Brake lights don't work

[IIA]

My brake lights don't come on when I press the pedal, but they do light up when the headlghts go on. Someone at RN told me how to bridge the wires to test the switch, but they still didn't come on. My mechanical skills are limited to opening the hood. Any suggestions of what to do now? - Thanks.

[SafeAirOne]

First of all...I'm amazed that screen name was still available!

As for the lights...

1) Was it working properly before and now it's not? (trying to eliminate "incorectly wired")

2) Are you saying that when you turn the hedlights on, the normal red parking lamps illuminate and when you press on the brakes the red lights get brighter? (again, trying to eliminate "incorectly wired")

3) have you changed the bulbs recently or fiddled with any wiring, or done anything in the fusebox area?

I can't imagine what your porblem could be unless somebody connected the green wire to someplace they shouldn't have. It's a super-simple circuit--Power comes off the "hot with key in run position" fuse via green wire, goes to a simple brake light switch which closes when you step on the brakes, then via green/purple wire back to each brake light and then on to ground.

Oh...I just thought of this: Do you have an ex-military rover? There are switch settings that do not permit the lights (including brake lights) to illuminate in tactical situations. Turning the headlights on probably allows the brake lights to work.

[LH Drive]

IIRC the brake light switch is located on top of the brake pedal bracket. Its a screw type metal switch with a couple of wires going to it. You can get to it from the engine bay. Simple cheap fix and out host carries the part.

[cachinfool]

Is the key on? Seems like a dumb design to me but a properly wired brake light circuit is wired to the switched side of the fuse box, I just finished struggling with the key needs to be on problem before I got out the wiring diagram a realized what was going on.

[SafeAirOne]

IIRC the brake light switch is located on top of the brake pedal bracket. Its a screw type metal switch with a couple of wires going to it. You can get to it from the engine bay. Simple cheap fix and out host carries the part.


Naw--He said he connected the 2 wires on the brake switch together and the brake lights still didn't illuminate, so it can't be the switch.

[albersj51]

This may sound dumb...

One of my brake lights didn't work. Replaced the bulb and still nothing. Crawled under and found a wire not connected. Connected it but still nothing. Then I found that the wire was hanging and burned on the exhaust (pretty sure not all of the wiring is original).

[IIA]

I tried testing the switch again tonight - this time with the key on, and the lights worked - turns out that it was the switch after all. Thanks, I've ordered a new one from RN. Now to move onto my next repair...

[LaneRover]

I tried testing the switch again tonight - this time with the key on, and the lights worked - turns out that it was the switch after all. Thanks, I've ordered a new one from RN. Now to move onto my next repair...

Sounds like you are well on your way to rover wrenching!

[SafeAirOne]

Naw--He said he connected the 2 wires on the brake switch together and the brake lights still didn't illuminate, so it can't be the switch.


:rolleyes: Sigh...