General Maintenance & Repairs - No Brake Lights

Can someone please help me out i have no rear brake lights. The spoiler light works but thats it. i have tested everything from back 2 frnt and everything works the previous owner had this prblm, he had it at the dealer a couple of times and they couldnt figure it out. i didn't no that there werent ne brake lights until i had the keys and he had the money when i was pullin out of his garage. I was like whatever i was just happy that i finally got a ws-6. i was thinkin maybe theres a short in a wire that goes from the spoiler light 2 the whole rear brake light assembly not sure though, i would rather no first b4 i take everything apart or pay someone 2 fix it. Maybe some one else has had this prblm. so if i can have some help i will appreciate it thanks.

have you checked the fuse. I had this happen on another car I used to own. Ended up being the darn fuse.

There is no wire between the center high-mounted brake light (spoiler light) and the rest of the brake lights. The two circuits are completely separate from the brake switch on the pedal all the way back to the lights.

Do the parking lights and rear turn signals work? If so you can assume that there isn't a ground problem at the taillights. If the turn signals work then I would suspect the brake switch itself since the brake and signals share the same wire from the steering column back to the taillights (this applies to Firebirds only - Camaros have separate rear turn signals). If the signals don't work either then you will need to use a test light or multimeter to trace where the power is being interrupted. Start at the taillight sockets and move forward to the steering column connectors until you find where the power stops.

i have checked all fuses and tested everything and replaced the switch, and yes the turn signals work and the parking lights.

can someone please help me, give me an idea of what 2 do.

Get a Digital Multi Meter from Radio Shack or friend. Keep it forever - you'll use it to test batteries, check problems install stereos...lots of stuff...

I always start with the most likely candidates - fuse - the lamps themselves - A short would probably blow a fuse if it's a hot (+12) to ground. Do you have +12 volts getting to lamps when pedal is depressed? Does the light socket have ground. Is there 12 volts going to the brake switch. It's a matter of deducing the problem in proper order. Problems like these are bot caused by ghosts as certain dealers and repair facilities might as well say...they have a solution.

everything has been check but i'll look again, when the previous owner had it he had it at the dealer and the techs couldnt figure out the prblm.

There's no magic to tracking down an electrical problem but it can be very tedious. You have to be sure to do it methodically and not skip any steps. Hunches can be great things but they're not usually helpful in this kind of situation.

Start at the back of the car with either a multimeter or a test light. Unplug one of the brake light sockets and check that you get power between the brake light wire and the ground wire when someone steps on the brake pedal. I would assume that you won't because that would indicate that you have burned out bulbs and you said you checked them.

So, the next step is to do the same test at the brake switch. Check for power on the light blue wire when the pedal is depressed but not when the pedal is released. Again, I assume that you will find that this is OK because you said the third brake light works.

There is a splice in the light blue wire in the instrument panel harness about 3.5 inches from the ground bolt by the driver's kick panel. This is where the circuits for the main brake lights and the third brake light split. One light blue wire goes to the spoiler for the third brake light and the other goes to the steering column and into the turn signal switch. You can pick it up again at connector C216 - an 11-pin flat connector at the base of the steering column. The light blue wire will be at one end of the connector right beside a dark green wire and a yellow wire. The yellow wire is for output to the left taillights and the dark green wire is for output to the right taillights. Test that you have power going in on the light blue wire and power coming out on both the yellow and dark green wires when the brake pedal is depressed. If there's no power on the light blue wire then the problem is a break in the wire between the splice and the steeing column. If there's power on the light blue wire but not the yellow or dark green wires then the turn signal switch is the source of the problem.

I expect that this is where you will find the problem. The yellow and dark green wires couldn't be broken or shorted because you said the turn signals still work (and they use the same wires).

Note: Camaros don't have the same configuration of running the brake light wires through the turn signal switch because they have rear turn signals that are separate from the brake lights.

Great post, WhiteBird00! Thanks for taking the time to type it out! I "assume" that it fixed silver T/A's problem, because he never did reply back.

And that's what pisses me off about the people that ask questions! They never do tell us what it was that fixed the problem! Thanks, Guys! Now I have to ask the same question all over again!

I would sign my name to this, but I'm too lazy to even do that!

(1stbird)

woooooo realx 1stbird i didnt 4get about the thread and yes still have no brake lights but thats because i havent dont what whitebird00 just explained 2 me, had a busy weekend, drank 2 much sat night lol. WhiteBird00 thanks man 4 helpin me out i will do what u said an see what happens and let u no. i hardly have time during the week 2 do nething but i will see what i can do and i'll let u no. Thanks again, silver T/A