Brake lights out 98 Silverado

I'll post it here for ya too:

Have you checked your connector plates? (the part that the bulb plugs into) They go bad on a regular basis from the heat generated by the bulb. Places like AZ sell 'em for about $25 a pop.

And yes, it is possible for all your bulbs to burn out in quick succession - or over a long, unnoticed period of time.

Start with the back end and work your way forward - and no, the schematics aren't in Russian.....they're in "Technician"... ;-)

And BTW - OBDII won't scan your brake lights......or any part of that particular circuit.

As for the brakelight switch, there should only be at most 4 wires in it - 2 for brakes and 2 for cruise. I think you pulled the wrong plug.....

Jeremy

It could be I pulled the wrong plug...however I disagree since I was careful to make sure the plug I pulled was connected to the switch connected to the brake pedal.

Looking at the schematic, I do see cruise and the brake light are in the same " block/switch". I guess that will tell me which wires.

Is it PPL and BRN to jumper or WHT and ORG?

Hughie

succession -

Check your switch on the brake pedal. Its common for these to wear out.

Cheers

How do I check it Martin?

If I remember correctly, is a pita to check if its still mounted to the steering column. But if you can get the connector off it then you can jump the pins to light the brake lites. If you have a test light or meter you can check it that way as well. It should just snap right off the steering column, there shouldnt be anything loose in side it, so tap it and see if it rattles.

Goodluck

Yep, all of the above is true. But there are 4 wires connected to this block. Which 2 do I jumper to check the brake lights?

I dont have the diagrams for that truck. The easiest thing to do is to take the switch out and check it with a meter or test light.

Fuse #18 has nothing to do with your brake lights, you need to check stop/hazard fuse #1. If the fuse is good and you still have the switch disconnected, you need to jumper the orange and white wires. Does the high mount brake light work? I am asking because the high mount gets a direct feed from the brake switch while the normal brake lights are fed through the turn signal switch from a relay and maxifuse #2 under the hood.

Les

Hughie wrote:

No, none of the rear brake lights work at all.

BTW, thank you Les...can I paypal you a few bucks? If so, please shoot me an email at

hughieb NO @ SPAM absolutelyvolkswagen.org

No, but thanks for the offer, just glad I could help. Just let everyone know what you found wrong.

Les

Hughie wrote:

I took the truck down to my friend's VW shop and we found the orange wire wasn't getting any power. Turns out it had broken at the next clip up from the switch. The switch was good, the fuses were good, but the hot wire was not. The green wire had also broken. It looked like normal wear and tear was the culprit. At any rate, with both wires resoldered and put back together the brake lights work like a charm and since this guy was my friend, I worked with him ( he is a mechanic by trade ) and now I know what was done and how to fix it the next time around.

BTW, does Chevy sell a tool to get at the switch cause a man's hand doesn't fit very well. Now if either of us were 2 foot 6 inches with 6 inch fingers, the job would have been sooo much easier...but, no, we are 2 fat old white guys trying to fix this POS, that's piece of spaghetti for those who don't know the acronym. Anyway, thanks a bunch Les. I do wish you'd let me give u $5 for the suggestion.

No it's Point Of Sale obviously!

-The Lonely Grease Monkey

"Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, then he who believes what is a wrong." - Thomas Jefferson