Firestone

Does your car have cruise control, and if it does, does it still work and switch off when you tap the brake pedal?

[John Firestone]

Which "little fuse"? F46?

The brake lights are pretty simple: fuse F46 supplies power to pin 1 of the brake light switch and pin 2 of the switch drives the rear brake lights. What voltages do you measure on the pins while braking and not braking?

[Mothman]

Well I do not have something to measure the voltage coming from each pin, I only have a fuse tester to let me know if the fuse is good or bad. I switch out the fuse with a new 15v (blue) fuse and still no joy. I will had to a shop today, to ask if I can borrow something to test my fuses.

Question for you, how do I test the brown ones with the covers over them? and does it matter which side I test first?

Thanks,
Mothman

Originally Posted by John Firestone

Which "little fuse"? F46?

The brake lights are pretty simple: fuse F46 supplies power to pin 1 of the brake light switch and pin 2 of the switch drives the rear brake lights. What voltages do you measure on the pins while braking and not braking?

[BleMW]

did a ground wire slip?

[John Firestone]

Originally Posted by Mothman

Well I do not have something to measure the voltage coming from each pin,....

A little, 12V automotive test lamp with a pin-type probe would be enough. It might even be better. If I remember correctly, the brake light switch connector faces you when you pull off the kick panel, and further, you can insert the probe into the connector while it is still on and touch first pin 1 and then pin 2. If you do that, you can at least check that you have 12V brake light power into the switch and, when you press on it, out of it. Then with someone pressing on the brake pedal, you can check if you get 12V at the brake lights. That might help narrow down your problem a bit.

[Mothman]

You know it may have, this all started after I switch out my radiator. I drove it has been almost two months after replacing the radiator before I notice the brake lights hummm.... I will have to back track and look.

Thanks,
mothman

Originally Posted by BleMW

did a ground wire slip?

[BleMW]

seems like an easy thing to check before you start getting technical.. half of my electrical problems are slipped grounds (not that i have them, but when i do)

[Mothman]

I will try it after I leave campus today,

Thanks,
Mothman

Originally Posted by John Firestone

A little, 12V automotive test lamp with a pin-type probe would be enough. It might even be better. If I remember correctly, the brake light switch connector faces you when you pull off the kick panel, and further, you can insert the probe into the connector while it is still on and touch first pin 1 and then pin 2. If you do that, you can at least check that you have 12V brake light power into the switch and, when you press on it, out of it. Then with someone pressing on the brake pedal, you can check if you get 12V at the brake lights. That might help narrow down your problem a bit.

[Mothman]

Thanks all for the help, I double check the fuse and wires. As I pulled back a few wires I notice that some where exposed so I spliced them back together and taped them up. Resecured all the the grounds and YEA!!!! It worked!!

Funny thing happen during my drive home today. When I put on my parking lights (to act as brake lights) and hit he brake pedal the temp gauge would go up! LOL! I was controling the reading with the amout of pressure I was placing on the brake. This only works with both the parking lights and brake pedal pressed. If I turn off the lights or release the brake pedal the temp gauge drops back to cold.

After fixing my brake lights I have not gone back out to test to see now that the brake lights are working, will the temp gauge still be activated by the parking lights and brake pedal.

Thanks for everyones help and info on how to fix my lights, as always you guys/gals ROCK!

Once again saving me an $87.00 Inspection fee from the dealer or a $60-70 inspection fee to find out what the problem is and charging me $180 for $3.00 parts and $177.00 of labor.

Mothman

I will post pictures tomorrow of how I changed the brake light switch (61 31 1 382 385) $16.80 for part. I used the extra fuse in the fuse box to replace Fuse 46.