No brake lights

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THE STEVE

THE STEVE

"part-time wheelman"
Joined
Nov 23, 2009
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Location
springville, indiana
no brake lights in a 74 duster. changed the brake light switch, changed turn signal switched and it didnt help anything. the tail lights and turnsignals work. hazards do not. i have power at the brake light switch but no at the colum. i can hook a jumpbox to the connector under the kick panel and i can get the brake lights to light up that way. im thinking the problem is between the brake light switch and the steering colum connector. somewhere where the harness goes up and around the gauge cluster. any thoughts?

also right before they went out every time i would press the brake pedal the door buzzer would sound. when the lights quit so did the buzzing. it only did it for a day or two before the brake lights went out. the wires going to the door buzzer look fine. none of the wires look frayed. everything is taped up around the fuse block. just wondering if anybody had any ideas.

thanks
 
You need to trace all brake light conductors and their feed under the dash. Somewhere there is a short, bad connection, or chafed wires. You know the harness from kick panel to rear of car is good, so the problem is between fuse block, brake light switch, connections to directional signal switch, and connector in kick panel.

Make a copy of wire diagram from here, clip it on a clip board, and systematically trace it all out one wire at a time in the car marking each branch of circuits tested on the diagram as you go. This method helps keep one on task, and prevents missing something that may not be obvious when pawing around under the dash.

You will find a great bundle of wire looping up and over steering column just behind face of dash where wires connect back to fuse block. Look these over carefully along with light buzzer circuit.
 
There is a wire leaving the brake pedal switch ( off white ?, white with black tracer ? varries ) which goes directly and unbranched up the column to the turn signal switch. If you suspect and/or prove there is a fault in that wire, replace it. Cutting it at the brake pedal switch and the signal switch connector wouldn't effect anything else.
 
RedFish said:
There is a wire leaving the brake pedal switch ( off white ?, white with black tracer ? varries ) which goes directly and unbranched up the column to the turn signal switch. If you suspect and/or prove there is a fault in that wire, replace it. Cutting it at the brake pedal switch and the signal switch connector wouldn't effect anything else.
Click to expand...

^^^ THIS ^^^

This is a simple circuit

1 You say you have power at the brake light switch

RECHECK that you have power WITH THE PEDAL DEPRESSED ON BOTH SIDES of the switch

2 There is only ONE WIRE and a short wire at that, which goes directly from the cold side of the switch to the column connector.



(WHY would I tell you to recheck voltage with the pedal depressed??-----Because you MAY be checking voltage with no load on the circuit, and it REALLY may be a loose connection I.E. the fuse/ fuse box)
 
ok, some probably will disagree with this BUT, i had the same problem with my charger, brake lights worked then they quit. i traced every wire,replaced the switch and checked for hots and nots through the circuit and established a new ground ,still nothing. at the time ,the hazzards worked to. the emergency flasher on MY circuit is also on my brake light circuit. when i went to check my flashers, it blew out the relay and thus the brake light circuit was interrupted at the same time. i chased this demon for two days.as soon as changed my flasher relay ,WABAMM brake lights. just something to check.
 
73AbodEE said:
ok, some probably will disagree with this BUT, i had the same problem with my charger, brake lights worked then they quit. i traced every wire,replaced the switch and checked for hots and nots through the circuit and established a new ground ,still nothing. at the time ,the hazzards worked to. the emergency flasher on MY circuit is also on my brake light circuit. when i went to check my flashers, it blew out the relay and thus the brake light circuit was interrupted at the same time. i chased this demon for two days.as soon as changed my flasher relay ,WABAMM brake lights. just something to check.
Click to expand...

I wont argue with that. The hazard flasher circuit does override the others.
I've seen 2 cases where the hazard flashers didn't work so the owner didn't know if that switch was in the on or off position. To simply turn the non working lashers off restored brake light operation.
 
i tore the gauge cluster out. turned out i had only 6 volts to the brake light switch. i traced the wire and turned out it had been spliced 4 times. with 4 different wires. i put one new wire in and i had 12 volts temporarily. i traced it to the fuse block and the wire split off to 4 other wires. those wires went to various other things. i traced the oe that went to the fuse block and on top the fuse block was rusty. i took a screwdriver and scraped alittle of the corrosion off and they started working. i sleanded everything up the best i could and so far they work for now. i then went to plug in the nasty corroded headlight switch back in and now the headlights dont work. i got a new switch and will put it on tomorrow. i plan on getting an entire new harness but right now im broke and in college. and i have to drive this p.o.s everyday. i just hope it dont burn to the ground before i get it all fixed. lol
 
Glad you got to it. Sounds like it's time to rewire to old girl
 
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