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2000 elantra - No 'main' breaklight, but 3rd breaklight OK

I have a 2000 elantra that has no 'main' brake lights. 3rd brake light is working OK.

Tailights and signals work when headlamps are turned on. Only the main brake lights don't iluminate. Bulbs & fuse (Tail) look OK. I got a wiring diagram out of a repair manual, and it shows the 3rd 'eye' (breaklight) wired to the same bakelight switch hot lead going to the main breal lamps, so if the 3rd eye is working shouldn't the main breaklights?

I noticed the diagram showed a seperate fuse for l & R legs of the circuit, but my fuseblock only has a single fuse for brakes, is there another set in the engine compartment? Could this be battery cable (ground??) related. I recently replaced the cable with an OEM replacement??

Reply to
Ben Reed
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They "look" OK, but are they? Sometimes the filaments gets a tiny break that does not show readily. Invest $1.99 in new bulbs to be sure before you tear into something else.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I'd be surprised to see separate fusing for each side. Have you put a test light or a voltmeter on the circuit yet? Since the directionals work, the brake lights should also since they both use the same filament, but I would be looking hard at grounds back there. Bad grounds cause lots of bizarre problems. You state that you recently replace the battery ground cable - why?

Reply to
Mike Marlow

The battery harness was replaced due to it rotting out at the terminals. On the Elantra the + & - are in the same harness... I also noted a comment from someone else about the turn signal using the same filiment as the brakes. On the 1999 the turn signal has its own bulb... I'll run a multimeter across the fuse and the bulbs to verify they are good. I don't know if the cable replacement coincided with the no breaklights (timing) just noticed it, then thought, 'What has recently changed? I don't suspect the fuse as the 3rd (center) brake light works fine and is on the same circuit as the 'main brake lights', but electricity can be a strange animal.

Reply to
Ben Reed

OK, the results are in... Yup, there really is a L & R set of fuses. And not just for the tail lamps, but for the parking lights and headlights. Interesting. But they weren't the problem. Broke out the trusty multi-meter and Ohm'd out the fuses (all good) then hit the bulbs (that look just fine), and bingo - Opens in both bulb's brake filiment. Replaced the bulbs and now good to go. Go figure, I lost brakelights (both L&R) at the same time, and spent a bunch of time looking for a problem someplace else.

Reply to
Ben Reed

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