Brake lights not working, driving me insane
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Brake lights not working, driving me insane
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Hi i just got a paint job on my truck and when i got it back i noticed my brake lights are not working? It looks like the back passenger plug got primer on it. I have tried brush the connector but the lights are still not working.
Could this be a coincidence's that my lights are out?
i picked up a new brake light switch, plugged it in and i compress the spring loaded switch the lights don't come on... (not the switch?)
Recently i noticed that my cruise control is also out... (no the fuse is not blown)...
Any tips?? there really isn't any other problems besides my back speakers not working...
I have been going round and round on this trying to follow the FSM for troubleshooting but am getting nowhere. Anyone have this problem before if so how'd you solve it?
Thanks much appreciated!
EDIT:
I checked the rear tail lights no power to the brake light terminal.
The switch is good, it has continuity.
The relay is also good.
all other lights work besides the license plate lights and the brake lights.
where are common locations for shorts?
Would the cruise control computer have caused this?
Need help, i'm about to take it into the dealer!
EDIT
OK fixed the lights. It turns out that i had a simultaneous failure in both lights. The filaments for each light looked perfect and the low watt part of the bulb worked fine. But when i checked the bulbs on the high watt terminal: nothing. Replaced both lights and wallah worked like a charm.
Thanks for the idea's all.
Hi i just got a paint job on my truck and when i got it back i noticed my brake lights are not working? It looks like the back passenger plug got primer on it. I have tried brush the connector but the lights are still not working.
Could this be a coincidence's that my lights are out?
i picked up a new brake light switch, plugged it in and i compress the spring loaded switch the lights don't come on... (not the switch?)
Recently i noticed that my cruise control is also out... (no the fuse is not blown)...
Any tips?? there really isn't any other problems besides my back speakers not working...
I have been going round and round on this trying to follow the FSM for troubleshooting but am getting nowhere. Anyone have this problem before if so how'd you solve it?
Thanks much appreciated!
EDIT:
I checked the rear tail lights no power to the brake light terminal.
The switch is good, it has continuity.
The relay is also good.
all other lights work besides the license plate lights and the brake lights.
where are common locations for shorts?
Would the cruise control computer have caused this?
Need help, i'm about to take it into the dealer!
EDIT
OK fixed the lights. It turns out that i had a simultaneous failure in both lights. The filaments for each light looked perfect and the low watt part of the bulb worked fine. But when i checked the bulbs on the high watt terminal: nothing. Replaced both lights and wallah worked like a charm.
Thanks for the idea's all.
Last edited by thewjsand; 10-27-2008 at 04:06 AM.
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So you got your truck painted, then suddenly these things stopped working?
Or they weren't working before?
If everything was working before, then the paint shop screwed it up. Shouldn't they be the ones fixing it?
Or they weren't working before?
If everything was working before, then the paint shop screwed it up. Shouldn't they be the ones fixing it?
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You would think.
I am taking it back to them tomorrow to have them clean the connector.
I never noticed the brake lights nor did my bride who followed me to the paint shop.
But I'm not 100% that it wasn't out before i took it so I'm checking my possibilities.
I am taking it back to them tomorrow to have them clean the connector.
I never noticed the brake lights nor did my bride who followed me to the paint shop.
But I'm not 100% that it wasn't out before i took it so I'm checking my possibilities.
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good call, yeah it did and it was cut...
I'll check it out tomorrow.
Does anyone know what the wire that goes through the bed is? There is main loom coming off the light connector, goes through the light pocket wall and up toward cab. Then there is a green or blue wire (can't remember) that goes down through the bed and connected to the old towing harness...
I'll check it out tomorrow.
Does anyone know what the wire that goes through the bed is? There is main loom coming off the light connector, goes through the light pocket wall and up toward cab. Then there is a green or blue wire (can't remember) that goes down through the bed and connected to the old towing harness...
#7
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Were the tailight housings completely removed with the lenses? Paint + light sockets = no ground. (You'd be suprised how sloppy some paint places get).
Did you check your under-hood fuses?
Did you check your under-hood fuses?
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I'll starting surfing his site more carefully.
No i didn't think there was any fuses under the hood that would effect that... i'll pull them this morning. that would be a very nice fix to this problem!
