Brake Light Switch (1 Viewer)

[Nomis]

My tail lights, light up fine - but only the driver's side brake light brightens when the brake pedal is depressed - the pax side is uneffected by the brake pedal. Does this indicate a bad brake light switch or faulty wiring/bad ground, etc??

Thanks

 

[Vitesse_6]

Swap the bulbs and try again.
If that didnt change getchur ammeter.

 

[Poser]

are we working on a Lexus or a 40?

 

[Nomis]

Vitesse_6 thanks for the quick reply. I should have mentioned that I swapped in a known good bulb with the same result. I do have a meter - does each brake light have a seperate feed off the switch that ups the voltage when the switch is depressed?

 

[Nomis]

are we working on a Lexus or a 40?

Poser, not sure if you remember but I PMed you about looking for an FJ and you offered some advice - well I finally found one, so this is definately on the 40. A '76 to be specific.

 

[VTFJ40]

Does this indicate a bad brake light switch or faulty wiring/bad ground, etc??

Thanks

If the switch is bad, neither would work. I would guess wiring, ground or bulb.

 

[Nomis]

Thanks VT - I pulled the lights off the frame and they were pretty rusty - going to pick up some new hardware today and clean things up a bit. Probably just poor contact with the frame.

 

[Poser]

... well I finally found one, so this is definately on the 40. A '76 to be specific.

glad to see you updated your sig since last night...

 

[Poser]

I would get a test light, and connect it at the junction where the tail lamp attaches to the main harness, and see if you have power there...


I have seen quite a few of the connectors for the later style rear lamps cause issues with tail lamps...


Good luck!


-Steve

 

[lemon]

Hopefully the original wiring hasn't been butchered by some DIY electrician installing a trailer light converter with wire nuts and Scotchloks.

Check the tail light connector for corrosion. I've seen OEM wire corrode and break where it’s soldered to the bulb base. The wire for the break lights could be broken there and the tail light would still work. The ground is probably OK if the backup, turn signal, and tail lights work but not the break light.

Get one of those handy test lights and make a break pedal prop so you can test the light housing and connectors with the break pedal pushed.

Good luck!

 

[Nomis]

Hopefully the original wiring hasn't been butchered by some DIY electrician installing a trailer light converter with wire nuts and Scotchloks.

Unfortunately, this is partly the case as I do see a trailer light converter set up zip tied to the frame. So I 'm guessing I should just rip out the trailer switch and go from there? The brake bulb itself does light up - just not the second, brighter filament when the brake is applied. I'll dig into this more when I get off work.

 

[Nomis]

Turned out to be a combination of the trailer wiring from the PO and some corrosion in the lamp sockets. I tore out the old trailer harness, soldered a few of the wires back together and cleaned up the corrosion. Now it's working like it should. I'll probably end up buying new tail lamp assemblies at some point.