Brake light switch, working but still no lights

Just curious. How's the brake pedal feel? Does it feel firm and the brakes work fine? Any pulling to one side or the front or rear locking up on hard braking or slick roads? You didn't say what kind of vehicle and that might not even matter; might not... It's just that I'm used to "idiot lights" (named for the light, not the driver:) not coming on unless there's a problem. Now, you say the brake switch "seemed to work". The mechanical brake system is pretty much apart from the brake light. Start with a volt meter (cheap at parts shops if you don't already have one) and check where the system stops working. Check the wire going into the switch to be sure it has 12 volts. Then, use an ohmmeter to see it's off when no brake & on when braking. You can double check by seeing 12V out of the switch when braking. If that's good, go back to the rear of the car and see if you have 12V in the light socket. Just keep narrowing it down til you find where the short or open is. Most times, electrical problems aren't complicated. They're just a pain in the butt; twisted up under the dash, pulling panels, tight spaces, etc. Make sure you have a wiring diagram (Haynes, Chilton, etc.) and track down the circuit. Hope this helps. If not, some shops specialize in tracking down the bugs. Drink

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(now.....> ok, so my breaklights dont work, even though after i check the break

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Dear Sir, we have recieved your request for technical support and would, at this time, like to welcome you into the group. However, we are unable at this time to address your concerns, as you have (regretfully) omitted the year, make, model, eng. size, prod. date, VIN number, transmission type, and "any" and "all" previous service or repair history information concerning the vehicle in question. We would highly suggest, and eagerly anticipate, a more detailed analysis of any and all diagnostic techniques that have been taken, and more importantly....they're outcome. Please be pointedly precise and non-transit in the detailing of these two items. Not doing so would only hamper, and perhaps delay, any or all diagnostic suggestions (guess's), that the FK'N PROFESSIONALS.....in this NG would offer to you.

Please feel free to forward the necessary vehicle information, along with appropriately formatted questions, not to omitt the mileage please, and your concerns will be addressed at that time.

untill then,

if you would like,

you "could"........

fill the BRAKE...(not break)....reservoir......

and do a repost with the outcome.

( a guess, only a guess, in case of a REAL emergency contact a John Deer Dealer...or whoever else may have made whatever it is you may be possibly drive'n to the liquor store)

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00 L O

~:~ MarshMonster ~sips his mushroom tea..takes a toke....wonders if you've thought of using black "fanger"nail polish as a stop-gap repair~ ~:~

First of all marsh mellow, i am driving a 1998 New Holland TT75 AWD tractor, and i was not going to the liquor store, i was coming back from your girls house, i hit the liquor store up on monday mornings. .

But all jokes aside Drinkwater, I have a 1987 Nissan Stanza 200,000 miles front wheel drive, and i've kept it in pretty good condition, the brakes work fine, and there is a little turning to the left, but i think thats "just" an alignment issue.

I don't know what kind of vehicle you have. But every car/truck that I've ever seen with a "Tail/Stop" idiot light illuminates that indicator when there is trouble with your lights or circuit. That this lamp comes on when the brake pedal is depressed indicates that the switch is fine. Try checking the tail/brake lamps.

I checked my switch, theres is current going to it, but when i did the hot wire thing the break lights did not come on. So my switch works, but there is no current to the brakes lights, the parking lights and turning signals work. What could this mean?

The obvious would be two burned out bulbs... It happens lots. The were made at the same time so they wear out at the same time.

Other than that, on some vehicles, the brake light uses the light fixture's bolts and the body as a ground and the running lights use a wire harness ground so if only the brakes are out, I suspect the bolts on the fixtures got too rusty or maybe even the vehicle body lost it's ground strap.

I test the ground by using a booster cable clamped to the battery negative and running that to the back to jump a wire from. I tag the wire on the side of the bulb's base to see if it then works. If it does I address the ground path.

Do the signals also use the brake light filaments or do they have separate bulbs?

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Any idea

about what?

"memonunez" wrote

You tell us.

According to this diagram (top right corner is you)...

goes from the switch through the failure sensor (lights the dash indicatorif it senses a problem, like a BULB BURNED OUT), and goes to three lights,the two "normal" brake bulbs, plus the high-mount in the back window. Do any of those three brake lights work? Did you pull and check the actual bulbs to see if they're burned out? Did you test at the bulb sockets to see if power is getting there? (The parking and turn signals are on different circuits, so ignore them).