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Still nothing
So checked my ground it was good. All my other lights work, just not the brake.
There is continuity at the brake light switch.
The trailer wires are spliced into the drivers side lines, the blue wires go down through and come out underneath. There is one additional one that comes of the passenger side and goes down as well. None of them go anywhere. All have been cut all summer.
At the splice joints (rear drivers side) i can see voltage when i turn on the turn signal, backup and running lights but not the brake.
I am wondering if it is coincidental that my cruise control is also out or if they are linked. I know the CC compute works at least a little since the light comes on when i push the CC button. But when i remove the CC computer the brake lights still don't work.
i have no idea what else there could be...
Let me know if you have had anything like this happen to you!
Thanks!
There is continuity at the brake light switch.
The trailer wires are spliced into the drivers side lines, the blue wires go down through and come out underneath. There is one additional one that comes of the passenger side and goes down as well. None of them go anywhere. All have been cut all summer.
At the splice joints (rear drivers side) i can see voltage when i turn on the turn signal, backup and running lights but not the brake.
I am wondering if it is coincidental that my cruise control is also out or if they are linked. I know the CC compute works at least a little since the light comes on when i push the CC button. But when i remove the CC computer the brake lights still don't work.
i have no idea what else there could be...
Let me know if you have had anything like this happen to you!
Thanks!
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I'll go out and look right now.
OK i looked there are 3 silver relays near the Fuse box, the breaker, and a smaller green box.
Last edited by thewjsand; 10-15-2008 at 05:04 PM.
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no the bulb isn't burned out.
The brake light terminal on the connector is not getting a voltage when the brake is compressed, while all other lights are when their signals are sent via respective switches.
and i have checked the switch with a brand new one.
The brake light terminal on the connector is not getting a voltage when the brake is compressed, while all other lights are when their signals are sent via respective switches.
and i have checked the switch with a brand new one.
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If the relay is what I'm thinking it is, they're sold in many autoparts stores, and vehicles of all makes and models use these standard relays for lights, etc. etc.
I had to replace a 5 prong one for my Jeep CJ5 to make the offroad lights work, as well as the horn.
They're a square black box looking thing usually, maybe 2 inches in width, 2.5 in height, but that's working from memory.
I had to replace a 5 prong one for my Jeep CJ5 to make the offroad lights work, as well as the horn.
They're a square black box looking thing usually, maybe 2 inches in width, 2.5 in height, but that's working from memory.
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so you take a multimeter and check for continuity from the bulb socket bayonnet to ground, and check for voltage on each of the terminals as you activate the functions. start at the light bulb and work backwards.
do the running / marker lights cause the low watt filament in the bulb to light? if so, ground's aren't an issue.
oh, and you've checked your fuses?
do the running / marker lights cause the low watt filament in the bulb to light? if so, ground's aren't an issue.
oh, and you've checked your fuses?
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so you take a multimeter and check for continuity from the bulb socket bayonnet to ground, and check for voltage on each of the terminals as you activate the functions. start at the light bulb and work backwards.
do the running / marker lights cause the low watt filament in the bulb to light? if so, ground's aren't an issue.
oh, and you've checked your fuses?
do the running / marker lights cause the low watt filament in the bulb to light? if so, ground's aren't an issue.
oh, and you've checked your fuses?
Ground is good. All other lights work.
I'll check the contiunety from the bayonnet to the ground tomorrow...
No voltage to the brake wire.
I'm very curious what this relay is...
What is a good technique for determining if a relay is bad?
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Pictures of relays under kick panel:
If the relay is what I'm thinking it is, they're sold in many autoparts stores, and vehicles of all makes and models use these standard relays for lights, etc. etc.
I had to replace a 5 prong one for my Jeep CJ5 to make the offroad lights work, as well as the horn.
They're a square black box looking thing usually, maybe 2 inches in width, 2.5 in height, but that's working from memory.
I had to replace a 5 prong one for my Jeep CJ5 to make the offroad lights work, as well as the horn.
They're a square black box looking thing usually, maybe 2 inches in width, 2.5 in height, but that's working from memory.
I will update the thread if it works.
Which one?
Last edited by thewjsand; 10-20-2008 at 06:11 PM.