1. Home
  2. Ford Explorer Forum
  3. '93 XLT brake light mystery

'93 XLT brake light mystery

I am having a problem with the brake lights on my XLT. Yesterday my wife told me there were no brake lights. I checked and sure enough both brake lights and the hilite don't come on when the brakes applied. I checked the fuse and the bulbs and they are OK. I checked the switch on the brake pedal and it seems to be functioning correctly (closed circuit when brake applied, open when not applied). My test light shows there is voltage to the connector at the brake pedal switch. Another curious aspect is that when I manually operate my trailer brake switch the brake lights all come on like normal. When I step on the brake pedal the "pilot light" on my trailer brake control does not come on (it's really just an indicator light and it used to come on whenever you applied the truck brakes or the manual trailer brake)

Anybody have any ideas of what to look for next?

Thanks in advance

LCC

Reply to
LCC
Loading thread data ...

First guess would be turn signal switch or broken wire where the column tilts. Though they are on different fuses, the turn signals, hazard lights and brake lights are inter-related..... oh, yeah, do the hazard lights function normally?

-- Jim Warman snipped-for-privacy@telusplanet.net

Reply to
Jim Warman

Jim Yep, the hazard lights work as well as all the other lights (and it's a mystery to me how the brake lights actually come on when the trailer brake switch is manually pushed). Is there any "easy" check for the turn signal switch?

Oh, yeah, another thing I tried was pulling the connector off the break pedal switch and jumpering it. No luck there either.

LCC

Reply to
LCC

I'm not sure what type of brake light switch is used on the Explorer, but Fords in the 60's and 70's used a little rectangular switch on the master cylinder actuator rod where it attaches to the brake pedal arm. This switch can give the trouble you describe...won't work on the car, but will work when actuating manually. I'd replace the switch.

Gerard TS 14

Reply to
geewhiz

Thanks all for the input.

The problem seems to be fixed. I replaced the switch as Gerard suggested. The strange thing is that I had tested the switch yesterday and it seemed to work OK. I jumpered the connector from the switch and still no lights. I tried the jumper again today and I had lights.

With this bit of good news I decided to get the new switch and see what happens. I put in the new switch and the lights are working fine. Then I bench tested the old switch and it is working fine!

I don't know what's up, but maybe Jim is right and there is a broken wire somewhere that is on it's last strand. As long as the lights keep working I'll be happy (to old to twist myself up under that dash again!)

Thanks all!

Reply to
LCC

Was it the style I had thought? Kinda rectangular, with a very small movement?

Gerard

Reply to
geewhiz

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.