Does anyone know if there is a state or federal law requiring a 3rd brake light? Has anyone purchased a rear bumper/tire carrier combo and somehow mounted their 3rd brake light to it?? I have a feeling they will flunk me at inspection here in Jersey if I don't have it. Any help would be great.
The only requirement that I can think of is if the 3rd light was original equipment.
What vehicle? I added a round clearance light to my CJ-7 style carrier, right in the center of the wheel location. (Those carriers were drilled for a reflector from an earlier design).
You could call the NJ motor vehicle department and ask them.
California requires that if one was factry installed, it be in working order. You are free to install one, here. I kind of like the one Jeep installed over the spare. Check NJ law, but it's probably the same. I put the license and a flood lamp in my spare, i guess the gas cans act like a brake light?
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bumper sticker says "Flat Landers Suck", a gift from a county supervisorcandidate.
Most states, and all of them if I recall correctly, refer to Federal DOT requirements as the basic requirements for their states too. That way they don't have to dupliate the Federal mandates like the 3rd brake light, bumpers, windshields, headlights, etc..
I had the honor of being the very first person to fail at my local inspection station in Flemington NJ for a burnt out third brake light on an old '86 Nova I once had. That must have been in 1990 or so. At the time they did not know what to do about it . The rule as they explained it once they looked it up at that time was that if it came on the vehicle it must work. It is my belief that they now have some manner of charts so they know which vehicles came with one and which did not. Based upon this, I believe that you will not get away with taking one off. Hoping this helps, Tomes
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> The bumper sticker says "Flat Landers Suck", a gift from a countysupervisor
I'm in Utah and haven't had the 3rd brake for a couple of years and never failed the state safety inspection. The first time I went in for inspection after I removed the 3rd brake light I held my breath, fearing they would fail me for not having it. But, my thought was that if I failed for not having the light I'd put one on, other wise I wasn't going to worry about it.
I don't know about NJ but in Utah if you fail the inspection you have to fix the problem and then they'll pass you. So go get the inspection, if it fails for not having the 3rd brake, so be it. But if it passes you've saved the head ache of fixing something you didn't need to.
I think that the rule of thumb is: If it is not a punch-list item (like horn, wipers and parking brakes) and it is there for the inspector to see, it must work. In many jurisdictions that seems to be the case for older emissions controls. Here in Connecticut no emissions inspector has complained that my AIR pump, along with the air rail and all associated plumbing, is missing on my `79 CJ-5.
For Old Crow...I have the TJ spare tire mount and the 3rd brake light riser if you want em...email me at s snipped-for-privacy@msn.com. For the original post...I went to Napa auto parts and bought a round red marker light that fits inside the opening on the spare and mounted it to the tire carrier and extended the wire from the factory light to it. I run chrome steel wheels...my third brake light is now about 15 inches across.
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