no brake lights part THREE!

[kh440]

OK, replaced brake light switch, repaired the white wire, replaced the turn signal switch, threw in a turn signal lever and cancelling cam for good measure and I STILL have no brake lights...what else am I overlooking?

 

[turbojd]

Try tilting your steering column up and down and see if the tail lights start working, if they do you might have a cracked wire in the steering column.

 

[scot w.]

Did you ever test with an OHM meter the wires under the drivers side Sil plate that go from the fues box all the way back to the trunk connector?

Those wires sometimes get pinched and not work, but the OHM meter will find it for sure. May need some added wire or leads for the distance.

Scot W.

 

[kh440]

Did you ever test with an OHM meter the wires under the drivers side Sil plate that go from the fues box all the way back to the trunk connector?

Those wires sometimes get pinched and not work, but the OHM meter will find it for sure. May need some added wire or leads for the distance.

Scot W.

not yet, was hoping to avoid ripping out half the interior to chase wires but so much for that idea. Where do I need to check the resistance? At the tailight connector or in between or??

DID find a fair bit of water in that plastic channel where the harnesses are, cause and effect maybe??

 

[HI85WH1]

Do you have power coming into the brake switch?. start there and work back... if you need to, jumper the brake light switch pigtail on the harness so you can check for lights... and you may want to verify the ground in the lower drivers corner of the trunk.

 

[kh440]

I've got tail, turn, hazard and the high-mount light all functioning fine. Just the main brake lights that are out

 

[scot w.]

not yet, was hoping to avoid ripping out half the interior to chase wires but so much for that idea. Where do I need to check the resistance? At the tailight connector or in between or??

DID find a fair bit of water in that plastic channel where the harnesses are, cause and effect maybe??

Remove just the drivers side Sil plate and you will see a bunch of wires. Then you will need to find the brake light wire and trace it from the fuse box back to the connector in the trunk on the passenger side.

To test for resistance you will need to place one lead on the wire closest to the fuse box as you can get and the other lead as close as you can to that connector in the trunk. Your looking for a break in that wire inbetween thos two points.

If it does OHM out good then you can elliminate that section and work on something else as a possibility.

SW.

 

[scot w.]

I've got tail, turn, hazard and the high-mount light all functioning fine. Just the main brake lights that are out

Give me a list of EVERYTHING you have checked and or replaced.

SW.

 

[kh440]

Replaced:

brake light switch
turn signal switch
turn signal cancel cam
turn signal lever (I know the last two have nothing to do with it but figured while I was there)

Repaired:

the white wire where the t/s switch plugs into the harness (prior to replacing switch)

Tested:

Taillight connectors to as far as my leads would reach (roughly 3 feet)
Brown wire: .001 ohm
Yellow: .1 ohm
Green .1 ohm

this is as far as I have gotten so far as my back is now killing me!

 

[wbzautocustomiz]

Do you have dash lites sometimes that fuse can contribute to poor power distribustion to rear lighting just a shot to see if could help or not to say the wrong thing bulbs good, placed in socket correctly the little tit has to be lined up right bulb can go in wrong and not work correctly just askin not sayin you did anything wrong

 

[kh440]

dash lights fine, EVERYTHING works but the brake lights...about to pull what's left of my hair out

 

[chriss4655]

No brake lights

Had the same problem and it was after I replace the turn signal lever. The issue was the white wire in the 1/4 round connection at the base of the steering column. When the two peices were pushed together the alignment of the white wire ( male/female thing) was off a bit. It looked ok when the two pieces were pushed together,But have a close look and the male end would get pushed back just a bit instead of going in the female end.

 

[turboclam]

Tail light fuse.

 

[83ttypecooled]

stop lamps

Hi,
Let's take a breath here. In the area behind the driver's kick panel,where the hood release is,there is a flat connector,probably 6 wire,which contains all the wiring for the tail lights.The fuse and the switch are fine, as you probably surmised,because the center high mounted stop light is working. This connector I mention is unusual in that the wiring has colored/opaque insulation,and the wiring has an aluminum tint to it. This is a good place to test the circuits, if your back holds out! Access to a factory wiring diagram,and I don't mean Haynes,would be very helpful at this point. I recall you mentioned that turn signals work also. Since T/S and brake lamps use the same elements in the taillamp bulbs,the trouble would then have to be in between the brake lamp switch and the T/S switch,or the T/S switch itself.
One thing I have learned through the years is that a short break in the activity can help to solve the difficulty,so lay off it for a day, then maybe you can go back at it refreshed,and find the trouble. Good luck with your problem!

 

[kh440]

Update: At least did some preliminary testing with the test light. STarted with the white cinnector that always needs repairing. No current until I turn on the hazards (test light flashes with hazard lamps). Probed all three wires on top of thye stoplight switch and they all have power. Possible I got a bad switch right out of the box?

 

[scot w.]

Update: At least did some preliminary testing with the test light. STarted with the white cinnector that always needs repairing. No current until I turn on the hazards (test light flashes with hazard lamps). Probed all three wires on top of thye stoplight switch and they all have power. Possible I got a bad switch right out of the box?

Most deffinetly !! Just because it's new don't mean it Good! Iv'e had a bunch of parts over the years turn out bad when they were new.

Hope you figure this out.

SW.

 

[kh440]

I gotta wonder, as a probed the wires in the door sill with the test light and they all lit up when I turned on the various lights....about the only thing left if the current is getting that far right?

 

[scot w.]

I gotta wonder, as a probed the wires in the door sill with the test light and they all lit up when I turned on the various lights....about the only thing left if the current is getting that far right?

Thats waht I was getting at in my first post. The OHM test will show a break in a wire if the OHM meter don't beep! then that wire isn't making a complete circuit. Your getting there and I have a feeling you will find it soon.

SW.

 

[corsair231]

Try tilting your steering column up and down and see if the tail lights start working, if they do you might have a cracked wire in the steering column.

What you have is really a very common problem. Try this and see if they start working. If they do then check the white 1/4 moon shaped connector on top of the steering column. Push it together good and chances are you'll fix your lights.

 

[kh440]

By moon shaped connector do you mean the backup light/neutralsafety switch or is there another one I am not seeing?