Brake Light Problem

[91oldscutlass]

Every once in awhile the brake lights dont work...the 3rd one always does...but then sometimes only one side and the 3rd brake light. When that happens if you hit the brakes again they will come on....Anyone else have this problem before???

[DiscoStudd]

Replace the turn signal switch. The telltale sign is the 3rd brake light lighting up and the others not lighting up. The left and right brake lights are routed through the TS switch, the 3rd is not.

[91oldscutlass]

Thats sound logical...I had a problem with that earlier.

[95 BLKDOUT Drop Top]

I seem to have the exact same problem, most of the time the only light that lights up when i hit the brake is the 3rd. the other two tail lights dont light up when the brakes are pressed. i never had the problem of only one tail light lighting up, its always all or just the 3rd. to keep from gettin pulled over i just ride around with the park lights lit until i figure out what the problem is and how to fix it. so you said its the turn signal switch??

[z34_nut]

also check your ground wires, they could be pinched, or somthing of that amnner. one good way to tell,

 

does it happen when the car is damp, then when its dry its fine?

 

if so then its more then likely a ground issue, also depends on tempatures. other then that, do check up on the turn signal switch.

[cryptnix]

i just got finished changing this part...

 

took just an hour todo it it seemed like but make sure you have all the right tools, the problem lies where the thing literally starts spreading appart from eachother because there just two things sandwhiched togeather ...

 

what i noticed was if u pry up on it like your going to turn on the brights it'll cause the switch to come together and make contact with the necessary connection it needs to make the two bottom lights work.

 

i drove around forever with this problem, parents, and everyone i knew was always telling me it wasn't working when i knew but good grief ... had to learn a few things about the problem ... and eventually i did it ... and that was with no experience and half assed diagrams in my book for my car...

 

other than that i gotta get ready for work ... so good luck! and hope u can get it fixed cause its fairly straight forward and i'm not really sure if u have an air bag in your car if so ... thats REALLY the only thing you have to worry about ... and thats popping in your face! just make sure the neg is off the bat! then from there its plain as day!

[Lee]

Just did mine also. Do a seach for "lee". I had a problem with grounding on the new one which I solved.

 

My right side brake lights not working was the first sign of turn signal switch failure, 3 months later the left signal was messing up. 3 months after that the right signal was messing up. Figured it was time to fix it.

[95 BLKDOUT Drop Top]

well my car is currently at the sho gettin its new tranny put in so ill have to check it when it gets back.i dont kno if its the same problem as u described. my tail lights, both of them, MOST OF THE TIME not all the time, dont light up when i hit the brakes but the 3rd lights up all the time. is it the same problem?? ill check it and see when i get it back next week.

[95 BLKDOUT Drop Top]

"well my car is currently at the sho gettin its new tranny put in "

 

correction: its at the SHOP** gettin its new tranny